Page:The Indian Antiquary Vol 2.djvu/305

 September, 1873.] MISCELLANEA. 271 the great friendship of those who love with deceit, making a pretence of stedfast attachment bnt not loving with the heart, will only afflict the mind. 9. Like as when the glittering spear that he cast is caught by his enemy’s hand, the thief’s courage is destroyed, so since the gains of sin follow after and destroy the acquirer of these gains in two births, it is good to leave the ignorant altogether. 10. Wilt thou not cease to long for a family ? How long wilt thou live in sorrow saying, It is for children ? O my heart! there is no advantage that accrues to the soul except the good thou doest, though it be but little.— (To be continued.) BENGALI FOLKLORE—LEGENDS FROM DINAJPUR * BY G. H. DAM ANT, The two Ganja-eaters. Whilst a ganja-eater was catching fish on the bank of a river, a man from another country came and asked which was the road and what was his name; he replied that his name was “ eater of six maunds of ganja.” The stranger, hearing this, said, “ Have you become so intoxicated after eating only six maunds of ganja ? You do not deserve the name of ganja-eater. There is a man in my country who can eat nine maunds without feeling in the least distressed or intoxicated, and can walk by himself afterwards.” The ganja-eater, hearing that, said he would go to that country and fight with the man, bo he tied six maunds of ganja in his handkerchief and went on his way till he came to a pond, where he ate his six maunds of ganja, and then, feeling thirsty, went down to the water and began to drink till he had drunk the pond dry, and still had not quenched his thirst, so he lay down on the bank and went to sleep. A r&ja’s elephant used to drink at that pond, and it happened that his mahaut brought him that day, but when he came he found no water in the pond, and nothing but a man lying on the bank. The mahaut made the elephant pick him up, but could not bring him to his senses, so he took his elephant and went away. After a short time the ganja-eater came to his senses, and, feeling himself free from all uneasiness, determined to leave that place and go to the house of the nine maunds ganja-eater. So he went along inquiring the way, and at last arrived at the house , B.C.S., RANGPUR. and called .out, “ Brother nine maunds ganja- eater, are you at home P” His wife said he was not at home, and had gone to cut sugarcane. The man inquired whether he would return soon, and she said, “ Yes, he will return immediately, his din¬ ner is ready waiting;” but he said “ I cannot bear to stop any longer; I will go and fight him: show mo the road.” So she came out and told him which road to take, and he soon arrived at the place and called out, “ Brother nine maunds ganja-eater, come, I will fight you.” He said “For seven days I have eaten nothing, how can I fight P” The six maunds ganja-eater replied, “I have eaten nothing for nine days.” The other said, “ No one will see us if we fight here; come to my country and I will fight you, and every one will be able to see who loses and who wins.” With these words he put all the sugarcane on his head which he had cut for the last seven days, and they went away together. As they went along the road they met a fishwoman who was taking some fish to Bell at the market; they called to her and told her to stop and look on while they fought. She said she was already late for the market, but they could fight on her arm and she would see them. So they rose up and began to fight, and while they were fighting a kite came by and took away the ganja-eaters, fish and all. Now it happened that just at that time a r&ja’s daughter had gone out for a walk, and, a storm arising, they were thrown down in front of her, and she, thinking they were bits of straw which had been carried up by the storm, had them swept away. MISCELLANEA. THE CHERA DYNASTY. At a meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society held June 16, Mr. J. Eggoling, the Secretary, read some notes “ On Southern Indian Inscriptions.” Another volume of impressions had lately been placed at his disposal by Sir W. Elliot. Among the grants hitherto examined was a very important one relat¬ ing to the Chera or Konga dynasty. The last of tho Cheras, is in the Kongadeia RdjdkaZ, said to have made a grant of land in &aka 816 (aj). 894), whilst another grant is mentioned under tho fifth king, dated Saka 4 (a.d. 82). This would give an average of nearly thirty-four years for each of the last twenty-four kings of the Cheras. Prof. Dowson did not feel justified to accept so high an average, but, doubting the existence or genuineness of those grants, he allowed an average of eighteen years to each king, and thus arrived at a.d. 396 as the
 * Continued from toI. I. p. 345.