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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER 1896.
heard of the slaughter of his men with sorrow, and determined to destroy the kingdom of the Balla! of Edambûr, especially the heroes, Koți and Channayya. So he allied himself with the Ballal of Parimale, and declared war against the Ballal of Edambur. At this, the latter being filled with fear sonrched for the heroes, Koti and Channayya, and told them that on account of his giving them shelter, two powerful Ballâls had become his enemies and declared war against him. Then the heroes told him to take courage, and not in the least to be afraid of his enemies. Then the Balli asked them to shew him their skill and bravery.
At this Koti said :-"Bring me a mura of gingelly seed, and I will shew my skill."
So the seed was bronght, and Koți shewed all the dexterity of his hands and caused the seed to fly in the air.
Then the Balla! said: "I have seen your skill; now I want to see the skill of your brother Channayya."
"O my lord," said Channayya," your swinging-cot has four iron chains, please order one of such chains to be brought to me.”
So a very heavy iron chain was brought and given to Channayya. He took it in his hand and broke it into pieces.
So the Ballal, sceing this skill, and the strength and bravery of these heroes, was highly pleased with them, and prepared for battle. Eight hundred men with bows and arrows were ready for battle. Each of the brothers commanded four hundred men, and went to face the enemy. The Ballals of Parimile and Pañje each sent one thousand men with bows and arrows. Both these armies met in a plain, and the fight began in earnest. At first the men commanded by the brothers began to give way, but were encouraged again (by the brothers) to stand firm After some time the men of Pažje and Parimale felt the battle to be hot against them. The Inothers shewed so much courage and skill that the enemy could not long stand against them ; so they fled for their lives, and were pursued by the men of Edambûr, and a great number of them were killed. When the battle was the hottest an arrow hit Koti in the lower part of his leg. As it was a poisoned arrow, it slowly took effect and Koţi fell down while pursuing the enemy. At once he was carried in a palanquin to the Balla!'s hall, and there he expired. Channayya slaughtered the whole army of the enemy, and while returning to the Balla!'s hall he heard of the death of his brother. As he had been elated with pride and joy oa account of the victory against the enemy, this shock was too much for him to bear. So, seeing & rock in the way he struck his head against it and killed himself. The Balla!, instead of rejoicing at the victory gained by the brothers against the enemy, was filled with grief on hearing the news of their death. So he caused their bodies to be washed and annointed ; mango and jack fruits were ent down and firewood was prepared, and a large funeral pile was made, and the bodies were placed upon the pilo and burnt with all the usual ceremonies. So the brothers who were together in life were together in death also.
Therefore the people, and especially the Billavars, believe that these heroes are still powerful in the other world, and worship them.
(To be continued.)
NOTES AND QUERIES. THE SIGNS OF A SACRED BULLOCK. excommunicated by his brethren. An animal HINDU Rajputs in Gurgaon shew me a bullock with such a mark is called nddiya (=nandi: see with a small fleshy growth in the corner of his Fallon, New Hind. Dict., . v.), which is the name eye, which they call a "tongue" (jibh), and tell of the ball that carries Siva, and must be given me that a bullock with such a growth in his eye to a Jôgi, who puts trappings and strings of or elsewhere -- €9, on his head or his back kaurfs (shell money, Cypræa moneta) on him, and must not be yoked by any Hinda, or he will be takes him about on his begging expeditions to
