136 . - - ESSAY ON THE 



In the Tdpi-c'haiida, a se6lion of the Scanda-purdna, it is said that 

 Va'ru'ni was given to Varun a, the Neptune of the Hindus. Charmed 

 with his prize, he set oif with her in his chariot, gently gliding along the 

 surface of the sea ; quaffing occasionally intoxicating draughts. Thus they 

 passed tlirough Lajicd-divdra, or the gates of Lancd, now the straits of 

 Malacca, beyond which the sage Agastya has an hermitage. Being 

 intoxicated, they behaved disrespe6lfully to the holy man, who cursed 

 Varu'na. He became a Cshettri, and was born of Aj am I'd a, under ths 

 name of Samvarn'a, who is considered as an. Avatdra of Varun'a, the 

 ruler of the waters, ox Salilendra, " - . ; '- 



Besides these rat?ias, or jewels, produced by the churning of the White 

 Sea, and from which the White Island is also denominated Ratna-dwipa,. 

 and Mani-dwipa, other jewels or precious things were produced also, 

 and are mentioned occasionally in the Purdn'as. It is declared, in the 

 Prahhdsa-c'handa, a se6lion of the Scanda-purdn'a, that, after the churn- 

 ing, there appeared a tree entirely of gold, called Lacshmi-vricsha, the 

 tree of Lacshmi, or wealth. It is called also Vaishnavd-vricsha, or the 

 tree of the ' consort of Vishnu, Its situation is ascertained from the. 

 Cumdricd'clianda, another se6lion of the Scanda-purdna, Barbarica, 

 son of Ghatodcacha, the son of BhIma, the Paiidava, wishing to learn 

 the Mahd-vidyd-Vaishnavi, the great or secret do6lrine of Vishnu, 

 went to Pdtdia, where Vishnu resides also, through a vivara^ or 

 passage, under the Calpa-vrtcsha, or Vaishnavd-vricsha ^ or tree of know- 

 ledge. There sat Jfdga-canyd, or a damsel, in the shape (at least part- 

 ly so) of a snake, performing /)Z{/(i in honour of the Ratna-linga. This 

 passage is not far from ^Sri-parvata, or the fortunate mountain, and is to 

 the west of it. \Sn-parvata is called "Sri-dwipa in the Vrzhatcathdi 



