ghetrouwigheyt, dat sy met hem na Dewendrelocon (dat is een der platsen
der gelucksaligheyt) gaen soude. Ende ghelijck den Bramine seyde, ist
alsoo gheschiet."[89]

It will be seen that Goethe has changed the story considerably and for
the better. How infinitely nobler is his idea of uniting the maiden with
her divine lover on the flaming pyre from which both ascend to heaven!
It may also be observed that Goethe substitutes Mahādēva, i.e. Śiva, for
Dewendre[90] and assigns to him an incarnation, though such incarnations
are known only of Viṣṇu.

* * * * *

The "Paria," a trilogy consisting of "Gebet," "Legende" and "Dank des
Paria," was begun in 1816, but not finished until December, 1821. Even
then it was not quite complete. The appearance of Delavigne's _Le Paria_
and still more of Michael Beer's drama of the same name, spurred Goethe
to a final effort and the poem was published in October, 1823.

The direct source is the legend which Sonnerat tells of the origin of
the Paria-goddess Mariatale.[91] Indirectly, however, the sources are
found in Sanskrit literature. Two parts may be distinguished: The story
of the temptation and punishment, and the story of the interchange of
heads.[92] The former story is that of the ascetic Jamadagni and his
wife Rēṇukā, who was slain by her son Rāma at the command of the ascetic
himself, in punishment for her yielding to an impure desire on beholding
the prince Citraratha. Subsequently at the intercession of Rāma she is
again restored to life through Jamadagni's supernatural power. The story
is in _Mahābhārata_ iii. c. 116 seq.[93] and also in the _Bhāgavata
Purāṇa_, Bk. ix. c. 16,[94] though here the harshness of the original