us. purana is most curious and interesting to It certainly tends to prove, not only an early connexion between the White Island and India, but also that there is a tribe of Brahmens in India, to this day, actually descended from a sacerdotal race, residing originally in the White Island. There can be no question about the genuineness of this legend, as it is well known to learned, and even unlearned, Brahmens in general. Learned men in India readily acknowledge, that the Brahmenical tribes are by no means native of that country; they came from the north, and entered India through the pass of Hari-dwar; and their first settlement was at Canya-cubja, or Canoge. They also acknowledge, that the light of revelation came from the west, and that the Vedas reside in the White Island in human shapes. This notion is openly avowed in their sacred books; as well as, that the fundamental mysteries of their religion are intimately connected with the White Island; and that the momen. tous events which took place in consequence of them, either to create the world, or to bring on the regeneration of mankind, and show them the path to Heaven and eternal bliss, actually came to pass in the White Island, or its adjacent sea. However explicit this legend, and several others may appear, yet we are too well acquainted with the Pauranics to put any reliance upon them, and to consider them as sufficient authority. The White Island is the holy land of the Hindus, and to it they refer every thing; and they have made of it a sort of fairy land. Even the chalk with which they mark their foreheads must come from the White Island, no other would answer their purpose. Accordingly, they suppose that Vishnu, and several holy men brought numerous lumps of it at different tunes; and some of these, particularly that at Dwaraca, are as large as any county in England. Thus we see that the Magas, or Magi, extended from the White Island, in the west, to Persia, India, Aracan, and the Burman empire. Pliny says, that from the great resemblance of ceremonies in religious worship, and other practices among the Persians and Druids, one might be induced to believe, that Magia, or Magisın, had passed from Britain into Persia. According to Lucian, the priests, not only of the Persians, but those of the Parthians, Bactrians, Chorasmians, Arians, Sacæ, or Saxons, and other barbarous nations, were equally called Magi. Indeed, all those nations were so many tribes descended from the Sacas. The sacred Vedas are declared in the Puranas, to have been found in the White Island by Narada, where they reside in human shapes. The Brahmens from Sacam, in return, accuse the others of ingratitude, and give to understand, that they imparted much more knowledge than they choose to confess, and even communicated the Vedas. In the legendary tales of Crishna, Cansa, and Yud'hishtira, we have the history of the Cretan Jupiter, Saturn and Minos: for Yudhishtira, was called D'harına-Raja, or the king of justice. Like Saturn, Cansa wanted to destroy the offspring of Vasudeva, and had already destroyed seven of his children; but the eighth, or young Crishna, was concealed, like Jupiter, in his infancy. Then we have the wars of the Titans, who were, according to some, descended from Cres: and Crishna waged a long war with the descendants of Curu, his relations. Crishna at last killed Cansa; and died at the advanced age of one hundred and twenty-five years: Jupiter died at the age of one hundred and twenty, or, according to others, one hundred and twenty-two years. Thus we have, in the true style of the Pauranics, the same actors, the same historical events, re-appearing at this renovation of the world, as came to pass, in more remote ages, under the elder Saturn. Hindus, Vishnu, or Jupiter, riding upon the eagle, left the White Island, in order to be born in a human shape in India, in the character of Crishna. It was also the opinion of the ancient Greeks, in conformity with the notions of the Hin dus, that Jupiter came from the islands of the blessed, which, according to Homer, were near the White Cliffs, at the western extremity of the world, as acknowledged by the ancients. The White Island is considered in the Puranas, as the abode of the mighty. Thus Ravana, anxious to signalize himself, is introduced in the Ramayena, inquiring from Narada, in what part of the world the mighty ones dwelt, that he might go and fight them. The mighty, says Narada, live in the White Island. The most aucient inhabitants of Britain, in their romances, still call the White Island, Yaysy Cedeion, the island of the mighty ones. The White Island is declared to be the abode of the gods, or Suraleyam. This would have been expressed, in the west, by the Gothic tribes, by As-burgh, in 1819.] from Ancient Sanscrit Manuscripts. some of the dialects in that language. Another name for it would be As-gard; and we find that both were in use in that sense. As-gard is constantly used in the Edda; and As-burgh is the name of an ancient city, called, by Ptolemy, Asbur. gium, in the eastern parts of Europe; and the learned agree, that it is the same with As-gard. As, Isa, or Iswara, is the name of the Supreme Being, in Sanscrit. This word was pronounced Hesus, by the Gauls; Aise, by the Irish; and Galic tribes; and Æsir, by the Goths; Æsar, by the Etruscans; and Asios, also by them: and the Greeks used the latter term. Thus, probably, Is-puri, As-burgh, As-bury,* came to point out the west; and the western countries were denominated by the Greeks, Hesperia, &c. As it is the universal opinion of the Pauranics, and Bandd'hists, that the abode of Vishnu, and of the Supreme Being, is in the White Island, I shall not crowd passages here, from their sacred books, to illustrate this assertion. Hence it is that Vishnu is called repeatedly Sweta-dwipa-vasinauNara-Narayanau, or Nara-Narayana, who resides in the White Island, (which is sometimes called emphatically, Dwipa, or the Island, by way of pre-eminence,) and Vishnu Dwipasthah-Nara, or the man who resides in the Island. Vishuu is introduced in the Brahma-vaivartta, section of the Crishna-Janma c'handa, saying, "In the White Island, the abode of justice, I shall return with portions of the gods and goddesses, to live among the Golocas, or shepherds, near Mat'hura. This shall most certainly happen, and nobody shall ever be able to prevent its taking place." All the Avataras, or principal emanations of Vishnu, ten in number, came originally from the White Island. This is also acknowledged by divines, according to this text from the same book and section: "There are many manifestations and forms of Bhagavan, O Muni: but the form which resides in the White Island, is the primitive one. Vishnu, says the author, re 49 forms. For this purpose, Vishnu from The In the centre of the White Island resides Vishnu, at a place called Narayanpura, or the city of Narayana, called also Vairavati or Vairamati, for both may be used correctly. In the Padmapurana, section of the Uttara-chanda, is the following description of this place : "In the northern parts of the Toyambudhi, or sea of fresh water, in Swetadwipa, the Sanacadicas went to see Bhagavan or Vishnu. Their names are Sanaca, Sananda, Sanatana, Sanatacumara, Jata, Vodu, Pancha-sicha, all children of Brahma, and these, with many others, reside there, near Hari. The White Island is like the su-bhransu, or mild beams of a thousand moons; like shining jewels. Many Maha-Yogis, or great penitents, reside there, without fear or molestation. There is a beautiful garden of Parijatat and Chandana trees. There is the city Vairavati, or Vairamati, beautiful and full of jewels: the consorts of the gods reside there in houses shining like the morning sun. Its greatest ornament is a divine mandapa, or house, made of precious stones and amber, (Carpura,) and adorned with flowers. The Apsarasas reside there; and there is a throne supported by lions, and resplendent like fire, brilliant like the sun, &c. It consists of eight portions, like so many moons, placed like the petals of a flower. In the centre, within the calix, Janardanu, or the devourer of souls, is seated wite his insignia in human shapes. His clothes are like the foam of the White Sea when it is churned; and Devi, with a divine countenance, is on his left. Devout prayers and religious rites are the only means to obtain admission among the servants of calling all his emanations into the White - Vishnu, and a seat at Vishnu-padam, at Island, went into the womb, in the house of Vasu-deva; and on this grand occasion, he recalled all his emanations. Rama and Nrisinha, are complete forms, O Muni; but Crishna, the most powerful king of the White Island, is the most perfect and complete of all Vishnu's • Had Major Wilford in his eye, the Druidical Temples at Abury?-EDITOR, MONTHLY MAG. No. 237, the feet of Vishnu, called also Paramapadam, or at the place of the most excellent feet." With regard to the religion of the * At Abury was a temple in the form of a snake, made of six hundred great stones; and near it is Silbury Hill, perhaps Sive-bury Hill.-EDIT. † A sort of Nycanthes. Druids, Druids, very few of its tenets have been preserved, and transmitted to us, either by the Greeks or the Romans, of whose religion and fundamental tenets we know also but little, except what relates to the exterior worship; for the sacred college at Rome, and the augurs, kept the whole, as a secret themselves, as closely as the Druids did. But there is every reason to believe, that the religion of the Druids was fundamentally the same same with with that of the Greeks and thians or Goths, Egyptians and Hindus, with no greater deviations than those which are found in the Christian religion among its numerous sects. A Hindu, after visiting Rome and Geneva, could never be made to believe that the religion of these two places is fundamentally and originally the same, and that they have the same scriptures. The White goddess, whose abode is in the White Island, in the middle of the White Sea, is the Leuco-thea of the Greeks, which implies the same thing exactly. The Greeks called her also Bune; the Latians, Al-Buna and AlBunea. The root of these denominations is no longer to be found in the Greek language; but it still exists in the Celtic and its dialects. Fionn, wen, ven, signify white, shining: Al-wen, Al-fionn, Al-Ben, remarkably white. In several dialects of the peninsula of India, as in the Tamuli, and also in Ceylon, ben and ven signify white. These islands are obviously the Sacred Isles of Hesiod, who represents them as situated an immense way (μᾶλα τγλε,) toward the north-west quarter of the old continent. 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