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LEGENDS AND NOTES ON CUSTOMS.
JUNE, 1876.]
played with ball. When they saw his glorious form they ran at him as owls at the sun. They who had mounted horses, elephants and chariots, and the foot-soldiers and princes who had escaped with their lives, whilst encouraging one another, fell to the ground under the lashes of the whip in his hand, which was formed of the damp garment, just as doves fall under the strokes of a falcon. The lords of the earth, who were masters (guru) in the art of archery, stood with bows bent and arrows put on, and had bodies like Cupid, seeing how he threw down, remained himself unhurt, and destroyed the wicked people,§ how he showed a glorious and terrible fortitude, how his whole body, like that of virâgins, had a dark-red lustre, and how
LEGENDS AND NOTES ON CUSTOMS. BY THE REV. JOHN CAIN, DUMAGUDEM.
Legend of Kukkakakáni, Krishna District, S. I.
In the village of Kukkakâ kâni, which is situated between Gantur and Mangalagiri, in the southern part of the Krishna District, is a stone very rudely carved. The top part of the stone is broken off, but any one can see at a glance that the figures cut on the stone were a horseman and two dogs pursuing what seems to be a pig. There is an interesting legend connected with this stone and the village, which, as told at the village itself, is as follows:--
Some two hundred years ago a man went to the village of Kondapalli to borrow some money from a merchant residing there. He promised to repay the money within two or three months. The merchant, however, naturally asked for some better security than his bare word, and to his great astonishment the borrower proposed to leave his favourite hound in pawn. To assure the merchant that the security was good, he turned to the dog and gave it several orders, which were instantly executed. Looking at the dog he then said, "Now I have put you in pawn for two months, and you are not to return till the money is paid; so go now and sit down by the merchant." Fully understanding all that was said, the dog immediately left his master and took up his station by the side of the merchant. The latter, now fully trusting the applicant for money, paid it over at once, and the
§ C. the army of the Pandavan vaya. C. Liñgavantas.
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the ends of the bundle which contained the washed clothes of the Bhûrudras were tied round his shoulders, became afraid indeed, and all who were assembled there did homage to the sword-bearer, with his pair of arms and thighs that belonged to a body which consisted of an essence glittering like poison, to the figure which was purified through Indra's hymns of praise. And the gods (sura) praised him who was endless, without a second, an undivided form (akhandamúrti),** had red hairs as the sun drawn by seven horses, resembled Somakalâdhara (Siva), bore an umbrella (-like bundle of clothes on his shoulders which was white) as the moon, and was Svayambhu himself.
dog remained with him. Before the two months had elapsed, one night the merchant's house was plundered excepting the room where the dog was tied up. In the morning when the merchant arose he discovered his loss, but going to the dog he unloosed him, and saw to his astonishment the dog set off as if following the scent of the rogues. Thinking that he could not do better than follow the dog, he likewise set off in pursuit, and at last, searching carefully the place where the dog came to a stand-still, he found all his property carefully concealed. On returning home he called the dog, and having written a note saying that he considered that the dog's intelligence and faithfulness had fully cleared off the debt, he tied the note to the animal's neck and sent him off to his master. The latter happened to have been able to procure a sum of money, and was on his way to redeem his favourite, when he met him on the road. Angry at what he thought a breach of honour on the part of the dog, he hastily raised his spear and killed him on the spot. He had no sooner done this than he spied the note, and on opening and reading it he discovered the terrible mistake he had been guilty of. Deep remorse now filled his mind, and turning round he slew his horse and then himself. A very short time after this a muni who was living near happened to come by, and saw the corpses, the money, and the note.
TC.: had the ekavratanishtha of being a givabhakta kulaja. **C. had a shoḍaśavarshapriya.
