1. The Funeral 2. The Curse 3. The Recovery 4. The Departure 5. The Separation 6. Casyapa 7. The Swerga 8. The Sacrifice 9. The Home Scene 10. Mount Meru 11. The Enchantress 12. The Sacrifice Completed Notes Footnotes Στησατε μοι Πρωτηα πολυτροπον, οφρα φανειη Ποικιλον ειδος εχων, οτι ποικιλον υμνον αρασσω. Νον. Διον. For I will for no man's pleasure Change a syllable or measure; Pedants shall not tie my strains To our antique poets' veins; Being born as free as these, I will sing as I shall please. George Wither. MYTHOLOGICAL NAMES. BRAMA, the Creator. VEESHNOO, the Preserver. SEEVA, the Destroyer. These form the Trimourtee, or Trinity, as it has been called, of the Bramins. The allegory is obvious, but it has been made for the Trimourtee, not the Trimourtee for the allegory; and these Deities are regarded by the people as three distinct and personal Gods. The two latter have at this day their hostile sects of worshippers; that of Seeva is the most numerous; and in this Poem, Seeva is represented as Supreme among the Gods. This is the same God whose name is variously written Seeb, Sieven and Siva, Chiven by the French, Xiven by the Portugueze, and whom European writers sometimes denominate Eswara, Iswaren, Mahadeo, Mahadeva, Rutren,--according to which of his thousand and eight names prevailed in the country where they obtained their Information. INDRA, God of the Elements. The SWERGA, his Paradise,--one of the Hindoo heavens. YAMEN, Lord of Hell, and Judge of the Dead. PADALON, Hell,--under the Earth, and, like the Earth, of an octagon shape; its eight gates are guarded by as many Gods. MARRIATALY, the Goddess who is chiefly worshipped by the lower casts. POLLEAR, or Ganesa,--the Protector of Travellers. His statues are placed in the highways, and sometimes in a small lonely sanctuary, in the streets and in the fields. CASYAPA, the Father of the Immortals. DEVETAS, The Inferior Deities. SURAS, Good Spirits. ASURAS, Evil Spirits, or Devils. GLENDOVEERS, the most beautiful of the Good Spirits, the Grindouvers of Sonnerat. THE CURSE OF KEHAMA. {1} I. THE FUNERAL. 1. Midnight, and yet no eye Through all the Imperial City clos'd in sleep! Behold her streets a-blaze With light that seems to kindle the red sky, Her myriads swarming through the crowded ways! Master and slave, old age and infancy, All, all abroad to gaze; House-top and balcony Clustered with women, who throw back their veils, With unimpeded and insatiate sight To view the funeral pomp which passes by, {2} As if the mournful rite Were but to them a scene of joyance and delight.