52 ORIGIN AND DECLINE OF THE 



no mention made of his wars with ^Sa'liva hana, 

 for a very obvious reason, though in the latter part 

 the stor^r is somewhat misrepresented. 



Let us now consider Sama-Sila or >Sa'la-va'ha- 

 na, an incarnation of the great Tacshaca, in the hum- 

 ble cottage of a pot-maker in the skirts of 'Saileyam, 

 or the consecrated 9ity, as related above.* 



Though without teachers in that hun-ible station, 

 he surpassed all the learned in knowledge and wis- 

 dom ; and I have already mentioned the famous will, 

 which puzzled all the princes and learned men of the 

 country, till a solution of the mystery w^as given by 

 'Sa'liva'hana, w^ho was then in the fifth jear oi'his 

 age.t 



There is a curious account of Sa'livahana, and 

 of his crucifixion, in the Rqja Tarangint, or history 

 of Casjiiir. Tliere we read, that 145 years after the 

 accession of Vicrama'ditya to the throne, there 

 appeared King 'Aryya, who was before prime mi- 

 nister of King Jaya-Indua, and whose name signifies 

 the lord of victory, or of victorious hosts. It was 

 decreed, that he should be wretched, and persecuted 

 >d\l his life time, and ultimately that he should die 

 upon a cross ; that he would be brought to life again, 

 through the assistance o^ a Phan'i-Canifd, or damsel of 

 the Serpentine tribe; and then would become a great 

 and powerful monarch. The King, having been circum- 

 vented by his enemies, threw into a loathsome dun- 



Page 39. 



As. Res. vol. ix. p. 1:28. 



