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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

[Dec. 6, 1872.

all over the country worshipped purely and simply as a fetish among the lowest classes, as well as under the more refined personification of Nâges'.

With regard to Buddhist remains, I would men tion that I have come across another colassal image

varasvämi.

Sivalayam, dedicated to the name of Râmalinges varasvämi. This image is placed in the open air under some trees entirely neglected. The figure is in the usual sitting position, naked, protuberant lips, wooly hair, and pendant ears. This makes the third similar image I have met with in this district, the others being at Bejwada and Gudivāda. The latter image has the Nāga overshading the head. I may mention here that a very interesting sculp ture of a female figure has just been disinterred at Bejwada in digging a channel. It is the only in

For instance, there is a well at Dache

palli, it contains the best water in the place, but a cobra, it was discovered, frequented the spot ; a temple was built over the well, and it was totally abandoned to the serpent divinity. In Saivism, I have suggested that the serpent found a place as a fitting symbol and adornment of the power of evil. But when the Aryans brought with them concep fions of the Supreme Being as invested with what we may call the powers of nature, the serpent as sumed a new character. Conquered and subdued, it became the protective guardian of Vishnu. Over his head is represented the seven-headed snake. And so again, in the Aryan scheme of cosmogony there is a remarkable scene represented—the Devatas and Rákshasas (the powers of good and evil) churn ing the ocean of milk with the great serpent Vasuki employed as a churn-string. This is a scene continually represented in the most ancient

sculptures of the district. For instance, it is one of the scenes depicted on one of the stones dug up at Nizampatam, and used to form what is a mere recent mantapam. It is found on Buddhist remains at Amravati, and it is still sculptured on idol cars of quite recent construction. The mode of treatment is always the same ; the Devatas and Rakshasas are always pulling different ways, the contending powers of good and evil, and a serpent is a subject power—a mere instrument to give effect to the pur poses of the divine mind through the very opposing forces. He employs “rain and sunshine, heat and cold, fire and hail, snow and vapours, stormy wind fulfilling his word.” It is thus I apprehend that Buddhism borrowed the Aryan symbolization of the serpent as a protective power. The conquered enemy is made a captive slave, and employed to watch and guard ; the serpent, as the emblem of evil to man, is subdued by Almighty power, and instead of receiving divine honours, serves simply to represent the fear and dread naturally associated in the human mind, with any idea of a divine being. It is possible also that the over-shadowing serpent above the representations of Vishnu and

Buddha may be employed in another sense to con vey the idea of wisdom—this being a characteristic attribute of the serpent. Now with regard to the Nāgas: we find them to have been in existence in various parts of India, immediately prior to the Buddhist era. The dah gop at Amravati was erected by a Nāga popula tion. Everywhere we find the Nāgas represented as worshipping and doing homage to Buddhism, and Buddha is represented as supported by the Nāga's folds or shaded by his protecting hood, while the two systems seem to have coalesced so far that alternate reverence is paid to the relic casket, the wheel, the sacred fig-tree, and the five-headed snake.

of Buddha at Tenali.

It is in the enclosure of a

stance I have met with in this district of a female

figure with wooly hair, thick lips, and long pendant ears. It is loosely dressed from the loins down wards, and was found at a considerable depth below the surface. In the Amravati sculptures there are many representations of the Nāga type, as well as other ethnological varieties. A careful study of these might throw some light on the communica tions between India and other countries in early times.

I have already addressed Government with refer ence to the desirability of issuing instructions for the protection of the interesting Buddhist remains in the Krishna district, as the Department Public

Works have been making excavations at Bhatti pralu and Gudivāda I am informed, and using the old bricks for road materials and other purposes.” In the one at Bhattipralu I am told that Captain Vibart found a stone casket, inside of which was a crystal vial with some seed-pearls, &c. The na tives say that another bottle was broken in digging, which contained the secret of alchemy, the sub

stance capable of turning all other metals to gold. They also firmly believe these structures cover some hidden treasure, and from the fact of a five-headed Nāga being discovered, this has been taken to fix the actual amount at five crores. It is very desir able that whatever excavations are to be made, they should be conducted under competent supervision. These remarkable structures have been entirely covered up and buried with a mass of earth, which has preserved them through long centuries, during which their history and purposes have almost perished, and have certainly become forgotten in the

neighbourhood where they were originally raised. With all the interest that attaches to the Buddhist

era of Indian History, it becomes us to deal reve rently with these relics that time has spared. They are the evidences of a past age of civilization. When we have carefully disinterred them and brought once more to light the symmetry and pro portions of their architectural designs, we shall pro bably find that they are worthy of a better fate than to make district roads.

There is only one other point to which I wish to allude. In writing in my former report of the Frangula Dibbalu near the coast at China Ganjam,

• Conf. Ind. Antiq., pp. 347-48,-ED.