________________
62
of the song, Padas being very generally sung, both at public entertainments, and the devotional exercises of the Vaishnava ascetics. SÚR Dás is said to have composed 125,000 of these Padas: he is almost entitled to be considered as the founder of a sect, as blind beggars carrying about musical instruments, to which they chaunt stanzas in honour of VISHNU, are generally termed Súr Dúsis. The tomb of SÚR DÁS, a simple mound of earth, is considered to be situated in a tope near Sivpur, a village about two miles to the
north of Benares. There is also an account of a saint of the same name in the Bhakta Málá, who is possibly a different person from the blind bard. This was a Brahman, Amin, or collector of the Pergunnah of Sandila, in the reign of AKBAR, and who with more zeal than honesty made over his collections to the shrine of MADANA MOHANA, a form of KRISHNA, at Brindavan, and sent to the treasury chests filled with stones': the minister TODAR MALL, however, although a Hindu, was not disposed to confirm this transfer, and he had the defaulter arrested and thrown into prison. SÚR DAs then applied to AKBAR, and the good
RELIGIOUS SECTS
He accompanied them also with the following rhyme, तेरह लाख संडीले उपजे सब सन्तन मिलि गटके | सूरदास मदनमोहन आधी रात हि सटके ॥ which may be thus rendered:
The Saints have shared Sandila's taxes, Of which the total thirteen lacks is, A fee for midnight service owen,
By me Súr Dás to Madan Mohen.
[Price's Hindee and Hindust. Selections. Calc., 1827. I, p. 100.]
