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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[SEPTEMBER, 1890.
A curious story is told by some old persons of the neighbourhood in connection with the image, that the Blessed Virgin Mary was born of Hindu parents, and had six sisters, Sitlådêvi, Santhai, Parbadovi, Mahalakshmi, Morbådévf, and another whose name they do not remeinber; and it is believed, that when the novenas commence, the Blessed Virgin is in the habit of taking a boat and visiting her sisters, inviting them to the feast.
There are places called after the names of the Virgin's sisters":- Sitlâdevi is at Andhêri, in Salsetto; Santhaf, at Kantêvarf in Bandra; Parbådôvi at Mahim, where a fair is held annually, and where there is also a temple to her; and Mahalakshmi, at Bombay, where too is a temple.
These are all on the sea-side; so also is the chapel of the Virgin Mary. Můmbadovi is in Bombay, not very far from the sea-side. The sixth I cannot trace exactly.
No one in Salsette can give me the origin of the story. Can any of your readers enlighten me on the subject All that has been told he is that Mary joined the Christian faith, but my informants cannot give me her heuthen name. Till very recently the fishermen and other Christians of Salsette were deeply immersed in Hindu superstitions, and to this, perhaps, may safely be attributed the notion of the legend of Mary and her sisters. Bandra.
GEO. FR. D'PENHA.
BOOK-NOTICES. GIORNALE DELLA SOCIETA ASIATICA ITALIANA. Vol. III. Buddha, he lays before it the first course of 1889. Rome.
another sumptuous feast, in the volume which The volumes issued by this new Society are forms the subject of the present note. The dish rapidly increasing in importance, and merit the may, to some, appear to be rather a heavy one, for attention of all Orientalists.
it is cram-full of facts, and abounds in theories That before us opens with an interesting article founded on these facts, but to greedy students like on the inspiration received by Dante, when the present writer it forms in itself a welcome re. writing his Purgatorio, from works about India. past to which he eagerly invites his friends. It This is by Prof. de Gubernatis, and is followed cannot be denied that there is much in this volume by an article on Persian Poetry before Firdusi
which will and must form the subject of controby Prof. Pizzi, and then by an important one, the versy, but even his opponents must admit that Dr. Aryachhalaguhyadharanisutra and its bear- Oldenberg has advanced no theory for which he ing on the Northern Buddhism.
has not found at least some grounds of justification, Another interesting article is on the Jain tale
and that his facts are marshalled with a comof the king Pâpabuddhi and his minister Dhar. |
pleteness and with a clearness which must satisfy mabuddhi, of which the text is given with a
his severest critic. translation. The text is from an unedited MS. Prof. Ludwig's great annotated translation was discovered by Mr. Bendall, and now in the British
finished in the year 1888, and the coping-stone Museum Library under the title of "Papabud.
was thus laid on one portion of Vedic exegesis. dhi-Dharmabuddhi-Kathanakan.
Much has also been done towards Vedic LexicoUnder the title of "some Italian words said to logy and Grammar. But hitherto no deliberately be of oriental origin," the reference to Arabio planned attempt has been made to build up a originals of a good many Italian words is text of the Rig Veda, presenting, so far as in discussed.
the power of the builder lies, the original form Dr. Baug, who has already given his notions to
which ench hymn bore when it was originally com. the world on the great Inscription of Behistan,
posed. This is the task which Prof. Oldenberg in the Journal of the German Oriental Society,
has set himself, and it is fitting that the first and in the Babylonian and Oriental Record, volume of his work appears in the same year as gives the text with a rendering of Col. IV. that which is signalised by the conclusion of Prof. $ & i. - xvii.
Ludwig's translation. DIE HYMNEN DES RIGVEDA, herausgegeben von FER
This first volume consists entirely of proleMANN OLDENBERO. Band I. Metrische und textgeschicht gomena, in which the author discrisses, the liche Prolegomena. Berlin, Wilhelm Herts. 1888. problems set before him. He first deals with the
Prof. Oldenberg is not an idle man. Almost question of motre (pp. 1-190), and the indications before the world has had time to digest his which that furnishes towards a critical restoration
• I am open to correction as to the actual connection of the story with this imago, but I believe I am stating what is the fact.
