SACRED ISLES, IN THE WEST. 113 



They have also another st'hdn near Casmir. In the Vardha-fiirdnd the 

 name of these three peaks are ^Swcta, Mandarai and Nila or the black 

 mountaino 



There are many mountains called Mandara, or dividing the Yv'aters ; 

 and they are represented in general, as consisting of a red or yellowish 

 earth, or they are said to be of that colour ; and of course it corresponds 

 or rather it is the same with Suvarn'a or Hiran'ya. 



These three goddesses are obviously the Parcos of the western my- 

 th ologists, which according to Plutarch^'^ were three and one. Fate 

 literally Lot, says he, in as much as it be an energy, is' the general soul 

 of the world, and is three fold, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos^ for Plato 

 says that Providence, by which he understands fate, both physical and 

 metaphysical, is threefold. The three Parcel were called also Vesta, 

 Mbierva and Morta or Martia. Vesta is the ''Sacti of Brahma ; who is 

 represented under the emblem of an ignited globe. Minerva is Saras- 

 vati or the energy of Vishnu; and Martia from Mars or Mayors, who 

 is Maha -deva, or Maha'-Haraja, M'ha'raj : her other name Morta, 

 is perhaps from morSy mortis. These are the three Genii sitting in a 

 triangle on Tri-cuta^ in the infernal regions, according to Thespesius, 

 near the three lakes of liquid gold, white lead, and iron ;^2) and between 

 them probably was the infernal Tri-vium or th,e three roads branching 

 but from one point, in the infernal plains, which were threefold also, 

 \EiyJum, ErehiSy ^nd Tartarus. These are probably the three Skiyi-Dei 

 or Gods of Schceria, or Skirr, who began to be known, when Saturn" 



(') Plut. deFato. 



12) Plvtaxxcu Vol. II. p. 567 ^nd 566. 



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