Other legends told of him are innumerable. At the age of seven, the legends relate that he up lifted on the tip of his little finger the mountain Govardhan, the Hindu Parnassus, to shelter the Gopa and Gopi from the wrath of Indra, the Jupiter Pluvius of the Hindu pantheon, who, enraged with jealousy at the diminution of his votaries and sacrifices, consequent to the adoration of Krishna, attempted to destroy them by a partial deluge. This story is represented in the Matsya Purana, whence Sir W. Jones has thus poetically introduced it in his hymn to Indra. The bard ` Warbling in a softer mode, Sang the red lightning, hail, and whelming rain O'er Gokal green, and Vraja's nymph-lov'd plain, By Indra hurl'd, whose altars ne'er had glow'd Since infant Krishna rul'd the rustic train Now thrill'd with terror. Them, the heavenly child Call'd, and with looks ambrosial smil'd : Then, with one finger rear'd the vast Govardhan, Beneath whose rocky burden, On pastures dry, maids and herdsmen trod : The lord of thunder felt a mightier god.' In pictures of this miracle, Krishna is always represented as a man, attended by his favourite mistress Radha, and sometimes by a multitude of shepherds and shepherdesses ; the former with poles, steadying the uplifted sheltering mountain, it shower of rain and fire falling vainly on its summit. Krishna and his Gopi are also repre sented as well in their characters of Apollo and the Muses, as in those of the sun and tho planets in harmonious movements round him ; and this picture formerly adduced in support of the idea that the Hindus had a knowledge of the true solar system, a point that no longer requires proof. The colour of this deity is azure, and several animals and vegetables of a black or blue colour are sacred. The metamorphosis of his fleet nymph into the lovely shrub, the tulsi or black ochnin, is related in a style perfectly Ovidian in the Puranas. Tulsi forms a pretty feminine appellation to this day ; and, among the women of Hindustan, the beautiful, warlike, and amorous Krishna is a most popular deity. Nareda, the mythological offspring of Saraswati, patroness of music, was famed for his talents in that science ; so great were they, that he became presumptuous, and, emulating the divine strains of Krishna, he was punished by having his vina placed in the paws of a bear, whence it emitted sounds far sweeter than the minstrelsy of the mortified musician. In a picture of this joke, Krishna is forcing his reluctant friend to attend to his rough-visaged rival, who is ridiculously touching the chords of poor Nareda's vina, accom panied by a brother bruin on the cymbals. The loves of Krishna and Radha, which, in the writings and conversation of the Hindus, are as constantly adverted to as those of Laila and Majnun by Muhammada.ns, are said to mean, in their em blematical theology, the reciprocal attraction between the divine goodness and the human soul. They are told at large in the tenth book of the Bhagavat, and are the subject of the beautiful pastoral drama, entitled Gita Govinda, by Jaya deva. This poet, in describing one of the events of Krishna's life in his amours with Radha, ex claims, Let him, then, if his soul be sensible to the raptures of love, listen to the voice of Jayadeva, whose notes are both sweet and brilliant.' Bring home the wanderer (Krishna) to my rustic man sion, spoke the fortunate herdsman Nanda to the lovely Radha. The firmament is obscured by clouds, the woodlands are black with tamala trees ; that youth who roves in the forest will be fear ful in the gloom of night. Go, my daughter, bring the wanderer home. Radha sought him long in vain. She roved among the twining vasanti covered with soft blossoms, when a damsel, to whom his wanderings were known, pointing out the infidelity of her lover, thus addressed her : 'The gale that has wantoned round that beautiful clove plant, breathes now from the hills of Malaya. The full-blown cesara gleams like the sceptre of the world's monarch, love, and the pointed thyrsc of the cetaca resembles the darts by which lovers are wounded. See the bunches of patali flowers filled with bees, like the quiver of Stnara full of shafts, while the amrita tree, with blooming tresses, is embraced by the gay creeper atimucta, and the blue streams of the Yamuna wind round the groves of Vrindhavan. A breeze, like the breath of love from the fragrant flowers of the cetaca, kindles every heart, while it perfumes the woods with the dust which it shakes from the mallica with half-open buds ; and the cocila bursts into song, when he sees the blossoms glistening on the lovely rasala. lu this charming season of
youth, Hari (Krishna) dances with a company of damsels.' The jealous Radha, however, gave no answer ; when her amiable friend pointed out Krishna, with a garland of wild flowers descending even to the yellow mantle that girds his azure limbs, distinguished by smiling cheeks, enjoying the rapturous embraces of his fair companions. One presses him to her swelling bosom ; another meditates on the lotus of his face ; a third points to a vanjula bower. He caresses one, kisses another, and smiles on a third ; while a fourth, under the pretext of hymning his divine per fections, whispers in his ear, Thy lips, my beloved, are nectar.' Radha remained in the forest lament ing to a confidant the wanderings of her faithless swain. I saw him,' she exclaimed, in the grove with happier damsels, yet the sight of him delighted me. Soft is the gale that breathes over yon clear pool and expands the clustering blossoms of the voluble asoca, soft, yet grievous to me, in the absence of the foe of Madhu. Delightful arc the flowers of the amru trees on the mountain top, while the murmuring bees pursue their voluptuous toil ; delightful, yet afflicting to me, 0 friend ! in the absence of the youthful Kesava.' The festival of Huli, more classically called Hulica, otherwise Phalgutsava, meaning the festival of Phalguna, as occurring in the month of that name, commences about the full moon, at the approach of the vernal equinox. It is one of the greatest festivals among the Hindus, and almost all sects seem to partake in its festivities, and all ranks, from kings downward, appear animated by the season, which is peculiarly dedicated to Krishna. Images of this deity are then carried about in palanquins, and on elephants, horses, etc. attended by music and singing, and various antics People of condition receive numerous visitors, who are entertained with dancing girls, music, singing, betel, and rose-water. Au annual festival to celebrate the birth of this god is held in the month Bhadra. On this day his worshippers fast ; but, on the conclusion of the worship, indulge themselves in music, dancing, singing, and various other festivities. In the month Shmvmm, another festival is held in honour of him, which lasts from three to five days, during which the same festiv ities prevail, to which is added the ceremony of swinging the image of the god in a chair sus pended from the ceiling. In the month Kartika, a third festival takes place, to celebrate his revels among the Gopi ; and in the month Phalguna is also held tho celebrated festival of the dclu, the ceremonies of which last fifteen days, and arc accompanied with great splendour and festivity. During these holidays the Hindus spend the night in singing and dancing, and wandering about the streets, besmeared with the (loin (a red) powder, in the daytime carrying a quantity of the same powder about with them, which, with much noise and rejoicing, they throw over the different passengers they may meet in their rambles. Music, dancing, fireworks, singing, and many obscenities, take place on this occasion.
The stories relating to Radha are familiar to every Hindu, being incorporated into their popular songs, and the image of Radha is placed near that of Krishna in many of the temples. Kaniya is the Saint Nicholas, of the Hindu navigator, as was Apollo to the Grecian and Celtic sailors, who purchased the charmed arrows of the god to calm the troubled sea. As the destroyer of Kalinag, the black serpent,' which infested the waters of the Yamuna, Kaniya has the character of the Pythic Apollo. He is represented dragging the monster from the black stream,' and bruising him with his foot. He had, however, many battles with his hydra foe ere he vanquished him, and he was once driven by Kal-yamun from Vrij to Dwaraka, whence his title of Rinchor. In this myth we have the old allegory of the schismatic wars of the Buddhists and Vaishnava. Diodorus informs us that Kan was one of the titles of the Egyptian Apollo as the sun ; and this is the common contraction for Kaniya, whose colour is a dark cerulean blue (nila) ; and hence his name Nila-nath, who. like the Apollo of the Nile, is depicted with the human form and eagle head, with a lotus iu his hand.— TVh. Hist. of India p. 68 ; Tr. of a Hindu; Elphinstone's Hist. of India ; Tod's Travels ; Tod's Rajasthan ; Moor's Pantheon; Cole. Myth. Hind. ; Ward's Hindoos ; Barth ; Cun ningham; Dowson ; Garrett; Weber.