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174 FOllEST-MEN AND KONGIL. CH. XXVll.
discovery, they fell on their faces and clinging fondly to his feet,
wept for joy. They then hi-oughfc grain and honey in abundance
; and new pots, in which to fry the former, pound it into
powder, and mix with honey and eat it. Ramanuja and his
men gratefully partook of the same, after having been greatly
exhausted by journeys and elemental inclemencies ;
nnd retired
for a long-wished-for rest.
The next morning, they were all up and prepared to
continue their journey northwards towards the hills and
beyond. One of the forest-men and one disciple '
were
chosen to carry tidings to Srlrangam and inquire how it fai-ed
with KurSaa ; and the rest—forty-five disciples, it is written—
journeyed noi-thward, guided by the forest-men. They performed
about six days' journey and i-eached a certain fastness in
the heart of the Nilagiri Hill range, where the chief of the
forest-men lived. The chief was gone out hunting. The guides
conducted their holy party however to his house, where they
were introduced to the chief's wife, whom, as their high mistress,
they addressed thus :— " Madam, these holy men are our
Gurus ; we commend them to your care. Pray attend to all
their wants, and whatever it may cost, debit it
off the same in
to us and write
the accounts against wages due to us by your
master." Thus entrusting their holy burden to good hands,
they departed. The chief now returned from his hunting, and
was told all. " How can we eat, while these good men are
hungry," he said, and despatched his men to conduct them to
a neighbouring village, to the house of a Br&hmana, named
Kattalai-v&ri, sending an abundance of provisions to entertain
them with, without the least delay. The messengers saw this
done and returned and reported the same to their chief.
The wife of Kattalai-vari was the reputed Kongil-piratti
or Chel^iichal&mba '. She prostrated herself before them
and asked whether she might not cook for them. They replied
in the negative. " To whose feet, sirs, do ye belong ?" she
' This is said to be Maruti-y-^nddu. Another, Ammangi-amm^l, is
said to have also accompanied them.
' For brevity, we shall call her Kovgil,