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CH. XXXiy. ANANTA-SUIU. 223
CHAPTER XXXIV..
ANANTA-STTRI OB ANAWTACHARYA:
Some interesting incidents in the life of Anant&rya,
another staunch disciple of Raman uja, are related tlins. From
previous pages it is known that he was tlie person who had
undertaken to settle in Tirupati and do all tlie ser.riccs of Loi'd
Srinivasa. It may also be remembered that he had created a
flower garden to which he was paj'ing personal atlcntion. He
now wished to construct a ismall rosorvoir for water for that
purpose. He began excavating it by his own manual labour.
But a Brahmacharin suddenly put in his appearance and
saying :
" Aged sire, the task is too much for thee. Let me help
and lighten it," stretched his hand to take off his head the
basket, in which he was carrying earth. Anantarya airested the
boy's hand and said :— "Son, if I resign my ba.sket, I shall
faint; if you take my basket, you will faint." But he was a
stubborn boy and rejoined :
— " No fear of that. Sire, trust me."
Anantarya remonstrated and —
.''aid: " Son, Ihis service is my
life ; if yon also want life, go, fetch j-our own basket, and
carry it." The boy disappeared for the present. Anantarya
went on with his work and pi'es.sed his poor wife into the
service, though she was pregnar.t at the time. She was employed
in
carrying loads of earth and emptying the same on to
the bank. Her returns were at fii-st slow, but they became soon
rapid. Anantarya remarked it with surprize and asked her to
explain how she managed to return .so rapidly. She naively
said:— " A Brahmacharin boy " sire, "meets me half the way,
carries the load for me r^nd brings me back tlie basket. Hence
Sire, your work is done more speedily."' " Wiio is that impertinent
urchin meddling w ith my work, uninvited ! " fulminated
Anantarya in angci-, and running after the boy, gave
him a poke under the.ubin with his crow-boar, .saying:
" Take that for thy trouble, and get thee gone " Tlie boy
took to his heels as if in fright. But the temple autliorities
found, and Anantaiya too after, that Lord Srinivasa in the
shrine was profusely bleeding in the ohin. This they stopped
by stuffing camphor into the wound. [This is done even to this
day, and the camphor is distributed to deyoteog as prascidaj.