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210
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[SEPTEMBER, 1915
[This fable puts one in mind of the ill-advised.contest of Marsyas with Apollo, which ended so fatally for the finder of Athena's flute. At the end of the contest, Marsyas was flayed alive by Apollo. The mutilation of Siddhan's body is evidently an Egyptian touch.)
Varaguna-Pandya unwittingly caused a case of manslaughter. On one occasion, returning from the chase, he let his horse go at full gallop in the dark. Brahman youth happened to lie sleeping in the wilderness at the foot of a tree. How he came to be there and to make that place his dormitory has not been explained. The horse lighted on his body, and continued his gallop. The king did not notice it, but the man died instantaneously. When this came to be known, the king was sorely grieved, and did his best to make amende for it so far as money would go. But that would not go a long way. To purge himself from the sin he spent much of his time in prayer and penance. He observed many fasts, made several largesses and went through diverse religious ceremonies. But the Furies laid hold of him and the brahmahatya tormented him. He appealed to his godthe god of Madura--for relief, who assured him that he would be rid of his trouble on a future day, when, in the pursuit of his hereditary foe, the Chola, he should enter Thiruvidai. maruthur and worship the god in the temple there. The speciality of the god there was that he worshipped himself. Thiruvidaimaruthur is a celebrated place of Siva worship in the Tanjore district. What had been foretold came to pass in due course of time. The Påndya entered the temple through the eastern gate. As he went in, he felt that the Furies. left him. He duly worshipped the god in the temple. When the service was ended, the god vouchsafed to caution him against returning through the eastern gate; for, at the portals there, the Furies were waiting for his return. The king profited by the advice and passed out at the western gate. He stayed some days at Thiruvidaimaruthur, spending his time in the worship of the god. He built the great western tower and made other consider. able benefactions to the temple. He took leave of the god of Thiruvidaimaruthur and returned to Madura, where he at once reported himself to his own god.
The deity was much pleased with the king's devotion and wished to know what he could do for the Pandyan. The latter submitted that he would esteem it as the greatest blessing of his life if he were privileged to see face to face the author of evolution holding his Court in Siva-lokai. The god was pleased to grant the boon. He commissioned his usher, the bull Nandi, to conjure up a vision of Siva-lokan for the benefit of the king and to show him all the wonderful sights of that world. Accordingly, all in a moment, the whole of Siva-lokai was unfolded to the eyes of the wondering Påndyan. The Apis' acted as his cicerone.
He saw thore groups of the blessed, drinking ambrosia and taking their ease in flowery arbours and in the cool shades of nectar-dripping trees. He saw there rivers of gold and meadows of emerald. He saw the palaces of the several greater and lessor gods: the mansions of the Dikpalas, the seats of Brahma, Vishộu and Rudra : and several other things not avail. able for mortal eyes to behold. Above all, he saw his chosen god enthroned in a central position with his partner by his side and waited on by all the gods, angels, Rishis and the hosts. He was almost entirely lost in bliss. It was too much for nuortal nerves. The bull perceived this and the vision disappeared. Varagapa-Pandya found himself again in the temple sanctum in the presence of his god.
The temple at Thiruvidaimaruthur is the Inferum. It is the seat of Osiris. The Påndy who had sinned had to pass through this toalm and atone for the manslanghter before he could be admitted to grace and the regions of light.
