10. For a hundred years more, he hung by his hand from the branch of a tree. 11. For a hundred years more, he hung from a tree with his head downwards. When he at length came to a respite from these severe mortifications, a radiant glory encircled the devotee, and a flame of fire, arising from his head, began to consume the whole world."--_From the Seeva Pooraun_, MAURICE's _History of Hindostan_. You see a pious Yogi, motionless as a pollard, holding his thick bushy hair, and fixing his eyes on the solar orb. Mark--his body is half covered with a white ant's edifice made of raised clay; the skin of a snake supplies the place of his sacerdotal thread, and part of it girds his loins; a number of knotty plants encircle and wound his neck, and surrounding birds' nests almost conceal his shoulders. _Dushmanta_. I bow to a man of his austere devotion.--SACONTALA. _That even Seeva's self,_ _The Highest, cannot grant, and be secure._--VI. p. 52. It will be seen from the following fable, that Seeva had once been reduced to a very humiliating employment by one of Kehama's predecessors: {167} _Ravana_, by his power and infernal arts, had subjugated all the gods and demigods, and forced them to perform menial offices about his person and household. _Indra_ made garlands of flowers to adorn him withal; _Agni_ was his cook; _Surya_ supplied light by day, and _Chandra_ by night; _Varuna_ purveyed water for the palace; _Kuvera_ furnished cash. The whole _nava-graha_ (the _nine planetary_ spheres) sometimes arranged themselves into a ladder, by which, they serving as steps, the tyrant ascended his throne: _Brahma_ (for the great gods were there also; and I give this anecdote as I find it in my memoranda, without any improved arrangement)--_Brahma_ was a herald, proclaiming the giant's titles, the day of the week, month, &c. daily in the palace,--a sort of speaking almanack: _Mahadeva_, (i. e. Seeva,) in his Avatara of _Kandeh-roo_, performed the office of barber, and trimmed the giants' beards: _Vishnu_ had the honourable occupation of instructing and drilling the dancing and singing girls, and selecting the fairest for the royal bed: _Ganesa_ had the care of the cows, goats, and herds; _Vayu_ swept the house; _Yama_ washed the linen;--and in this manner were all the gods employed in the menial offices of _Ravana_, who rebuked and flogged them in default of industry and attention. Nor were the female divinities exempted; for _Bhavani_, in her name and form of _Satni_, {168} was head Aya, or nurse, to Ravana's children; _Lakshmi_ and _Saraswati_ were also among them, but it does not appear in what capacity.--MOOR's _Hindu Pantheon_, p. 333.