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JULY 5, 1872.1
GANJAM INSCRIPTION.
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death had come, and a great storm of thunder and many years had no son, till at last his wife planted lightning and rain arose, but the sages were sit- a pomegranate tree, which grew and grew till ting on the prince's body, and concealed the whole of at last it bore fruit, of which the queen ate and it, so that the lightning could not touch it. The became pregnant, and in ten months she bore a son. creator was exceedingly disturbed at this, and went to When the king saw him, he named hin. Dalim (i. e. the sages, and told them to let the prince go. They pomegranate), and he was so rejoiced at having a asked why they should do so ? and he told them that son after so many years waiting, that he ordered all the prince was fated to die by lightning, and the his musicians and cyınbal-players to play. When hour of his death had come, but they replied that the child had eaten his first rice, and his ears had they would not let him go, as they had granted him been bored, and he was grown up, his father gave the boon of immortality. The creator was speech- him in marriage, but in a short time he died. After less at first, and then said, "You have spoiled every- his death his mother would not allow his body to be thing, how can Brahma exist if you act in this way?" burned, but built a house and there deposited it, and They answered that they wouid never allow the every day canne weeping to see it. In a few days prince's life to be taken whatever might happen. Bome Apsarases came from heaven and placed a silver The creator said, "If you will not allow his life to wand and a golden wand near Prince Dali's pillow. be taken, at all events let one finger of his left hand The next day they came again and touched his face remain unprotected, so that the lightning may with the golden wand, and he came to life. Then strike it, and he shall not die but merely become un- all the Apsarases came from heaven, and gave him conscious for a little tiine." The sages agreed to sweetments to eat, and when he had eaten they went do so, and put out the little finger of his left hand, back to heaven again; but before they departed they and the lightning struck it, and he became senseless, touched his face with the silver wand, and he again but recovered in a short time, and rose up and became dead. In this way a long time passed till saluted all the saints and sages. He then mounted one day his wife came to see him and happened to his horse and rode back to his wife. She asked touch his face with the golden wand, he instantly him where he had been, and wished to hear the story | came to life, and said, "who are you, and why have of his adventures which he had promised to tell her you come here ? the Apsarases will kill you when the night they were married. He told her every- they come." His wife told hiin who she was, and thing, and early the next morning went to her asked him how it was that he was restored to life. father's court, and related his whole history. The So he told her all about it, and they passed some king was excessively surprised and pleased when he time talking together. Some months after this his heard it, and sent his daughter and son in-law with wife bore a son, and then she went to her husband, a great many attendants to their own country. When and onquired how she could restore him to life. the prince reached home he told his father all that King Dalim told her that she must invite all the had befallen him, and the king was very glad to Apsarases to see the child eat his first rice, and when Aee his son's face again after so long an absence, so she had saluted them they would say, "Act like he'gave hit the management of the kingdom, and Savitri," and then she must say, "I have no hushimself lived at ease for the rest of his life.
band, you must give me one," and if she did this,
the Apsarases would tell her how to bring him to life. THE FIFTH STORY.
His wife did as he told her, and obtained her husKing Dalim and the Apsarases. band again, and they lived happily for the rest of There was once a king who was inarried but for their lives.
ROCK INSCRIPTION IN GANJAM DISTRICT. (Abridged from the Proceedings of the Madras Government, 22nd Feb. 1872.) We have been favoured with a report by Mr. W. covered with jungle shrubs. A little removed from F. Grahame, Principal Assistant to the Collector of the centre, towards the east, rises the group of graGanjam, on soine ancient inscriptions at Jogada nitic gneiss rock, on the face of which, at a considerNaugam in the Ganjam district.
able height from the ground, are three smoothed The site of rock is north latitude 19° 13' 15", cast tablets filled with inscripcions. Numerous coins have longitude 81° 53 55", on the north bank of Rishi- been found in the place from time to time, kulya river, 3 miles 1,200 yards, to the west of Pur- Mr. Grahame reports :- The rock is part of a large shotapuram, the Kasba town of Pubakonda, and close mass of rock or rocks, rising to varions heights, and to the modern village of Pendya. It is situated in covering a large space of ground, I should say what appears to have once been an extensive but many thousand square yards. It is inside the enclonow deserted town, surrounded by the debris of a sure which is called the " lac fort," and if the latter lofty wall. The remains of the ramparts can be traced was really a fortification, must have been of consiround the whole enciente, forming a square with two derable use as a watch-tower. Mr. Minchin and I Kateways in each face. The line of ramparts is now could not climb up to the highest point of the rocks,
