Stvasamudram in the Cdéveri River. 307 
and as VAsuxr was offering up his devotions to Gop, the seven Tapaswis 
came to visit Gop, and being alarmed at the earnestness of VAsuxt’s 
devotions, they also addressed their prayers to Gop with great fervency of 
spirit, until Gop granted them their desire, that no man should in future 
cast his eyes upon VAsuxi until all apprehension from the serpents that 
should thereafter be generated on the island, should have ceased. Gop, 
moreover, directed VAsuxr to live under ground, and only gave him liberty 
to come out at such time as he had to perform his Péjds. VAsuxr accord- 
ingly lived in the Pdtdlaléca, and became a worshipper of RancaswAmi. 
While Gop was thus receiving Pajds from the Tapaswis and VAsuxkt, some 
Brahmadévatds and other devotees came also to visit him here daily, and 
perform their ceremonies. 
It is farther said, that the moon having been cursed by Gon’s priest upon 
some occasion, and deprived of her brightness, she prayed to 1’s’wara, and 
requested of him to allow her her full splendour; whereon he, favouring her 
with his presence, told her that she should go and make her devotions in 
the holy place called Dandakdraniam (where the seven rishis and other 
devotees were passing their time in a holy manner), and assured her that 
he would appear to her there and fulfil her wishes, by restoring her to her 
brightness. The moon. did as she was instructed, and performed her 
devotions, by which she obtained her wish. ‘This circumstance of the 
moon’s having obtained her full brightness, made a great impression on the 
hearts of all those who resorted to the island, so that they said, “ That 
whosoever worshipped I’s'wara in the name of Sémés’waraswani (or the 
lord of the moon) on that island, and would perform religious ceremonies, 
distribute alms, and perform the ¢arpanams (or ceremonies to their deceased 
relations), and feed the Brihmans, would undoubtedly obtain the remission 
of all their sins, and would also meet with every prosperity and the enjoy- 
ment of their wishes, in like manner as the moon had been restored to her 
brightness. 
It is said also, that while these /apaswis and other devotees were passing 
their time in offering their pijds in this holy place, one JamBicasura, a 
giant, and of the sect of the great RAvan’a, gave great annoyance to them, 
and they finding it a great interruption to their devotions, quitted the holy 
place and proceeded to the Goddvari, which is to the north of Danda- 
kdraniam ; but a virtuous tapaswi, one of the seven rishis, seeing this, feared 
that the removal of these tapaswts, and other devotees from the island, 
