THE HISTORY OP MANIKKA-VACAGAR. 101 



§ 6. The Buddhists, and His Consummation. 



After a while it seems that a restless fit seized him and he 

 passed over to Ceylon, between which and the South of 

 India there was much intercourse. The stoiy represents 

 him as able to converse with the people. It would seem 

 therefore that it was the north of Ceylon to which he went. 

 He is in the garb of an ascetic of tlie severest order. Almost 

 naked, with his rosary of Eleocarpns beads, his body smeared 

 with white ashes, a staff with little bells in one hand and a 

 skull in the other, he wanders about living upon alms, and 

 whether he stands or sits or lies down is always praising the 

 Golden Porch (Cithambaram). 



The Buddhists carry the tidings to the king, Avho sends 

 for him. At first he refuses to go, saying " What have I, a 

 mendicant, to do with kings?" At length, however, he 

 stands before the king, and is confronted Vv'ith the Buddhist 

 guru, who is armed with the three Pidakas of his laAv, and is 

 as accomplished an ascetic as the (^aivitn himself. " What 

 is this Golden Porch ? " they ask. " The sacred shrine 

 where Civa dances and where the (^ora king ever worships." 

 It may be mentioned here that the curious legends of 

 ^ithambaram are summed up in the " KSj^il Puranam," of 

 IFmapathi. (NoTE VI.) The result is that the Buddhist 

 guru in insulting language announces his intention to visit 

 the vaunted shrine, and tear the god from his throne. 



The scene changes somewhat abruptly to Tillai or Githam- 

 haram. The Buddhist guru, with his company of devotees, 

 has come to Cithambaram and encamped within the temple 

 enclosure. The king of Irani (Ceylon) ^vith his court has 

 also arrived, and with him a daughter who is dumb. The 

 kings exchange courtesies, the king of Ceylon bringing 

 tribute to the Cora king as his feudal lord. 



§ 7. The Sage and the Ceylon Buddhists. 



It would almost seem as if there were in this legend a 

 reminiscence of some great expedition of the king of Ceylon 

 with the double intention of conquering the country and 

 establishing Buddhism on the continent. The arrival of these 

 strangers threw all (^'ithambaram hito confusion. The 3,000 

 devotees of the temple wished to expel the intruders by 

 violence, but the God himself appears to them in a dream, 

 and orders them to send for Manikka-Va^agar, who in his 



