1847.] 



071 Mackenzie Matiuscripts. 



141 



yatmna, in local usage ; or of Cumara and Cumari, more frequent in poetical 

 books. Crishna is represented as visiting the Paradise of Indra to pro- 

 cure a flower of the tree of plenty, to present to his wife Rucmeni ; and he 

 therein directs the birth of one of the inhabitants on earth, in order to 

 become the wife of Suhrahmanya. The said celestial was born as the 

 daughter of an animal, and was adopted by Vihudhi, a hunter, and fos- 

 tered by him and his wife ; becoming ultimately the spouse of the Hindu 

 war-god. It is superfluous to add more. 



Note. — The MS. is complete and in good preservation. It is entered 

 in Des. Cat., Vol. 1, p. 218, Art. 19. 



68. Veda-puri sfJiala puranam. No. 27, C. M. 37. 



This is the local legend of a fane near C7iif amhar am ; the name of 

 Veda-puri being an epithet. It is a large book, and has a great variety 

 of tales, mythological, fabulous, and historical ; in the manner of the 

 principal local puranas of the Peninsula. Of the mythological portion 

 may be instanced, the marriage of Siva with Uma ; the obtaining of the 

 vel or javelin by Suhrahmanya ; the acquirement of privilege by Vinayaca 

 or Ganesa ; the local incarnation of Siva to teach the mystic sense of the 

 Vedas : or that system by which the Saivas of the Peninsula altogether 

 set aside the four Vedas : and substitute a system of their own. Of the 

 fabulous, the leading incident is the marriage of Arjuna to Suhhadri, 

 though there are many tales of other devotees. Of the historical, the 

 chief, if not only, portion is first, that from this place Adondai or Tonda- 

 man recovered himself after defeat, and set out with reinforcements, ac- 

 companied it is herein said by Siva, who had given a mystical sign, after- 

 vpards met with, issuing in the conquest of the Jaina Curiwibar, and 

 possession of the Tonda mandalam; and secondly, the introduction of 

 the narrative of Samjjanter, who is always stated to have set out from 

 this place, otherwise termed Vedaranya^ when he proceeded to Madura, 

 and there overcame the Bauddhas; who were afterwards impaled. 



Bemark. — The book is ^Yritten in recondite poetical language, of the 

 viruttam versification. With the exceptions indicated, it is a little other 

 than a centum of extracts as to incident from older puranas ; many of 

 the scenes being, by poetical license, transferred to the place. The site of 

 the narrative is however the ever recurring Naimisara vanam ; a certain 

 terrestrial garden, the praises of which are loudly sung, but of which the 

 precise locality is doubtful. It is there said to be narrated by Suta^ the 

 reciter of the 18 puranas, to the assembled rishes. The composition of 

 the work, as a Tamil production, is said to have been by Carunacara, 

 who wrote under the favor and aid of poets and learned men. This may be 

 a merely titular name. 



-No'l*. — The MS. is complete and fills 277 closely written palm leaves : 

 it is of recent appearance and in good order. An entry occurs in Des. 



