These form the Trimourtee, or Trinity, as it has been called, of the Bramins.

The allegory is obvious, but 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 Portuguese, 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. the Father of the Immortals.

CASYAPA,..

DEVETAS,.

The Inferior Deities.

Good Spirits.

Evil Spirits, or Devils.

GLENDOVEERS, the most beautiful of the Good Spirits, the

Grindouvers of Sonnerat.

THE

CURSE OF KEHAMA.

I.

THE FUNERAL.

1.

MIDNIGHT, and yet no eye

Through all the Imperial City closed 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,
As if the mournful rite

Were but to them a scene of joyance and delight.

2.

Vainly, ye blessed twinklers of the night,
Your feeble beams ye shed,

Quench'd in the unnatural light which might out-stare of day;

Even the broad eye

And thou from thy celestial way

Pourest, O Moon, an ineffectual ray !
For lo ten thousand torches flame and flare
Upon the midnight air,
Blotting the lights of heaven

With one portentous glare.

Behold the fragrant smoke in many a fold
Ascending, floats along the fiery sky,
And hangeth visible on high,

A dark and waving canopy.

3.

Hark! 'tis the funeral trumpet's breath!

'Tis the dirge of death!

At once ten thousand drums begin,

With one long thunder-peal the ear assailing;
Ten thousand voices then join in,
And with one deep and general din
Pour their wild wailing.

The song of praise is drown'd

Amid the deafening sound;

You hear no more the trumpet's tone, You hear no more the mourner's moan, Though the trumpet's breath, and the dirge of death, Swell with commingled force the funeral yell. But rising over all in one acclaim

Is heard the echoed and re-echoed name,

From all that countless rout;

Arvalan! Arvalan!

Arvalan! Arvalan!

Ten times ten thousand voices in one shout
Call Arvalan! The overpowering sound,
From house to house repeated rings about,
From tower to tower rolls round.

4.

The death-procession moves along;
Their bald heads shining to the torches' ray,
The Bramins lead the way,
Chaunting the funeral song.
And now at once they shout,
Arvalan! Arvalan!

With quick rebound of sound,
All in accordant cry,

Arvalan! Arvalan!

The universal multitude reply.
In vain ye thunder on his ear the name;
Would ye awake the dead?

Borne upright in his palankeen,
There Arvalan is seen!

A glow is on his face, a lively red;

...

It is the crimson canopy

Which o'er his cheek a reddening shade hath shed; he nods his head,..

He moves,

...

But the motion comes from the bearers' tread,

As the body, borne aloft in state,

Sways with the impulse of its own dead weight.