No. 11.-185^-9.] SINHALESE MYTHOLOGY. 



289 



"At the conclusion of the rainy season, when the skies were bright 

 with stars, the herdsmen were busily engaged in preparing a sacrifice 

 for Indra ; but Krishna, resolving to put the king of the celestials into 

 a passion, persuaded Nanda to worship mountains and cattle, and have 

 nothing to do with Indra. ' Kine,' he said, 'are our support ; we hav e 

 neither fields nor horses ; we wander about happily where we list, 

 travelling in our waggons ; we are then bound to worship the mountains, 

 and cattle, and have nothing to do with Indra.' Offerings of curd milk and 

 flesh were in consequence presented to the mountain, and the worshippers 

 circumambulated the cowsand bulls, who bellowed as loud as roaring clouds. 

 Indra's anger broke forth in a furious tempest, which lasted seven days and 

 seven nights, but Krishna protected the distressed community by plucking 

 up the mountain, and holding it aloft as an umbrella until the tempest 

 ceased, when he planted it again on the earth. Upon witnessing these 

 marvels, the herdsmen wished to render worship to Krishna, but he desired 

 them not to inquire into his nature, but to be contented that he lived 

 among them as a friendly relative.'" 



Hence the appellation of Diya-banda, given to this deva 



by our poets. 



In the churning of the ocean, Vishnu seems to have taken 

 an active part. It was undertaken by his advice, and with 

 his assistance to recover Sri, whom Indra lost under the 

 following circumstances. A sage named Durwasas gave 

 to Indra a garland, which the latter, without attaching 

 to it much value, threw at his elephant, and he to the 

 earth. Offended at this sight, Durwasa cursed Indra, and 

 pronounced that the latter should lose Sri or 'goddess 

 of prosperity,' who reigned supreme in the several heavens 

 appertaining to that deva. She accordingly disappeared • 

 and the consequence was, that the world fell into decay y 

 sacrifices ceased, and the gods were enfeebled. To avert 

 further evil consequences, the ocean was churned to find 

 her.* At this search by d6vas, demi-gods, (who are 

 sometimes designated devatds and demons,) various things and 

 persons were found. They are called Ratnas or 'gems,' and 

 are enumerated to have been Danavantari, the physician of 

 the gods ; Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty ; the Apsarases, or 



Pr. Wilson's Vishnu Purana. 



