SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, , 149 



BARUs, as cited by Photius. By approaching them in a respe6lful man- 

 ner, you obtain from them knowledge, riches and every thing you can 

 wish for: unfortunately they are very difficult of access. These Calpa-- 

 vrzcshas or Calpa-drumas are of an extraordinary size, covering generally 

 a space of an hundred yojanas. This Pdrijdta tree in the White Island 

 is called Janma-Calpdnaca : it sprang up at the birth of Jina or Budd'ha,, 

 and is near the shores of the White Sea, which comes up to its root?. 

 This is the Calpa-vrusha of the gods, which grants every boon. Near 

 it the Dic'hydddris, or worshippers of Jina, cut their hair and fling it 

 into the White Sea. There was also a garden of Pdrijata trees in the 

 middle of the island, in or near the town of Vairdmati, m which resides 

 Vishnu, according to the Padma-purdn'a, se61ion of Uttara-c'hdnda. 



The Pdrijdta tree, and particularly that in the White Island, are em- 

 phatically called, in lexicons, drum or dru, or the tree. Besides this chief 

 of trees, there were also in the sacred isles, others of different sorts. 

 There was the Cshira tree, a sort of jessamine, M^hich, according to the 

 Vardha-purdn'a, sprung up from the White Sea: this remains in the 

 White Island. There is also a Vata-mula, a sort of Indiaji fig-tree, of 

 an immense size. There is a golden Calpa-Vricsha in Ireland, and a 

 J^yagrodha, or Indian fig-tree, in the islands to the north of Scotland, 



IV. The Vat'a tree, in 'Swcta-dwipay was originally a single hair, 

 that fell from the body of Vishnu to the ground. It is considered as a 

 manifestation of Vishnu, or as Vishnu himself. This tree was conveyed, 

 in a most surprising and miraculous manner, to Jagan-nat'ha, on the 

 coast of Utcala-des'a, or Orissa, in the time of king Indradyumna, 

 according to the Scanda-purana, se6tion of Utcala-c'handa, paragraph 

 of the Purushottama-mahdtmya, There Na'rada is introduced saying 



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