Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/190

Rh Manimêkalai awoke in the island of Mani-pallavam, and was astonished to find herself alone on a strange seashore. The sun was rising above the broad blue sea, spreading its countless rays. The rippling sea-waves threw up on the sandy beach pearl-chanks and pieces of coral: and close by were deep pools, on the margin of which bloomed the lily and the violet. She wondered whether it was a part of Uva-vanam or whether Sutamati had deceived her and brought her to a strange place. She called out “Sutamati! Sutamati! come to me! answer me wherever you are!” But no answer came. No house or human being was seen. As she walked over the hillocks of sand, she found only troops of swans, cranes and sea-ducks swarming on the marshes, and standing in long rows, like opposing armies arrayed on a battle field. Frightened at the thought that she had been abandoned on a lonely island, she burst into tears; but as she walked on, along the sea-shore bemoaning her helpless condition, she saw a sacred seat of Buddha built of polished crystal.

The young maiden was beside herself with joy at the sight of the sacred seat. With joined hands raised above her head and tears of ecstasy rolling down her cheeks, she walked round the seat thrice, and prostrated herself in front of it. When she stood up again strange memories of her former birth seemed to flash upon her mind, and she spoke as follows :—

“Thou venerable sage Brahma-dharma! who could foretell coming events, I realise to-day that what thou predicted on the banks of the river Kâyankarai, has come to pass. Thou warned thy brother Attipati, king of Pûrvadesam in the Gândhâra country, that on the seventh day, a frightful earthquake will destroy his capital city Idavayam, and that it should therefore be vacated. The king proclaimed the impending catastrophe to his subjects, and ordered them to quit the city in all haste, with their cattle, and be too left his palace and encamped with the whole of his army, in a grove near the banks of the river Kâyankãrai, on the road to Vasanti, north of his capital. On the day mentioned by you, the city was destroyed by an earthquake as foretold, and when the grateful sovereign and his subjects crowded at thy feet and praised thee, thou preached the Law to them. I was then born as