90 



Of the Old Caves ai Paduvur. 



[No. 33, 



them. Such was the practice in this Padiivnr, They would die 

 off, some little time after being placed there. Such kind of earthen 

 jars are termed Matamaccacltdl.^ Though these were placed in early- 

 days, yet even now many such chdls (pans or buckets) are to be seen- 

 Human bones, and drinking vessels which had been placed therein, 

 have been taken out, and buried. In this way the anciently pleasant 

 suburbs, which were as a continuous town, the towns-people turned 

 into a half desert; and in it having placed those MatamaccachaU they 

 returned. The posterity of the Pdndavas and other wealthy people, 

 in order to preserve for many days, the memory of their several state, 

 or renown, having built sepulchres, they placed the people of their 

 race there, and returned (or were accustomed to place them). As 

 the race of the Pdndavas was put therein, and as they were, of old 

 custom, burial places, they were called Pdntu-curz'u As some were 

 placed there being alive, and as they suffered being there, these places 

 came to be termed Padu-hudi, and Padai-kudiy dwelling of suffering, 

 &c. As these Padu-kudi were here from ancient time, the town 

 came to be called Paduvur^ town of pain. In the time of Adondai- 

 Cholan, as two Saiva images were consecrated here, the Jaina renown 

 was shut up (or buried). Again, in Ki'ishna-raya's day, a Vaishnava 

 fane was here consecrated. 



In this Paduvur, near to the old excavations there is an inscription 

 on stone. But being very old it is not possible to distinguish and 

 read off the letters. 



To the east of Paduvur there are seventy-five of these ancient 

 pits or caves. To the South of Paduvur they are in a row (as I un- 

 derstand the imperfect passage) to the north there are sixty ancient 

 excavations. 



So far proceeds the brief translation, which I have now made for 

 the present express object. In reference to this Paduvur, I cannot 

 but think that the name commemorates one of those cruel tragedies, 

 in the extermination of the Bauddhas and Jainas, of which so many 

 occurred: made by kings under the influence of Saiva-BraJimans. 

 In another paper of the Mackenzie collection it is said that the 

 Bauddhas, or Jainas, were crushed to death in oil mills : and as a 

 particular kind of drinking vessel with a peacock's-tail fan, ^Yas a 



* Whicb, I apprehend, must be rendered—' heretic dog kennel.' 



