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JUNE, 1891.]
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him repeatedly, which his physicians were unable to subdue; whereon he gave away as alms one ldlch and twenty-five thousand 'Srinagari rupees, a jágér with a revenue of Rs. 10,000, as well as beautiful gardens, fleet horses, mountain-like elephants, jewellery, and costly garments. He expired on the 20th of the month Sâwan in St. 1914,11 regretted and lamented by all.
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA.
BY PANDIT NATESA SASTKI, M.F.L.S. No. 36. - The Wise Men of Panganûr ; the Madrasi Gotham.1 A generation or two before Mahamudha, there lived in the kingdom of Punganar a king named Nirbuddhi ('the witless'). Beyond eating, sleeping, and hunting wild beasts, he knew of no pleasures. He was extremely weak in intellect, and as usual was surrounded by equally stupid ministers. Stupidity was the sole possession of His Majesty and the officers of his court; stubbornness and ready execution of orders, their rule of life, and as to knowledge of any thing but what came before their eyes, they had none. One virtue of Nirbuddhi's court was - if it may be termed a virtue that, whatever the sovereign commanded, the court was ready to obey, and that too at the cost of life!
It is the custom at courts, in villages, and at bathing ghats in India, for a Brâhman to read out of a palm-leaf book, generally called the panchang, the asterism, lunar date, &c., of each day, so that people may know them and be careful to perform the prescribed rites so essential for a Brâhman and others of the twice-born caste. In accordance with this rule, a poor Brâhman of Punganûr used to proceed to the palace and read out the particnlars of each day from the panchdng. This he did of hereditary right, as his father and grandfather had done before him, and so there was nothing unusual about it.
On a certain day, just as the king had got out of his bed and sat outside his palace on a cot with a big vessel full of water to wash his face and teeth in, the pañchúng-reading Brahman appeared at his regular morning duty, and read out from a palm-leaf book which he carried under his left arm, thus:
"! This day is Sunday, the fifteenth day of the month of Magha in the year Khara. The lanar day (tithi) to-day is Ekadasi. Ekadast lasts up to the eleventh ghatika. Then Ekadasi goes out, and Dvadasi comes in. The rdhukála (evil time) to-day is at twenty-six and & quarter ghafikas. May there be prosperity to all!"
Having thus read out, the Brahmaņ was slowly closing his oblong book with a stealtby look at His Majesty's face to see how Nirbuddhi appreciated his remarks. But the storm had already began. The royal face changed colour,
"Stop, you mischievous Brahman!" he said.
The unfolded book dropped down, and the timid creature stood shivering with fear and confusion.
“What is the meaning of this stuff that you are daily muttering? You cannot deceive me as you deceive the public, by the holy ashes so profusely smeared over you and your rudraksha beads. You come to my court daily in the morning and mutter that Dvitî ya goes out, Tritiya comes in ; Ekadasit goes out, Dvadasit comes in ; and so on, and so on. I understand! Some one goes out daily and some one comes in without my knowledge; I do not like such a state of affairs in my kingdom. 80 I now order that ceither shall Ekadasi go out, nor shall Dvadasi come in. Will you see to it or not P” roared out the king.
11 A. D. 1857.
1 Relnted by a friend from North-Arcot who had spent a great part of his life at Panganur in the North-Arcot District, . See Tale No. 35, ante, Vol. XX. p. 78.
The eleventh day of a lunar fortnight. • The 2nd, 3rd, 11th and 12th days of a lanar fortnight.
