ORIENTAL SERIES.

54
BHISHMAKABHRIGU*
wounded, but he had obtained the power of fixing the period
of his death, so he survived fifty-eight days, and delivered
several long didactic discourses. Bhishma exhibited throughout
his life a self-denial, devotion, and fidelity which remained
unsullied to the last. He is also known by the appellation
banner.' See Maha-
palm
Tarparaechchhu, and as Tala-ketu, (
bharata.
BHISHMAKA. i. An appellation of iva. 2. King of
Vidarbha, father of Kukmin and of Knslma.
Kukmini, the chief wife of
BHOGAVATL < The voluptuous.' The subterranean capital
of the Nagas in the Naga-loka portion of Patala, Another name
is Put-karL
BHOJA. A name borne by many kings. Host conspicuous
among them was Bhoja or Bhoja-deva, king of Dhar, who is said
to have been a great patron of literature, and probably died
before 1082 A.D. 2. A prince of the Yadava race who reigned
at Mnttikavati on the Parwasa river in Malwa; he is called
also Maha-bhoja. 3. A tribe living in the Vindhya mountains.
4. A country ; the modern Bhojpur, Bhagalpur, &c.
BHOJA-PBABANDHA. A collection of literary anecdotes
relating to King Bhoja of Dhar, written by Ballala. The text
has been lithographed by Pavie.
BILK/GIL A Vedic sage. He is one of the Prajapatis and
great .Z&shis, and is regarded as the founder of the race of the
Bhrigus or Bhargavas, in which was born Jamad-agni and Parasu
Kama. Manu calls him son, and says that he confides to him
liis Institutes. According to the Maha-bharata he officiated afc
Daksha's celebrated sacrifice, and had his beard pulled out by
$iva. The same authority also tells the following story : It is
related of Bhngu that he rescued the sage Agastya from the
tyranny of King Nahusha, who had obtained superhuman
power. Bhngu crept into Agastya's hair to avoid the potent
glance of Nahusha, and when that tyrant attached Agastya to
his chariot and kicked him on the head to make him move,
Bhngu cursed Nahusha, and he was turned into a serpent.
Bhngu, on Kahusha's supplication, limited the duration of his
curse.
In the Padma Purana it is related that the jK^shis, assembled
at a sacrifice, disputed as to which deity was best entitled to the