________________
274
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1896.
Next day the oxen were found tied up in the same place as before. The villagers and the Balla! met together, and Kanto the Pombada said: “I can dress and personate the Bhúta and take the rice, but as no feast has ever been performed for that Bhůta, how am I to tell you his origin and his history ?"
"If you do not know, we will tell you," said Karenki the Ballâl of Kukyâli.
So Kântu dressed and personated the Bhůta, but said he did not know how to make up the Bhúta's face."
"If you do not know how to make up the Bhůta's face, you had better take a look at my pig's face and make yours up like that," said the Balla!.
So Kaņķu looked at the pig's face and made himself up like that.
"If you do not know the history of the Bhůta, there is my squirrel, ask it, and him," said the Balla!.
The squirrel sung and Kanta learnt its song and sang like it. Thus was the feast and sacrifice performed, and the Bhata possessed Kantu.
"There are many great people in the Eastern Countries. I will go to them and get a feast and sacrifice," said the Bhúta.
"You get only a vow from the poor, but a feast and sacrifice from the rich," said the Balla!. "If you go to a forest you will be called a pig, but be a Bhuta, that is, the master of a thousand people. Isvara has given you authority to kill a man, who was to have lived twelve years more, if he had not disregarded you ! So great a Bhůta are you."
"I go to the Eastern countries," said the Bhůta.
He went to the temple of Venketa Ramana at Tirupati, where he did not cease to canse the Garada Váhaņa to turn round.
"What is the matter?" asked the god.
Then & man became possessed, and said "I am a servant of Narayana, and I came here to get a feast and a sacrifice."
Then Venkata Rånaņa saw the Bhúta, and came to know that he was a servant of Nárayaņa.
"You shall be called Kala Bhairava or Nija Kanta, and sit on my right in the middle of the hill, so take & vow before me," said the god.
A building was made there, and the Bhúta was called Kala Bhairava or Nija Kâņķa, and got a feast and sacrifice,
"I want to go to the superior gods, and get blessings from them," said the Bhúta. "I go to Darmasthala."
He went there and blinded the Bhatta who carried about the god, and so a panchayat was called by the villagers and Hobalis, and a man became possessed.
"What is it?" asked they of him.
He said :-“This Bhůta is a servant of Narayana. He stood at the right side of Venkata Råmaņa at Tirupati, took vows before the god, and was called Kala Bhairava, and he asked the god what he would give him, and the god asked him what he wanted. And so he replied: a place on his right side from the upper part of the Ghâts to the lower countries, so that he might make the people fill bis treasury.'
"How are a feast and sacrifice to be performed for you ?" asked the god.
“My name shall be Annappe, and a feast and sacrifice shall be performed for me after your feast," said he.
