FROM BENARES. 459- 



of Vidyanagar dated Anno Domini 1409. They were seen at Nidigal and 

 Goudja : they also are found on the plates preserved at Conjeveram and in a 

 grant of land found at Tanna. 



31. Son ofVahuka, a great prince; when Vahuka died, his queen wished 

 to ascend the funeral pile with him, but the Muni Urva, aware that she was 

 pregnant, would not allow her. The other wives of Vahuka in spite admi- 

 nistered poison to her ; the wished for effect failed, and when a son was 

 born he was named Sagara " born with a portion of poison in him." The 

 legend is in the 9th section of the Bhagawat, also an account of his numer- 

 ous sacrifices, &c. 



32. A period of time embracing seventy-one revolutions of the four yu- 

 gas or ages. 



33. The sacrifice of a horse, a most royal and expensive ceremony per- 

 formed by the ancient Hindu Rajas. It is reckoned so virtuous an act that 

 the crime of slaying a Brahmana can be expiated by its performance. 



34. I am not exactly positive as to the true interpretation of this very 

 material point as to who was the in'scribei* of the plate ; the sentence con- 

 tains an uncommon expression or two. 



The six large plates were found near the conflux of the Varana (a small 

 stream running past the north of Benares) with the ganges. They are gene- 

 rally in size about twenty inches by sixteen. A thick iron ring goes through 

 the upper part to which is attached a bell-shaped seal; in the centre is the 

 name of Java Chandra and above the name an image of Ganesa, below the 

 name a conch. The inscriptions on the plates are exactly similar, only 



F i" f 2 



