Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, or Mahadeva, "for that is the order in which they are expressed by the letters A, U, M, which coalesce and form the mystical word, O M, a word which never escapes the lips of a pious Hindū, and can only be a subject for his silent meditation. This triple deity is sometimes named Vishnu, the pervader, and Narayan, or moving on the waters: when he is viewed as a destroyer, he is called Siva, and other names: Brahma appears as the great lawgiver. The first operations of Vishnu, Siva, and Brahma, are variously described by a number of allegories, “and from them we may deduce the Ionian philosophy of primæval water, the doctrine of the Mundane Egg, and the veneration paid to the Nymphæa Lotos;"* on which, in ancient sculptures, Brahma is seen floating on the waters. It is also a favourite bol in Egyptian sculptures. sym Vishnu is sometimes represented as riding on a Garuda, or Garura, a species of eagle, * Jones. or large kite, which is highly venerated by the Brahmins, particularly those on the coast of Coromandel.* One of his names, in his preserving quality, is Hary.† * It is there vulgarly named by the English, the Brahminy Kite. + " Nearly opposite to Sultan-gunge, a considerable town in the province of Bahar, there stands a rock of granite, forming a small island in the midst of the Ganges, known to Europeans by the name of the rock of Jehangueery; which is highly worthy the traveller's notice, on account of a vast number of images carved in relief upon every part of its surface. Amongst these there is Hary, of a gigantic size, recumbent upon a coiled serpent, whose heads, which are numerous, the artist has contrived to spread into a kind of canopy over the sleeping god, and from each of its mouths issues a forked tongue, seeming to threaten death to any whom rashness might prompt to disturb him. The whole figure lies almost detached from the block on which it is newn; is finely imagined, and executed with great kill. The Hindus are taught to believe, that at the end of every Calpa, or creation, all things are absorbed n the deity, and that in the interval between another reation, he reposeth himself on the serpent Sesha, duation, and who is also called Ananta, or endless.' Yote of Mr. Wilkins to his translation of the Heetopades. H "The Jupiter, in the capacity of Avenger or Destroyer, encountered and overthrew the Titans and Giants, to whom an eagle “The use of images by the Hindus, for the purpose of heightening devotion, is at least as old as the Puranas; and it is remarkable, that, notwithstanding this circumstance, so little progress has been made in the arts of sculpture and painting. They may, perhaps, be admitted to equal the remains of Egyptian sculpture which have reached us; but are still infinitely inferior, in these particulars, to most nations, amongst whom religion has called in the assistance of the fine arts. We think it probable, that the progress of sculpture and painting was checked in Egypt, by the same causes which have retarded it in Hindustan. The length, breadth, form, and colour, of every limb, or feature, of each of their mythological personages,-their dress, air, and attitude, are imperiously prescribed to the Hindu artist, by the works which he considers as sacred. We recollect, in particular, that the Matsya Purana exhibits a very full code of laws for the guidance of the artist. The most copious treatise, however, on this subject that we have met with, is comprised in a work in the Imperial Library at Paris, entitled Hayasiras; but the manuscript did not specify from what Purana it was extracted. We subjoin an extract from it. "Iswara," (OSIRIS, or BACCHUS). b of makes: erg and ex ent and other When be af? of Tripura, d "Let the arms, shoulders, and thighs of Iswara be sixteen arms, When the be is depicted ymphs and sa by celestia wara, his asp propor erent four forms. 4314, article of brought lightning and thunderbolts during brawny and muscular; his colour, that of the beams of the crescent which decorates his brow; his long hair must be knotted in many convolutions; his shoulders covered by a tyger's skin; his ten arms ornamented with bracelets of snakes; pendents hung from his ears; his face bright, and exquisitely beautiful; a sword, a club, a trident, and other weapons, are perceived in his hands. When he appears in the character of the vanquisher of Tripura, during the conflagration of the city, he has sixteen arms, of which one wields the unerring Pinaca. When the moon of Vaisakha ushers in his feast, he is depicted as dancing amidst a crowd of sporive nymphs and satyrs, to the sound of instruments touched by celestial musicians. In the character of Yogheswara, his aspect must be terrific." Here follow he different proportions of his limbs and features in hose four forms.-Edinburgh Review, vol. xvii. pp. 13, 314, article on Moor's Hindu Pantheon. thalmos was an epithet of Zeus, but that a * Pausanias mentions having seen in the temple of Minerva at Corinth, a statue of Jupiter in wood, with two eyes, as men have them naturally, and a third in the middle of the forehead. "I was assured, (says he), that it is the Jupiter Patrius, that was in the palace of Priam, son of Laomedon, in an open place, and that it was at his altar that the unfortunate king fled for refuge on the taking of Troy. In the division of the booty, the statue fell to the share of Sthenelus, son of Capaneus, who afterwards placed it in this temple. It may reasonably be supposed that Jupiter is represented with three eyes, to signify that he reigns in heaven, se→ condly, in the infernal regions, for the God who governs these is also called Jupiter by Homer; and thirdly, over the waters. Whoever, therefore, made that statue, gave him, I believe, three eyes, in order to express that one and the same divinity reigns over the three parts; though some have divided them amongst three different divinities."-Pausanias, Journey to Corinth, lib. ii. c. 24. , as a SVI bull. Ca as of Jupit rate bull of title of Lap |