1840.] 



Report on (he Machenzie Manuscripts. 



105 



«?aua race, the origin of the image at this place ; and the excellence 

 of the shrine, as illustrated by various tales of devotees of Siva, who in 

 consequence obtained union with his form, or beatification. 



The book consists of a larger manuscript in the Pddya-cdvyam, con- 

 taining the legend which is complete ; and of a smaller book contain- 

 ing a brief abstract in Telugu prose; being a summary of the contents 

 of the poem. /The whole is in good preservation. 



Note.— The M.S. is entered in the Des. Catal. vol. 1. p. 277 art. 20. 



5. Vasu-clmriira, or tale of Vasu, No. 31. — Countermark 459. 



This is a mere fragment of an elaborate and celebrated work, compos- 

 ed by Bhatla Murti; one of the eight celebrated poets at Vijayana^ 

 garum. It is in the Padya-cdvyam ; and is said to have been much ad- 

 mired, and made a model by later poets. It was written after the cap- 

 ture of Vijayanagarum, and under the patronage of Timma raja of Pen- 

 naconda, son of the ill-fated Rama raja, last of the Vijayanagarum dy- 

 nasty, and elder brother of the two rulers at Chandra giri and Seringa- 

 patam. It should contain six asvasas; or sections ; the genealogy of 

 Timma raja being given at the commencement. The subject of the 

 poem is a love-tale relative to Fasa, a king's son, and his marriage with 

 Giri-canyaca, a mountain nymph, with the usual filling in of description, 

 and metaphor. 



At the beginning three leaves are broken in two, and the halves are 

 lost, the 9th, iOih and 14th leaves are in the same condition. For the 

 rest the first section is right. There is only about a quarter of the second 

 section, and the entire remainder is wanting. The loss is not very ma- 

 terial, as the poem is not scarce; but the passing off, this and many 

 other fragments, on Colonel Mackenzie, as if complete manuscripts, cer- 

 tainly was a grave fault, on which it is superfluous to enlarge. 



Note. — The book is entered in Des. Catal. vol. 1. p. 341. art. 62, but 

 without any note ofdeficiency; which moreover is not usually given in 

 the Catalogue ; from the compiler of which, the deficiencies in MSSo 

 seem to have been concealed. 



6. ReUa-Matam, or system of Retta,l^o. 108. — Countermark 493. 



7. Same title, No. 109.— Coimtermark 495. 



8. Ibid, No. 110.— Countermark 494. 



One half of the first of these manuscripts consists of a fragment (of 

 about 50, palm -leaves) of the tale of Svarochisa-manu, by AUasani 



