92                         ALBERUNTS INDIA.

fix the ascendens on the remainder.    When, then, the
sun enters the degree of the ascendens, that is the time
of its setting."
On the            The book Samhitd mentions certain sacrifices and

practised at ccremonies which are practised at the heliacal risings
risingofcer- of various stars.    We shall now record them, translat¬
ing also that which is rather chaff than wheat, since we
have made it obligatory on ourselves to give the quota¬
tions from the books of the Hindus complete and exactly
as they are.
Quotation        Varahamihira says : " When in the beginning the sun
hTmihira^s   had riseu, and in his revolution had come to stand in the
xii™pref'ace', zcuith of the towcring mountain Vindhya, the latter
i-i8^on      would not recognise his exalted,position, and, actuated
AgastyfTand by  haughtiucss, ,moved  towards  him  to  hinder  his
tohim!"^°^ march and to prevent his chariot from passing above
it.     The  Vindhya  rose   even  to  the  neighbourhood
of Paradise and the dwellings of the Vidyadharas, the
spiritual beings.    Now the latter hastened to it because
it was pleasant and its gardens and meadows were
lovely, and dwelt there in joy ; their wives going to
and fro, and their children playing with each other.
When the wind blew against the white garments of
their daughters, they flew like waving banners.

In its ravines the wild animals and the lions ap¬
pear as dark black, in consequence of the multitude
of the animals called bhrctmctrct, which cling to them,
liking the dirt of their bodies when they rub each other
Page 248. with the soiled claws. When they attack the rutting
elephants, the latter become raving. The monkeys and
bears are seen climbing up to the horns of Vindhya
and to its lofty peaks; as if by instinct, they took the
direction towards heaven. The anchorites are seen at
its water-places, satisfied with nourishing themselves
by its fruits. The further glorious things of the Vin¬
dhya are innumerable.

When, now, Agastya, the son of Varuna (i.e. Suhail,