1833.] 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



227 



and fixed his meditation entirely on Vishnu. The latter slowly (or 

 majestically) retm-nedto Faiconfha. 



Afterwards Prit^hu, with his wife Archisami devi, and his counsellors, 

 or ministers, prosperously dwelt in his city. The season of spring being 

 come, Frifhu went to his pleasure-grounds, or park ; and there met with 

 Sanaca, Sananda, Sanatcumara, ctvA S anus iidhar ana (divine sages) who 

 had been specially appointed to impart to him lessons of wisdom. Tlie 

 king, on seeing them, prostrated himself before them, and addressed 

 them as unincumbered spiritual intelligences, of h^'gh mystic acquire- 

 ments ; requesting to be instructed in the precepts that relate to the soul 

 and the body, and to separation from earthly things. They were pleased 

 with his deference ; a,nd replied in complimentary language. Sanatcii- 

 marathen discoursed to him, at length, teaching an entire abstraction from 

 all family cares ; a ceasing from all earthly desires ; and an earnest breath- 

 ing of soul after final beatification ; which must be sought by means 

 of abstract contemplation or meditation directed to Vishnu ; through 

 whom alone that highest attainment can be acquired. The fom* divine 

 instructors then disappeared, and vrent to Brahma's world. 



Prifhu had in all five sons named Siddha siva, Aryackanna, D^herma 

 ketUy Tacshasa and Vircula. Having ruled many years he divided his 

 dominions among these five ; and then, divesting liimiself of every thing, 

 became a Vdna prasVha ; wTmt into waste, uninhabited places, and lived 

 on berries, or similar spontaneous productions ; or, when these failed, on 

 fallen leaves, sometimes on water alone. At length he brought himself 

 to subsist merely by respiring the atmosphere ; and, by stopping the 

 exercise of the five senses, he acquired a wonderful degree of eminence in 

 " the homage of Vishnu ; being united Vv'ith Vishnu without the personal 

 distinction of he or / ; and being filled with a divine affiatus*, or unc- 

 tion from Brahma, he received the greatest, mental joy. From this state 

 of neutral existence, his soul escaped by the extreme top of his head : and 

 rose, first into the atmosphere, thence by various steps until, in the high- 

 est one, it acquired assimilation to the divine nature ; and, having escaped 

 all the evils connected with the body, it enjoyed perfect beatitude.f 



Archisa-devi the relict of Frifhu bm-nt herself, with his body, and 

 went with him. Maitraya here resumes a direct address to Fidura ; and 

 says, that they who read or hear this narrative will acquire the fom- kinds 



* I know not how better to render anumati in this place, 



t The mystic theology of the strict Vaishnavas may he gathered from the preceding 

 passage : and it may be noted that any idea of re-union of soul and body makes no part 

 of their doctrine, as regards beatitude. In the final effect the strict raeVo'mm and tho 

 Jainas or Bauddhists seem to me to accord, on that imp ortant article. 



