which he made most use, and which was by far the most wonderful, was that he was able to change a man's thoughts by simply touching his body. In some this touch produced immediate SamSdhi, in which they saw visions of gods and goddesses, and lost for some hours all sensation of the out- ward world. In others it produced no outward changes, but they felt that their thoughts had received a new direc- tion and a new impetus, by which they could easily travel in the path of progress in religion. The carnally minded, for instance, would feel that their thoughts never ran after carnal pleasures afterwards, the miser would find that he did not love his gold, and so on.
About that time Mathurntha and his family went on a pilgrimage, and took RSmakwsh^a with them. They visited all the sacred places of the Hindus as far as Bnn- dclbana, and Rimak*7"sha took the opportunity not only of seeing the temples, but of forming acquaintances with all the religious men, and with the Sawny^sins who were living in these places, such as the famous Tailanga Sw^min of Benares and GangS, Mt of Br/ndabana. These S&dhus assigned to him a very high position, and regarded him not only as a Brhma##nin, but as a great religious teacher (AcMrya), nay, as an incarnation of God Himself. At B^mdabana he was so much struck by the natural scenery and associations of the place, that he nearly made up his mind to reside there for ever. But the memory of his old mother made him return home. On his way back he was so much struck by the poverty of a village near Vaidyan&h, that he wept bitterly, and would not go from
