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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
the father to their own retreat at Nârvê. The enchanted young man one day asked his enchanters the object which prompted their unusual attentions. They gave him highly beguiling pictures of the wealth and beauty of their own country, and invited him to go with them to enjoy the same. The young Rishi was completely overcome by the artifices of these deluders, and consented. Taking advantage of the father's absence at the river-side, the dancinggirls took Rishya Sringa with them and started for Angadêéa. In the mean time the longwithheld rains descended upon that country, and there was soon joy, plenty, and prosperity in it. Rômapâda took a large retinue about halfway and met Rishya Śriñga, and conducted him to his capital, where every honour and worship was paid to him. Some time after, the Maharaja praising the Rishi very much, offered to give him his daughter, Sântâdêvî, in marriage, and the offer was accepted. The wedding came off with due pomp and éclat, and the happy bridegroom dwelt for some time in the country of his adoption.
About this period, Dasaratha, king of Ayodhya, was in deep distress from the absence of an heir to his throne. Nârada paid him a visit, and, divining the cause of his host's dejection, advised him to invite to his court the Muni Rishya Sringa, who would bring about the realization of his wishes. Dasaratha did accordingly, and Rishya Sringa conducted a yajna (sacrifice) called Putra Kameshti in which the god Agni came out of the sacrificial fire, and handing a cup of Paramánna (Páyasa), told the Râja to distri bute its contents among his wives, whereby he would get four sons, named Râma, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Satrughna.† The god thereupon vanished out of sight. Dasaratha followed the directions of Agni, whose prophecy was duly fulfilled. Rishya Śringa soon after returned to his father's old Âérama, but did not find him there. His father's disappearance afflicted him very much, whereupon Vibhânḍaka emerged from the Linga of Malahânîsvara. The son was overjoyed, paid him due reverence, and asked him where he could best conduct tapas. Vibhânḍaka referred him, however, to Maha Vishnu, who was living in the Sahyadri hills. Rishya Śringa was accordingly proceeding in that direction, when
[MAY, 1873.
he was benighted on the bank of a stream near Nirmalâpura (modern Nemmår.) He stopped there to perform his evening religious rites, when a Rakshasa named Vyâghra (tiger) rushed upon him with the object of swallowing him up. The holy man thereupon threw a drop of water upon the Rakshasa from the nail of his little finger, and instantly the demon quitted the body of the tiger, and begged the Rishi to tell him what he should do. Rishya Sringa directed him to go to Sarvesvara (a Lingam so called), and by doing so the quondam tiger attained moksha (salvation).
'Next day Rishya Śriñga proceeded to the Sahyâdri, and performed tapas there for seven years in honour of Maha Vishnu. That god told him to go to an incarnation of Śiva, called Chandra Śêkhara, at the foot of the Sahyadri mountain, The Rishi went to the spot indicated, and peered at it through the darkness with half-closed eyes. Hence the place is called Kigga, from Kigganņu, the half-open eye. The Rishi again per. formed tapus, and Chandra Sekhara appeared before him and asked what he wanted. Rishya Śringa begged that Paramêévara would absorb himself within his (Rishya Sringa's) soul. Accordingly Parameśvara became one with Rishya Śringa, whose name also became celebrated in the world.'
The Ramayana says-beneath wide-spreading creepers and climbing plants, and in their boats. See Wheeler,
Although this spot is not exactly on the bank of the Tungabhadrâ, still the Parâņas say so, as the rivers Nandini and Nalini flow respectively from the left and right of it, and join the Tuñgabhadra at Nemmår.
It will be perceived from the foregoing that the interested Brâhmans have woven a marvellous story, however preposterous, round a plain natural fact. This legend has been extracted from the Skánda Purána. A portion of the same is related, in somewhat different language, in the Mahabharata Aranyaparva, (Adhyâyâs 110 to 113.) Also in the Rámáyana Bálakánda (chapters 9 to 17).
On the back part of many temples of note there are at present well cut representations in relief of the manner in which the privileged Rishya Sringa was conveyed from the quiet of his father's hermitage by the creatures who were sent on the mission by Romapâda. The accompanying cat is a copy of the one in the temple
Hist. of India, Vol. II. pp. 12, 18.-ED.
+ Conf. Wheeler, Hist. Ind. Vol. II. pp. 21, 22.-ED,
