A Dissertation On Semiramis, Meeca Origin
A Dissertation On Semiramis, Meeca Origin
A Dissertation On Semiramis, Meeca Origin
XXVI,
D
A DISSERTATION on SEMIRAMIS, -
fled with the utmot precipitation. De'v1, unwilling that her devotion
hould prove a caue of ditres to the animal creation, recalled the acred
flame, and confined it in the Sami tree. She made the hollow of that tree
her place of abode and dalliance; and hence he is called SAM1'-RA'MA, or
he who dallies in the Sami tree.
Iswara and Isi in the hape of a dove, They et fire to the Cuha or long
gras, and the country became like Windra-van, (near Muttra), and was oon
filled with inhabitants. The pot where they performed their Tapaj, is
called to this day Capta-t'hali, or the place of the dove. It is a celebrated
place of worhip, and, as I am informed, about five cos from jaganntha,
AL Most the whole univere was likewie at this time overpread with
long gras, and to detroy it, MAHA"-Dev A, with his conort, reolved to
travel round the world. They according proceeded into Cuha-duip, which
they found thinly inhabited by a few Mlch'Aas or impure tribes ; and the
ravanas, who concealed their booty in the gras which covered the coun
try. - -
when the gras was conumed, ANA'y A's a' ordered the clouds to g
ther, and pour their waters on the land, which was oon overflowed. The
waters then retired, and the four great tribes came into Cuha-duip, where
they oon formed a powerful nation, and became rich and happy. After the
conflagration, all orts of metals and precious tones were found throughout
the country. The countenance of ANAY'AsA'-Dev1 is that of fire, and a
mot divine form it is.
The inhabitants oon after deviating from the paths of retitude, became
like the Mlech'ia; and the ravanas re-entered Cuha-duip, plundering, and
laying wate the whole country. The four tribes applied to ANA YAs A,
offered praies to her, and requeted he would protet them againt the
ravanas, and dwell among them. Maha-bha'GA' aented, and the pot,
which he choe for her abode, is called Mah-bhg-t'bn, or the place of
MAHA-BH A GA . . .
fiting on all his ubjets walking in the paths of jutice and retitude. In
order to make his overeignty acknowledged throughout the world, he put
himelf at the head of a numerous army; and directing his coure towards
the north, he arrived at Mcha-t'hn, where he performed the Puj in honor
of Mocshe swar A, according to the rites precribed in the acred books.
From Mcka, he advanced towards the Agni-prvatas, or fire mountains in
Wahni'hn; but they refued to meet him with preents, and to pay tribute
to him. Incened at their inolence, STHAvAR-PAT I reolved to detroy
them ; the officers on the part of SAM1'-RAMA', the overeign of Vahni
f'An, aembled all their troops, and met the army of ST'havak-pati 5
but, after a bloody conflit, they were put to flight.
SAMI-RA"MA amazed, enquired, who this new conqueror was ; and oon
reflected, that he could never have prevailed againt her, without a boon from
Maha-deva, obtained by the means of what is called Ugra-Tapayd, or a
Tapaj performed with fervor, earnetnes of defire and anger. She had a
conference with ST'HAvAR-PATI, and as he was, through his Tapayd,
become a on of MAHA"-DE'v A, he told him, he conidered him in that
light, and would allow him to command over all the hills, trees and plants
in Pahni'6n. The hills then humbled themelves before STh A var
PATI and paid tribute to him.
The origin of NINUs is thus related in the ame acred books. One day,
as MAHA'-Dev A was rambling over the earth, naked, and with a large club
in his hand, he chanced to pas near the pot, where everal Muni's were per
forming their devotions. MAHA deva laughed at them, inulted them in
the mot provoking and indecent terms, and let his expreions hould not be
forcible enough, he accompanied the whole with ignificant figns, and ge
368, A Dssf.F.T. At Ion on SEM IRAM ts,
tures. The offended Mani; cured him, and the Linga or Phallus fell to the
ground. MAHA'-DE'v A, in this tate of mutilation, travelled over the world,
bewailing his misfortune. His conort too, hearing of this accident, gave
herelf up to grief, and ran after him in a tate of ditration, repeating
mournful ongs. This is what the Greek mythologits called, the wander
ings of DAMATER, and the lamentations of Bacchus. *"
The world being thus deprived of its vivifying principle ; generation and
vegetation were at a tand; Gods and men were alarmed, but having dicover
ed the caue of it, they all went in earch of the acred Linga ; and at lat
found it grown to an immene ize, and endowed with life and motion.
HAVING worhipped the acred pledge, they cut it, with hatchets, into
one and thirty pieces, which Polypus like, oon became perfet Lingas.
The Devatar left one and twenty of them on earth ; carried nine into heaven,
and removed one into the inferior regions, for the benefit of the inhabitants
of the three worlds. One of thee Lingas was erected on the banks of the
Cumud-vat, or Euphrates, under the name of BA Leswa RA-L ING A, or the
Linga of Iswa RA the infant, who eems to anwer to the Jupiter Puer
of the wetern mythologits: To atisfy Devi, and retore all things to their
former fituation, Ma HA-Deva was born again in the charater of BALE s
war A, or Iswara the infant. Bale'swara, who foters, and preerves all,
though a child, was of uncommon trength; be had a beautiful countenance;
his manners were mot engaging ; and his only wih was to pleae every body
in which he ucceeded effectually ; but his ubjets waited with impatience,
till he came to the age of maturity, that he might bles them with an heir to
his virtues. BA Leswa RA, to pleae them, threw off his childlike appear
ance, and uddenly became a man, under the title of Li'LE'swara, or
*
THE ORIGIN of MeccA, &c. 369
Iswa R A, who gives pleaure and delight. He then began to reign over Gods
and men, with the trictet adherence to jutice and equity ; his ubjects were
happy, and the women beheld with extacy his noble and manly appearance.
With the view of doing good to mankind, he put himelf at the head of a
powerful army, and conquered many ditant countries, detroying the wicked,
and all oppreors, he had the happines of his ubjets, and of mankind in
general, o much at heart, that he entirely neglected every other puruit. His
indifference for the female ex alarmed his ubjects; he endeavoured to pleae
them ; but his embraces were fruitie. This is termed Ac'balana in San
erit; and the place where this happened was in conequence denominated
Ac'Aalend'An. The Apara, or celetial nymphs, tried in vain the effect
of their charms. At lat SAM1'-RA'MA came to Ac'halanaft'hn ; and retir
ing into a olitary place in its vicinity, chanted her own metamorphoes, and
thoe of Littwara, who happening to pas by, was o delighted with the
weetnes of her voice, that he went to her, and enquired who he was. She
related to him, how they went together into Utcolada in the characters of
tic CA Fr Eswa's A, and CApo Tes 1 : adding you appeared then as
Mocsi. EswARA, and I became ANAY As A; you are now Li'l Eswar A, and
I am SAM TRAMA', but I hall be oon L I LEswART. Li'LE"sw ARA, be
ing under the influence of MA'YA, or worldly illuion, did not recolle&t any
of thee tranactions; but upecting that the peron, he WaS peaking to,
might be a manifetation of PA'RVATI', he thought it advieable to marry
her ; and having obtained her conent, he eized her hand, and led her to the
performance of the nuptial ceremony, to the univeral atisfaction of his
ubjets. Gods and men. met to olemnize this happy union and the cele
tial nymphs, and heavenly quiriters graced it with their preence. Thus
SAM1'-RAMA and LILE'sw ARA commenced their reign, to the general
atisfaction of mankind, who were happy under their virtuous adminitration.
M
37o . . . A Disse Rration on
From that period, the three worlds began to know and worhip Lile's-
waRA, who after he had conquered the univere returned into Cuha-duipa.
L1 LE'swar A, having married SAM1'-RA'MA", lived contantly with her,
and followed her wherever he choe to go; in whatever puruits and patimes
he delighted, in thee alone he took pleaure: thus they travelled over hills
and though forets to ditant countries; but at lat returned to Cuha-duip;
and SAM1'-r A'MA'eeing a delightful grove, near the Hradancit, (or deep wa
ter) with a mall river of the ame name, expreed a wih, that he would fix
the place of their reidence in this beautiful pot, there to pend their days in
pleaure.
This place became famous afterwards, under the name of Lila-dnor the
place of delight. The water of the Hradancit is very limpid, and abounds
with Camala flowers, or red Lotos.
Diodorus Siculus (*) informs us, that he was born at Acalon: the
Purdns, that her firt appearance in Syria, was at Ac'balana-t'bn, or the
place, where Lile's A or NINUs had Achalana.
The worhip of the dove eems to have been peculiar to India, Araia,
Syria, and Ayria. We read of SeMIRAM is being fed by doves in the deert,
and of her vanihing at lat from the fight of men in the hape of a dove;
and according to the Purns CA Pote's 1, or the dove was but a manifeta-;
tion of SAM1'-RA'MA.
The dove eems to have been in former times, the device of the Ayrian,
as the eagle was of the Roman, empire; for we read in Isaias and the
inhabitants of this country hall ay in that day, uch was our expectation!
behold, whither we wanted to fly for help, from the face of the dove;
but how could we have ecaped. -
pears the mot literal, and to be more expreive of the idea, which the pro
phet wihed to convey to the jews, who wanted to fly to Egypt and Ethiopia,
to avoid falling into the hands of the Ayrians; but were to be diappointed
by the fall of thee two empires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -
. . . . .. .. . . . ."
56th Palm is directed to be ung to the tune of that ong, which was
known to every body; and for this purpoe the firt vere, as uual is inerted.
The dove of dilant countries is now truck dumb.
TH il, further infit, that the black flone in the wall of the Caaa,
is no other, thin the Liga or Phallus of MAHA:-DE v A ; and that, when
the Caala was rebuilt by MoHAMMED (as they affirm it to have been,) it
was placed in the wall out of contempt; but the new converted pilgrims,
would not give up the worhip of the black tone, and finitrous portents
forced the miniters of the new religion to connive at it. Arabian authors
alo inform us that tones were worhipped all over Arabia, particularly at
Mecca; and Al-Shah Rest ANI (a) ays, that the temple at Mecca was de
dicated to Zonal or Kvevun, who is the ame with SATURN. The
author of the Dalilan declares poitively, that the Hejar al awad, or the
*ackon was, the image of Kyevus. Though thee accounts omewhat
differ from thoe in the Purns, yet they hew, that this black tone was
the object of an idolatrous worhip from the mot remote times. - -
- * : . . . . . * Sass's Koran. - . * * *
374 A Diss ERTATION on SEMIRAM is,
THE Muulmans, in order to palliate their idolatry towards it, have con
trived other legends. KY evu N is the CHYun of Scripture, alo called
REMPHAN, which is interpreted the God of Time. If o, Chyun, or
KYEv UN, mut be MAHAT-DE'v A, called alo MAHA-cA. LA, a denomina
tion of the ame import with REMP HAN: the Egyptians called HoRus, the
lord of time; and HoRUs is the ame with HARA, or MAHA -Dev A. *.
The reaon of this tradition is, that the Sabians, who worhipped the
even planets, eem to have confidered SATURN as the lord of time, on ac
count of the length of its periodical revolution, and it appears from the
Labian, that ome ancient tribes in Peria had contrived a cycle of years
coniting of the revolution of Saruks repeatedly multiplied by itelf.
cient town of Mabog, called now Menbigz and Menbig; the Greeks called it -
Hierapolis, or the holy city. It was a place of great antiquity, and there
was a famous temple dedicated to the Syrian goddes, whoe tatute of gold
was placed in the center, between the of Jupiter and Juno. It had 2
s
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3 Sce Diertation on Egypt, &c. in the third volume of the Aiatick Reearches,
The on 161N or Mecca, &c. 375
golden Dove on its head; hence ome uppoed it was deigned for SEMIRAMIs.
and it was twice every year carried to the ea fide in proceion. This tatue
was obviouly that of the great goddes or MAHA"-BHA Ga-De'vi's.
whoe hitory is intimately conneted with that of the Dove in the wetern
mythologits, as well as in the Purn.
Her origin is thus related in the Purnr; the ravanas having for a
long time vexed the inhabitants of Cuha-duip; they at lat applied for pro
te&tion to MAHA-bha GA-devi, who had already appeared in that coun
try in the chara&ers of SAMI-RAMA and Capo TE's or I's 1, in ths
hape of a Dove; they requeted alo that he would vouchafe to reide
amongt them. The merciful goddes granted their requet; and the place
where he made her abode, was called the bn, or place of MAHA
zha'GA'. -
- -
Sankrit, and Hchiu, informs us, that the Greeks pronounced the Hindu
word Mah great, Mai. Maog is mentioned by PL 1 NY, where we read
Magog, but Mr. DANville hews that it hould be Malg, I conclude from
ome manucript copies. This is alo confirmed by its preent name which
is to this day Manbig or Manbg. We find it alo called Banbukeb (B2p3oza
Bambyce), and in N1 EBU HR's travels it is called Bombche, I uppoe for
Bombche or Momigz: but this is equally corrupted from Ma'abhg; in
the ame manner we ay Bombay for Momba, and what is called in India
Bambu or Pambu, is called Mambu in Tibet.
* The temple of Mabeg was frequented by all nations, and amongt them
Were pilgrims from India, according to Luci AN, as cited by the authors of
beauty of the pot, choe for the place of her reidence, is Hierapolis, called
alo Ninus or Niniveb; hence we find her tatue in the temple of MAHA'-
BHA'GA'. It is aid to have been ituated near a deep pool, or mall lake,
called from that circumtance Hradancita; and the pool near the temple of
Hierapolis was decribed to be two hundred fathoms deep. SAM1'-RA"MA
is repreented in a mot amiable light in the Purnds, as well as her conort
L1 LEsw A R A or LI LE's A.
STEPH ANUs of Byzantium ays, that Ninus lived at a place called Telant,
previous
by to hisauthor:
any other building -
Ninive!, but this place I believe is not mentioned
r - - -
. . . . ,
-
\
- ** -
revolution into thirty-one parts, which may repreent alo three hundred and
ten years. As this corretion is now diued, he could give me no further
information concerning it. To the event related is acribed the origin of the
Linga or Phallus, and of its worhip: it is aid to have happened on the banks
of the Cumud-wati or Euphrates, and the firt Phallus under the name of
Balftwara-Linga, was erected on its banks. This is confirmed by Diodorus
S1 cu LUs, who ays, that SEMI RAM1s brought an Obelik from the mountains
of Armenia, and erected it in the mot conpicuous part of Babylon. It was
150 feet high, and is reckoned, by the ame author, as one of the even
wonders of the world (a). The jews in their Talmud allude to omething
of this kind; peaking of the different orts of earths, of which the body of
ADAM was formed, they ay that the earth which compoed his generative
parts, was brought from Babylonia.
a). Dion. Sic, lib. 3. cap. 4. (b). Diop. Sic. lib. 4, cap. 5.
THE or IGIN of Mecca, &c. * 379
THE Phrygians remembered well this conflagration, and the flood which
followed it; but as they could not conceive, that it could originate from a
benevolent Goddes, they transformed her into a monter called Alcida.
Alcida however is an old Greek word, imploying trength and power, and is
therefore ynonimous with Sc or Sat-devi, the principal form of SAM1'-
RA MAT, and other manifetations of the female power of nature.
* -
- f
- -
INDEED the names and titles of mot of the Babylonian deities are pure
Sancrit; and many of them are worhipped to this day in India, or at leat
their legends are to be found in the Purnas.
. . The Babylonian Goddes was called alo the Queen of Heaven; and to this
day a form of Devi, with the title of Sverga-rdni-dv, or Devi, Queen
of Heaven, is worhipped in India. -
--- :* ~ *
-
... RAK R is from Rcwara ; a name of LUN us, from one of his favourite
wives called RA ca: it ignifies alo the full crb of the Moon.
NAbo or Nebo is IswaRA with the title of Nava or Naba, the celetial.
...
GANG AT-waz near Congo on the Perian Gulph ; another place of pil
grimage, where are many caves with prings in the mountains.
THERE is alo another Hindu place of worhip at Baharein (El Katif), and
another at Atrachan where the few Hindus, who live there, worhip the Vol.
ga, under the name of Srya-muc'hi-Ganga ; the legends relating to this fa
mous river are to be found in the Purns, and confirm the information of the
pilgrims, who have viited thee holy places. There are till many Hindus
dipered through that immene country; they are unknown to the Muul
mans, and they pas for Guebris, as they call them here, or Paris. There is
now at Benares a Brahmen of the name of DE'v1'-DA's, who is a native of
Mched; he was introduced lately to my acquaintance by Mr. Duncan,
and he informed me, that it was uppoed, there were about 2000 families of
Hindus in Khoraan ; that they called themelves Hindi ; and are known to
the Muulmans of the country, under that appellation.
This, in my opinion, accounts for the whole country to the outh of the
- Capian ea, from Khoraan and Arrokhage, as far as the Black Sea, being cal
led India by the ancients, and its inhabitants in various places Sindi: It is
implicitly confirmed by the Purns, in which it is aid that the Srya
muchi-Gng or Volga, falls into the Sea of Sind. The Hindus near
Baku and at Airachan call it the new ea, becaue they ay it did not exit
formerly. They have legends about it, which however, my learned friend
VIDHYA-NATH could not find in the Purns.
. The ORIGIN of Mecca, &c. 383
Aecord ING to the pilgrims I have conulted, there are about twenty or
thirty families of Hindus at Balk, and Eusebius informs us, that there were
Hindus in BAct RIANA, in his time. There are as many families at Gn
gwz or Congo , about one hundred at Bura ; and a few at Babareins
Thee informed Purn-puri a ryi, and famous traveller, called alo UrdAwa-.
bbu becaue he always keeps his hands elevated above his head, that formerly
they correponded and traded with other Hindus on the banks of the river
Nl, in the country of Mir ; and that they had once a houe or factory at
Cairo; but that on account of the oppreion of the Turks and the roving
Arabs, there had been no intercoure between them for everal generations.
There are no Hindus at Andydevi or Corcoor, but they compute a large
number in the vicinity of Baku and Derbend. The Shroff at Smkh; are
Banyans or Hindus according to the Ditionary of Commerce, and of Trevoux,
as cited in the French Encyclopedy (a).
THE Cubnf, who live near Derbend, are Hindus, as my friend PURANA
Puri was told, at Baku and Atrachan, in his way to Mocow; and their
Brahmens are aid to be very learned ; but as he very properly oberved, this
ought to be undertood relatively on a comparion with the other Hindus in
Peria who are extremely ignorant.
The Sankrit charaters might eaily be mitaken for the black Hebrew
THE Aran, figuratively called the daughter of the SAM1' tree, and the
mother of fire, is a cubic piece of wood about five inches in diameter, with a
mall hole in the upper part. A tick of the ame ort of wood is placed in
this cavity, and put in motion by a tring held by two men, or fixed to a bow.
The frition oon produces fire, which is ued for all religious purpoes, and
alo for dreing food. Every Brahmen ought to have an Aran ; and when
they cannot procure one from the SAM1' tree which is rather carce in this
part of India, they make it with the wood of the Avatt'ha or Pippala tree.
This is alo a acred tree and they ditinguih two pecies of it, the Pippala
called in the vulgar diale&ts Pipal and the Chalat-Palaha. The leaves of this
lat are larger, but the fruit is maller and not o numerous as in the former
pecies. It is called Chalat-palaia from the tremulous motion of its leaves:
it is very common in the hills, and the vulgar name for it is Popala, from
which I uppoe is derived the Latin word Populus ; for it is certainly the
trembling Poplar or Apen tree.
The fetival of SEMIRAM is falls always on the tenth day of the Lunar
month of Awina, which this year coincided with the fourth of O&#ober. On
this day lamps are lighted in the evening under the Sam tree; offerings are
made of rice and flowers, and ometimes trong liquors ; the votaries fing
the praie of SAM1'-RA'MA-Dev1 and the Sami tree, and having worhip
ped them, carry away ome of the leaves of the tree, and earth from the roots,
which they keep carefully in their houes, till the return of the fetival of SE
MIRAM is in the cnuing year. - -