Essays Lectures on Religion of Hindu Vol 01

Author(s): H H Wilson
Publisher: Trubner and Company London

Page 75

OF THE HINDUS.
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him away penitent, and with a pious purpose to do so no more.
Of SURSURÁNAND we have a silly enough story of some cakes that were given to him by a Mlechchha being changed when in his mouth into a Tulasi leaf. Of DHANNA, it is related that a Bralıman, by way of a frolic, gave him a piece of stone, and desired him to offer to it first, whatever he was about to eat. DHANNA obeyed, looking upon the stone as the representative of VISHNU, who, being pleased with his devotion, appeared, and constantly tended the cattle of the simple Ját: at last he recommended his becoming the disciple of RÁMÁNAND, for which purpose he went to Benares, and having received the Mantra, returned to his farm. RAGHUNÁTH, or in the text AskNAND, succeeded RÁMÁNAND in the Gaddi, or the Pillow of the Mahant. NARAHARI or HARYÁNAND was also a pupil of RÁMÁNAND, whom it is difficult to identify with any one in the list above given: we have a characteristic legend of him.
Being one day in want of fuel to dress his meat, he directed one of his pupils to proceed to a neighbouring temple of Devi, and bring away from it any portion of the timber he could conveniently remove: this was done, to the great alarm, but utter helplessness of the goddess, who could not dispute the authority of a mortal of HARYÁNAND's sanctity. A neighbour who had observed this transaction laboured under a like want of wood: at the instigation of his wife, he repaired also to the temple, and attempted to remove one