82 RELIGIOUS SECTS 



One of RamXnand's pupils was a Brahmdchdri, whose daily duty it was 

 to provide the offering presented to the deity : on one of these occasions, 

 the offering consisted of grain, which the pupil had received as alms from a 

 shop-keeper, who supplied chiefly the butchers with articles of food, and his 

 donation was, consequently, impure : when Ramanand, in the course of his 

 devotions, attempted to fix his mind upon the divinity, he found the task 

 impracticable, and suspecting that some defect in the offering occasioned 

 such an erratic imagination, he enquired whence it had been obtained : on 

 being informed, he exclaimed, Hd Chamdr, and the Brahmdchdri soon 

 afterwards dying, was born again as Rai Das, the son of a worker in hides 

 and leather. 



The infant Rai Das retained the impression left upon his mind by his old 

 master's anger, and refused to take any nourishment : the parents, in great 

 affliction, applied to Ramanand, who, by order of the deity, visited the child, 

 and recognising the person at once, whispered into his ear the initiating Man- 

 tra : the effect was instantaneous : the child immediately accepted the breast, 

 and throve, and grew up a pious votary of Rama. 



Por some time the profits of his trade maintained Rai Das, and 

 left him something to divide amongst the devout ; but a season of 

 scarcity supervening, reduced him to great distress, when Bhagavdn, in the 

 semblance of a Vaishnavaf brought him a piece of the Philosopher's stone, and 

 shewing him its virtue, made him a present of it. Rai Das paid little regard 

 to the donation, replying to the effect of the following Pada, as since versified 

 by Sur Das. 



Pada. " A great treasure is the name of Hari to his people : it multiplieth day by 

 day, nor doth expenditure diminish it : it abideth securely in the mansion, and neither by 

 night nor by day, can any thief steal it. The Lord is the wealtli of Sur Dds^ what need 

 hath he of a stone." 



