316 F. S. Growse— Sri Swami Hari Das of Brindaban. [No. 3, 



One day a Kayath made him an offering of a bottle of atar worth 

 Ks. 1,000, and was greatly mortified to see the Swami drop it carelessly on 

 the ground, so that the bottle was broken and the precious essence all 

 wasted. But on being taken to the temple he found that his gift had been 

 accepted by the god, for the whole building was fragrant with its perfume. 

 Again, a minstrel at the court of the Delhi Emperor had an incorrigi- 

 bly stupid son, who was thereupon expelled in disgrace. In his wanderings 

 he happened to come to Brindaban, and there threw himself down on the 

 road to sleep. In the early morning the Swami, going from the Nidh-ban 

 to bathe, stumbled over him, and after hearing his story gave him the 

 name of Tan-sen, and by the mere exercise of his will converted him at once 

 into a most accomplished musician. On his return to Delhi, the Emperor 

 was astonished at the brilliancy of his performance, and determined himself 

 to pay a visit to Brindaban and see the master under whom he had studied. 

 Accordingly, when he was next at Agra, he came over to Mathura, and 

 rode out as far as Bhat-rond— half-way— whence he proceeded on foot to 

 the Nidh-ban. The saint received his old pupil very graciously, but took 

 no notice of his royal companion, though he knew perfectly well who he 

 was. At last, as the Emperor continued begging that he might be of some 

 service, he took him to the Bihari Ghat close by, which for the nonce 

 appeared as if each one of its steps was a single precious stone set in a 

 border of gold ; and there shewing him one step with a slight flaw in it, 

 asked him to replace it by another. This was a work beyond the capacity 

 even of the great Emperor ; who thereupon contented himself with making 

 a small endowment for the support of the sacred monkeys and peacocks 

 and then went his way after receiving a most wearisome amount of good 

 advice. 



No further incident is recorded in the life of Hari Das, the date of 

 whose death is given as Scmbat 1537. He was succeeded as Mahant by 

 his uncle Bithal-Bipul ; and he by Biharin Das. The latter was so absorbed 

 in enthusiasm that a Sarasvat Brahman, of Panjabi extraction, by name 

 Jagannath, was brought over from Kol to administer the affairs of the 

 temple : and after his death the succession was continued through several 

 other names, which it seems unnecessary to transcribe. Thus far the 

 narrative of the Bhakt-Sindhu, which, it will be seen, affords an explanation 

 of the obscure allusions in the Bhakt-Mala to the two presentations of the 

 atar and the philosopher's stone, the daily feeding of the monkeys and 

 peacocks and the Emperor's visit. In other matters, however, it is not at 

 all m accord with the traditions accepted by the Swami's descendants • for 

 they say that he was not a Sanadh by caste, but a Sarasvat ; that his family 

 came not from Kol or Jalesar, but from Uchch near Multan, and that he 

 lived not four centuries ago, but at the most only three. It would seem 



