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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[Deceman, 1905.
Kanikanan then went to Tiramalli and told him that he was banished by the rdja's command. Tirumalli then said, “If you go away, I shall have very little to do here, and if I go with you all these idols will follow us." Thereupon he rose, and addressed the idols in an extempore stanza
"Kanikanan most go, I must go, therefore you must not remain.
Take up your beds and come with us." Immediately the idols, which were lying down, rose up, and began to move, and all the other idols with them. First Tirumalli preceded them, then Kanikanan came after, then followed a procession of all the idols. In this way they slowly proceeded through the streets. When the people saw this, they were much amazed and afraid, and ran to tell the rája, who came out with great haste and prostrated himself before Kanikanan, and begged his forgiveness. Upon pardon being granted, the whole procession tarned round and went back in the same order. When they reached their old place, they all stopped, and Tirumalli addressed the idols again in the following stanza : -
"Kanikanan has retarned, I have returned,
So you must lie down as before." From that day the chief idol goes by the name of Yathoktakart (the idol that did as id was bidden).
After this Tiramalli remained in that place for a few years, then he had a desire to go to Kumbakonam. On his way there he rested in the village of Perambuliyor. One day be bat down on a paydl, where some Brahmans were reciting the Vedas. Seeing him, and knowing him to be a Súdra, they stopped their recitation. So Tirumalli moved away to the prescribed distance. When the Brih mans wanted to renew the recitation, they found they could not remember it. Then Tirumalli took some blaek paddy and began splitting off the busks, thereby bringing back to their memory the passage they required, namely - " Take away the husk of the black paddy with the nail." Then observing Tirumalli, they understood that he was a great and learned man, and they prostrated themselves before him. At this time, while Tirumalli was going about begging for alms in the streets of the village, the idol of the temple was observed to turn towards, whichever side Tirumalli was at that moment. Then the priest, understanding the cause of this marvel, ran to the place where some Brahmans were performing a sacrifice and told them what was happening. Upon this several of them approached Tirumalli and respectfully invited him to their shrine, and shewed him great honour. Seeing this, some of the people, knowing Tirumali to be a Sudra, began to abuse the Brâhmans, who were shewing him this honour. Then the Brahmans were at a lose to know what they should do, aud turned to Tirumalli for advice, asking him to speak himself to the people. Tirumalli then prayed to God asking him to reveal himself before the people in the same way that he had revealed himsolf in his devotee's heart. Immediately the whole assembly saw the wondrous sight of the beautiful form of Vishnu in his fall glory appear within the body of Tirumalli. The people, amazed and awe-struck, threw themselves down before him in adoration, then, Redding for the temple car, they placed Tirumalli in it, and drew it through the streets, worshipping him as they went; and finally all the people with one accord became his disciples.
After this he proceeded to Kumbakonam and there saw the shrines and all he wanted to see, and heard the Tiruvoimoli, written by Nammalvar. After hearing this, he considered that all his own compositions were worthless, and so he threw all the volumes he had written into the river Kaveri, but two of the volumes sailed on the current without sinking. Seeing this, he took it for a sign that they were worth something, so he saved them and taught them to the people. One day he went into the temple and prayed the idol to sit ap and listen to his instruction, thereupon the idol attempted to raise itself. Tirumalli was much rejoiced that God had so quickly granted his prayer and praised him: and to this day the idol in that temple has remained in a half-rising posture,
