1838.] 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



251 



and refused to honour the gods. On a complaint being made concerning 

 their conduct, Siva and Vishnu undertook to destroy the merit of 

 their abstract devotion ; and assuming respectively the human form, 

 as male and female, they addressed the rishis and their vv^ives apart, 

 and so troubled both, that all their past merit was destroyed. At 

 length the fraud was discovered ; and the rishis proceeded to offer 

 ydgas (or sacrifices) from which they first raised up an elephant, 

 and sent it against the intruders. This elephant Siva killed and 

 used its skin as a cloak, which he still wears. Next a tiger was 

 raised up and sent, which Siva also killed, and made like use of : so 

 that among his thousand names, dixe aiii-tol -axidi imli-tol ox elephant, 

 hide," and "tiger skin." The rzW^s then raised up, and despatched, a 

 deer ; this Siva took up in his hand (it is still so represented in pic- 

 tures and images). They sent fire, which he took up and made use of 

 as a weapon, in his right hand. Lastly they sent a hare, which he 

 trampled under foot. The rishis now came to a better mind, and sought 

 forgiveness, which was extended to them. Afterwards during the three 

 first ages, Isvari did penance in the Kanilcar forest at Palani. (The 

 above legend is taken from an older Sanscrit Purdna, and has been 

 narrated in the abstract, by various English writers). » 



Section 9. The penance of Adi-sesha. 



A dispute occurred between Adi-scsha and the god Vayvu (the 

 wind) as to which was the strongest. To bring this matter to a 

 test, Adi-sesha coiled itself round Maha ineru, covering each one of 

 its thousand peaks with one of its thousand heads. Vayvu assaulted 

 the mountain in vain. At length the snake lifted up one of its 

 heads to see what was become of Vayvu, who for a time had sus- 

 pended the assault ; and, on the instant, Vayvu blew away one of 

 the p«aks, left for the moment unprotected. In consequence Vayvu 

 was conc|ueror. Adi-sesha being mortified at this result performed 

 penance at Varaha-giri ; and on the god appearing to enquire what 

 was its requests, the snake replied that it asked for conquest over 

 Vayvu, In answer the god said, " Have power to eat the wind." 

 Hence it is said that, by virtue of this permission, snakes can live 

 for a long time by subsisting on air alone. 



