PATALA
'o2
PATARA
upon tho ground as helpless as a child. At length, one after another, the whole party perished from star- vation. Several entries in captain Gardiner's jour- nal, wliich was recovered, witness to the personal pi- ety and singular devotedness of the little hand of suf- ferers. One of the catecliists, Mr. Richard Williams, was a Wesleyan local preacher and a man of remark- able zeal and devotedness to God. He went out as surgeon to the mission, and Dr. James Hamilton pub- lished a beautiful memorial of Iiis sufferings and death. Thus mournfully ended the Patagonian mission ; and thus also ended the remarkable career of captain Gar- diner. After the death of this good man and his companions, the friends of tlie Patjgoiiian mission re- organized the society as "the South American Mis- sionary Society," and stations were established at Keppel Island (one of the Falkland Isles), Patagones, Lota, Callao, and Panama, and laborers sent to those places. Laborers were also sent to the Chincha Isl- ands. This society is now in successful operation, and hopes are entertained for good results from its fields. At first the Pat igonians were reached indi- rectly. Natives were induced to go over to Keppel Island, and there taught. Graduall}' the influence of the civilized natives made its way, until now a station is maintained on Navarin Island. The mis- sionaries minister not only to the Patagonians, but also to the European Protestants and the Roman Cath- olics. See Grundemann, Missions- A lias, No. 9, pt. iv ; Brown, Hist, of Missions, iii, 458 sq. ; Missionary WorlJ, p. 115 sq. ; Wappaeus, Patagonia, geogrnjMsch u. sla- iistisch (Leips. 1871, 4to) ; Littell, Licing Age, June 19, 1852, art. iv.
Patala (from pat, "fall"), is, in Hindu mythol- ogy, the name of those inferior regions which have seven, or, according to some, eight divisions, each ex- tending downwards ten thousand yojanas, or miles. The soil of these regions, as the Vishnu-Purdna re- lates, is severally white, black, purple, j'ellow, sandj', stony, and of gold ; they are embellished with mag- nificent palaces, in which dwell numerous Danavas, Daityas, Yakshas, and great snake -gods, decorated with lirilliant jewels, and happy in the enjoyment of delicious viands and strong wines. There are in these regions beautiful groves and streams and lakes, where the lotus blows, and the skies are resonant with the kokila's songs. They are, in short, so delightful that the saint Narada, after his return from them to heav- en, declared among the celestials that Patala was much more delightful than Indra's heaven. Prof. Wilson, in his Vishnu-Purdna, sa3's " that there is no ver}' co- pious description of Patala in any of the Purdnas ; that tlie most circumstantial are those of the I'dgu and Bhlgavata Purdnas; and that the Mahahhdrat i and these two Purdnas assign different divisions to the Danavas, Daityas, and Nagas. . . . The regions of the Patala and their inha'ntants are oftener the sub- jects of profane than of sacred fiction, in consequence of the frequent intercourse between mortal heroes and the serpent -maids. A considerable section of the Vrlhnt-Kathd consists of adventures and events in this subterraneous world" (Chambers, s. v.). For infe- rior regions of a different description, see Naraka.
Patanjali is the name of two celebrated authors of ancient India, who are general!}' looked upon as the same personage, but a])parently for no other rea- son than that the}' bear the same name. The one is the author of the sj'stem of philosophy called Yoga (q. v.), the other the great critic of Katyayana (q. v.) and Panini (q. v.). Of the former, nothing is known beyond his work — for which see tlie article Yoga. The few historical facts relating to the latter, as at present ascertained, may be gatiiered from his great work, the Malia'jkdshi/a, or "the groat commentary." The name of his mother was Gonika; his birthplace was Gonarda, situated in the east of India, and he re-
sided temporarily in Cashmere, where his work was especiall}' patronized. From circumstantial evidence. Prof. Goldstlicker has, moreover, proved that he wrote between B.C. 140 and 120 (^I'dnini, his Place in San- scrit Literature, p. 235 sq.). The Mahabhdshga of Patanjali is not a full commentary on Panini, but, with a few exceptions, only a commentar}' on the A'artikas, or critical remarks of Katyayana on Pani- ni. "Its method is analogous to that of other classi- cal commentaries : it establishes, usually by repetition, the correct reading of the text, in explaining ever}' important or doubtful word, in showing the connec- tion of the pvincipal parts of the sentence, and in add- ing such observations as may be required for a better understanding of the author. But frequently Patan- jali also attaches his own critical remarks to the emen- dations of Katyayana, often in support of the views of the latter, but not seldom, too, in order to refute his criticisms, and to defend Panini ; while again, at other times, he completes the statement of one of them by his own additional rules." I'atanjali being the third of the grammatical triad of India [see Panini], and his work, therefore, having the advantage of profiting by the scholarship of his predecessors, he is looked upon as a paramount authority in all matters relating to classical Sanscrit grammar ; and very justly so, for, as to learning, ingenuity, and conscientiousness, there is no grammatical author of India who can be held superior to him. The Muhabhdshya has been com- mented upon by Kaiyyata, in a work called the Bhd- sfiga-Pradipa ; and the latter has been annotated by Nagojibhatta, in a work called the Bhdshya-Pradipo- di/ota. So much of these three latter works as relates to the first chapter of the first book of Panini, togeth- er with the Vartikas connected with them, has been edited at Mirzapore (185C) by the late Dr. J. R. Bal- lantyne, who also gave a valuable literal translation of the first forty pages of the text. — Chambers, s. v.