1847.] on MacJienzie Manuscripts. 133 



on the duties and obligations of the four great divisions of caste, together 

 with a variety Of mojar and ethical precepts, or remark-s, according to 

 the Hindoo style of such kind of works. It is a book very common in 

 schools; and this one bears an endorsement. Showing it to have been 

 the school book of lyahinllai, son of Christian-pillai, now well known to 

 me^ as a Native Christian teacher. Six stanzas are wanting. The re- 

 mainder is complete ; and very slightly injured. An entry occurs in the 

 Des. Cat., Vol. 1, p. 232, Art. 65. 

 4S. Ali-arasdni-ammani. No. 136, C. M. 134. 



This is an incomplete fragment of a sort of poem founded on the mar- 

 riage of Arjuna, with a daughter of the King of Madura. At the com- 

 mencement, as herein found, the wife of Arjuna is said to have had a 

 dream, in which the local goddess or MinacsM gave her a flower. This 

 was interpreted to mean that she would give birth to a child. Various 

 inane filling ijp occurs : as a specimen, it is stated that the young woman's 

 mother loadd'^ carts and elephants with mangoes, and a variety of other 

 (perishable) fruits, and sent them tp Hastmapw't, to her daughter. It 

 is needless to add more, respecting a puerile production M'hich, from the 

 kind of metre used, and the nature of the contents would seem to have 

 been intended for the attendants on children in a nursery. 



Note. — The fragment is not injured by insects. A brief entry occurs in 

 the Des. Cat, Vol. 1, p. 216, Art. 11. 



49, JScadasa-vriddham, or the 11th day abstinence. No. 43, C. M. 1063. 



An illustration of the merit of rigidly observing the 11th day of the 

 moon's bright and dark half. Hucmangada was a king very exemplary in 

 his observance of this period of rigid abstinence, and self controul. The 

 consequence was that the people of his kingdom became so virtuous un- 

 der his example that Yama or the regent of death lost his power and 

 occupation, so that Yama preferred a complaint. Brahma produced a 

 female named Mohini, whom he sent to divert the king from his steadfast- 

 ness of purpose, who so far succeeded as to make the king engage either 

 to break the said rigid abstinence or put his own son to death. He pre- 

 ferred the latter; but at the moment when the sword was about to de- 

 scend on his son it turned into flowers, and his son's life was spared. 

 Yama again complained, when the Trimurti accorded to him the grant 

 that whosoever should fall asleep during the said night of watching, and 

 fasting, should lose half the merit of the full and rigid observance. This 

 tale is seemingly a Hindu version of a well known incident, which occur- 

 red out of the boundaries of India: it also holds up a medical lesson of 

 some value. 



P^EMARKS. — There is a Telugu version of the same tale, and this one is 

 chiefly in Telugu, awkwardly written, in the Tamil character. The style 



