85 The Island and "Bridge of Sivasamudram, [Januaky 



who derived the idea from observing the line of the ancient ruins 

 still standing in the bed of the river ; and, as he himself remarks, 

 the manner in which his first bridge has stood against the severest 

 floods, proves the excellence of the principle which he has adopted. 



(Signed) J. Lushington, 



Sec. Asiatic Department. 



According to tradition, the island of Sivasamudram is the most 

 holy of places : it has its situation in a forest, and was the residence 

 of the seven Rishis (or patriarchal sages) during the Tretdyugat 

 the second or silver age of the world. It is said, that as these 

 Rishis or TapaswU v;ere once performing their ceremonies, two 

 serpents, named Tacshaca and Vasuki, apprehensive of the at- 

 tack of Garud'abhagavan (or the divine bird and vehicle of 

 Vishnu), came to these TapaswU for protection, who offering 

 them an asylum, obtained a promise from one of the serpents, that 

 named Vasuki, that the people who should in future come to this 

 place should not be exposed to the venom of his species. Vasuki 

 having given this promise, the Tapaswis remained performing their 

 devotions. It is said also that God appeared to Vasuki, and 

 offered his protection upon the same promise ; and as Vasuki 

 was offering up his devotions to God, the seven Tapaswis 

 came to visit God, and being alarmed at the earnestness of 

 Vasuki's devotions, they also addressed their prayers to God with 

 great fervency of spirit, until God granted them their desire, that 

 no man should in future cast his eyes upon Vasuki until all appre- 

 hension from the serpents that should thereafter be generated on the 

 island, should have ceased. God, moreover, directed Vasuki to 

 live underground, and only gave him liberty to come out at such 

 time as he had to perform his Pujds. Vasuki accordingly lived 

 in the P^ttdlaloca^ and became a worshipper of R%rN gas w ami. 

 While God was thus receiving Pujds from the Tapaswis and Va- 

 suki, some Brakmadevatds and other devotees came also to visit 

 him here daily, and perform their ceremonies. 



It is farther said, that the moon having been cnrsed by God's 

 priest wpon some occasion, and deprived of her brightness, she prayed 

 to I's^WARA, and requested of him to allow her her full splendour ; 

 whereon he, favouring her with his presence, told her that she should 

 go and make her devotions in the holy place called Dandakdraniam 



