1847.] 



on Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



115 



31. Thence he passed by a dry, hot, and barren land, and met with six 

 sons of Parasara^ who conducted him to Tiru-paran-kimru (or the hill of 

 the heavenly one, an epithet oi Parzani) which he inspected. 



32. Eelates to Tiru-cliandipur. From Pyney the said Quinara proceed- 

 ed to Trichendur ; where he met with Indra, from whom he inquired the 

 origin and birth of Surapadnia, and his subordinate asuras. The relation 

 is commenced by Indra forming- the matter of the second book. 



II. The Asura-utpafti-candam, or account of the origin of the asut^as. 

 Each padalam of this division will not require a minute specification. 



It is throughout related by Indra, in the first person, to Suhrahmanya. 

 In the early part Casiyapa is introduced. It must be remembered that 

 in other books, he is stated to have had two wives, named Biti and A diti 

 by whom were produced the devatas, or celestials, and the daityas, or Ti-^ 

 tans. In this book he is described as father of the asuras by Surasi, an 

 obscure female of low, or foreign race, who was instructed by Siicra, pre- 

 ceptor of the asuras, and by him sm^named Mayi, or deceptive one. The 

 eldest born of the sons of Casyapa, by Surasi, was named Surapadma, and 

 other two sons were called Singhamuclia and Animuc^ha (or lion-face 

 and elephant-face) and with them a vast midtitude of other asuras. Va- 

 rious minor matters, relative to this illegitimate family, are mentioned. 

 Among other things their departure or separation from their place of 

 birth, and building a new* capital which, in a legendary way, is said to 

 have been effected by Surapadma calling Visvacarma and giving him di- 

 rections to build a town. A distinct colony, or nation was thus formed. 

 This principal matter being stated, Indra introduces in an episode, 

 an accoimt of Agastya having been commissioned to go to the south j 

 on the way he was resisted by a vast barbarian, huge as a mountain, 

 named Krauncha, on whom Agastya denounced a cm'se of becoming fixed 

 as a mountain ; and of being ultimately destroyed by Oumara the son of 

 Siva ; explaining a reference to Krauncha-giri, in the first book. The 

 other adventures of Agastya by the way as to the Vindhya mountain, 

 and with Vil and Vathan the two cannibals, are adverted to as in the 

 Casi Cdndam (before abstracted) only with more brevity. 



Indra also adverts to his own penance, and thereby returns to the lo- 

 cal and family affairs of the asuras and their posterity. 



III. The Vira Mahendra Cdndam. Suhrahmanya remaining at Tiru- 

 chandi puram sent Vira-hahu, his general, as ambassador to 3Iahendra- 

 giri, to ascertain whether Surapadma was willing to submit, or desirous 

 of war. The ambassador was ordered to release the celestials that had 

 been imprisoned by Surapadma, 



* A colony went out from the land of Shinar under Ashur and built Nineveh, capital of 

 the Assyrian empire. Ashur Greece is Assour, or Assur. Suria, in the Septuagint, de- 

 signates Mesopotamia. 



