HISTORY OF temple of Durgá. At these words he uttered a loud cry, and ran with all haste to the temple, but only to find the slaughtered remains of his son; and maddened to desperation at the sight, he dashed out his own brains against a pillar and expired upon the spot.
PART III. Tragic end of the Minister.
Review of the foregoing story
and Bikya.
The foregoing story of Chandrahasa and Bikya of Chandrahasa is one which throws considerable light upon the Hindú belief in astrology and good fortune; whilst even from a European point of view the plot will be regarded as ingenious and pleasing. Perhaps Proceedings of European taste may be slightly outraged by the ance with Hindú steps taken by Bikya to secure for herself a handsome husband, but still her proceedings are not altogether unfeminine; nor are they foreign to Hindú ideas, which permits a young lady to choose a husband for herself on arriving at a marriageable age, unless one has previously been selected for her by her father or guardian. In like manner the two marriages of Chandrahasa, first to the daughter of the Minister and afterwards to the daughter of the Raja, is foreign to European sentiments although in accordance with Oriental institutions. Again, the rapid and forcible manner in which the good fortune of Chandrahasa, and the unlucky destiny of the Minister, are developed in the story, may be reIllustration of garded as somewhat artificial or romantic; but still the whole may be accepted as a pleasing picture of Hindú life during the historical period, when the Mussulmans may already have established themselves at Delhi, but when the Dekhan was as yet undisturbed by their influence or sway.
Hindu life in the historical pe
ABHIMANYU, son of Arjuna and Subhadrá,
his birth, 152; married to Uttará,
daughter of Raja Viráta, 225; the mar-
riage treated as a myth belonging to the
history of Krishna, but having no connec-
tion with the history of the Pándavas, 238;
his combat with Bhishma on the first day
of the great war, 300; praised by Bhish-
ma, 301; slays a son of Duryodhana on the
second day of the war, 303; attacked by
Duryodhana, but rescued by Arjuna, ib.;
commanded by Yudhishthira to charge
the Kauravas who are drawn up in the
form of a spider's web, 311; drives his
chariot into the enemy's ranks and per-
forms prodigies of valour, ib.; Pandavas
prevented by Jayadratha from rescuing
him, 312; overpowered by six warriors and
slain, 404; his extreme beauty and prow-
ess, ib.; Arjuna's grief, ib.; Krishna tries
to comfort his mother Subhadrá and widow
Uttará, 313; touching character of his
story, 319; his son Parikshit succeeds to
the Raj of Hastinápur, 453.
Abraham, his feast after the rescue of Lot
compared with the feast given by Yud-
hishthira after the rescue of Duryodhana
from the Gandharvas, 195.
Adityas, the twelve, 23; originally in-
cluded the god Vishnu, 24.
Adoption, female, 68.
Agni, the deity of fire, conception of, 9;
characteristics of, 17; mysterious attri-
butes of fire, ib.; family associations con-
nected with fire in cold climates, ib.;
reverence excited amongst a primitive
people by the presence of fire, ib.; general
utility of fire, ib.; higher manifestations
of fire, 18; presence of fire necessary at
the marriage ceremony, ib.; Agni repre-
sented in various characters, ib.; as an
immortal being, ib. ; as a priest and divine
messenger, ib.; as the devouring element,
ib.; character of the Vedic hymns ad-
dressed to him, ib.; invocations to him as
a destroyer, 19; invocations to him in
his domestic capacity, ib.; invocations to
him as a deity, ib.; invocations to him as
the Supreme Being, ib.; similarity of his
attributes to those of Súrya, or the sun,
23; mythical appearance of, in the guise
of a Brahman to Arjuna and Krishna in
the forest of Khándava-prastha, 144; his
desire to devour the forest, ib.; Indra
resists as the ally of the Nágas or serpents,
145; interpretation of the myth, ib.; his
mythical marriage with the daughter of a
Raja, 396; extraordinary account of, 397,
note; attends the Swayamvara of Dama-
yantí, 482.
Amazons, the horse in the Aswamedha of
Yudhishthira enters their country, 400;
their marriage customs, 401; Arjuna's
difficulty in fighting against women, ib.;
their extreme beauty, ib.; carry away the
horse to their Rání Paramita, ib.; go
out to meet Arjuna on elephants and
horses, ib.; laugh at the chariots of
Arjuna and his warriors, ib.; proposals
of the Rání rejected by Arjuna, 402; Ar
juna defeated, and engages to marry the
Rání, ib.; restores the horse, ib.; Para-
mita proceeds to Hastinápur, ib.; resem-
blance between the Hindú and Greek
traditions, 419; identification of their
country with Malabar, ib.; privileges of
the Nair women, 420.
Ambá, eldest daughter of the Raja of Kasí,
refuses to marry Vichitra-vírya, 53;
rejected by the Raja of Sálwa, ib.; her
unfortunate end, ib.; mythical character
of her story, 57; born again as Sikhandin
and slays Bhishma, 308, note.
Anga, a country in the neighbourhood of
Bhagulpore, 90; Buddhist dynasty of
Karna Rajas, 95.
Archery, on foot, horseback, elephants, and
chariots, 87; feats of Arjuna in, 88.
Argha, legend of its presentation to the
greatest chief present at the Rajasúya,
170; given to Krishna, ib.; a gift of
respect, 171; presentation of, not to be
found in the ancient ritual of the Rajasúya,
ib.; attributed to the Buddhist period,
ib.
Arjuna, the third Pándava, learns the use
of the bow from Drona, 75; the
best beloved pupil, ib.; excites the
jealousy of Duryodhana, ib.; his hand-
some appearance at the exhibition of
arms at Hastinápur, 88; his marvellous
feats in archery, sword playing, whirling
35
the chakra, and throwing the noose, 88;
challenged by Karna to single combat,
89; mutual abuse, ib.; Drona calls
upon him to fight Karna, ib.; battle
prevented by Kripa, ib.; his sudden ap-
pearance at the Swayamvara of Draupadí
disguised as a Bráhman, 121; mentally
prays to Drona and strikes the golden
fish, 122; acknowledged by Draupadí
as the victor, ib.; leads away Draupadí,
ib.; his conversation with Yudhishthira
respecting the marriage of Draupadí, 123;
myth of his hunting with Krishna in the
forest of Khándava-prastha, 140; mythical
appearance of the god Agni, who desires
to devour the forest, ib. ; receives weapons
from Agni and fights against Indra, 141;
interpretation of the myth, ib.; alleged
breach of the matrimonial law, 142;
accepts the penalty of twelve years' exile,
143; jesuitical remonstrances of Yudhish-
thira, ib.; goes into exile, ib. ; its mythical
character, 144; said to have gone on pil-
grimages to sacred places accompanied by
a crowd of Bráhmans, ib.; his amours in
the remotest quarters of India, ib.;
amour with Ulúpí, 145; visit to Parasu
Ráma, ib.; marries the daughter of the
Raja of Manipura, ib.; proceeds to
Prabhása near Dwáraká, 146; review of
his adventures, ib.; converted into a
Brahmanical hero, ib. ; amours introduced
to represent him as the ancestor of the
Nága Rajas, ib.; his amour with Ulúpí
popularly regarded as one with a serpent
maiden, 148; significance of his amour
with the daughter of the Raja of Mani-
pura, ib.; legend of his marriage with
Subhadrá, the sister of Krishna, 149;
his reception by Krishna at Dwáraká, 150;
falls in love with Subhadrá, ib.; advised
by Krishna to elope with her, 151; lifts
Subhadrá into his chariot and drives away
towards Indra-prastha, 151; news carried
to Dwáraká, ib.; wrath of Balarama, ib.;
the marriage, 152; returns to Indra-pras-
tha with his wife Subhadrá, ib.; meet-
ing with Draupadí, ib.; legend of the
marriage proved to be a myth, ib.; period
of his exile a blank in the history, 153;
famous myths referring to him, 191;
practises austerities on the Himalayas to
induce the gods to grant him celestial
weapons, ib.; Indra refers him to Siva,
ib.; engages in single combat with Siva,
ib; receives a weapon from him, ib.;
receives weapons from the gods of the four
quarters of the universe-Indra, Yama,
Varuna, and Kuvera, ib.; practises the
use of arms in the heaven of Indra, 192;
his mythic wars against the Daityas of the
sea, ib.; Karna's vow to slay him, 197;
engaged as a eunuch by Raja Viráta to
teach music and dancing, 207; Draupadi's
anger at his not attempting to rescue her,
218; agrees to go out against the Kau-
ravas as charioteer to Uttar, 221; mirth
of the damsels at seeing him put on armour,
ib.; they pray him to bring home plenty
of spoil, ib.; recognized by the Kauravas,
222; compels Uttar to drive the chariot,
ib.; recovers his own weapons and dis-
covers himself to Uttar, ib.; defeats the
Kauravas and recovers the cattle, ib.;
returns with Uttar to the city, ib.; his for-
bearance as regards fugitives and captives,
223; declines the hand of Uttará, 225;
marriage of his son Abhimanyu to Uttará,
ib.; supernatural character of his dis-
guise as a eunuch, 235; his efforts to win
over Krishna to the side of the Pandavas,
246; his humility and reverence towards
Krishna, ib.; decides to take Krishna
singly in preference to Krishna's army,
247; Krishna promises to drive his chariot
in the forthcoming war, 248; praised by
Bhishma in the Council of the Kauravas,
249; represented as Nárayan, or an in-
carnation of Vishnu, 262, note; his myth-
ical bow Gandíva, 266, note; Bhishma
stipulates that he shall not be called upon
to fight him during the great war, ib.;
dismisses Rukmin on account of the
extravagance of his pretensions, 278; his
reply to the challenge sent by Duryodhana,
282; probably the only reply sent to
Duryodhana, ib.; his dialogue with
Krishna known as the Bhagavat-Gítá,
293; his combat with Bhishma on the
first day of the war, 301; on the second
day rallies the Pándavas after they have
been repulsed by Bhishma, 302; Bhishma
reluctantly engages with him, ib.; he
rescues his son Abhimanyu from Dur-
yodhana, 303; flight of the Rajas at the
sound of his chariot, ib.; drives back the
Kauravas after Bhishma's repulse of the
Pándavas, 305; his terrible conflict with
Bhishma, who is mortally wounded, 306;
protects Yudhishthira from being taken
prisoner by Drona, 309; challenged by
Susarman and his four brethren, ib.;
accepts the challenge contrary to the ad-
vice of Yudhishthira, 310; defeats Susar-
man and his brethren, ib.; fights Susarman
a second time, ib.; his overpowering
grief on hearing of the death of Abhi-
manyu, 312; vows to slay Jayadratha
before sunset on the morrow, or enter the
fire, 313; attended by Krishna throughout
the night, ib.; fierce struggle to reach
Jayadratha, 314; interferes in the combat
between Bhurisrava and Sátyaki, ib.;
cuts off the arms of Bhurisrava, ib.; de-
fence of his having interfered contrary to
rule, ib.; reproached by the Kauravas,
ib.; retorts by reminding them of the
cowardly slaughter of Abhimanyu, ib.
desperate conflict with Jayadratha, 315;
cuts off his head just before sunset, ib.;
Karna engages to slay him, 323; Yud
hishthira's anger with him for fighting
Susarman when he should have been
fighting Karna, 326; taunted by Yudhish-
thira, ib.; draws his sword and threatens
to kill Yudhishthira, ib.; reconciled to
Yudhishthira by Krishna, 327; goes forth
to a final battle with Karna, 328; the
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