OF THE HINDUS. 95 



and insipid anecdotes of Vallabha and his primitive followers, amounting 

 to the number of eighty-four, and including persons of both sexes, and 

 every class of Hindus. The BhaJda Maid also contains a variety of 

 legends regarding the different teachers of this sect, but it is less a text book 

 with this sect than any other class of Vaishnavas, as the Bdrtci occupies its 

 place amongst the worshippers of Gopdl. The following are specimens of this 

 work, and by no means the most unfavourable :— 



Damodar Das, of Kanoj, was a disciple of Sr^ Acharya, (Vallabhachauya.) Like the 

 rest of the members of this sect, he had an image of Krishna ia his house. One day it was 

 exceedingly hot, and when night came, St'i Thdicurji (the image,) woke the maid servant, 

 and desired her to open the doors of his chamber, as it was very warm. She obeyed, and 

 .taking a pan/cka, fanned him — Early in the morning, Damodar Das observed the doors of the 

 chamber open, and enquired how this had happened : the girl mentioned the circumstance, 

 but her master was much vexed that she had done this, and that Sri Thdkurji had not called 

 him to do it. Sri Thdicurji knowing his thoughts, said ; I told her to open the doors, why 

 are you displeased with her ; you shut me up here in a close room, and go to sleep yourself 

 on an open and cool terrace. Then Damodar Das made a vow, and said, I will not taste 

 consecrated food until I have built a new temple, but his wife advised him, and urged, this is 

 not a business of five or six days, why go without the consecrated food so long. Then he 

 said, I will not partake of the consecrated sweetmeats, I will only eat the fruits, and so he . 

 did, and the temple was compleated, and Sri Thdkurji was enshrined in it, and Damo- 

 dar Das distributed food to the Vaishnavas^ and they partook thereof. 



Sri Thdicurji had a faithful worshipper in a Mahratta lady, whom, with the frolicsome- 

 ness of boyhood, he delighted to teaze. One day, a woman selling vegetables having passed 

 without the Bai noticing her, Sri Thdicurji said to her, will you not buy any vegetables for 

 me to-day; she replied, whenever any one selling them comes this way, I will buy some ; to 

 which he answered, one has just now passed. The Bai replied ; no matter, if one has gone 

 by, another will presently be here : but this did not satisfy the little deity, who leaping 

 from his pedestal, ran after the woman, brought her back, and, after haggling for the price 

 with her himself, made his protectress purchase what he selected. 



