ORIENTAL SERIES.

io6 GANDHARVAGANESA.
are singers and musicians who attend the banquets of the gods.
The Purar&as give contradictory accounts of the origin of the
Gandharvas. The Yishwi Puraraa says, in one place, that they
were horn from Brahma, " imbibing melody. Drinking of the
goddess of speech (gam dhayantaK), they were born, and thence
their appellation." Later on it says that they were the offspring
of Kasyapa and his wife Arish^a. The Hari-vansa states that
they sprang from Brahma's nose, and also that they were descended
from Muni, another of Kasyapa's wives. Chitra-ratha
was chief of the Gandharvas ; and the Apsarases were their
wives or mistresses. The " cities of the Gandharvas " are often
referred to as being very splendid. The Vishnu Purana has a
legend of the Gandharvas righting with the JSTagas in the infernal
regions, whose dominions they seized and whose treasures
they plundered. The Mga chiefs appealed to Vishnu for relief,
and he promised to appear in the person of Purukutsa to help them.
Thereupon the Nagas sent their sister Narmada (the Nerbudda
river) to this Purukutsa, and she conducted him to the regions
below, where he destroyed the Gandharvas. They are sometimes
called Gatus and Pulakas. In the Maha-bharata, apparently, a
race of people dwelling in the hills and wilds is so called
GANDHAKVA-LOKA, See Loka.
GANDELARVA-VEDA The science of music and song,
which is considered to include the drama and dancing. It is
an appendix of the Sama-veda, and its invention is ascribed to
the Muni Bharata,
GANDINX i. Daughter of Kasi-raja ; she had been twelve
years in her mother's womb when her father desired her to
come fortL The child told her father to present to the Brahmans
a cow every day for three years, and at the end of that time she
would be born. This was done, and the child, on being born,
received the name of Gandini, 'cow daily.' She continued the
gift as long as she lived. She was wife of Swa-phalka and
mother of Akrura. 2. The Ganga or Ganges.
GAA^DlVA. The bow of Arjuna, said to have been given by
Soma to Varurca, by Varuna to Agni, and by Agni to Arjuna.
GA^ESA (Gana + Xsa), GAtfA-PATL Lord of the GaTzas
or troops of inferior deities, especially those attendant upon
Siva. Son of $iva and Parvatl, or of Parvati only. One
legend represents that he sprang from the scuif of Parvatl's