Dec. 1861.] 



The Origin of Brahmanism. 



289 



14. The story of Vishnu cutting the body of Sati into fifty -one 

 pieces which were scattered in different places, and each place 

 where a part fell becoming a place of worship dedicated to the 

 female power, is evidently copied from a similar fable in the lives 

 of Osiris and Isis ; indeed, many of the legends of the Indian reli- 

 gion have been traced to Egypt, chiefly by Wilford, in the Asiatic 

 Researches. 



15. The Triad of Egypt i. e. Osiris, Horns, and Typhon is a 

 form of the Hindu religion. 



1G. Cusha-dwip,or Egypt,is spoken of in the Purans with rever- 

 ence ; and Cala, Nila, or the Nile is heM so sacred by the Brah- 

 mins that, according to the Skanda-puran, the murder of one of 

 their caste is expiated by bathing in its waters. 



17. In the Padma Puran, we find that, Satyavarman (Noah) 

 was found intoxicated by his son Charma (Ham) who exposed his 

 fathers nudity to his bro hers Sherma, (Shem) and Jyapeti (Ja- 

 phet). Satyavarman cursed Charma in the same language recount- 

 ed in Genesis. This too manifests that the brahmins were ac- 

 quainted with the history of Misraim and his relations. Plato, in 

 his Dialogue entitled Timaeus, writes that an Egyptian priest re- 

 counted to Solon, out of the holy books of Egypt, the story of a 

 universal deluge.* 



18. The Hindu Bacchus is also called Bagis, a name very simi- 

 lar to Bacchus ; Bacchus (Osiris) in Egypt received offerings of spi- 

 rits, and the blood of a hog ; in India the same offerings are made 

 to the God of Wine. 



19. The women of modern Egypt, following the custom of the 

 ancient people, seat themselves on the Phallie stones among the 

 ruins to remedy barrenness; the same superstition prevails in 

 India. 



20. Certain colours were held sacred both by the priests of 

 Egypt, and those of India. 



* A contradiction to Bunsen's assertion that the ancient Egyptians 

 had no record of a flood. 



