124 KEY, G. U. POPE, D.D., ON 



of a huge banian tree. Falling ou his face, he worshipped ; and at once 

 devoted himself to its service, crowning it with flowers, bathing it with 

 water from a sacred pool hard by, and fulfilling all the usual observances. 

 He then went onward a little distance towards the east, and there, under 

 a fragrant tree on the borders of a beautiful tank, established for 

 himself a second lingam as his own especial shrine, and built a hermitage 

 of leaves and grass hard by. Thenceforward he divided his services 

 between the two sacred sjjots, which are still revered in the neighbour- 

 hood of the great temple. And now, being alone, he found it difficult to 

 accomplish his daily task according to his mind ; for he wished to gather 

 not onl}' flowers from the tanks, and from the fields, and from shrubs, 

 but also, and chiefly, those that grew on the lofty trees, which were 

 sweetest of odour and richest of hue ; yet, however early he went fortli 

 in the morning, before he had gathered the last of his flowers, the first 

 had withered under the fierce sun's x'ays ; nor coixld he, while laboriously 

 and slowly climbing the lofty trees in the early hours, see rightly to select 

 perfect flowers. His flower-worship was tlierefore defective and unsatis- 

 factory. In an ecstasy of passionate prayer, he besought the assistance of 

 the god, who appeared in answer to his loving invocation, and promised 

 him whatever boon he sought. The grace he asked was, that his feet and 

 hands raiglit become those of a tiger, armed with strong claws and 

 furnished with eyes, so that he might rapidly climb the highest trees, and 

 see clearly to select the fittest flowers for the divine worship. This boon 

 was granted him, and so he takes his place among the great devotees of 

 (jiva as the ' Tiger-footed ' and ' Six-eyed,' and a part of the neighbour- 

 hood derives its name from this circumstance, and is called Tiru-puli-ur 

 (' Sacred Tiger-town '). 



II. Some time afterwards he was joined by another devotee, whose form 

 is that of a serpent. The history of this mysterious personage is closely 

 connected with the mystic dance of Civa. This great leader of Civa's 

 hosts is a form of the Athi-ceshan, or thousand-headed serpent, on which 

 Vishnu slept on the ocean of milk through long periods. The wild story 

 relates that Vishnu one day arose from his slumber and repau^ed to 

 Kailiigam, there to worship the supreme (^iva, who told him that in the 

 neighbouring forest of Devataru there were multitudes of heretical Rishis 

 or devotees, dwelling with their wives in huts of leaves. These seem in 

 some way to have been rebels against his authority ; in fact, a commentator 

 calls them the followers of the Mlman9ai, who, puffed up with pride of 

 learning, regard themselves as independent of Civa's autnority. (The 

 whole history points to some great conflict between Vedantists and 



