Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 2.djvu/181

 CHAPTER XLIX.

THE HINDŪ TRIAD.

The 330,000,000 Gods of the Hindū Pantheon—The Janéo—Br[)u]mh[)u]—The Trinity—Brahma—Vishn[)u]—Shiv[)u]—The Ten Avatars—The Fish—The Tortoise—The Boar—The Man-lion—Vamana the Dwarf—Parashu-Rāma—Rāma-Chandra—Bala-Rāma—Booddh[)u]—Kalkī—Krishn[)u]—Radha—Rukmeni—Jaganna'th—Kama-deva—Mahadēo—Pārvatī—Ganesh—Kartikeya—Lachhmī—Saraswatī—Durgā—Satī—The Purānas—The Mundane Egg of the Hindūs—The Vedas—Ascension of the God Buddha.

My journal is a constant source of pleasure; it not only amuses me to record passing events, but in writing it I perform a promise given ere I quitted England. Letters from home assure me of the delight with which it is received, of the pleasure with which they follow me through my wanderings, and of the interest they feel in all those scenes that pass before me. The religion of the Hindūs, who are perhaps the most extraordinary people on the face of the earth, is to my friends as interesting as to me; they wish for more information on the subject, therefore, however difficult the task, it must be performed. Performed!—"Aye, there's the rub," but how? shall I send them, ''pour commencer au commencement'', a catalogue of the deities in the Hindū Pantheon, amounting to three hundred and thirty millions of gods and goddesses? 330,000,000, "Taintīs karor déotā!"—The nomenclature would be somewhat difficult.

Shall I send them the names of the three hundred gods which are interwoven in silk and gold on the janéo I wear around my neck, to which is appended the key of my cabinet? I have