Note 38 — Chapter II · HEROIC GODLINGS

The following tradition is connected with a place, about a mile from Dhhank, called Dhhank-ni Fui. Dhhank was in ancient times a great city and was known as Preh Pātan38. Once a bāvā (recluse), named Dhundhalimal, came to reside with his chelā (disciple) in a cave on a neighbouring hill. Every day the chelā went about the city begging alms for himself and his guru; but nobody except a poor kumbhāran (a potter-woman) ever gave him anything. So the chelā was obliged to cut and sell fuel in order to obtain means of subsistence, although he did not mention this fact to his guru. One day the guru noticed the growing baldness of his disciple and on being questioned about it, the latter had to admit his difficulties in earning a livelihood. The next day the bāvā decided to test the charity of the neighbourhood, and went on a begging round in person. He moved about the city from door to door, crying aloud ālek ālek, but nobody except the kumbhār woman offered him so much as a handful of flour. He then addressed the latter thus:—“Girl, this city is sinful and will shortly meet with destruction. Fly, therefore, instantly with your family and never turn your face towards the city in your flight”. Having thus warned the only righteous person in the city, the bāvā returned to his cave where, after reciting an incantation in high exasperation, he pronounced a terrible curse for the destruction of the city ‘Let Pātan be buried and let māyā39 be reduced to māti (dust).’ A whirlwind at once arose and destroyed the whole city. The kumbhāran had already fled with her children; but she unfortunately happened to look back in her flight, in spite of the warning, and she and her children were all turned into stones. In this form she can be seen even to-day, with two of her children on her shoulders and leading the other two.