34G 



Report on the Maclcenzie Manuscripts. 



[April 



SeGtion 15. The narralive concerning Nitya-nai'' ha. This account 

 refers to the period of the Treta-yuga. Nltiia-nafha was a son of Nala- 

 raja. He was powerful and wise. Proceeding on pilgrimage he came 

 to the CongU'Vad (modern Coimbatore in which Pyney was situated). 

 He visited seven -.SflUA- fanes in that country. He built a town which 

 was called /?flya-?Y<;'a-pz/9-a?/i. Afterwards he proceeded to Tiruvava- 

 naTikudi and there performed penance. Suhrahmarnja iippcareu ; and, 

 being praised by his votary, asked what gift, or reward, the latter re- 

 quired J who answered that he desired to reach the sacred feet (obtain 

 beatification) without the pain of future births. The said god tlien in- 

 structed him in the asldanga-yoga (or eight-uiembered-meditatiun ; that 

 is anima^ malcima, Jcca^hia, (aldma, &c, VideOrientul Historical ISISS, vol. 

 l,p. 128) ; and assured him that if he practised these various forms of 

 contemplation, he would attain final beatitude. As so many j ersons per- 

 formed penance at this place, it acquired the appellaliun of Yuga vanom 

 or the site of contemplation. 



Remark. — This section indicates the ingress of the military tribe to 

 the extreme south ; while a reference back to section 10 would seem to 

 imply that the Cl/era race was aboriginal, and not Hindu. Comparing 

 section 15 v^ith section 14, there is visible a de licate reserve of the 

 privileges of BraJimuns above Csiietriyaa ; iuasinuch as the i'ormer v.'ere 

 teatified at once ; but the latter after instruction and study. 



Seotion 16. The story of Chonna'Cuttan. 



There dwelt in the Cow^/* country a person who was called Clionna- 

 cuttan, with his wife named Kesai. He worshipped both 6'^■^•a and 

 Vishnu ; and'his wife paid homage to Lacshvii, and Narrayana. Periimal 

 {Vishnu) came to this beautiful country. The said pair besought from 

 him the gift of a child. He replied that if a child were granted, it would 

 soon die. They answered that their desires would be satisfied, if 

 they might see their own child, and afterwards if needful it 

 might go, they would relinquish it. Vish7iu thereupon directed the 

 chank (or conch), in his hand to be born as a child ; and at the end of 

 five years to return to him. It was accordingly born, and reared by its 

 parents, as aforesaid, very carefully. They in acknowdedgment bestow- 

 ed many ornaments both on the Saiva and Vaishnava fanes. The child 

 did well and grew, until its fifth year came. It was accustomed to rove 

 about ; playing in the sacred buiUUngs and pools of water. One day 

 when sporting in the Camadhena-tiri'ha, or pool so called, the remem- 

 brance of its former stale revived ; and it in consequence returned, and 

 re-entered the conch of F^>^^^^^ A report was brought to the parents 



