10 fyport ffo the Mackenzie Manuscripts. [July 



Brahman seems to have drawn largely on his own inventive powers, in 

 the first instance, and then largely on the patron's eulogised munificence. 

 The work is of no serious moment, as to history ; yet otherwise not 

 without use. Though in Telugu, as to basis, it is full, to affectation, of 

 Sanscrit terms, in the usual manner of Brahmanical composition. There 

 is some error in numbering the palm-leaves, by the copyist, but the work 

 is complete. It is entered in the Des, Catal. vol. 1 p. 324, art, xx. 



14. Harischandra-cadha, the tale of Harischandra, No. 33— -Coun- 

 termark 368. 



15. Another copy No. 34— Countermark 365. 



The substance of the narrative, contained in this poem, is derived from 

 an episode in the Mahabharata. It is put into the mouth of Vasishta, 

 as narrated by him to Fisvamitra, in a dispute which occurred be- 

 tween them. Harischandra was a great prince, of extreme liberality, 

 and being a Chacraverti it was not permitted him either to degrade him- 

 self as to caste, or to tell a lie, One day a mendicant Brahman obtained 

 from him a promise, which involved a very large gift of money. The 

 Brahman did not then take the money ; but went away, and returned 

 after many years : claiming his money with the interest due thereon. 

 The king, unable to liquidate the debt, sold his kingdom, and still 

 there was a balance due. The Brahman said that if he would tell a 

 lie, or marry an out-caste woman, the whole of the money should be 

 restored ; but the king preferred abandoning his kingdom, and selling 

 himself, his wife, and son, as slaves in order tojpay the debt. In pur- 

 suance of this design he came, so this book says, to Cast ; where his 

 wife and child were purchased by a Brahman, and he himself by a Chan- 

 ddla, whose office was to attend burning-grounds. The Brahman, sent 

 the boy out one day to gather wood, where being bitten by a snake the 

 child died, and was by the mother taken to the burning-ground, at which 

 her husband was, by this time, stationed to perform the work of a 

 Chanddla. He refused to do what was customary, without fees; and the 

 mother had nothing to pay. He said that if she would give him the 

 marriage token (synonymous in effect with a ring) it would suffice. She 

 refused; but conjectured, from this demand, that the man must be her 

 husband, as no one else knew that she possessed any such thing. At 

 this juncture officers of the king of the country came, and took away the 

 child, on suspicion of its being the king's own child that was missing; 



