SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST. 121 



" and according to the words of the goddess SaVitri, I recolle^ed a 

 " thousand past transmigrations." 



*' In my first generation, I was a Brahmen, much respedled at 



" Avantipuri or Ujjaymi. I understood the Fedas perfe6lly, had many 



*' disciples, and was very rich. Refle6ling one day, of what little avail 



" my wealth would prove in the end; and of what httle service my disci- 



*' pies would be to me, I bade adieu to the world, after having divided all 



" my wealth among them, and went to the lake called Sarasvata-sara or 



** Pushcardj there to make tapasya." 



Here the narrative breaks off suddenly, but further particulars are to 

 be found in anothep>place of the same Purdn'a, where it is said that Na'- 

 RADA went to the White Island, the inhabitants of which looked exa6tly 

 like Vishnu. The first man he saw there, he took to be Vishnu him- 

 self: he then saw a second, and he looked like Vishnu also: in short 

 they were all alike. He was astonished, and making tapasya, he medi= 

 tated on Vishnu, for a thousand years, when he appeared to him. 



He praise'd Vishnu, who said, *' after a thousad Tugs of Brahma', 

 " thou shalt be born of him ; and from thy functions, he shall give thee a 

 *' name Na'rada, from da, to give, J^dr'a water, to the manes. He 

 " then disappeared, and leaving my body, I was reunited to Brah- 

 " ma', and in the present Calpa, I was born his son. O king of rrien ! 

 " perform the p/'/jd in honor of Na'ra'yan a, and you will obtain power in 

 " this world: and after death, you will be reunited to Vishnu." The 

 eldest son of Swa'yambhuva followed his advice ; and having divide^ 

 his kingdom, or the whole earth, between his seven sons, he made tapa- 

 sya; and whilst performing 7 j/jtz, or repeating mentally the sacred names 

 of Vishnu, he obtained mdcsha, or was reunited to the Supreme Being. 



