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plains. It was therefore rather a difficult task, to dress up a history of Coorg in Brahmanical fashion. But the attempt was a matter of necessity. The story of the country, from which the holy Kávéri descends into the eastern plains, could not be left to the Coorgs themselves. It had to take its place in the Kávéri Purána and to be in harmony as much as possible both with the rest of the Purána, and with the realities and traditions of Coorg. Four chapters, XI-XIV, of the Kávéri Purána, which professes to be an integral part of the great Skanda Purána, are devoted to this object. An abstract of these chapters will presently be given, short enough, however, to be tolerable to an European reader. The author does not appear to have been very skilful, nor very happy, in the execution of his task. The story of the invisible river Sujyóti, joining the Kanake and Kávéri seems to me a lame, useless imitation of the Northern tale, that Sarasvati, a stream of great renown among the Brahmans, is not lost, as it seems, in the desert sands, but joins the Ganges and the Yamuna, unseen, at Prayága. The holy Sarasvati must have an end worthy of its sanctity. But here in the Kávéri Purána the third, altogether invisible, stream Sujyóti is an idle manufacture, introduced only to complete a Southern Trinity of holy rivers. The extraordinary anachronism of Párvati's blessing given to Chandravarma, the founder of the Coorg people, who is thereby rendered victorious over the Turks (sic!), transgresses even the thoughtless audacity of a Purána, for the Purána belongs according to its own account to the age of the Rishis, who were long extinct, when the Turks appeared. The numerous passages inculcating the duty of the Valiant Coorgs, to offer to the Brahmans the honors and gifts due to them, have met with singularly bad success. The Coorgs, it would appear, never troubled themselves

B

much about the contents and the admonitions of the Kávéri book.

Therefore, (my Moonshee, an old Shrívaishnava Brahman, when I remarked on the ill success of the Brah mans among the Coorgs, answered me) they have forfeited Kávéri's blessing and lost their country. He did not remember, that many most devoted, Brahmanridden, kings have shared the same fate, since the rising of the Mlénchha Company's star.

These few remarks may suffice for an introduction to the Legend of Coorg.

The Kávéri Purána first gives the history of the river. Its divine origin, its connection with the Rishi Agastya, (the settler of the Vindha-mountain-range, the great son of both Mitra and Varuna), and its course through the eastern country into the sea in obedience to the counsel of Agastya, all conspire to give it a character of surpassing sanctity.

The seizure of the Amrita, the produce of the Oceanchurning by the Asuras, spread consternation and despair among the hosts of the Gods. They invoked the great Vishnu, the Lord of all. He had compassion on them. From him Móhini emanated,-Lakshmi at the same time sending forth Lópámudré (a form of Párvati),-charmed the Asuras by her transcendent beauty, and restored the drink of immortality to the Gods. After having delivered the Gods, she retired to Brahmagiri-where the sources of the Kávéri now are— and was changed into a rocky cave. Lópámudré was given to Brahma, who brought her up as his daughter. Thus ends the first act, the scene (true Purana fashion) being laid in the heavens. The second act passes to the earth. Kavéra Muni retires to Brahmagiri, there to give himself wholly to meditation on Brahma. He asks Brahma for children. Brahma-how could he refuse the prayer of his devout Rishi ?—gives him Ló

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pámudré for a daughter. She, in order to procure beatitude for her new father, resolves on becoming a river, pouring out blessings on the earth, and all the merits arising from this course of devoted goodness, are to be appropriated to Kavéra Muni. For this purpose she resorts to one of the heights of Brahmagiri and invokes Brahma, to give her the privilege, when turned into a river, of absolving all people bathing in the holy waters, from every sin they may have committed. Brahma of course grants this blessing to his daughter. Now another person appears upon the stage, who is to control the future course of Kavéra Muni's daughter. While Kávéri is still absorbed in her devotions, the great Rishi Agastya espies her, and forthwith asks her to become his wife. Though longing after the fulfilment of her vow, she consents to live with Agastya, under the condition, however, that she shall be at liberty to forsake him, whenever she is left alone. One day Agastya went to bathe in the river Kanake, leaving Kávéri near his own holy tank, guarded by his disciples. Thus deserted by Agastya against his promise, she plunged into the holy tank and flowed forth from it a beautiful river. The disciples tried to stay her course. She went under ground. At Bhagandakshetra she appeared again, and flowed on towards Valamburi. When Agastya, on his return, saw what had happened, he ran after Kávéri, begged her pardon and entreated her, to return and to remain with him. Unwilling to change her mind, yet loath to grieve Agastya, Kávéri divided herself, one half flowing off a river, the other half staying with the Rishi. Agastya then explained to the River-half, which road to take to the Eastern sea, enumerating all the holy places lying in the way of the new stream.

Previous to this origin of the Kávéri River, a Brahman, Suyajna, performed great devotions to Vishnu at

Dhátripura, a spot near the fountain of the Kávéri. Vishnu at length appeared to him. Suyajna asked the god, to give him Mukti, (beatitude i. e. in the Hindu sense, loss of consciousness, yea of self; individuality being the source of sin and misery) and to render him a benefactor of the world. Vishnu gave him Sujyóti for a daughter, and told him, "she will be a benefactress of the world, and her merit shall be thine. Go to the Agni Hill. Kanake a servant of Dévéndra lives there. Into her charge give Sujyóti, and do thou attend to thy devotions." Suyajna fulfilled the command of Vishnu. Sujyóti, joined Kanake in her meditations. After a while Dévéndra came on a visit, and asked Sujyóti to become his wife. She promised to obey; but secretly she opened her mind to Kanake and told her, what grief she felt at having to be Dévéndra's wife instead of becoming a river. Both of them set off immediately as two streams, Kanake and Sujyóti. Dévéndra finding himself cheated, cursed Sujyóti, and said let thy waters disappear. Whereupon Sujyóti begged his pardon, when Dévéndra, pitying her, said : when Kávéri will appear, you and Kanake may join her and in her company go the great Sea. This word of Dévéndra was fulfilled, when Kávéri flowed forth from the holy tank of Agastya.

(There are only two streams, let it be remembered, which join at Bhagamandala. The Kávéri runs under ground for some distance, which is accounted for in the Purana by the interference of Agastya's disciples.)

Now follows a glowing description of all the holy country. In the eleventh chapter Sanaka and the other Rishis ask Sútapuránika about the country, in which the sources of the river Kávéri are. What name

has it? they inquire; and what is the origin of the name? What are the frontiers of the country, its customs, its tribes?

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To these questions Sútapuránika replies by repeating the account given in times of old to the king Dharmavarma by the Rishi Dalbhya. The frontiers of the country are these: it lies to the West of Rámanáthapura; (thither the earth in the form of a cow went to implore Shiva's help against the Rakshasas, who des troyed her; her stony form is still to be seen there, says the bard. There Ráma, to atone for his murder of the Brahma-descended Rávana, consecrated in Shiva's -name the holy Linga,) to the North of the renowned Parashurama's Kshetra (holy land); three gávuda (12 coss) to the East of the Western Sea; to the South of Kanva Rishi's habitation. From East to West it measures 6 yójana (24 coss), from North to South 3 yójana (12 coss).

The country has three names: the first, Brahmakshétra; the second, Matsyadésha; the third, Kródadésha. The origin of these names is as follows:

1. When Brahma performed his pilgrimage over the -world, i. e. India, he came to Sahyadri, where he saw a strange sight. A Nelli tree (Myrobolan) stood before him spreading a hundred boughs. As he looked at the tree, he beheld the form of Vishnu with shell, discus aud club. The next moment, when he fixed his eye upon it, he saw nothing but a bare tree. Upon this Brahma worshipped Vishnu many days, pouring upon the tree out of his holy vessel water from the Virajá River. (This river is not to be found in modern Geography; it runs beyond the seven seas, which surround the world). On this account the country, from which the holy river Kávéri springs, has been named Brahmakshetra.

2. Of the second name two accounts are given. There is a mountain called Halfmoon in this country, the bard says. Near it there is a holy spring. In it Vishnu took the form of a fish and worshipped Shivą.