At the time his skull burst, a mani, or jewel, came out of it. Only one person at a time is allowed to enter that Agama, lest, if more entered together, they should begin to discuss among themselves the size and shape of that jewel.

Narendradēva-barma had been placed on his brother's throne, and Punyadeva-barma, the son of Sivadēva-barmā by the wife whom he married after becoming a Bajrācharya, performed his father's funeral rites, and led the same life as his father.

28. His brother Narendradēva-barmā.

29. His son Bhimadĕva-barmā.

30.

His son Vishnudēva-barmā. 31. His son Viswadēva-barmā.

This Raja once said that the human sacrifice to Bachhla was a piece of cruelty, whereupon the Narasivā1 made a great noise. The Rājā went to see what was the matter, and the Nara-siva came to seize him. The Rājā, being pleased at this, gave him a large jāgīr (grant of land), which remains to the present day.

This Rājā made a large stone image of Vishnu on the northern side of the Bagmati and Vishnumati. In order to propitiate Jayabāgēswarī, who had come to Nepal from Mansarovara2, across the Sila river3, the Rājā erected an image of Nava-Durga and Kumārīs, and offered many sacrifices on the Chandi purnimā, or night of the full moon in Chait.

This Rajā had no male issue, so he gave his daughter in marriage to a Thākurī, or legitimate Rājpūt, named Ansu-barmā, and shortly afterwards he died.

1 Literally "man-jackal"; perhaps the sacrificing priest. The Pandit cannot explain this passage.

2 A lake in Tibet.

3 Another name for the Gandaki.

At this time Vikramājit, a very powerful monarch of Hindustan, became famous by giving a new Sambatasara, or era, to the world, which he effected by liquidating every debt existing at that time in his country. He came to Nepal to introduce his era here. While searching for a suitable place for his abode, he thought of a certain spot on the first range of mountains, where there still lived the descendants of the people of Dīpāvati, who came to Nepal in search of Rājā Sarbānand, who lived in the Dwapar Yuga. This Rājā had left his bihar in Dipavati, where he worshipped the image of Dipankar Buddh, who died in the Satya Yuga. The people in search of Sarbānand came to Nepāl, but hearing of the Raja's death, they halted at the first range of hills and lived there, worshipping an image of Dipankar, which they made exactly like one in Dīpāvati. Vikramājit, knowing these people to be descended from very ancient families, took up his abode with them. One day, while he was wandering alone on the mountains, meditating on a subject which preyed on his mind, viz., how he was to pay off the numerous debts of this country, Ganesha appeared to him, but only for a moment. The Raja took it as a lucky omen to have seen the form of Ganesha, who is the giver of riches. and success; and he became confident that he would now succeed, in his object. He therefore erected an image of Ganesha on the spot where he had seen the form, and having worshipped it, he went to Nepal, and after clearing off all the debts of the country he introduced his Sambat. From that day Ganesha came to be known as Sūrya-bināyaka1.

1 An image of Ganesha, with this name, stands opposite Bhatgaon, on the other side of the stream.

The Raja then, having received the permission of the gods and the people, went back to Ujjain, and having brought the god of three Shaktis, or attributes, named Harsiddhi, placed him near Nil-tārā. From this the village of Harsiddhi took its origin1. The Rājā then, under the direction of the goddess2, brought all the gods of Nepal to that place, with great ceremonies, and dramatic performances, and vocal and instrumental music. It is well known that there is no dramatic performance equal to that of Harsiddhi. The people, in gratitude to the Rājā for having paid off all the debts of the country, promised to continue the Harsiddhi performance. After this Rājā Vikramājit obtained salvation. Being a stranger, he left no son in Nepāl, so that Ansu-barma, who had married the daughter of Viswadeva-barma, and was about to ascend the throne when prevented by the descent of Vikramājit, now became king, (and thus began a new dynasty).

1 About halfway between Patan and Godāvarī.

2 Harsiddhi is a deity of both sexes.

CHAPTER III.

Vikramaditya's successor begins a new dynasty. The Sālivāhana era introduced into Nepal. Founding of Patan or Lalitpur. Legend of Machchhindra-natha. Revival of Hinduism under a supposed incarnation of Shankaracharya. Founding of Kantipur or Kāṭhmāndū. A Thākurī Rājā founds a new dynasty, known as the Vais Thakuri,

1. THE first Raja of the new dynasty was Ansubarmā.

He left the Durbar at Dēva Pātan, and removed to one which he had built, with many beautiful courtyards, in a place named Madhyalakhu1. He also caused his Kājis and ministers to be accommodated with houses in the same place. This Rājā was very strong-limbed and restless, and people feared his power. He once went to Prayaga Tirtha (the junction of the Ganges, Jamnā, and Saraswati, at Allahabad), and persuaded Prayaga-Bhairava to accompany him to Nepal. He placed him near his Durbar, and to propitiate him established a [Mānsāhuti-yagya2, to be performed every

year. The image of this Bhairava is still in exist- chick where

ence.

Down to the reign of this monarch the gods showed themselves plainly in corporeal form, but after his time they became invisible. A slōk in the Bhabishya Purāna

1 Some ruins on the road south of Deva Pātan.

2 A hōm, in which there is a burnt-offering of flesh instead of rice, flowers, etc.

says: "Ten thousand years Vishnu will reside on the earth; the Ganges half of that time; and Grāma dēvatās (local deities) the half of that." Nepāl, however, being the city of the gods, the deities consented to remain there three hundred years longer than the time thus fixed.

In the reign of this Rājā, a certain Bibhu-barmā Rājbansi, or descendant of a Rājā, having consecrated a Buddha, built an aqueduct with seven dhārās or spouts, and wrote the following slōk on the right-hand side of one of the dhārās : "By the kindness of Ansu-barmā, this aqueduct has been built by Bibhu-barmā, to augment the merits of his father1."

In this reign three thousand years of the Kali Yuga had passed away.

2. His son Krit-barmā.

This Rājā, having heard that the era of Salivahana was in use in other countries, introduced it also into Nepal. Some people, however, in gratitude to Vikramājit, who introduced his era by paying off all the debts of the country, were averse to giving up the use of that era. Hence some continued to use Vikramājit's Sambat, and others, out of deference to the Raja's wishes, used the Salivāhana Sāka.

5. His son Bir-dēva.

In his reign there lived an ugly grass-cutter, who used every day to cut grass in Lalitban2, sell it in

1 This dhārā still exists on the left-hand side of the road leading southwards from the Räni-pokhri.

2 A place in Patan, where the temple of Kumbheswara now stands, near the bank of the Bagmati.