________________
262
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
"Do you know me, Kapili ?" said our hero, as he remembered his name.
[SEPTEMBER, 1888.
Subrahmanya showed him some money that he had in his hand, enough to buy a buffalo and a sack of corn in case the great God did not help him, and asked him to spend that night, at least the remainder of it, in calm sleep. So Kapâlî with his heart at ease retired to rest.
The coolie was astonished to hear his name so readily pronounced by one who was apparently a stranger to him, but he said, "I am sorry that I do not know you, sir."
Subrahmanya then explained to him who he was and requested him to follow his advice. "My dear son," said he, "Do as I bid you. Early morning to-morrow leave your bed and take to the market your buffalo and the cornsack. Dispose of them for whatever amount they will fetch you. Do not think twice about the matter. Buy all that is necessary for a sumptuous meal from the sale-proceeds and eat it all up at once without reserving a morsel for the morrow. You will get a great deal more than you can eat in a day. But do not reserve any, even the smallest portion of it. Feed several other Brahmans with it. Do not think that I advise you for your ruin. You will see in the end that what your father's disciple tells you is for your own prosperity."
However, whatever the sage might say, Kapali could not bring himself to believe him. "What shall I do to feed my wife and children to-morrow if I sell everything belonging to me to-day ?" Thus thought Kapili and consulted
his wife.
Now she was a very virtuous and intelligent woman. Said she, "My dear lord, we have heard that your father was a great mahátma. This disciple must equally be a mahátmá. His holiness would not advise us to our ruin. Let us follow the sage's advice."
When Kapill's wife thus supported the sage he resolved to dispose of his beast and sack the next morning, and he did so accordingly. The provisions he bought were enough to feed fifty Brahmans morning and evening as well as his own family. So that day he fed Brahmans for the first time in his life. Night came on, and after an adventurous day Kapali retired to sleep, but sleep he could not. Meanwhile Subrahmanya was sleeping on the bare verandah outside the house, and he came to the sage and said, "Holy sage, nearly half of the night is spent and there are only fifteen ghatikás more for the dawn. What shall I do for the morrow for my hungry children? All that I had, I have spent. I have not even a morsel of cold rice for the morning."
He had not slept more than ten ghatikás when he dreamt that all his family-his wife and children-were screaming for a mouthful of rice. Suddenly he awoke and cursed his poverty which had always made such thoughts prominent in his mind. There were only five ghatikus for the lord of the day to make his appearance in the eastern horizon, and before this could happen he wanted to finish his morning bath and ablutions, and so he went to his garden to bathe at the well. The shed for the buffalo was erected in the garden, and it had been his habit daily before bathing to give fresh straw to his beast. That morning he thought he was spared that duty. But, wonder of wonders! He saw another buffalo standing there. He oursed his poverty again which imagined things impossible. How could it be possible that his beast should be standing there when he had sold it the previous morning? So he went into the shed and found a real buffalo standing there. He could not believe his eyes, and hastily brought a lamp from his house. It was, however, a real buffalo, and beside it was a sack of corn! His heart leapt with joy, and he ran out to tell to his patron, Subrahmanya. But when the latter heard it he said with a disgusted air, "My dear Kapali, why do you care so much? Why do you feel overjoyed? Take the beast at once with the corn-sack and sell them as you did yesterday."
Kapili at once obeyed the orders and changed the money into provisions. Again fifty Brahmans were fed the next day too, and nothing was reserved for the third day's use. Thus it went on in Kapâlî's house. Every morning be found a buffalo and a sack of corn, which he sold and fed Brahmans with the proceeds. In this way a month passed. Said Subrahmanya one day, "My dear Kapali, I am your holy father's disciple, and I would never advise you to do a thing prejudicial to your welfare. When I came to know that you were the son of the great sage, Jñânanidhi, and were leading so wretched a life, I came to
