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OF THE HINDUS.
175
on which she was severely censured by SUDÁdá, a Gopa, and confidential adviser of KRISHNA. She therefore cursed him, and doomed him to be born on earth as an Asura, and he accordingly appeared as SANKHACHÚÞA. He retaliated by a similar imprecation, in consequence of which RÁDHÁ was also obliged to quit her high station, and was born at Brindávan on earth, as the daughter of a Vaisya, named VớISHABHÁNC, by his wife KALÁVATÍ. KŘISHŇA having, at the same time, become incarnate, was married to her at Brindávan, when he was fourteen, and she was twelve years of age: as a further result of the imprecation, she was separated from him after he attained maturity, until the close of his earthly career; when she preceded him to the celestial Goloka, and was there reunited with him. The following is a further illustration of the notions of Rádiá entertained by this sect. It is the address of GANESA to her, in the Brahma Vain vartta Purána *, after she had set the example of presenting offerings to him.
"Mother of the universe, the worship thon hast offered affords a lesson to all mankind. Thou art of one formn with Brahma, and abidest on the bosom of KRISIA. Thou art the presiding goddess of his life, and more dear than life to him, on the lotus of whose feet meditate the gods Brahmú, Sica, Sesha, and the rest, and Sanaka and other mighty munis, and the chiefs of the sages, and holy men, and all the faithful. Rápis is the created left half, aud MADHAVA the right, and the great Lakshmi, the mother of the world, was made from thy left side. Thou art the
* [IV, 123.]
