May, 1873.]

MENHIRS OF MAISUR.

Vijaya or 1636 and reigned for thirteen years. He also visited Belligola, and after causing ‘Masta kābhishika' and worship to be performed to the deity, and effecting repairs, granted the village of Kabbal in addition to Madane, and that of

1,000 pagodas, and appointed Chârukirtipan ditāchārya to the management of the temple affairs. On the accession of Chamarāja of

Chikkanahalli in the year Viródhikrit or 1654, he ruled only for three years. After him Imādi krishna Rāja Vadiyar succeeded in the year Ananda or 1658, and during the 30 years of his reign he continued the charity granted by his predecessors, viz. land of 1,000 pagodas and the two villages Madane and Kabbal; he died in the year Vijaya or 1688. His successor was Bettada

133

Châmarāja Vadiyar, during whose reign Haidar acquired influence, and the charity was con tinued as before, viz. 1,000 pagodas land and the two villages to the math. In the year Visvå vasu, 1708, Tipu attached all ‘Devādāyās' and ‘Brahmadāyās, i.e. inäms granted to tem ples and Brahmans, which included the lands and villages granted to this temple: then the English under General Wellesley and Kūlis cap

tured Srirangapatam on the 30th or new-moon day of Chaitra Bahulā of the year Siddhārti 1721, and restored Maisur to His Highness the Mahā rāja Krishna Vadiyar" on Sunday the 13th of Jeshta Bahulā of the year Siddhārti, and ap pointed Purnia as Divān, and they remained

in Srirangapatam.”

LEGEND OF THE MENHIRS OF MAISUR. BY V. N. NARASIMMIYENGAR, BANGALUR.

Under this head Captain J. S. F. Mackenzie mentions the Vyāsana Tolu stones (Vyāsa's arm) at page 49 of the Indian Antiquary Vol. II.

I have met with several of these stones

standing isolated near the town of Anantapúr in the Nagar Division. Indeed the locality bristles with interesting archaeological remains. In the

as uncompromising foes of the Vaishnavas. It is exactly like the legend in which one of the Chºla or Pandya kings, noted for his bigotry, is said to have coerced a Vaishnava sage into sign

ing a declaration admitting Siva's supremacy in the world of the gods. The declaration was in this form :—

daily round of Vaishnavā religious rites, a Śloka

Sivāt parataram násti:

is repeated commemorating the incident to the truth of which these imperishable stone monu ments bear testimony. It runs as follows:– Satyam Satyam Punas Satyam, Udhdhritya bhujamuchyaté. Vēdà chehåstram param násti, Nadaivam kééavăt param. “It is declared (by Vyāsa) with arm aloft

There is none above Siva.

The equally stubborn Vaishnavā, notwith standing the horrible penalty which hung over him like the sword of Damocles, viz. deprivation of sight, ventured to add to the declaration the line—

Dröna masti tatah param, The measure Dröna is larger than that

called Śiva,

that there is no other śastra but the Veda, and

no god but Keśava (Vishnu). This is the truth over and over again.” The legend concerning Vyāsa losing his arm for his stedfast belief, and his alleged recanta tion, seems to have been engrafted upon the original story, by the Lingayats, who are known

• With the

º given, compare

Buchauan, Mysore, vol. I

The allusion being a play upon the word

Sivam, which means a small measure. These legends may be accepted for what they are worth as indicating the bitter hostility be

tween the rival sects of Saivās and Vaish navās.

the list in Prinsep, Useful Tables (Thomas's ed.) pp. 281-2; see also

. . p. 408, et passim.—ED. .