ISO- -:;•■ ESSAY ON--:THE'^'--v .: 



byN-A'RADA, who is introduced in the Vardha-fnraji'a, spying to Vriyav^ 

 ratTa, the eldest son of Swayamb«uva, or AdaM; " yesterday, (hya-^ 

 " stane or hyastanadine,) O king of kings! I saw a kke in the White 

 *' Island. There was in it a large and beautiful flower of the Camala^ 

 " or red lotos. On its banks I saw a damsel, seemingly not above ten 

 ** years of age, with large beautiful eyes : I was astonished ; her eyes 

 *'^ were half closed. I asked the soft speaking maid ; Who are you, O 

 *^ mostl)eautiful? Why did you come hither? What is your business? 

 " Tell me, what I am to do, O well shaped maid ! Thus I said, but she 

 "closed her eyes, and remained silent ; then all ray divine knowledge 

 " forsook me ; I forgot the ^Sdstras, the Togas' dstras, the Sicshd-Sdstras, 

 " and the Ve'das also. I perceived immediately, that she had attra6led 

 " the whole to herself. I was surprised and grew very uneasy: I ap- 

 " proached her, and perceived a divine form in her .body: on his breast 

 ** I saw a second form, and on the breast of this a third form ^ whose 

 " eyes were red and inflamed: he was beautiful, and resplendent like 

 " the sun. Thus I saw three human forms in her body, which suddenly 

 ^\ disappeared, and the damsel remained alone. I said ihQxiy O Devi- 

 «* Cuma'ri! divine maid! how came I to lose my Ve'das f Tell me, 

 "mpst beautiful. She answered, the first form you saw in my body^ 

 " is the Rig-Veddf or Na'ra'yan'a himself, whose name, like fire, 

 ** burns away all sinfulness. The other on his breast, was the Tajur^ 

 " Veda, or Brahma . The third is the Sdma-Veday^N\\h^Q counte- 

 " nance of Rudra : thus the three Vcdas are three gods. Take back: 

 " your Vedas and ^Sdstras, O Na'rada! and perform your ablutions in 

 " this lake, the name of which is Vedasara^ or Veda-Sarovara.f the 

 " lake of the Ve'das, and you will remember your former transmigra* 

 " tions. She then disappeared, and having performed my ablutions, 



