1339] 



Report on the Mackenzie Manitscripts, 



11 



tliousand headed serpent, on which V'lshiu is fabled to repose, o.s bOine 

 say an emblem of eternity ; and t//ier?wa is a word which signifies, jus- 

 tice, equity, benevolence, morality, ahns, or ritual observance. The 

 reader may thence frame his own translation of Ses-ha-d'herma. 



The book is a valuable one. A literal translation would be of great 

 use towards a fuli acquaintance with the internal system of the Fai^il- 

 navas -. vrhich is not the one commonly inculcated on the people. 



Note. — It is entered in the Des, Catal. vol. 1, p. 270, article xii ; witli 

 an error as to the contents being derived from the Bhagavat, most pro- 

 bablv an oversight or misprint, or possibly a mistake of the ear ; the bor- 

 rowed part of the contents is from the Bkdratam. 



b, MANUSCRIPT BOOKS. 



Manuscript book, No. 36 — Countermark 286» 

 The Vislinu-Upa-puranam. 



This is a version in Telugu of the above Upa-purcma. There are eight 

 books or sections ; of which the sixth is incomiilete. The most remark^ 

 able portion is the 5th and 6th books, containing the Surya, and Chandra 

 vamsas. The opening part is stated as if received from Puiast'hi/a, one 

 of the seven great ri.ili'/s. It relates to primal matters : being little more 

 than a repetition, or summarv, of subjects contained in other Pur anas. 

 The dhi'erent Ma-nwantaras ; the seven dwipas ; the m^easures of time ; 

 the in-arn. tions of J^'ahnu ; and connected topics: are adverted to. The 

 seventh, an l f^ghihliooks;, or sections, relate to the birlh, adventures, 

 and pub ic acts, of Cr's- a. In this part, and indeed throughout the 

 whole, there is a great apparent resemblance to the contents of the Blid- 

 gavafa p^'va 'am. In the eoil7 p'^rtion especially, there is, I am persuad- 

 ed, much enigmati;a', or symbolical, writing and v.hen such a veil is 

 studiously erap-oyed, as seems to be the case in all eArly 11} ndu writings, 

 it mny be inferred, that the earliest colonists of Iridia wished to conceal 

 their tiue descent, or to fa- sify something concerning themselves; as all 

 the researches which have been made, or are now being carried forward^ 

 seeuj 1o render uba..daijtly probable. 



Note. — The writitjg of this book is very legible; and the paper but 

 very little damaged. Its restoration by consequence does not seem to be 

 urgent. As lo translation such might be best made from a copy of the 



