Kúrma and Bhavishya refer the twelve Adityas to different

months:

हैमन्तिकी तु द्वौ मासौ वसन्ति तु दिवाकरे ।
अंशो भगश्च द्वावेतौ कश्यपश्च क्रतुश्च ह ॥
भुजगश्च महापद्मः सर्पः कर्कोटकस्तथा ।
चित्रसेनश्च गन्धर्व ऊर्णायुश्चैव तावुभौ ॥
उर्वशी विप्रचित्तिश्च तथैवाप्सरसौ शुभे ।
तार्च्चश्चारिष्टनेमिश्च सेनानीग्रामणीश्च तौ ॥
विद्युत्स्फूर्जश्च तावुग्रौ यातुधानावुदाहृतौ ।
सहे चैव सहस्ये च वसन्त्येते दिवाकरे ॥
ततः शैशिरयोश्चापि मासयोर्निवसन्ति वै
त्वष्टा विष्णुर्जमदग्निर्विश्वामित्रस्तथैव च ॥
काद्रवेयौ तथा नागी कम्बलाश्वतरावुभौ ।
गन्धर्वी धृतराष्ट्रश्च सूर्यवचास्तथैव च ॥
तिलोत्तमाप्तराश्चैव देवी रम्भा मनोरमा ।
ऋतजित्सत्यजिचैव ग्रामण्यो लोकविश्रुतौ ।
ब्रह्मोपेतस्तथा रक्षो यज्ञोपेतश्च संस्मृतः ॥

Here we have the Ádityas and the rest told off in pairs, to do duty

Add, where I have left blanks, Senajit and Tárkshya, senánis. Are they the chiefs of the Grámanís ?

Variants are: Tumbaru, for Tumburu; Nimlochá, for Anumlochá; Úrjas, for Úrja; Śrotas, for Prátah; Ápúrańa, for Aruńa; Tárksha, for Tárkshya; Kratujit, for Ritajit; Sankiría, for Sankirńára; Ap, for Apas. In several manuscripts, moreover, there are traces of the names Rakshoha and Nŕiśwadhátu, as against the elsewhere explicit Heti and Praheti.

The terms Yátudhána and Rakshasa are used, in the Puráúas, synonymously. Anciently, however, the Yátudhána appears to have been a goblin with hoofs, and so far forth comparable with the Devil of our pious ancestors. See Dr. Muir, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series, Vol. I., p. 95, first foot-note.

In the Linga-purána, Prior Section, LV., 17-65, the names of the Sun's attendants are catalogued twice, at full length:

Here, as before, Senajit and Tárkshya figure as senȧnis.

Variants are: Tumbaru, for Tumburu; Mitrasena, for Chitrasena; Rathabhŕit, for Rathakŕit; Rathamitra, for Rathachitra; Nága, for Rambha; Irávat, for Airávata. In one of the two enumerations above spoken of occurs Rathaswana; in the other, Prátah.

The Kúrma-puráňa-Part I., Chapter XLII., 2-16-coincides with the Linga-purána, except as regards the particulars about to be specified. It gives Šukra and Kausika, the synonyms of Indra and Viśwámitra: it has Amsa, for Amśu; Varchávasu, for Parávasu; Subáhuka, for Subáhu; Sarpapungava, for Rambha; and it transposes Subáhuka and Rathachitra, Varuna and Rathaswana, Senajit and Sushena, Dhananjaya and Airavata. Its variants, in my MSS., are: Jayatsena, for Ugrasena; Tushťavu, for Tumburu; Prakoshńá, for Pramlochá; Anushúa, for Anumlochá; Kankaúira and Kanganila, for Kankańika; Adya for Ap; Bála, for Váta.

These details - and they might be largely supplemented - were worth going into, if only to show, that, in order to arrive at even an approximation to the correct reading of a proper name met with in a Purána, one cannot consult too many works of the same class, or too many copies of each work.

CHAPTER XI.

The sun distinct from, and supreme over, the attendants on his car: identical with the three Vedas and with Vishnu: his functions.

MAITREYA. You have related to me, holy preceptor, the seven classes of beings who are ever present in the solar orb, and are the causes of heat and cold.* You have, also, described to me their individual functions, sustained by the energy of Vishnu. But you have not told me the duty of the sun himself; for, if, as you say, the seven beings (in his sphere) are the causes of heat, cold, and rain, how can it be also true, (as you have before mentioned,) that rain proceeds from the sun? Or how can it be asserted that the sun rises, reaches the meridian, or sets, if these situations be the act of the collective seven?

PARÁSARA.-I will explain to you, Maitreya, the subject of your inquiry. The sun, though identified with the seven beings in his orb, is distinct from them, as their chief. The entire and mighty energy of Vishnu, which is called the three Vedas, or Rich, Yajus, and Sáman, is that which enlightens the world, and destroys its iniquity. It is that, also, which, during the

*

यदेतद्भगवानाह गणः सप्तविधो रवेः ।

मण्डले हिमतापादेः कारणं तन्मया श्रुतम् ॥

+ Gana, 'classes of beings'. And so read, instead of "beings", above, and also below.

+ यथा सप्तगणेऽप्येकः प्राधान्येनाधिको रविः ॥
सर्व शक्तिः परा विष्णोर्ऋग्यजुःसामसंज्ञिता ।
सैषा त्रयी तपत्यंहो जगतश्च हिनस्ति या ॥

continuance of things, is present as Vishnu, actively engaged in the preservation of the universe, and abiding, as the three Vedas, within the sun. The solar luminary that appears in every month is nothing else than that very supreme energy of Vishnu which is composed of the three Vedas, influencing the motions (of the planet): for the Richas (the hymns of the Rigveda) shine in the morning;* the prayers of the Yajus, at noon; and the Brihadrathantara† and other portions of the Sáman, in the afternoon. This triple impersonation of Vishnu, distinguished by the titles of the three Vedas, is the energy of Vishnu, which influences the positions of the sun.1

But this triple energy of Vishnu is not limited to the sun alone; for Brahmá, Purusha (Vishnu), and Rudra

1

This mysticism originates, in part, apparently, from a misapprehension of metaphorical texts of the Vedas, such as T ama faer aufa, 'that triple knowledge (the Vedas) shines', and, 'the hymns of the Rich shine,' and, in part, from the symbolization of the light of religious truth by the light of the sun, as in the Gáyatrí. P. 250, note 2. To these are to be added the sectarial notions of the Vaishnavas.

'Just as, in the class of seven, the great sun, by virtue of its superiority, is unmatched, so stands supreme the whole or aggregated power of Vishnu, denominated Rich, Yajus, and Saman. It is this same triad of Vedas that burns and destroys the sin of the world.'

The smaller commentary takes ufa, which I render 'burns', to signify, apparently, 'warms', and to be without regimen.

* Púrváhňa, 'forenoon'.

+

+ That is, Rathantara qualified as brihat, 'great'. See Vol. I., p. 84. These passages are quoted in the commentaries. The verb tap, as occurring in them, seems to mean 'to warm'. See my third note in the preceding page.