rites for their dead parents, visited Kasi and Ramesvaram, and built a temple in honour of Vasavambika at Penugonda, in which they placed an image in her name, and worshipped it ever afterwards. Popular versions of the story here related from the Purana are told all over Southern India, where Komatis live. One of the most singular of these is narrated by Bishop Whitehead. [139] "The story," he writes, "goes that, in ancient days, there was a bitter hatred between the Komatis, who claim to belong to the Vaisya caste, and the Mlechas or barbarians. When the Komatis were getting worsted in the struggle for supremacy, they requested Parvati, the wife of Siva, to come and deliver them. It so happened that about that time Parvati was incarnate as a girl of the Komati caste, who was exceedingly beautiful. The Mlechas demanded that she should be given in marriage to one of their own people, and the refusal of the Komatis led to severe fighting, in which the Komatis, owing to the presence of the avatar of Siva among them, were completely victorious, and almost exterminated their enemies. After their victory, the Komatis entertained doubts as to the chastity of the girl, and compelled her to purify herself by passing through fire. This she did, and disappeared in the fire, resuming her real shape as Parvati, and taking her place beside Siva in heaven. Her last words were a command to the Komatis to worship her, if they wished their caste to prosper." It is impossible to identify with certainty the Vishnu Vardhana of the Purana. There are as many as eleven individuals of that name known in Eastern Chalukyan history. The Purana refers to Vishnu Vardhana, the son of Vijayarka, who had his capital at Rajamundry. His son, according to the same authority, was Raja Raja Narendra. According to the Mackenzie manuscripts, the town of Rajamundry was founded by a king named Vijayaditya Mahendra, who has not been identified. Dr. Fleet is of opinion that Vishnu Vardhana VI, who ruled between 918 and 925 A.D., was the first to occupy, and re-name it. He, therefore, called himself Rajamahendra. Amma II, who ruled between 945 and 970 A.D., bore the same title. His brother and successor was Danarnaya (970--73 A.D.). Passing over the hiatus of thirty years, when the country was in the hands of the Cholas, we come to the reign of Saktivarman, the eldest son of Danarnaya. If we are to believe the Kanyaka Purana, then we must identify this Saktivarman with its Vijayarka. Saktivarman's successor, according to inscriptions, was Vimaladitya, who must be identified with the Vishnu Vardhana of the Purana. Vimaladitya's son, according to inscriptions, was Raja Raja I, surnamed Vishnu Vardhana VIII. He has been identified with the Raja Raja Narendra of current tradition in the Telugu country, to whom Nannayya Bhatta dedicated his translation of the Mahabharatha. He must also be the Raja Raja Narendra of the Purana. If that is so, we must set down