1S39.] 



Report on the MacJceiixie Mannscripis. 



821 



It contain 12 Sargams or sections. A brief -abstract is here offered. 



1. The first Sa>ga has the usual invocations and eulogies, and an- 

 nounces the name of the writer or author, that is Yellapa-Vddhyar of 

 the Saica class, who states that he translates into Tamil, from the San- 

 scrit original by Fi/asa. It was originall\' delivered by Nandi to Mar- 

 cajuhya, by Mdrran hjja to Vif^jsa, by him to Sutttj and by Suia to the 

 rhh's of the Na'mi ara wilderness. 



2. This section contains the legend on which the distinctive name of 

 ArnacheHam is founded. S'lca appeared as a fiery -mountain, and to 

 settle a dispu!e between Brahma and Vishiu, as to which was the 

 greatest of the two, they agreed to try if th?y could, to discover either 

 the foundation or the summit of the mountain. Brahma., assuming the 

 shape of a goose or swan, flew upwards, and Vishnu, in the form of a 

 boar, dived downw-ards. The latter returned and stated that he had not 

 succeeded in discovering the foundation, but Bralima came back and 

 said he had seen the summit, bringing a flower* sttborned to bear false 

 witness. Siva in consequence doomed Brahma to be without fanes or 

 worshippers, for his falsehood, and declared Vishnu to be superior to 

 Brahma, though confessedly inferior to himself. 



3. This section in the commencement narrates Dacsha's abuse of 

 Siva; the sacrifice of Dac^'a to whi;h his daughter the wife of Siva 

 desired to go, and going perished ; in consequence Siva (it is here said) 

 produced Vira-Bhadra from his frontlet eye, wlio went and destroyed 

 the sacrifice returning afterwards to Cai'asa. Subsequently, while Siva 

 was performing severe penance, one Sura-padma, an asura, acquired so 

 much power as to trouble both gods and men. Complaint being made to 

 Brahma, he announced the future marriage of Siva with Parvati, and 

 also the birth of Suhrahm'imja by whom the asuras would be destroyed. 

 Indra sent Manmath% to destroy the penance Qi Siva, and Siva opening 

 his frontlet eye reduced the assailant to ashes. Subsequently Siva re- 

 turned to Callasa, where the celestials represented to him the expedi- 

 ency of marrying Isvari the danghter of Parvata-rayen (or the mountain 

 king) to which he consented, and the m;}rriage v^^as conducted with 

 the customary state and splendour. At the prayer of Reti, -Sim pardoned 

 Manmatha, who came and paid homage without any visible form, in 

 consequence of his body having been turned to ashes. The oppression 

 exercised by Sura-padma being stated to Siva he produced six fires from 

 his frontlet eye, by the union of which Suhrahmani/a with six faces was 



* TheEetakI, or Pandanus odoratissimus : which, partaking of the cuvse, is never 

 used by the Hindus in honouring the gods. — Editor. 



