bulent, that no one would venture to pass that way. The Rājā, therefore, in order to put a stop to this trouble, caused an emblem of Siva to be placed there by venerable pandits. This emblem, having been erected for the Santi, or peace, of the Brahma-pisachas, was called Santēswara. It is also called Nandikeswara1, from its having been erected by a Brāhman of Bisāl-nagara, named Nandi, who himself after death was deified as Moptā-dēva or Bhātbhatyāni. This Rājā, to establish peace on a more secure footing, instituted the custom of a yearly jātrā of the Navasagara Bhagavati of Bisal-nagara, on the anniversary of the Pretachaturdasi. The original image of this Devi, made by Viswa-karmā, was so frightful, that no one would pass that way. The people therefore buried it, and covered the place with stones. After the seven hundred Brahmans had been massacred, the rest left Bisal-nagara, and went to live at Dēva-pātan, where they built a house having seven courts. The dynasty of the Vais Thakurīs of Noākōt ends here. A descendant of a collateral branch of the solar race of the former Rājā Ansu-barmā, by name Bāma-dēva, having gained over the nobles of Lalitapur and Kantipur, succeeded in expelling the Vais Thākurī Rājās, and made himself king. 1 A large temple on the north side of the Pashupati road. CHAPTER IV. A new Rajput dynasty. Founding of Kirtipur and of Bhaktapur or Bhatgaon. Introduction of the Nepal era, and legends connected with it. Arrival of Newars in the country under Räjä Nänya-dēva from the south Karnataka, who expelled the Malla Rājās and founded a fresh dynasty. Legend of Keschandra. Nepal invaded from the west by Mukunda-sēna. The Khas and Magar castes enter the country. Pestilence, and destruction of the invaders. The Vais Thakurīs of Noākōt again seize the throne, and hold the country for 225 years. Country invaded by Hari-sinha-deva of Ayodhya, who founded a dynasty. Legends connected with his conquest of the country. Turjā Dēvi. Invasion by and defeat of the Bhotiyas. Legend of the Baid and Karkōtak Nāg. This Rajā founded a town near Kantipur and Lalitpātan, at the south-west corner of the valley, near the hills. On account of the great kirti (celebrity) attached to this place, from a cow belonging to it having been the means of discovering Pashupati-natha, it was named Kirtipur. The children of the cowherds of this town used to go to the forests to feed their sheep, and amused themselves by making a clay figure of a tiger. One day the children, thinking the figure incomplete without a tongue, went to fetch a leaf to supply the defect; and on their return were dismayed to find their sheep devoured, and a real tiger in the place of the image, a Bhairava having W. N. 11 entered into it. The images of the Bagh (tiger) Bhairava and the deified children are still to be seen at this place. The Raja, having gone to the four quarters of the world, and conquered all countries, brought back a great quantity of gold, and made with it a new roof for the temple of Pashupati-natha in the Kaligata year 3851. He was the first to introduce into the currency the Suki, a coin of copper and iron mixed, with the figure of a lion on it. 4. His son Mān-dēva. He reigned for ten years, and then abdicated in favour of his eldest son, and lived the life of a bandya in a bihār, and so obtained salvation. This bihar, having on it numerous chakras, was called Chakra Bihār. 5. His son Narsinha-dēva reigned 22 years. 6. His son Nanda-dēva reigned 21 years. This Rājā, after consultation with Sunandacharya, an Āchār of Deva-patan, built three apartments, one within the other, for Bhuvaneswarī, into which only the initiated are allowed to enter. 7. His son Rudra-dēva reigned 7 years. This Rājā entrusted the government to his son, and employed himself, after having become a Bauddha-mārgi, in acquiring a knowledge of the elements. 8. His son Mitra-dēva reigned 21 years. A son having been born to this Rājā, while he was engaged in wrestling, he gave the child the title of Malla. 10. His son Abhaya Malla. This Rāja had two sons. 11. The elder, Jaya-dēva Malla, reigned 10 years. 12. The younger, Ananda Malla, reigned 25 years. This younger brother, being very generous and wise, gave up the sovereignty over the two cities; and having invoked Annapurnā Dēvī, from Kāsī, founded a city of 12,000 houses, which he named Bhaktapur (Bhatgaon), and included sixty small villages in his territory. After this, the Rājā, having obtained the favour and directions of Chandeswari, founded seven towns; viz. Banĕpur, near Chandeswari Pītha; Panāvatī, near the Prayaga Tirtha of Nepal, celebrated in the Shastras, on the site where Panchala-dēs formerly stood; Nālā, near Nālā Bhagavati; Dhaukhēl, near Nārāyana; Khadpu, near Dhaneswari; Chaukōt, near the residence of Chakōra Rishi; and Sāngā, near Nāsikā Pītha1. He established his court at Bhaktapur, where he built a Durbar; and having one night seen and received instructions from the Navadurga, he set up their images in proper places, to ensure the security and protection of the town both internally and externally. It was at this time, when Ananda Malla reigned in Bhaktapur, and his elder brother in Patan and Kantipur, that a certain astrologer of Bhaktapur found out an auspicious moment, at which he said that sand, taken from a certain place, would turn into gold. The Raja Ananda Malla, having ascertained the exact time,, sent a number of coolies, to take up sand at that particular moment, from the place called Lakhu Tīrtha, at the junction of the Bhatikhu and the Vishnumati, and to convey it to the Raja's palace. The coolies did as they were directed, but, 1 Banĕpur, now called Banepa, is a village outside of the great valley, eight or nine miles east of Bhatgaon, Panavati (now Panauti) lies five or six miles scuth of Banepa, in another valley. Nala is between Banepa and Bhatgaon, Dhaukhel and Khadpu lie east of Banepa. About Chaukōt I have no information. Sänga stands where the road from the Nepal valley crosses the low hills into the Banepa valley. as they were going back with their loads, a Sudra merchant of Kantipur, named Sākhwāl, prevailed on them to take their loads of sand to his house; and then the coolies filled up their baskets again with sand from the same place as before, and took it to Bhaktapur. Their second loads, however, not being taken up at the auspicious moment, did not turn into gold, and the Rājā, being enraged at the imposition practised on him, burned the book1. On the other hand, Sākhwāl, having obtained so much wealth, with the permission of Jaya-dēva Malla, paid off all the debts existing at that time in the country, and thus introduced a new era into Nepal, called the Nepāl Sambat2. He then established a chaitya near his house, and placed a stone image of himself at the southern door of the temple of Pashupati-natha. Thus he obtained sal vation. Mahārāj Ananda Malla, finding that his heap of sand did not turn into gold, was very angry; and going to the astrologer, told him that what he had said about the sand turning into gold was false. Having said this, the Rājā returned to his palace, and the astrologer in his mortification kindled a fire, and put his book into it to be burned. The Rājā, however, on his return to the palace, happened to observe the baskets in which the sand had been brought, and saw some grains of gold at the bottom of them. He ran back to the astrologer to tell him that he was right, and seeing the fire, asked what was being burned in it. The astrologer's wife told him that it was the false Shastra 1 I.e., the book by reading which the astrologer had been led to make the prediction. Further on the astrologer is said to have done this. 2 This era begins in October, A. D. 880. The present year, 1876, is therefore N.8. 996-7. |