In the burnt-sacrifice presented to this goddess, turmeric, oil, and salt, form the principal ingredients. The Hindoos believe that after performing the proper ceremonies for the destruction of an enemy, the goddess soon complies with the prayers of the worshipper. Shōōdrus, of course, employ bramhuns in thus attempting to accomplish their murderous wishes. Particular forms of praise and of petition, referring in many cases to the injury or destruction of enemies, addressed to this goddess, are contained in the Tuntru-sarů.

SECT. XI.-Prútyŭngira 1.

THE image of this idol is never made, but is worshipped in the night whenever a person chooses, which is, generally, when he wants to injure or destroy another. The officiating bramhun dressed in red, and wearing a roodrakshŭ necklace, offers, among other things, red flowers, spirituous liquors, and bloody sacrifices. The flesh of crows, or cats, or of some other animal, after having been dipped in spirituous liquors, sometimes makes a part of the burnt-offerings; the worshippers believing that the flesh of the enemy, for whose injury these ceremonies are performed, will swell on his body as the sacrificed flesh does on the fire. Parti cular forms of praise are also repeated before this image to accomplish the destruction of enemies. I here give a specimen: Oh! Průtyŭngira, mother! Destroy, destroy my enemies! Kill! kill! Reduce them to ashes! Drive them away! Devour them! Devour them! Cut them in two! Drink, drink their blood! Destroy them root and branch!

The well-proportioned.

With thy thunder-bolt, spear, scymitar, discus, or rope, destroy them.'

A story to the following purport is very current among the Hindoos:-Jafŭr-alee-kha, the nabob of Moorshŭdŭbad, was much attached to Ramu-kantů, his Hindoo treasurer; who was at enmity with Kalēē-shůnkŭrů, a very learned Hindoo, and a great worshipper of the female deities. The latter, to effect the destruction of Ramŭ-kantů, began to worship the goddess Průtyŭngira. He had not performed the ceremonies long, before Ramŭ-kantů became sick, and it was made known to him and the nabob, that Kaleeshůnkuru was thus employed. The nabob, full of rage, ordered that Kalee-shůnkůrů should be brought before him: but he fled before the messengers could seize him, and began to perform these ceremonies for the destruction of the nabob. A servant, mistaken for Kalēē-shŭnkůrů, was, however, seized; but he bribed the messengers, that they might protract his journey as much as possible. They did so, and the day before they arrived at Moorshůdŭbad the nabob died.-I give this story to shew, what a strong possession the popular superstition has taken of the minds of the people; who, while smoaking together, listen to these stories with the utmost eagerness and surprise, as the villagers in England tell stories current amongst them while sitting round the winter's fire.

SECT. XII.-Unnu-põõrna 3.

THIS image may be made standing, or sitting on the water-lily: in the right hand is a spoon, like that with which the

She who fills with food; from ünnă, food, and pōōrnă, full.

Hindoos stir their boiling rice, and in the other a rice dish: Shivă, as a naked mendicant, is standing before the image asking relief.

The worship paid to this form of Doorga is performed on the 7th, 8th, and 9th days of the moon's increase in the month Choitrů: bloody sacrifices, fish, and spirituous liquors are among the offerings. Unnu-pōōrna being the guardian deity of many of the Hindoos, (who have a proverb amongst them, that a sincere disciple of this goddess never wants rice,) very great festivities take place at this festival, accompanied with music, dancing, filthy songs, and every thing else calculated to deprave the heart.

A Hindoo rising in a morning, before his eyes are well open, repeats the name of this goddess— Unnŭ-pōōrna! Unnu-pōōrna!' and hopes, that through her favour he shall be well fed that day. When one Hindoo wishes to compliment another on his riches or liberality, he says, 'Oh! Sir, your house is as full of riches as that of Unnŭ-pōōrna:' or, if he speak of another when absent, he says, 'Such a one, in liberality, is like Unnu-pōōrna."

SECT. XIII.-Généshŭ-júnŭnēē1.

THIS name Doorga assumed after the birth of Gŭnéshŭ : she is here represented as sitting on the water-lily, dressed in red, and supporting with one arm the infant Gŭnéshŭ at the breast, while the other hand rests on the knee of the infant.

A small festival in honour of this goddess is celebrated in the month Ugrůhayŭnů or Phalgoonů, on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of the increase of the moon. Some years ago, at Gooptee-para, a village about forty miles north of Calcutta, a great festival was held in honour of Gunéshŭ-júnŭnēē, when fifty thousand roopees or more were expended. The bramhuns of the village collected money to defray the expenses; some gave one thousand, others two, and others five thousand roopees: and crowds came two or three days journey to be present. The dancing, singing, music, &c. began a month before the principal day of worship: all the visitors were entertained, and more than two thousand animals were slain.

SECT. XIV.-Krishnu-krora1.

THIS is an image of Doorga giving suck to Krishnŭ, to destroy the poison which he had received in a quarrel with Kalēēyu, a hydra.

A festival in honour of this goddess is held on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of the increase of the moon, in the day, in the month Maghů.

The history of this idol is thus related:-In the west of Hindoost'han a stone image was once found in a pool; and no information could be obtained to what it related, until a Brumhucharee referred them to the following story in one of the Tuntrus.In the neighbourhood of Vrinda-vůnů, by the river Yumoona, Soubhŭree, a sage, for a long time performed religious austerities. One day, while in the

She who holds Krishnú in her arms.

midst of his devotions, he saw a shŭkoolů and some other fish playing together; with which sight he was much pleased, till Gŭroorů, the king of the birds, descended into the water, and snatched up the shŭkoolů fish. The sage, unable to punish Guroorů, pronounced a curse upon this bird-god, or any other bird, who should hereafter come to destroy the fish in this spot; and this curse was afterwards the means of preserving the king of the hydras from the wrath of Gŭroorŭ in the following manner.-The mountain Mŭluyŭ was the resort of many serpents, who daily collected a number of frogs, &c. and presented them to Gŭroorů, to conciliate him, and to prevent his devouring them. At last Kalēēyŭ, the king of the hydras, commanded his subjects to give the frogs to him, promising to protect them from Guroorů: but the latter on his arrival, finding no food, attacked and overcame Kalēēyŭ; who, though defeated, amused Gŭroorů by rehearsing some verses which no one understood but himself, till he had made good his retreat into a deep place of the river, where Guroorů durst not follow him for fear of the curse of the sage. In consequence of the serpent's remaining in this spot, the poison proceeding from his body had destroyed all the trees, water &c. for two miles round, and whoever drank of the water died. About this time Krishnŭ was born; who in his childhood, on a certain day, discovering that a dreadful mortality existed among the cows and the boys who kept them, asked the reason, and was informed that they had been poisoned by the waters of the Yumoona. Krishnu then jumped from a tree into the river; overcame the serpent, and drave him out of the place. Kalēēyŭ, full of fear, asked where he was to go, for that Gŭroorů would certainly kill him. Krishnŭ, putting his foot on his head, assured

* These verses, it is said, now compose one of the kavyŭs called Pingülü.