the fourth a cup with small cakes, with which he is supposed to feed himself. He is sitting on the lotus. Fig. 2, in the frontispiece, exactly represents the images made and set up of him, with those of Durga, in the festivals of that goddess in Calcutta. He is frequently described as riding on, or having near him a rat, the emblem of prudence and foresight, and is invoked on all matters of business by the Hindus. If a person undertake a journey or build a house, prayers are addressed to Ganesha; for which purpose his statues are set up on the roads and other open places. At the commencement of a letter or a book, or an invocation to a superior deity, a salutation is usually made to him; and his image is frequently seen placed, as a propitiation, over the doors of houses and shops, to insure success to the temporal concerns of their owners.

The Peishwa, Bajee Row, had an image of Ganesha, valued at £50,000. It was of gold and had eyes of diamonds.

The introduction of Ganesha into the celestial regions was a work of as much mystery as that of his brother Kartikeya, neither of them being "of woman born.' Ganesha, however, contrived to come into the world without the aid of a father as well: but as the gods have ways peculiarly their own in the management of their affairs, we will adopt the practice universally exercised in polished society in the terrestial regions (of which the coteries in this country are distinguished examples), of not prying rudely into matters that do not concern us; and with which the god of prudence, whom I now treat of and invoke, would teach us, that the less we have to do the better. We must, therefore, rest satisfied in learning that Ganesha was formed in the same manner as Prometheus produced his handy-works; save and except that, instead of clay, his mother Parvati, while bathing, collected the scum and impurities floating on the surface of the water in the bath, and kneaded them into the form of a man, to which she gave life, not by fire stolen from heaven, but by pouring over it the holy water of the Ganges. Notwithstanding this irregular mode of procuring an offspring, Parvati was as fond of her elephant-headed scion, as if every thing had been effected in the most becoming way imaginable.

Various stories are related of the manner in which Ganesha became possessed of his elephant head, some of which are greatly opposed to the account just given of his formation. By some legends it would appear, that after having given life to him, Parvati placed him as a guard at the door of the bath, when Siva approached it and wished to enter, which Ganesha would not permit. The god, in consequence, became incensed and cut off his head; but on learning that it was the son of Parvati whom he had thus so unceremoniously treated, and beholding that goddess overwhelmed with affliction for the loss of her child, he took the first head, which was that of an elephant, that could be found (as the other had disappeared), and placed it on his shoulders.

Others state, that Parvati believing, as mothers are prone to do, and which she was unquestionably warranted in doing, that her child was an extraordinary prodigy, requested Shuni or Sani (the Hindu Saturn) to look at it. The god, considerately recollecting that his gaze was as baneful and destructive as the Gorgon's head, attempted to back out of the compliment; but the partial and importunate mother would not be denied. To gratify her, therefore, he at length looked at Ganesha, whose head was instantly consumed to ashes; but as it would not have been compatible with either common sense or propriety for the god of wisdom to have remained without one, Brahma, to pacify Parvati, directed that the first which could be discovered, and which proved to be an elephant's, should be placed on the headless trunk; and promised, as a kind of antidote to the misfortune, that Ganesha should be the first worshipped among the gods.

Other legends assert that his mother formed him with an elephantine head and, as nature plays her wild fantastic tricks with her progeny, why should not nature's goddess toss about her ball with celestial fancy, at her will and pleasure? Others again state, that Siva cut off his head in consequence of his fighting with Vishnu.

Siddhi and Buddhi (knowledge and understanding) are represented as the two wives of Ganesha.

The Father Bartolomeo states, that Ganesha is called Pollyar on the

P

coast of Coromandel; as does Sonnerat, who adds, that his images must be made of stone: but I have them also both of metal and composition.

Ganesha has been compared to the Janus of the Romans. The Hindu god is invoked upon the commencement of any business of importance, and his statues are (as I have before stated) placed over the houses of bankers and shops. The Roman deity was the god who presided over all new undertakings, and his images were placed in the Jani, or spot where usurers and creditors met to receive money. The first libations were made, and all prayers prefaced with a short address to him. In the latter point he also agrees with Ganesha. Janus was worshipped in the month of January, Ganesha in Maghu, which will farther correspond.

I do not find that many temples are dedicated to Ganesha; but his images are frequently discovered set up in those of the other deities.

Ganesha has several names: among which are Lumboduru, the longbellied; Eku Duntu, one-toothed; Gujanumu, elephant-faced; Gunniss; Gannaputty; Pollyar, &c. &c.

In the second volume of the Transactions of the Bombay Literary Society, and in the seventh volume of the Asiatic Researches, are descriptions of a living god at Chincore near Poona, believed by the Hindus to be an incarnation of Ganesha, in the person of a supposed descendant of a pious man named Moroba.

It appears that an aged couple had been childless, and petitioned Ganesha to assist them out of the difficulty, so repugnant to the feelings of Hindus. They had been exemplary in their devotions to the god, who promised to the husband, in a dream, the fulfilment of his wishes in a male child; who, in return, vowed to dedicate the child to the deity. That child was Moroba; thus named from it being one of the appellations of Ganesha.

Moroba, by his piety and austerities, had obtained the power of performing miracles upon all those who had a sufficient stock of faith therein; so that, in due time, he was considered and followed as a saint, and in a short period after was elevated to the rank of a Deo. This elevation he owed to his piety and faith: for having, in performance of a vow, undertaken a long journey to visit Ganesha's temple at Morgow, he arrived worn

out with sickness, fatigue, and fasting, after the gates were closed, and the Brahmans and devotees had retired. He lay down and slept. Ganesha then appeared to him in a dream, and commanded him to rise and enter the temple, telling him that his probation was expired, and that, in consequence of his virtue, to save him future journeys to Morgow, he would himself become incarnate in his person and that of his descendants for seven generations. Moroba arose and entered the temple, the doors of which flew open on his approach. He then removed the faded flowers from the image of the god, bedecked it with fresh ones, and having completed his devotions, retired, and again composed himself to rest. In the morning the Brahmans beheld the fresh woven garland with surprise; but, in no less amazement, beheld not a valuable pearl necklace that usually adorned the image; which being, after some search, found on the neck of Moroba, he was committed by the Hakem to prison. The officer, however, had soon reason to regret the measure that he in this instance pursued, as Ganesha, having first afflicted him with a violent cholic, appeared to him, and told him instantly to release his favourite Moroba, as he himself had placed the necklace round his neck. Moroba was in consequence released, and permitted to return to his former residence at Chincore. The following night a conical stone, sacred to Ganesha, arose from the ground; and Moroba, on the spot, commenced building a superb temple in honour of the god. Having there performed numerous miracles, his fame was spread to the remotest parts of India. After this, finding his time approach, he caused himself to be buried alive in a sitting position, with the scriptures in his hand, commanding that his grave should not be disturbed.

Moroba was succeeded by his son, Chintamun Deo, who instanced his divinity by the following remarkable miracle:

Another living deity, named Tookaram, dwelt at no great distance from Chintamun. The two gods were not, as they should have been, good friends. It is true they were of rival sects; one being Ganaputty himself, but not remarkable for the possession of that quality of which he is said to be the god; the other a literary deity, and a friend of Wittoba (an incarnation of Vishnu), who, by his laudable endeavours to promote the march

of intellect, and enable mankind to understand the true nature of the divine institutes, gave offence to his brother divinity. Chintamun, in consequence, resorted to the weapons usually had recourse to by the ignorant and presumptuous, revilings and evil actions. He declared that the works of Tookaram were only fit to be destroyed; and suiting the action to the word, contrived to possess himself of them. He then tied them in a bundle with heavy weights, and cast them into the water.

Tookaram being much grieved at this event, supplicated the aid of Wittoba, who caused the books to rise from the water free from damp and uninjured. Chintamun thus finding Tookaram to possess too many friends in heaven for him to injure him, acknowledged that some portion of divinity "dwelt within him," and they became tolerably good friends; till Tookaram next found occasion to be envious and malicious, and was celestially rebuked in his turn. One day Chintamun civilly asked his brother god to dine with him, which invitation he thankfully accepted. But it is not to be supposed the usual vulgar means of dinner-cards were had recourse to: no, the whole business was managed mentally; for while Chintamun was engaged in the worship of Gunputtee or Ganesha, he thinks to himself, "Tookaram, will you do me the honour to dine with me to-day?" At the same time thinking that the period of an intended visit to Morgow was near, and his bridle wanted mending, he would therefore send it to the Moochey's to have it set to rights. Finishing his devotions, which had taken up more time than usual, he came out of the temple into his house, and found Tookaram already there, half-famished, waiting impatiently for his dinner. "What!" says Chintamun," how came you here? and when did I invite you to dine?" "What!" says the other, "did not you think the invitation in the temple? and did you not intend sending to the Moochey's to get your bridle repaired?" "Verily," says Chintamun, "I now give you full credit for supernatural intelligence. Come, sit down, and we will have dinner presently." Two paats were accordingly placed. Tookaram observing this, desired another might be brought; which was done without remark, and dinner was brought in.

The base passions of envy, jealousy, and vanity, pervade every bosom :