Page:Biographical Sketches of Dekkan Poets.djvu/37

Rh Magadha country, who were cashmereans, possessed the art of plucking the fruit of the cocoanut tree by the mere power of incantation, without being obliged to climb the tree —Sankarachari in consequence made a journey to Valatechepure in Cashmere, where he saw a toddy-man extracting juice from a palm tree by merely striking the stem with his hand. After some time Sankara persuaded him to instruct him in the mantra, or prayers, by which he effected this miraculous performance, and it is said, that Sankarachari in time initiated the toddy-man in a very wonderful and profitable art, which was the transmutation of metals into gold by merely pouring on it the juice of a certain plant; while pronouncing certain mysterious and magical syllables It is said, that the toddy-man on becoming an adept in the art last mentioned, lost his former one, but by means of the new art he acquired manufactured a great quantity of gold, and struck coins, bearing the impression of his own figure. A short time after this, Sankarachari returned to the house of Mandana Misra, before mentioned, situated at Goda, on the bank of the Narmada river; when there he climbed the cocoanut