66 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts, 



[July 



things the work of Visvacarma ; but (says the writer) the marks of 

 the chisel remaining, disprove that opinion. Besides Singhama 

 Nayadu built a i>alace, on the hill ; of which a few fragments now only 

 remain. 



Note. — Though there are marks of good sense in this paper, je\ it 

 does not afford full satisfaction. The retreat of the sea in early ages, 

 if really narrated in the Brahmanda-puranam, is an important fact. 

 The clue directing to the Vellugotivaru race, as the rulers here, 

 though not positively asserted, yet may be perhaps at some time fol- 

 lowed out to certainty. An account of the said race was before given : 

 vide 2d Report. 



In that document however there is nothing positively to authenticate 

 the above statement. They are stated to have made extensive con- 

 quests to the south. 



Section 10. Legendary account of Covalam (Covelong, near Madras). 



Under this section are included a few disjointed fragments, some 

 without beginning, others without being completed, confused and dis- 

 arranged, in binding up the book. As far as order can be elicited, the 

 following is an abstract of the contents. 



The St'hala Mahatmya of Covalam. In the Kreta Vuga (or first 

 age) this was a residence of rishis. The daughter of a rishi, perform- 

 ed severe penance until she was seventy years of age; when Nareda 

 told her she could not attain beatification without being married ; on 

 which account she wedded Cdlava-maha-muni, by whom in one night 

 she had three hundred and sixty daughters ; the whole of these being 

 an incarnation of Lacshmi the wife of Vishnu, who, on this account, ap- 

 peared to Cdlava-muni ; and, giving him such, gifts as he required, the 

 said Vishnu, as Varaha-svami, married the whole of these females. 



[The apparent monstrosity of this symbolical passage is resolvable 

 into an astronomical enigma, concerning the days of the year). 



Account of Covalam. 

 As Vishnu in the form of Varaha-svami married Lacshmi in the per- 

 sons of the 360 daughters of Calava, so in the tank, or lake, a daugh= 

 ter was born named Comalavali-nachiyar. Hence that tank acquired 

 the name of Comala-nanchalu. This daughter again married Varaha- 

 svami. Since, in the earliest age, the said god was wedded every day, 

 the place acquired the name of Nitya-caliydnam, or the daily wedding. 



