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17S SALIGRAltil. CPl. XXVIII.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
RAMANUJA AND MAISUB.
The Nilagiri Range "was thus traversed, and threading their
Tvay with toil north-west, * they reached Vahni-Pushkarini °.
Resting here for a few days, they made their way to MithilS.-
Saligr&ma.' Here they found the place full of VJra-Saivas, or
staunch adherents of Sivaism, who gave the new arrivals scant
or no welcome. R§,m§inuja hit upon a method to turn their
minds. He called DS.Sarathi to his side and said: — "Son,
here is the fountain fi'Om which the village folk carry their
drinking vrater for their households. Unnoticed by them, dip
your feet into the water and watch the efEect." He did as bid.
The villagers drank the water and their hostility for the new
comers turned into civility. They even went so far as to
become R&m§.nuja's followers in Faith. A memento of this
incident of the water, magnetized by the holy feet of the best of
his disciples, effecting a miracle, is to this day still preserved in
the shape of a small shrine erected on the spot, in which are installed
the feet of RS,md.ntija for devout worship by all, and
the holy fountain is close by, connected with the shrine by a
flight of steps, by which every pilgrim descends into it and
reverently sprinkles the waters over his head. " The town
deserves the name of Sdligrdma, i. e., the stone symbol of
Vishnu," said R^md.nuja in joy, on account of this strange event.
Of the
many who embraced the Faith here, the chief was
Vadu'^'a-nanibi or Andhra-parna, * who became a most devout
and intiiiiate foiioT^-sr Eamanii^a taught him all the arcane
tri-,tr:s of vel-gion for days, in the Temple of the Lord Nara-
'iie exact route is not recorded » Novr known as Mirle and Sk\U
"'•'' °"'" information goes, grama, two villages, about 30 miles
},-, ''!^
ir'^iiiL;r>'jja Beems to have followed west of Mysore.
The coin>.- of the KS,veri as far as * The Shrine above named belongs
v^atyamangaiam, then taking a to the descendants of this disciple
uliord line, reach Kfi,v6ri again at who are related to myself, the writer
Kamanathapurara. of this book. The village is reput-
" Kamnathpur, on the K^veri ed to be unaffected by cobra-poison
Kiver, about 40 uiilee west of for Ramauuin is Scsha
'
Mysore.