1839] 



Report on the Macherizle Manuscripts. 



35 



in the present age (or Cali yuga). The above king, then doing penance 

 in the forest, saw the Kiratan breaking the cow's leg, and had him put 

 into prison. He said to the king " since I am come by divine appoint- 

 ment why do you molest me ?" The king enquiring who he was, he 

 replied " I am Cali (or a personification of the Cali-yuga). The king 

 said " while I am alive I allow you to do nothing." Cali then requested 

 a place wherein to remain, and the king said, go dwell with * Ilvnsa 

 f Asafyam, \ Dherma-virodha and § Fisvdsapdtaca While the 

 king lived Cali gained no entrance, or ascendancy. The king had four 

 sons, Janamejaya, Sruthusena, Bhimasena, Ugasena, who, according to 

 this manuscript, all exercised sovereign power alternately. 



Details of their rule are given, and to the second Bhima sena is ascribed 

 the killing of the racshasa,Jarasa7idha{J arasandhaoi the race oiSudherma 

 is otherwise stated to have been killed by Cr?'^^?'*^^. Twenty descendants of 

 Bhimasena are enumerated, filling a space of one thousand years; they 

 all bore the epithet of Brahina-hatti, from the above crime. (Possibly 

 the writer being a devotee of Crishna, may have wished to shift the 

 guilt. Moreover the names appear to be given at random, several of 

 them belonging to a later period, and some even subsequent to Chayidra- 

 guptd). The minister of Ribanjaya named Munica (by Sir "W. Jones, or by 

 a misprint, Sunaca) killed his master, and placed his own son Pradyota 

 on the throne. (This event belongs to the Mdgadha kingdom). Five 

 successions of this dynasty occurred. In a metaphorical manner Nanda 

 is said to have had no child ; and his wife, in consequence, threw herself 

 into the Svarna-nadi (or golden river), and by reason of doing so produced 

 eight sons. (We know otherwise somewhat of the deposition of Nanda^ 

 by his minister, leading to the accession of Chandragupta, and by the 

 way we may gather from the MS. in hand a useful hint as to the mode 

 in which metaphor and allegory are made to cloud either ignorance, or 

 the truth, as may suit the writer's convenience or caprice. To write the 

 simple truth in simple language, does not by any means appear to have 

 been at any time the Hindu-methodi of composition). The said eight sons, 

 ruled during 137 years. Afterwards a female named Sada Vrihadra 

 reigned, and was killed by her minister named Chacrati, who placed his 

 son Srugu on the throne, which he held for 45 years. (This must desig- 

 nate the Sunga dynasty). The minister of Sruga named Cannuy who 



* Slaugliter, violence, malice. + Want of truth or integrity. 



X Opposition to equity and mercy. 

 I Falli ng from trust or confidence ; the sin of treaehery.—AIl the terms are Sanscrit^ 



