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224 ANANTA-SUBI. CH. XXXIV.
As Anant§,rya was fast progressing with his work, he was
one day bitten by a cobra. But he went simply to the holy
Svfiimi-Pushkarini pond, bathed and returned to his work.
People observed to him that he should put himself under treatment,
unless he meant to die. But he quietly remarked "
: No
treatment is needed." Ho now went to the :— Temple on a vi.sit
to Lord Srinivasa, when the Lord remarked " Son, beloved,
what was thy thought when thou woaldst do nothing to extract
the fatal poison from thy system ?" " Lord,'' .said he, " if
the bitten serpent {i.e., I) is more powerful, it will simply
bathe in thy holy pond and do service here below ; but if the
biting serpent is more powerful, the bitten serpent (i.e., I) will
bathe in the ViraJ£l-Sti-eam and do service there above (in Thy
Heaven). This was my thought when the cbbi-a bit me."
Anantarya, once upon a time, left Tirupati to go to his
native land, Posala-.country ' taking food for the journey.
After doing a stage, feeling hungry, he sat down to di.scuss it
but lo, when he opened the box, he found the food swarming
with ants. "Curse me, I havesiAned," cried he, vexed. "The
best Saints have desired to live on the H0I3' Hill of Tirupati,
even as stocks and stones.'' And I a sinner, have deprived
these holy ants of their holy abode." So saying, he carefully
closed the box and retracing his steps, hun^rv as he was
released the ants on the hill, and went his wav.
Tamunai-t-turaivan is a chamber in the Tirupati Temple
premises, named after sage YamunachS,rya. AnanlJLrya sat here
usually to make flower-garlands for tlie Lord. Wlien he was
once thus busy and had not finished, lie was called to atten d on
some other work in the Temple, but lie refused to stir. And
when he went there with the finished garland, the Lord asked
him to explain his disobedience. Anantiirya said
: "
What
have I to do with Thee, Lord, when my flowers are jUst blossoming,
and I should not delay stringing them together lest
their fragrance be lost for Thee." The Lord said:—' what if we
> Present Mysore. His birth place is Kirangfir (Siruputtflr) near
Srirangapatna.
Cp-St. Kulaj.*kliar.A.hvar'B Tirumo.hi :
" eiwQuQsw^iir Qu^ek