1838.] Record of the time of Car i Cala Cholan. 877 



sides ran away to avoid him, besides which he sloughed his skin, in the 

 same way as a serpent changes his skin annually. His companions 

 seeing these things consulted together, and in consequence Cachi Viran 

 gave instructions to his wife Camachi to assume the guise and appear- 

 ance of a Curava woman, of the description practising palmistry. She 

 accordingly came into the town in that guise, when the three confe- 

 derates had her called, and first submitting their own palms, brought 

 Vira Cholan to submit to the like process. The fortune-teller said 

 that he had killed Salivahana, of such and such a race, and must ex- 

 piate the crime by building a great number of fanes to Siva, to Vishnu 

 to Subrahmanya, dwellings for ascetics, and dwellings for Brahmans; 

 and to enforce the duty a long narration is given of distinguished per- 

 sonages in former ages, who had expiated like crimes, by building an 

 immense number of such structures. At the mere hearing of the duty, 

 Vira Cholan found his malady alleviated, and the doing accordingly 

 was determined upon. The Curatti (or fortune-teller) went away and 

 resumed his proper form as Camachi. The kings inspected the forti- 

 fication of Trichinopoly which they found only fit for a rakshasa ; but 

 extended it so as to be fit for a regular Hindu sovereign. They then re- 

 turned to Conjeveram where by their desire Cachi Viran, read to 

 them the writings on palm-leaves, his copy of the before mentioned 

 copper-plate inscriptions ; and, according to the appointment therein 

 stated by Rama, the division of castes and tribes was restored. A great 

 number of sacred edifices of the five kinds were built. The three kings 

 then separated to their respective dominions. From Ularacheran there 

 were 26 kings down to Chengara natha cheran. From Vajranga there 

 were 26 Pandiyans down to Choka natha. From Vira Cholan down 

 to Uttama Cholan there were 25 Cholans. The son of Uttama Cho- 

 lan was Uriyur Cholan, with the account of whom a new section is 

 made to begin. 



The ancient record of the time o/*Cari Cala Cholan. 

 After the death of Uttama Cholan the crown devolved on Uriyur 

 Cholan in the year of the Cali Yaga 3535*. This was corresponding 

 with the death of Choka Nathe Pandiyan of the southern Madura. 

 The son of this last, Miwatchi Savuntira Pandiyan, was crowned C. 

 Y. 3537. In the Conga Dharapuram the death of Chankara Natha 

 Cheran was contemporaneous. His son named Cherumal Perumal 

 was crowned C. Y. 3533. In the town of Canchi (Conjeveram) Sac- 



* This date is irreconcilable with the epoch above assumed — the innovation 

 — viz., the astronomical fixation of the Kali yuga, as the zero of the planetary 

 revolutions, must therefore have taken place before it was written. — Ed. 



