riage, as it actually exists in the Southern countries, the wife cannot properly be said to be sold or bought, for though the parents may, and in many instances no doubt do, appropriate the sum paid, it is more frequently expended in the purchase of jewels &c. for the bride and thus becomes a part of the Stri-dhanam, 2) 50, or exclusive property of the wife, over which the husband has no power. The money paid by the bridegroom is in the Smritis called S'ULCAM,, which is defined by Vijnyánéswara in his Commentary on the Riju-Mitacsharà to beதாகநானூஷியதெ that which is taken when a virgin is given in marriage-and is enumerated by him among the assets of the woman's property. The Tamil term corresponding with this, or preferably D, is rendered by the Revd. C. J. Beschi in his Tamil-Latin dictionaryArrhæ futuri matrimonii, vulgo sponsalia. It is in fact a marriage-gift, or dowery, received from the bride-groom by the parents when the bride is betrothed, and generally for her use, as a token of the final conclusion of the engagement. Among the Brahmans the sum is not fixed, but varies with the condition of the parties: among the Vel'lál'er one and twenty Pons (equal to 9 Varagen, or Pagodas) is the standard amount: among some tribes payment is made, in kind, not in money, thus the 'Sulcam of a Van'nàn, or washerman, is commonly six asses, and in this case it is usually retained by the parents of the bride..

By the word `Sulcam, the definition given by the Tamil writers of the A'sura-viváhab in the foregoing extracts may be explained; this term is applicable to any offering made pending the negotiation of the marriage to the bride or her parents, and includes, therefore, every act by which their favor may be conciliated. Hence the expression used in the following quotation from the Ramayanam (see the 43rd Sect. of the first Book, 2 Two), Virya-sulcam, literally the marriage-gift of prowess, which in this instance consisted in bending a bow few were able to lift. Ráma not only bent, but broke the bow and obtained the lady.

Prowess must be the dowery of my virgin daughter (Sità) celestial in beauty and disposition.

This my daughter, taken from the earth and now grown up,
Kings coming here have sought, O excellent Sage !

And I have constantly told these kings, that her dowery was superior prowess.

The Sulcam, which is the essential characteristic of the A'sura rite and properly applicable to every species of dowery given by the husband, is by the Tamil writers confined to the Vírya- sulcam, by which he endows, as it were, his bride with the fame and honor resulting from his heroic acts.

In addition to the several species of marriage here noticed, there is another, not indeed to be found in the Smritis, unless it be considered a variation of the Gandharva-viváhah, but sanctioned by the Puránas and frequently alluded to in the heroic poems. It is peculiar to princesses and consists in calling together by heralds, deputed to proclaim the beauty and accomplishments of the lady, an assembly of kings and princes, from whom she personally selects him she wishes to prefer to her bed; it is thence called SwAYAMVARAH, JL:வா, her oan choice. This practice is considered as permitted by the following and other Pauránic authority: theextract is from the Jth Chapter of the ாேவரே ஹாத, a Section of the Padmapurána, and contains the refusal by the king Man'datà of one of his fifty daughters to the sage Saubarih.

Hear, O chief of Sagcs! the established usage of the Cshatriya tribes: Whatever youth a maidensees and prefers, of a good family, well-formed, And possessing all the marks indicative of prosperity, to him the virgin must be given.

This is an ancient custom of the Cshatriyas, O faultless one!
O Lord, chief of the Sages! what can we do? tell me again.

In the 6th Canto, gaan, of the Raghuvam sah, Cáli-dása, describes a Swayamvarah in which the princess Indumati, selects, Ajah. the Grand-fatlier of Ramah and king of A'yodhya. as her husband; the calling of the assembly is thus noticed in the preceding Canto.

த

ஹொஜெர? தொரஹவெவிஸரஷ?

Then fit messengers where sent to Raghuh by Bhojah the sovereign of Cratha-cais icà, who desired to summons the son of that king (Ajah) on account of the Swayamvarah of his sister Indumatì.

There is another remarkable instance of this custom in the story of Nalah, நவொவானவs tod originally in third Book, சரணவ், f the Bharatam, whence is taken the fable of the Naishadham, 1592 wc, an Epic poem by Sri-harshah, imitated in Tamil by A'divíra Pandiyen, under the title of நெகி+தம : Damayanti, the heroine, is here represented as chusing Nalah, the hero of the tale, notwithstanding Indrahand other Deities, descending from heaven, are present in the assembly. I cite the passage which describes the appearance of the maiden before the assembly, as well in illustration of the present subject, as on account of the eminent beauty of the last verse. Indeed the high and courteous tone of the whole, notwithstanding the frequent occurrence of those gaudy images and far-sought allusions which European taste will denominate conceits, is worthy of the princely author.

NEGIZHDAM.

விண்ணகத்தமரரளப்பில்ரென்கோவிஞசையாளப்பில் ரென்கோ

மண்ணகத்தரசாளபபில்ரென கோவனிதையாளப்பில்ரெனகோ

பண்ணமைகளிறுகூந்தனமானறடந்தோபதாதிமற்றளப்பில்வென்கோ

வெ வண்ணமுற்றுரைக்கினித்து வளையென்னவெம்ம்னோக்கியம்புமாறரிதே

குழவிவெண்டிங் கணமணிவடங்கிடந்தகுங்குமககுலவரைத்தடந்தோண மழகளிறவனையவிதற்பரகோன பணியால்வானகத்தமரரதங்குமுவு மொழுகொளி மணிசசூட்டுரகருஞ்சேடியுறைதருவிஞ்சைபரகணமு மெழுகடல்வரைப்பின் மன்ன ருந்தேன்வேட்டிரைத்தெழு சுரும்பினவந்

தடைந்தார

கல்ததொடுபழகுஞ்செம்பொறகதிரமுவலககளிநல்யாவிளை
யுப்பருமதத்தகானிலுயிரகுடித்தனறிநில்லா
நிலத்தவல்காக்கும் வேந்தரநீங்குக நீங்குகென்னா
வல்த்தகமூட்டுஞ்செம்பொனடிச்சிலமபாரப்பச்சென்றாள்

வரிவளைக்குல் முமவளவாரமஙகலமுரசுங்கன்ன்ற

பொருசிவலமதனனவின்னாண்புடைப்பொடும் பொங்கியாரப்ப விரிதிரைப்பரவையீன்றவிளங்கிழையவணயநங்கை திருமணியிமைக்குளுசெம்பொனமண்டபஞ்செனறுசேரந்தாள்

இழைசுடரெறித்தலானுமிருவிசும்புறையுமவானோர்

பொழியலாமிடைதலானும் பூசல்வண்டிமிரதலானு

முழைபொருதடங்கடபேதையுருவினத்தெரியககானார் விழைவொடுநோக்கும்வேந்தரவிழிநெருக்குற்றமாதோ

அற்றகருங்கூந்தற்பேதையணிகளிறகரியசோதி

யெறிக்கு நனமணியிறறேற்றமெறிதினாககடலின்மொய்த்த விற்றகதிரவடிவேலவேந்தரவிழைவொடுநோக்குங்கண்கள் பறிப்பரிதாகிமெய்யிற் பதிந்தனபோலுமாதோ

வஞ்சமொன்றின்றிவேறலரிதென்வதுவைநாட்டி

விஞ்சையின்புணாப்பாறகூ

ணாப்பாறகூற்றைவிளங்கிழைவடிவமாக்கி

யெஞ்சலுலகமனனரியாரையுமொருங்குகொல்வான

செஞ்சுடரவயவாள்வேந்தன் றீவிவணயிழைத்ததன்பார

தொண்டை வாய முத்தமுற்றுடியிடையறனமெனகூந்த

லொண்டொடிவனப்புவாயந்தவுருவங்கண்களாரக

கண்டுழி வியந்துநெஞ் ஙகளிப்புறவொற்றாகூறப்

பண்டுநாங்கேட்டவாற்றிற்பதின்மடங்காயிறறென்பார வள்ளுறைகழித்தவொள்வாணமாறிவைத்தவயைவொண்கண அள்ளிக்கொண்டுயிரையினனேயருந்திடாதொழியினைறோ தெள்ளமுதவனயக்ஞ்சொற்சேயிழையுத்தரீகத்

துள்ளுறைகொடிய கூற்றமுயிரகுடித்திடுவதென்பார

அளியசீறடிகனோவவனிச்சமேலொதுங்கச் செய்த

விளைமதுதுளிக்குந் தண்டாரவேந்தனேகொடியனெனபார

வரைமுவல்ப்பாரஙகண்டும்வண்டிமிரதெரியல சூட்டித தளரிடைக்கிடுக்கணசெயத்தாயரெகொடியரென்பார

ஏமுறு மனனரியாருமிவனயன் கூறபபைம்பொன்

வாமமேகவல்களாரப்பமணிச்சிலம்பொலிப்பச்செய்ய காமரநாணமுகையசெவ்விகாந்தளஞசெங்கைகூப்பித தாம்வேற்றடங்கணல்லாடாதையைத் தொழுதுநின்றாள்

Can I declare the number of deities from the heavens, and of the other celestial beings?

Can I declare the number of the kings of the earth, or of lovely females? Can I declare the number of richly-adorned elephants, of long-maned horses, of vast chariots, and of the throng of footmen?

It is not possible for me, nor for mortals like me, to reckon and declare the number.

By the command of the King of Vitarpà (Bima Rájen), who resembleth a young elephant and whose broad shoulders, which seem two hills of saffron, are adorned by jewels shining with the lustre of the new-moon, the Gods of the celestial regions, the Urager resplendent with sparkling gems, the Vinjeiyer, who dwell on the silver mountain, and the Kings of the earth surrounded by the seven seas, assembled together, like a swarm of bees, which soar buzzing through the sky and longing for honey.

As she approached, it seemed as if her bosom, bright with gold and jewels, were a furious elephant, which in that forest of unrestrained passion (i, e, the assembly) stopped not except to drink the lives of those around her, and that the rings on her feet, adorned by gold and covered by sandals of red cotton, cried aloud-" Retire, Oquickly retire from his fury, ye kings, protectors of the earth!"

When the damsel, beauteous as the Goddess of prosperity, as she arose a shining jewel from the wide and billowy ocean, entered the hall adorned by gold and enchased with precious stones, the sound of twisted conchs and bridal tymbals, re-echoed around and intermingled with the twanging of the cany war-bow of the God of Love.

Though the eyes of all the princes were fixed with ardent passion upon her, the form of the fawn-eyed maiden was hidden from their view, by the brightness of the jewels that blazed around her, by the flowers ruined down upon her by the celestial beings, who filled the sky, and by the contending bees which hummed and swarmed among them.

The eyes of the princes, bearers of the brightly polished spears of victory, who thronged around like the billowy ocean, darting impassioned glances, being reflected from the purple-rayed sapphires among the jewels of the maiden, whose hair hung down in black and glossy braids, seemed fixed immoveably in her person.

Some said " The king of the red-rayed sword of victory has been guilty of a great crime, for knowing that such a conquest could not be obtained without fraud, he has, under the pretence of celebrating a nuptial festival, transformed by magic spells an angel of death into a brightly adorned dansel, to destroy at once all the kings of the earth.”