English: Disease leaving the Madura King. The accompanying cut, taken from the native

paintings designed to illustrate the Madura Purana.The story to be illustrated is as follows:—While Vara-guna was reigning in Madura, even as Indra reigns in the heaven of the gods, he one day went out to hunt lions, tigers, &. Returning in triumph, he unintentionally. rode over and killed a Brahmin who lay asleep in the road. The king came to his palace unconscious of what had happened; but, when the body was brought to him, gave money for the performance of the proper funeral rites. He was not, however, to go unpunished. He had killed a Brahmin, (though unintentionally,) and was, in conse- quence, afflicted with the incurable disease of Brahma-ashti. He sought to atone for his crime by feeding cows and Brahmins, and by other works of merit, but in vain. His glory was obscured as when Rahu the serpent lays hold of the moon and eclipses its brightness. He knew not what to do, but resolved to seek

a sight of the god. He knew not what to do, but resolved to seek a sight of the god; whereupon a celestial voice was heard, saying, “O, king, fear not! when you are pursuing the Soren king, (a hostile monarch,) you shall come to a place where I am worshipped on the river Cavery; there you shall lose your disease.” The king, rejoicing at the oracle, repelled an invasion of the Soren, and, pursuing him, reached the indicated spot. On entering the porch of the temple, he discovered that the disease had left him. He went in, and while paying homage to the deity of the place, heard a voice, saying, “O, king! the disease which seized you waits in the porch of the eastern gate, (by which he had entered ;) do not return by that way, but go out by a western gate, and return to Madura." The king, with the aid of his people, made a western gate and porch, and so, escaping the disease, left the temple to return to his palace.