10 IN THE VISION OF GOD
Here a 'unique experience is worthy of note. One morning
he ^was standing inside the cave gazing on the golden orb
of the rising sun, and lie felt the trance stealing over him
and very soon he was entirely absorbed in it. Some
time passed and he came back to the body-idea. A
casual downward glance disclosed to his view a serpent
coiled round his right leg. Its forked tongue was briskly
licking his big toe. Eamdas was not affected by the sight.
la the same motionless posture he watched the loving
attention of the serpent. A minute or two thus passed and
the reptile slowly unwound itself and crept out of the
cave. He recollects to have addressed it thus: "Oh ! beloved
Earn, why art thou in such a hurry to go ?" The Lord's lila
is really wonderful. All forms are His and He plays in
various ways. The serpent friend conceived such a great love
for Ramdas that it would come to see him every morning
consecutively for three days after which it stopped away
for good.
In accordance with a distinct command from the Lord
within,, he observed a vow of silence for seven days. Despite
tlie pressure of friends he could not break it before the fixed
time. For, he felt he was quite helpless in the matter, Surely,
God had complete mastery over His servant.
Eamdas had noted a batch of lepers underneath the
banyan trees in the Mangalore maidan. One of the lepers,
whose disease "wasinan advanced state, was conveyed every
day in a hand-cart by a small stout lad for alms from door
to door. The face of this leper was so much disfigured by
the fell disease that his features were quite indistinguish-
able. His whole face was one big sore—red and dripping
•with pus, His eyelids, nose and lips had all been eaten up
by the disease.
As commissioned by the Lord, Eamdas undertook to
feed these lepers at noon. The kind visitors to the cave
condescended to offer food for them. On collecting food
from three houses a day, he would go to the maidan reach-