Page:Madras journal of literature and science 3rd series 1, July 1864.djvu/153

Rh was not then surrounded with an almost religious respect, as in the laws of Manu (xi, 59. 108) and the epics According to the tradition, the sacrifice of the cow (go-medha or goyajna) forbidden since the beginning of the Kaliyuga, the present era, had previously been in use.

N Friday the third Mágna Çuddha in the first year of the era of Çáliváhana, corresponding to the cycle year I′çvara, at Siṃhalagnam, when the moon had arrived at her twenty-sixth mansion called Uttarabhádrapada, Bhútáḷa Páṇḍyana, nephew of Devapáṇḍya, having been seated on the throne given by Devendra to Vikramáditya was installed at Vizayanagar as follows. Devapáṇḍya, a merchant of the Páṇḍya country, having caused new ships to be built and filled them with cargo worth millions of pagodas, was about to launch them into the sea, when a Çivagaṇa (an attendant of Çiva) called Kuṇḍodara, seeing the ships to be new ones, demanded a human sacrifice. On this, Devapáṇḍya went to his house, and consulted his wife as to which of (his) seven sons should be given in sacrifice. In the meantime, his wife took the said seven sons along with her and repaired to her parents' village. Then the said merchant Devapáṇḍya laid himself down in his house under deep sorrow and abstained from food and drink. In the meantime, his younger sister Satyavatí hearing the news, came down and spoke to her elder brother, and being informed of the circumstances, pacified him by saying "you should not care for this trifling matter. Do you give the boy Jayapáṇḍya, a son of mine, as a human sacrifice; now get up and take your meals, etc." She then gave her son Jayapáṇḍya and went to her husband's house. The said Jayapáṇḍya was the son of Vírapáṇḍya, king of that dominion, who was defeated by Chandrángadaráya; consequently at the time of the offer of the sacrifice, the said Kuṇḍodara who was the king of the demons, perceiving him (the boy Vírapáṇḍya) to be a mahápurusha (an eminent or miraculous person) refused to accept the sacrifice on account of the ships of Devapáṇḍya and being graciously pleased with the boy Jayapáṇḍya exclaimed thus.