ORIENTAL SERIES.

S&RYASURYA-KANTA. 311
of Yiswa-karraa, and by her lie liad three children, the Mann
Yaivaswata, Yama, and the goddess Yaml, or the Yamuna
river. His effulgence was so overpowering that his wife gave
him Chhaya (shade) for a handmaid, and retired into the forest
to devote herself to religion. Wliile thus engaged, and in the
form of a mare, the sun saw her and approached her in the form
of a horse. Hence sprang the two Aswins and Eevanta. Surya
brought back his wife Sanjna to his home, and her father, the
sage Yiswa-karma, placed the luminary on his lathe and cut
away an eighth of his effulgence, trimming him in every part
except the feet. The fragments that were cut off fell blazing to
the earth, and from them Yiswa-karma formed the discus of
Yishftu, the trident of $iva, the weapon of Kuvera, the lance of
Karttikeya, and the weapons of the other gods. According to
the Maha-bharata, Kama was his illegitimate son by Kuntt He
is also fabled to be the father of Sani and the monkey chief Sugriva.
The Manu Yaivaswata was father of Ikshwaku, and from
him, the grandson of the sun, the Surya-vansa, or Solar race of
kings, draws its origin. In the form of a horse Surya communicated
the White Yajur-veda to Yajnawalkya, and it was he
who bestowed on Satrajit the Syamantaka gem. A set of terrific
Eakshasas called Mandehas made an attack upon him and sought
to devour him, but were dispersed by his light. According to
the Yislwu Purafta he was seen by Sattrajita in "his proper
form," " of dwarfish stature, with a body like burnished copper,
and with slightly reddish eyes." Surya is represented in a chariot
drawn by seven horses, or a horse with seven heads, surrounded
with rays. His charioteer is Anwa or Yivaswat, and his city
Yivaswati or BhaswatL There are temples of the sun, and he
receives worship. The names and epithets of the sun are number-
'
'
less. He is Savitn, the nourisher ; Yivaswat, c
'
the brilliant ;
Bhaskara, *
J
light-maker ; Dina-kara, *
*
day-maker ;
Arha-pati,
'lord of day;' Loka-chakshuh, 'eye of the world;' Karma-
sakshi, '
'
witness of the deeds (of men) ; Graha-raja, '
king of
'
the constellations ; Gabhastiman, '
possessed of '
rays Sahasra-
;
kirana, *
having a thousand '
rays ; Yikarttana, *
shorn, of Ms
beams' (byYiswa-karma); MartaTz^a, *
descended from Mritanda,'
&c. Surya's wives are called Savarna, Swati, and MahirVirya,
StJBYA-KAFTA. 'The sun-gem' A crystal supposed to
be formed of condensed rays of the sun, and though cool to the