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DECEMBER, 1905.]
STORIES OF THE TAMIL VAISHNAVA SAINTS.
this misery. Vishnu was touched with her words and determined to put an end to Vipranârâyana's wretchedness. So he himself went to the temple, took away from it one of the golden vessels, proceeded with it to Dêvadâsî's house and knocked at her door. When she opened it, he said he was Vipranarayana's servant, by name Alagiyamanavala (beautiful bridegroom), who had been sent by his master with this golden vessel as a present to her. She thereupon took the vessel and told the servant to go, but sent for Vipranarayana and received him back with kindness. The next morning the temple servants found the vessel missing and reported the loss to the raja, who ordered the arrest of all the priests. While this was going on, and the priests were being led to prison, one of Dêvadást's female attendants coming to the spot and asking the reason of this, and being told, exclaimed that she had seen this very golden vessel under her mistress's pillow. Instantly they sent and arrested Dêvadást, and seeing Vipranârâyana with her, arrested him as well. While the two were being led to the rája, the shame and misery of his condition came upon Viprauârâyana with full force and he came to his senses, and began to realize the greatness of his sins and bitterly repented. Then the rája ordered the vessel to be taken back to the temple and the two to be severely punished: but Dêvadâsi pleaded her innocence and declared that one calling himself Alagiyamanavala gave it to her in the name of Vipranârâyana. But when Vipranârâyana was asked, he said he knew nothing of this at all. Then the raja wondered much, knowing that Vipranârâyana would not tell a lie; so he postponed the enquiry and sent them away. That night he had a dream, in which it was revealed to him that neither Dêvadâsf nor Vipranârâyana had stolen the vessel, but that in order to free Vipranarayana from Devadasi's clutches, Vishnu himself had brought this about. In the morning the rája dismissed the case and liberated them both.
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Then Vipranarayana humbly underwent the purification ceremony, and was received back into the temple, where with thankful heart, in the shrine before the idol, he composed the stanza, - "They who serve God with their whole heart are able to purify the most sinful." Hence he became even more devoted to God's service than before and changed his name to Tonderadippodi, which means," "The dust of the feet of God's servants."
VIII.
Tiruppani Alwar.
He was born supernaturally in the nature of Srivatsa, a mark on the breast of Vishnu. He was found in a paddy-field in Urayar by a Panchamma, and brought up by him. At that time the Kingdom of Chola was ruled by a Baja named Dharmavarma. Tiruppani was well instructed in religion and also became a very good singer and musician, and always carried a vina with him. At the same time he increased in love and devotion towards God. It was his custom to rise before dawn and go to the river Kâvêrî, and bathe and dress; and before the Brahmans came there, he would make a figure of the temple in the sand and stand before it and chaut hymns: this done, he would destroy the figure, and go away.
One day, while doing this, he became so lost in extasy that he forgot how the time was passing and continued singing there when the Brahmans came to bathe and fetch water for the temple. The chief priest, by name Srilokasarangamahamuniandra, seeing a Panchamma standing there, was very angry and called out to him to go away, but Tirappani, in his transport, did not hear anything. Then the priest took up a stone and threw it at Tiruppani, whom it struck and wounded on the forehead, causing the blood to flow. At this, Tiruppani opened his eyes and realized that all the Brahmans were standing there and thinking that he had committed a great sin, he ran away as fast as he could.
The Brahmans then performed all the necessary ablutions and afterwards the priest mounted his elephant, and with the umbrella and all the usual pomp, returned to the temple. Arrived there he found to his amazement that he was unable to open the door of the inner shrine. Then understanding that the god was angry, he bethought himself that he had committed a great sin, in stoning the Panchamma, and repenting, he begged to be forgiven. Whereupon a voice from within
