1838.J Record of the time of Cari Cala Cho Ian. 381 



Vasanta Rayer is mentioned as a new incarnation of Vikramaditya. 

 Up to that period the alleged prophecy is history, in the main feature 

 of Muhammadan rule and violence. And to the best of my judgment, 

 arising from the study of similar documents, I conceive the author to 

 have lived and written sometime in the 1 5th century, probably towards 

 its close. Thenceforward he manifests ignorance : availing himself of 

 some Pauranic annunciations as to the three Vikramas ; but yielding 

 nothing like matters of fact. I am of opinion, by consequence, that the 

 author was patronised by Vira Vasanta Rayer and wrote under his 

 auspices. Of this Vira Vasanta Rayer we find traces in the men- 

 tion made of him in the smaller local papers of this collection, as may 

 have been observed in those already abstracted ; but from the Camata 

 rajakal we learn more distinctly that he was a viceroy of Narsinga 

 Rayer father of Krishna Raykr. The former who subverted the more 

 ancient Vijayanagara dynasty, made a successful inroad into the Conje- 

 veram and Ginjee country, I believe before his conquest of Vijayana- 

 garam, but whether before or after he placed Vira Vasanta Rayer 

 as his viceroy over the country that had become subject to the kings of 

 Ginjee. The era of Narsinga Rayer is within the 15th century. 

 Now if we consider the author to have written in that century, it will 

 be apparent that he might have some advantage over later writers in 

 the matter of early tradition, and there may consequently be some cir- 

 cumstances in his account worthy of attention. 



The writer's chief object seems to have been to frame an account of 

 the foundation of the various shrines scattered over the extent of the 

 Carnatic proper. The statements given concerning them form the 

 larger portion of the manuscript ; but these of course I have passed 

 by, as they could only be developed by translation. In the event of 

 any cause occurring to require an exact account of different shrines or 

 fanes I presume this manuscript might acquire a measure of consequence, 

 not now belonging to it. As it is, there are a few historical indications, 

 that ought not to be despised, because the whole will not bear the severer 

 tests of western historical writing. These indications are : that Sa'li^ 

 vahana was a Samuna or Savana* (for the writer or his copyist writes 

 the word in both methods) that he persecuted the Brdhmanical reli- 

 gion, and patronised another which for the present I suppose to be the 

 Jaina system; that an insurrection took place leading to the destruc- 



* These two words are apparently the Pdli or Prbkrit forms of the common 

 Sanskrit terms for the followers of Buddha ; viz. Sramana, a devotee, austere 

 ascetic, used by themselves ; and Sravana, a heretic, used by their opponents 

 the brihmans. — Ed* 

 3 b 2 



