66 ORIGIN AND DECLINE OF THE 



the Peninsula: they have still in great veneration, a 

 cer.ain Sibyl of divine origin, most pious, and good, 

 called 'Avya'r; and who lived in tlie ninth century. 

 A translation of some of her moral sentences, is in- 

 serted in the seventh vol. of the Asiatic Ref^earchcs. 

 It seems she was conversant with the Christians of 

 that country ; for among her proverbs, there are some, 

 that are far from being in ihe usual style ot the 

 Hindus. 



The descendants, or followers, of Sa'lava'hana 

 are mentioned m the commentary upon the Calpa- 

 druma. In religious matters, and particularly in the 

 east, they generally call the followers of any reformer, 

 or legislator, his descendants. In the above com- 

 mentary 'Sa'lava'hana is declared to be a Jciina^ 

 meaning, either a follower, or a form of Jina. He is 

 called there also, a Srdvaca, or 'Sdvaca ; that is to 

 say a Peisk-cdra. In the western parts of India, as 

 in Gurjar'dt, they call all tradesmen, banyans, &c. ^Sd- 

 wacas, or 'Sdbacas. The famous Calica'cha'rya is 

 supposed to have visited Sa'lava'hana, at Pratish- 

 tdnam the Dek/iin ; and, according to the above com- 

 mentary, he was born 993 years after the ascension of 

 Jina, or 43 years B.C. He travelled all over the 

 Peninsula, teaching, and explaining the doctrine of 

 JINA ; and particularly among the 'Sdbacas. He is 

 supposed to have taught Sa'lava'h ana some pecu- 

 liar rites, to be observed at the full, and new moon ; 

 which, he promised, he would enjoin his descendants, 

 or followers to observe. The posterity of a 'aS^^^c^, 

 or Peish-cdra, particularly in India, were necessarily 

 Peish-cdras, and 'Sdbacas. A patronymic denomina- 

 tion was also given to them; for they are called '5"^/- 

 was, Sdlavas, and Sdlbas in the Cumdrica-chanda, an- 

 swering to the Arabic expression, of Ashab-al-Sdlib, 



