47^ NOTICE OP 



me of the first propagators, apparently, of the Pdsupata form of ih^Saiva 

 religion, which seems to be that prevailing in Nepal. There is also mention 

 of some alteration of the national rites, by another Prince of the same deno- 

 mination, by which it is recorded a fall of snow was obtained. The first 

 Narendradeo appears to have lived in the 7th, the second in the 12th century. 

 The first would answer well enough for the introduction of the Pdsupata 

 creed, which might have been popular in India about that time, and the latter 

 date is that about which the Tdntrika ritual seems to have obtained 

 currency. It is not unlikely that the expressions in the Panchavinsati refer to 

 one or other of these events, although, as usual, in all such appropriations of 

 legendary history, the circumstances are adapted to the peculiar notions of 

 those by whom they are borrowed. According to local traditions, the invita- 

 tion oi Padmapdni occurred in the fifth century, or 1381 years ago. 



ASHTAMI VRATA VIDHANA. 



This tract is of much greater extent, than either of the preceding, but is 

 of less value for the illustration of ideas originally Bauddha. It belongs to 

 that faith, but is still more copiously interspersed with notions from a foreign 

 source than even the preceding, being, in fact, a ritual of the TdntriJca 

 practices of persons professing the religion of Buddha. A few observations 

 and extracts will be sufficient to give an idea of its character, and of the ob- 

 servances it enjoins. 



called Matsyendea Natha, from his appearance from a fish {Matsya), and his followers took the 

 appellation Ndth. We have in this story a decided proof of the current belief of a union between 

 the Yoga sectaries, and the l^auddhas, effected, perhaps, by the Yogi Matsyendra, known in 

 Hindustan as the pupil of Gorakhnath, but converted by the BauMhas into a manifestation of 

 m^ of their deified Sages, 



