■SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST. 13^ 



The gods and giants, or demons, were filled with rapture, when they 

 saw he^. 



After churnmg for twelve years more, a learned physician, called 

 B'hanwantari, appeared, holding a vase full of Atnnt or ambrosia. 

 The gods drank of it ; but to the giants they gave only intoxicating li- 

 quors. The gods kept the cow Cdmad'henu, Indra took the elephant 

 Airdvata*^ and the sun, the horse, with seYen heads* The gods seized 

 the Apsaras. 'Siva retained Codanda, or the unerring bow and arrov/s, 

 Vishnu laid hold of the conch Pdnchajanya^ the tree Pdrijatdi the jewel 

 Caustubhay and looked wishfully at Lacshmi. She did the same at him; 

 and the whole assembly kept their eyes fixed on her. Pita'maha, or 

 Brahma', asked 'Siva, to whom Lacshmi should be given. 'Siva said, 

 let her be given to Vishnu: she agreed to it. Then 'Siva said, let us 

 send for Sa'gara or OcEANus, to perform the nuptial ceremony called 

 Pdn'igrahay or laying hold of the hand, on the 12th of Cdrtica, This 

 day was fixed upon, because Vishnu awakes from his eight months 

 slumbers, on the 11th of the same month, exadlly the day before. 

 Brahma' then sent for Nadit or Oceanus; when Lacshmi said, that her 

 eldest sister must be married first, according to the injundion of the Vedas. 

 A sudden gloom spread itself all over the assembly, but Vishnu relieved 

 them from their uneasiness, by giving her to Udda'laca Rishi, who was 

 unmarried : but this was not effected without much difficulty. The Rishi 

 .advanced with his bride, the daughter of the ocean, ever faithful to her 

 consort, and Oceanus, taking water, poured it into the hands of the 

 Rhhi. Then Vishnu married Lacshmi and carried her to Vaiainta, 

 Udda'laca, with Jye'shta, went to his hermitage. Lacshmi is the god- 

 dess of riches and fortune, and Jyes'tha' of poverty and misfortune: 

 "this last is ever faithful to her consort. 



