88. ff.) adds that on the morning of the 2nd February, the whole of the
pens and inkstands, and the books, if not too numerous and bulky, are
collected, the pens or reeds cleaned, the inkstands scoured, and the books
wrapped up in new cloth, are arranged upon a platform, or a sheet, and
strewn over with flowers and blades of young barley, and that no flowers
except white are to be offered. After performing the necessary rites, {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}
all the members of the family assemble and make their prostrations; the
books, the pens, and ink having an entire holiday; and should any
emergency require a written communication on the day dedicated to the
divinity of scholarship, it is done with chalk or charcoal upon a black or
white board."

CHAMBERS'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA. _Lakshmi_.

Indra.

"The Hindu Jove or Jupiter Tonans, chief of the secondary deities. He
presides over swarga or paradise, and is more particularly the god of the
atmosphere and winds. He is also regent of the east quarter of the sky. As
chief of the deities he is called Devapati, Devadeva, Surapati, etc.; as
lord of the atmosphere Divaspati; as lord of the eight Vasus or demigods,
Fire, etc., Vasava; as breaking cities into fragments, Purandara, Puranda;
as lord of a hundred sacrifices (the performance of a hundred Asvamedhas
elevating the sacrificer to the rank of Indra) Satakratu, Satamakha; as
having a thousand eyes, Sahasraksha; as husband of Sachi, Sachipati. His
wife is called Sachi, Indrani, Sakrani, Maghoni, Indrasakti, Pulomaja, and
Paulomi. His son is Jayanta. His pleasure garden or elysium is Nandana;
his city, Amaravati; his palace, Vaijayanta; his horse, Uchchaihsravas,
his elephant, Airavata; his charioteer, Matali."

PROFESSOR M. WILLIAMS'S English-Sanskrit Dictionary. _Indra_.

Vishnu.

"The second person of the Hindu triad, and the most celebrated and popular
of all the Indian deities. He is the personification of the preserving
power, and became incarnate in nine different forms, for the preservation
of mankind in various emergencies. Before the creation of the universe,
and after its temporary annihilation, he is supposed to sleep on the
waters, floating on the serpent Sesha, and is then identified with
Narayana. Brahma, the creator, is fabled to spring at that time from a
lotus which grows from his navel, whilst thus asleep.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} His ten avatars or
incarnations are:

"1. The Matsya, or fish. In