No. 44,-1893.] 



CHILAPPAT1KARAM. 



85 



of Madura, desired Kovalan to remain where he was, pro- 

 mising to mention to King Pandiya that the anklet, which was 

 only fit for a queen, was for sale. The villain went at once 

 to the palace and informed the king that he had discovered 

 the thief who had stolen the queen's anklet. The king, 

 without inquiry, ordered his guards to behead Kovalan if he 

 was in possession of the queen's anklet, and he was accord- 

 1 ingly beheaded. Kannakai having heard of this calamity, 

 proceeded to the palace, taxed the king with injustice, and 

 complained that her husband had been beheaded without 

 any investigation ; and her transcendent virtue caused a part 

 of Madura to be burnt down. Fourteen days after her 

 husband's death she herself ascended the heavens. 



The poem consists of Padikam, Uraiperukatturai, and 

 three parts : — 



I. — Pukdr-kdndam, relating to the birth, marriage, and 

 life of Kovalan and Kannakai at Kaverippumpattinam, up to 

 the time of their departure to Madura. 



II. — Madurai-k-kdndam, a recital of the events at Madura 

 up to the attainment of Svarga by Kannakai. 



III. — Vaiichi-k-kdndam, where are related the subsequent 

 events, such as how some Veddas saw Kannakai's trans- 

 lation to Svarga, their account of it to the Chera King, the 

 establishment of temples for the worship of Kannakai, who 

 ever afterwards was called Pattini, in different parts of 

 India and in Ceylon. 



Reference to Gaja Bahu is made in two places — first, in the 

 chapter entitled Uraiperukatturai, as follows : — 



From that day the Pandiya kingdom suffered from want of rain, 

 and famine and poverty prevailed daily ; but on the Pandiyan King 

 Ilaricheliyan, then residing at Kotkai, sacrificing 1,000 goldsmiths 

 to Pattini and celebrating her worship, rain fell, and the land was freed 

 from poverty and disease. 



Hearing this, Kosar, the King of Koiikumandalam, also celebrated 

 her worship in the same manner, and rain became plentiful in his land. 



Hearing this, Gaja Bahu, of sea-girt Ceylon, having first built a 

 sacrificial stone (Palipidam) for daily sacrifices, then having built 



