Page:Calcutta Review Vol. II (Oct. - Dec. 1844).pdf/336

Rh herbs, &c., be dressed in thy water, the gods would take the same, considering them as a rarity. That boiled rice also becomes full of Ambrosia,—and, according to Vyasa, the taking of it destroys the fear of death. The place of thy junction with the sea is equal to Baikunta in sanctity, and its importance is so great, that neither Brahma nor Vishnu could fully appreciate it. the very sight of it takes away all the sins of men. Thy waters possess such transcendant qualities that if a man (whether he be of low birth, a Shudra, or a religious mendicant) were to bathe in them on the last day of Pous, he secures for himself a mansion in the heaven of Vishnu. The very utterance of thy name is all that is necessary for directly sending a person to the abode of Vishnu, without the necessity of his visiting the realm of Yama. When the father, mother, son, or wife of a person unceremoniously throws his lifeless corpse upon the burning pile, and with feelings of abhorrence returns home, after having bathed in thy waters, it is thou who at that moment takest him into thy bosom. The kindred and friends who loved him, while he had the power of acquiring, mourn over his death only for a day or two. In such dreadful times, none but thy feet are his real friends. No sooner is the dead carcass of an individual, partly eaten up by crows and jackals, drifted by any means to thy shore, than hundreds of heavenly nymphs, holding fans in their hands, come down and wait on him. I would rather be a lizard, a crab, or even the young one of an emaciated bitch, and live near thee, than be the lord of millions of elephants in a place not sanctified by thy presence. Worms, insects, and birds—even kings, down to millions of other living creatures, are equal in thy sight. If the most sinful and wicked once touch thy waters during their whole life-time, thou becomest a shelter to them on the last day. Even if, from the distance of a hundred yajanas, or eight hundred miles, from thy stream, à person were to utter thy name, immediately does he become perfectly holy. The ashes of the descendants of Sagar, who had been de- stroyed by the curse of a Brahman, having come in contact with thy waters, assumed human forms with four hands, and ascended up to Baikunta (the heaven of Vishnu). Thy glory, oh Ganga! is far beyond my power to describe; the Agama and Purans unfold it full length.”

There is one other popular work extensively employed in vernacular schools, which, for the sake of exhibiting another variety in the way of scholastic instruction, may be briefly noticed;—and that is, the Data Karna. It is too long to be inserted entire; but the following is a faithful epitome of it:—

“Once on a time a certain King requested a Muni, or a sage, to furnish him with some information about Krishna, to which he said he would attentively listen. The Muni agreed to it, and began to speak thus:—

“There was a certain man, whose name was Datakarna. He was reported to be a person of unparalleled liberality. One day the thought of ascertaining the reality of this spontaneously arose in the mind of Krishna. The more effectually to accomplish his end, he metamorphosed himself into a Brahman, so utterly decrepit, that he not only well nigh lost the use of his eyes, but became almost wholly unable to support his tottering footsteps. With this appearance so reverential, and shivering all the way, he made towards the house where Datakarna resided. No sooner did he hear of the approach of a Brahman, than he immediately came to the spot where he was, and received