1838;] 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



mi 



tendency of the human mind is towards such a system ; and it needs not 

 perhaps to be wondered at, that it has appeared in India, Greece, France, 

 and other countries, similar, in the general features, though without any 

 apparent intercommunication. 

 The book is entered in the Des. Cat. Vol. I, p. 230, as follows : 



" LVI. Sittyar — Palm-leaves. 

 Short expositions of the doctrines taught by different teachers of the 

 Saiva religion." 



Hence it seems to be another instance of the deplorable misrepresenta- 

 tions to which Professor Wilson was subjected by his Mackenzie Brah- 

 mans. Let me add that a good translation of this w^ork, would be a 

 great desideratum, as a key to unlock many obscure allusions in Tamil 

 works, Hindu natives properly such, either do not understand, 



or will not explain ; or of which they give only erroneous interpreta-- 

 tions. 



3. Caliiigatu-parani, No 200.— Countel-mark 68. 



A poem on a conquest of the Calinga country, by a Chola king. 



The general subject of this poem is as I have defined it, in the above 

 English explanation of the title. The following is a brief abstract : — 



Kulottunga Chola came from his capital to Canchi, making the in* 

 termediate road a hunting excursion. At Conjeveram he received th@ 

 homage, and tribute of several petty rulers ; but the king of Calinga 

 did not appear with his tribute, at which Kulottunga Cholan being much 

 incensed determined on war ; and accordingly sent his Senatipati^ or 

 general, named Vanda Nattarasan, with an army, to invade the Calin- 

 ga country. This general conq[uered an army with a thousand* ele- 

 phants ; and subdued the country ; which the Chola-raja assumed as his 

 own. With this general outline much discursive matter, and panegyric, 

 is mixed up. The work is divided into brief sections ; a table of which 

 is prefixed to the MS. ; and is as follows : — 



1. The usual invocation. 7- The champion named Indra 



2. The opening of the door. jalam. 



3. Chant of the forest. 8. The genealogy of the king. 



4. Description of the fane. 9. Complaint of demons to Cdli for 

 ^6. Praise of Devi, want of food. 



6. Chant concerning evil demons. 



* Parani is the technical title of the 3d class of PrabancllLas, or ninety-six classes ef Ta- 

 mil poems. Its subject is one who has hilled a thousand elephants in battle. 



