VAMUNA, the fifth (dwarf) of Vishnu's avatars. Vishnu in this avatar took the form of a Brahmun dwarf, to humble the pride and arrogance of another monarch. VARAHA, the third (boar) of Vishnu's avatars. Vishnu is represented with the head of a monstrous boar, supporting the world on his tusks. VARUNA, in Hindoo mythology, is the god of the waters, the Indian Neptune, and the regent of the west division of the earth. He is represented as a white man, four armed, riding on a sea animal, with a rope called pashu in one of his hands, and a club in another. He is worshipped daily, as one of the regents of the earth; and also, by those who farm the lakes in Bengal before they go out fishing. And in times of drought, people repeat his name to obtain rain. His heaven, formed by Viswakarma, is 800 miles in circumference, in which he and his queen, Varuni, are seated on a throne of diamonds, attended by Samudra, Gunga, &c. VEDANTAS, the Hindoo code of philosophy.

VEDAS, the Vedas are the earliest sacred writings of the Hindoos. The first four, called the immortal Vedas, are the Rig or Rish Veda, the Yajar, or Yajush Veda, the Sama or Saman Veda, and the Atharva or Atharvana Veda. They comprise various sections, which are again divided and subdivided, under the distinctions of Mantras, Brahmana, Itahasa, Purana, Upanishad, &c. They were reduced to order by Vyasa, and prescribed the moral and religious duties of mankind. The original Veda is believed by the Hindoos to have been revealed by Brahma, and to have been preserved by tradition until it was arranged in its present form by a sage, who thence obtained the surname of Vyasa, or Vedavyasa; that is, compiler of the Vedas. Each Veda consists of two parts, denominated the Mantras and the Brahmanas, or prayers and precepts, The complete collection of the hymns,

prayers, and invocations, belonging to one Veda is entitled its Sanhita. Every other portion of Indian scripture is included under the general head of divinity (Brahmana). VEENA, an instrument of the guitar kind, with seven metal strings. It is the most ancient musical instrument of the Hindoos, and in good hands is capable of yielding great melody and expression.

VELLORE, a place in India, in the province of Central or Middle Carnatic, called by the natives RaeElloor, situated about ninety miles westerly from Madras. The fort is large and strongly built, and surrounded by a deep ditch, which was formerly filled with alligators, but it is completely commanded by the neighbouring hills. It is now a place of little importance. VERANDAH. Almost every house and bungalow in India is furnished with a verandah; in other words, with an outer wall of Venetian blinds fixed to brick work to keep the inner rooms cool and dark. VINDHYA MOUNTAINS, the, in India; they extend through the provinces of Bahar, Allahabad, and Malwa, along the north side of the river Nerbudda, almost as far as the western coast of Hindostan.

VIRA BADRA, or EHR BADHR, is an avatar, or by some called a son of Siva, in Hindoo mythology, produced from the jatra, or plaited locks of that deity, which he cut off and threw on the ground, in a moment of frenzy, on learning the death of Suti, caused by the curse of Daksha; Vira Badra immediately attacked Daksha, and cut off his head, which fell into the fire prepared for a sacrifice, and was burnt. He is armed with various instruments of destruction; and the representations of him are usually seen with the head of a goat (with which that of Daksha was replaced on his body) near them, or accompanied by a human figure with a goat's head.

VIRAJ, according to the mythology

of the Hindoos, the primeval being, represented under a form half male, half female. The term is usually applied to Siva and Parvati. According to some, Viraj was the first issue of the mighty being who had thus divided herself; and was consequently the first man and the founder of the human race. Swayambhuva is considered to have been his son. There are many accounts respecting their descendants, each at variance with the other.

VISHNU, the second named of the Trimerti, or Hindoo triad, and the preserving spirit of the supreme deity, Brahm. This god is represented of a black or blue colour, with four arms, in which he holds a club, to show that he punishes the wicked; the chank, or wreathed shell, blown on days of rejoicing, and at a period of worship; the chukra, or discus, the emblem of his universal domination; and the lotus, or water-lily, the type of his creative power. He is variously described: sometimes seated on a throne of the sacred lotus, with his favourite wife, Lakshmi, in his arms; or standing on a lotus pedestal between his two wives, Lakshmi and Satyavama; at others, reclining on a leaf of that flower, or on the serpent Anonta, or eternity, floating on the surface of the primeval waters; or riding on Garuda, which is represented as a youth with the wings and beak of a bird. each of the deities of the triad is occasionally seen possessing the attributes of the others, Vishnu is found sometimes as the Creator, and at others, as the god of Destruction, as well as the Preserver. In one of the hypotheses respecting the creation of the world, he appears in his creative attribute, giving birth to Brahma, who is springing from his navel to execute his high behests, in producing the elements, and forming the system of the world. Vishnu had a thousand names; and many avatars or incarnations are ascribed to him, in which he is represented in various

As

forms, to save the world; to restore the lost Veda, or sacred writings; to destroy the giants; and to punish the wicked. Ten of these avatars compose a large portion of the Hindoo mythology. Nine of them are already past, but the tenth is yet to come, in which the dissolution of the world will take place. In his tenth. incarnation, or the kalki avatar, it is fabled that he will appear at the end of the Caliyoog as an armed warrior, mounted on a white horse, furnished with wings and adorned with jewels, waving over his head with one hand the sword of destruction, and holding in the other a discus, or a ring, or emblem of the perpetually-revolving cycles of time. The horse is represented holding up the right fore-leg; and the Brahmuns say, that when he stamps on the earth with that, the present period will close, and the dissolution of nature take place. No sanguinary sacrifices are offered to Vishnu. He is considered as a household god, and is extensively worshipped. His wives are Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and beauty, and Satyavama. Vishnu is often invoked by the Hindoos by the cry of Hurree bole! Hurree bole! VISTNEE RATHA. See GARUDA. VISWAKARMA, according to the mythology of the Hindoos, the architect of the universe, and the fabricator of arms to the gods, is the son of Brahma, and the Vulcan of the Hindoos. He is also called the Soortar, or carpenter, and presides over the arts, manufactures, &c. In paintings, he is represented as a white man with three eyes, holding a club in his right hand. Some of the most magnificent of the cavern-temples at Ellora, Nassuck, &c., bear the name of this god. One, at the first-mentioned place, is hewn, 130 feet in depth, out of the solid rock, presenting the appearance of a vaulted chapel, supported by ranges of octangular columns, and adorned by sculptures of beautiful and perfect workmanship. In the sculptured representa

WADA-GAHA, the shoe-flower-tree. A shrub growing in the island of *Ceylon and in other parts of India, and which attains the height of nearly twenty feet. It is chiefly remarkable for the very beautiful bright red flowers which always abound upon it. It grows thick and bushy. There are some species that bear pale yellow, pink, and light blue flowers. It derives the vulgar appellation of the shoe-flower, from its possessing the property of blacking or polishing leather shoes. WAH, WAH! an expression of surprise, common all over India. WALLAH! a Persian oath, or exclamation, equivalent to "Heavens!""By Heaven!"

WARUNGOL, a town in India, in the province of Hyderabad, situated about 80 miles north-easterly from Hyderabad (city), in Lat. 17 deg. 54 min. N., Long. 79 deg. 34 min. E. It was built about the year 1067, and was the ancient capital of the Hindoo sovereignty of Telingana. WASIL, what is received; head of revenue in India under the assil tumar jamma, derived from the annexation of territory, discovery of concealed

sources of rent from the lands, and assumption of jaghires and undue alienations.

WAZEAT, abatement. Deductions which were allowed in the accounts of the Zemindars, &c., from the collections under the general heads of Mokharije and Muscorat.

WEDAHS. In various parts of Ceylon, but especially in the interior, east of Kandy, in the country of Bintenne, is found a tribe of natives called Wedahs, of whose origin, customs, religion, and language, very little is known. Some of them speak a broken dialect of the Cingalese, which would lead to the supposition either of their having been Cingalese, but for some cause or other been banished into the jungles, and compelled to live separate from the rest of the inhabitants; or that when the rest of the people were cultivating fields, and sowing and planting for their support, and subject to the control of government, they still, to retain their liberty, chose rather to retire into the fastnesses of the country, where for centuries they have remained unmolested either by the Portuguese, the Dutch, or the English, into whose hands the country has successively fallen. They are said to be fairer than the other inhabitants of the island, to be well made, have long beards, long hair fastened in a knot on the crown of their heads, and to wear scarcely any covering on any part of their bodies. Some, indeed, are said to live entirely destitute of clothing. They have little intercourse with other natives. They live chiefly on the flesh of animals which they take in hunting, or kill with the bow and arrow, and on the fruits of the trees. They build no huts, but sleep either in the trees, or at the foot of them, or in caves in the ground. It is said, that when they require knives, clothes, or any articles of iron, they contrive to make their wants known by marking them on the talpat leaf, which they deposit by night near

some village with a quantity of ivory, wax, or honey, and that on the following night they find their wants supplied. Honey forms an article of food among them, and in some respects answers the purposes of salt, as they preserve their food in it. Their dogs are described as being remarkably sagacious, and are of the greatest value to them in their hunting excursions. WITTOBA, in the Hindoo mythology, is one of the minor incarnations of Vishnu. This avatar would appear to have been, like some of the other minor avatars of the Hindoo deities, of a circumscribed worship, and not very ancient date. It seems to have occurred at Pandipur, about eighty miles south of Poona, in which town a magnificent temple has been dedicated to Vishnu, under the name of Wittoba. The images of him and his two wives, Rukmini and Satyavhama (the names, also, of the wives of Krishna), have commonly a rude and modern appearance, and represent them with their arms akimbo. The Jainas represent the world by the figure of a woman in that position; her waist being the earth, the superior portion of her body the abode of the gods, and the inferior part the infernal regions. The sculptures and paintings of the modern Hindoos possess much beauty and richness of colouring, intermixed with gold, laid on in a manner peculiar to these people; but the paintings are devoid of perspective, and the sculptures are as clumsy as those of greater antiquity are generally fine. WUKF, or WUKOOF, endowment. Land in India granted for some charitable or pious purpose. This tenure is absolute as to the usufruct, but does not convey the full right of property to the incumbent; though, as the law says, it annuls that right in the endower. The benefice lands, however, even though the endowment be from the crown, are liable to the land-tax. This is a most important

rule of law as applicable to India; the law says, "if tithe-lands, they are liable to the tithe; if khuranjee lands, to the khuranj." "In the above power," says Galloway, "which the Mahomedan's law recognises in the sovereign, of assigning the khuranj of one's own lands to the proprietor, however, I can see the seeds of the variety of anomalous tenures, which are recognised by our government in India as lakhuranjee, or rent-free and permanent, without such tenures having ever been traced to their origin; and, in fact, without their nature ever having been ascertained; to the enormous diminution of nearly three millions sterling, perhaps, of the public revenue, under the Bengal presidency alone." The resumption of these tenures came under the consideration of government a few years ago, and although the people resisted the measure, it was carried through, to the large augmentation of the revenue receipts. WULLEE. Mahomedans, whose reputation for sanctity during their lives is very great, are generally sainted after death by common consent, and are termed Peers and Wullees. Prayers offered up at the tombs of such persons, are by the ignorant considered to derive considerable efficacy from the sanctity of the deceased, and his influence.

Y

YABOO, the name given in Persia to pack horses, or poneys, of almost every size, which do not rank under the more dignified title of “Asp”— horse.

YAH HYDER! YAH ALLEE! O Hyder! O Allee! Exclamations ever in the mouths of Persians, in extremities. Hyder is a name of Allee, and signifies the "Lion,” i.e., of God.

YAK, a species of cattle inhabiting the Himalayan mountains. The yak is very strong and very hand