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commissioned his minister to go, and see justice so rendered. The 

 Biinister set out in state ; and on informing the young man of his or- 

 ders, tlie young man gave his consent. The minister was in a sad di- 

 lemma ; regretting, on the one hand, to liill so intellectual a young 

 man, and bring on himself the guilt of blood-shedding; and, on the 

 other, fearing punishment from the king, if lie disobeyed orders. To 

 extricate himself from the difiicultj^ he slew himself with his own 

 sword. The king's son being astonished, continued his meditation on 

 Tiyago.rar ; expecting some further interposition in his behalf. The 

 Idngwas embarassed at the double accumulation of evil. His wife 

 blamed him, for not listening to her first suggestion. The king re- 

 jected it, as not good; and appointed the minister's son to succeed to 

 the crown. The king set out, surrounded by a multitude of deeply 

 grieving people, till he came to his son at Tiruvatur. The son 

 remonstrated on the advantage that was about to be given to envious 

 neighbours, such as the Pandiyan and the Cheran ; but the king con- 

 sidering that, if he did not sacrifice his son, there would be no rain, 

 and no crops, ordered the chariot to move on, which ran over the 

 young man, when prostrate on the ground, and cut him into two 

 pieces. The people greatly rejoiced at the spectacle. The two 

 pieces of the king's son were presented before the cow, to its great joy, 

 and the crime of slaying the calf was expiated. The king next consi- 

 dered that he had now to expiate the sin of having occasioned the 

 death of his minister. He accordingly was about to strike 

 himself, when the aforesaid Trimurti, and other gods, com- 

 posing the illusive cow, stayed his arm ; and, at the same 

 time raised to life again the minister, and the king's son. The 

 son was installed under the title of Bhupala Cholan. The gods 

 decreed that the old king, as a reward, should have the pleasure of 

 seeing his son rule with himself. Afterwards without being exposed 

 to the pain of any future birth, the king (for his merit), the king's 

 ■wife, and the minister also, received final beatitude. On account of 

 his long reign, distinguished by so many virtues, the gods ordered him 

 to be commemorated by the title of Kribala Chola, or " the gracious 

 ruler." He ruled 80 years. 



Bhupala Chola being crowned when 16 years of age, and having 

 married when 25 years old, exceeded his father in beneficence, and 

 prosperously governed. In a hunting excursion he discovered a large 

 chasm which consumed, and wasted, the water of the Caveri river. 

 He directed a great many men to be employed to fill it up. All their 

 efforts to fill it up were unavailing. Though much money was expend- 



