The ascetic whom Yuvarajadeva I made the first abbot of his monastery was brought from Madhumati in Malwa, which was the abode of Saidhantikas (Śaivas) and was "full of peacocks, shrieking and dancing in joy." From this fact it appears that the clan name Mattamayura of these Śaivas was derived. In fact Madhumati was sometimes called by the alternative name of Mattamayūra. The Bilhari abbots were drafted from the same quarters. Their common spiritual ancestor was one Purandara, who was brought from Kadambaguha by king Avantivarman. He founded two monasteries, one at Madhumati and another at Ranod in the Gwalior State. At the former place he was in due course succeeded by his disciple Chūḍaśiva alias Śikhāśiva, who had two disciples, Prabhāvasiva and Hridayasiva. The former became the first abbot of Gorgi and Chandrebe branch, while the latter became the head of the Bilhari branch. These find a mention in the Prasastis of the Kalachuri kings of Tripuri. But it is somewhat curious that in recounting the meritorious deeds of the various kings of that line the panegyrists omitted to mention such grants as those of three lakhs of villages or erection of temples at very heavy expenditure. Perhaps the explanation lies in the fact that a charitable gift must be kept secret, so that the left hand may not know what the right had done. The inscriptions show that the kings of Malwa, Tripuri and Warangal were the greatest supporters of the Pāśupatā pantha to which the Golaki Matha subscribed, and their influence, coupled with the fact that the most learned scholars and devotees were selected as heads of that institution from a vast field ranging from Bengal to Malabar, no less than the liberal views it inculcated, rendered it a popular institution. Of course the tenets of the sect were tantrika, which made provision even for human sacrifices for the general welfare. The having five small open enclosures, in each of which a Siva lingam was enshrined, apparently along with a jogini. On the four corners of the big temple were four other small shrines, thus making up a total of 64 subordinate shrines. An inscription on the spot mentions the name of Sankaragana. Deori is only three

or four miles from Bilhari.

Malkapuram inscription states that for the protection of the village Viśveśvara-Śivacharya appointed ten village guards called virabhadras, who either cut off their own head, stomach or scrotum in performance of this duty. There were some sects included in it like that of Kongaviras,

who used to cut off their heads and tongues in a manḍapa especially erected for that purpose with a religious fervour worthy of a better cause.

IV.—On a Satya Pir Legend in Santali

Guise

By Sarat Chandra Mitra, M.A., B.L.

The worship of the deity Satyanārāyaṇa is very popular throughout Northern India including Bengal. It is believed by some that the deity Satyanārāyaṇa is a replica of the Mohammedan saint named Satya Pir, whom the Hindus borrowed from the Mussalmans, rehabilitated him as one of their own gods and installed him in their own pantheon. But this is not so. As I have shown elsewhere, it is well known that the Mussalmans of Bengal have a saint named Satya Pir whom they venerate as a holy personage possessed of extraordinary thaumaturgic power. While the Hindus of Bengal worship Satyanārāyaṇa as an incarnation of Vishnu. So far as Bengal is concerned, the two cults, namely that of the saint Satya Pir and the worship of the deity Satyanārāyaṇa, appear to have existed side by side. It is just plausible enough that, on account of the similarity between the first part of the Mussalman saint's name and that of the Hindu deity's cognomen, and also by reason of the great amity that existed between the Mohammedans and the Hindus of Bengal in the olden times, a confusion of ideas arose in the minds of the Hindus, which led them to think that Satya Pir and Satyanarayana might be one and the same divine being. In course of time this indefinite thought became confirmed into the positive belief that they are identical beings. As the result of this, the Hindu laity of Bengal, and, for the matter of that, some of the older Bengali poets began to look upon Satya Pir as a replica of Satyanārāyaṇa, and composed poems in honour of the saint.1

1 For the arguments in support of my theory, vide my article entitled On the worship of the deity Satyanáráyana in Northern India, which has been published in the Journal of the Bombay Anthropological Society, Vol. XI. pp. 768-776.

There are many legends connected with the Mussalman saint Satya Pir. In the present paper, I shall deal with and discuss one of these legends and show that a variant of it is prevalent among the Santals resident in the Santal Parganas and try to find out how it has found its way among these people, who are admittedly in a low plane of culture.

An ancient Bengali poet, named Kavilallabh, has written a book entitled Satyanarayana Punthi or A Book in praise of (the deity) Satyanarayana. A manuscript of this Bengali metrical composition, which is believed to be more than two hundred years old, has been collected from the district of Murshidabad in North-Western Bengal and edited and printed by the Bangiya Sahitya Parishat or The Academy of Bengali Literature at Calcutta. This poem sets forth the undermentioned interesting legend about the miracles performed by the deity Satyanarayana :

(1) Once upon a time there lived two merchants named Sadananda and Benode. They made preparations for setting out on a trading expedition. At the time of their departure, they placed their youngest brother Madana under the charge of their respective wives, named Sumati and Kumati. Madana requested his brothers to bring for him a falcon. After they had sailed over the river for several days, they witnessed a wonderful sight. They saw a sepulchral monument floating on the river and dancing girls were dancing to the music played by musicians. Another miraculous sight they witnessed, was that four faquirs had seated themselves on deer-skins spread out on the surface of the river water and were saying their prayers thereupon. Several days after they had witnessed this miraculous sight, they arrived in the kingdom of Rājā Varnṇeśvara and reported to him the fact of their having witnessed it. Having made up his mind to see this wonderful sight the Rāja accompanied the two merchants to the place of its occurrence. But as the saint (Satya Pir) had become angry with the two merchants they were unable to show the Raja the aforementioned miraculous sight. Being enraged at the failure, the Rājā made

up his mind to offer them as human sacrifices to the goddess Vasuli, but on the intercession of the saint Satya Pir the Rājā countermanded his order for immolating them as sacrifices and ordered them to undergo imprisonment for twelve years.

(2) In the meantime Sumati and Kumati became anxious and began to worship the gods, praying for the safe return of their husbands. Coming to know of their hearts' desire, Satya Pir or Nārāyaṇa assuming the shape of a handsome boy of 12 years attired in humble clothing, took his stand on the river bank. Thinking him to be the god Śiva in disguise, they went to him and prayed to him so that he might grant them boons. Accordingly the saint in the guise of the boy conferred this boon on them that they might be blessed with sons. The two ladies thereupon told his saintship that it was impossible for them to have sons as their husbands had left their homes and had not been heard of for twelve years. Hearing this, his saintship advised them to present him with offerings of sweetmeats (shinni). At first they refused to pay their devoirs to the Mussalman saint Satya Pir. But when the latter explained to them that Allah and Śiva were one and the same Supreme Being, they consented to pay their devoirs to his saintsbip. Thereupon they took lessons in the art of witchcraft from the saint.

(3) One day Sumati and Kumati came to know that princess Kuntala would perform the Svayamvara ceremony. So they made up their minds to travel on a tree through the air by means of their magical power and visit the place where the ceremony would be held. Coming to know of their intentions Secretly, the youngest brother Madan resolved to accompany them thither. Fearing that if his two sisters-in-law would come to know of his determination, they might kill him by means of their magic spells, he attired himself in rags and concealed himself among the foliage of the magic tree from before. Thereafter the two ladies came and climbed up the magic tree and started for Kuntalanagara. After their arrival there, Madan, attired as he were in dirty rags, attended the Svayamvara assembly. At the behest of the saint Satya Pir, princess