12 IN THE VISION OF GOD
Amongst the daily visitors mention has also to be made
of a goat and a cow. Both would appear at the cave regularly
for their share of plantains. The goat played with Ramdas
with great familiarity. He would dance on his seat and
sometimes climb on his shoulders. The cow on the other
hand would quietly come to the entrance and with out-
stretched neck receive a plantain and then walk away.
(iii) Young Aspirants
The kind mother—Ramdas' wife in his old life—was
laid up with fever for some days owing to the strain of the
journey by steamboat while accompanying him from Hubli
to Mangalore. He was visiting her once in every two or three
days until she recovered. During one of the visits, the
reputed saint of Puttur—Krishnarao—was in the house.
He came to where Ramdas sat beside the ailing mother.
At the sight of him, Ramdas prostrated at his feet.
He sat down.
''Was it necessary that you should have entirely re-
nounced the householder's life and taken up the diksha
of sannyas?" he asked.
"Ram willed it so. Ramdas could not help it," Ramdas
replied.
"'Your Ram must then be wonderful. May I know where
He is ?" he questioned.
"He is residing in the hearts of us all, because He is
all pervading," Ramdas rejoined.
"I cannot see Him. How can we know that it is His will
that guides us?" he asked again.
"He is invisible to the ordinary eye, but can be seen
through a purified vision," Ramdas said. "Only when you
see Him, you realize that it is His will that directs your
actions. Freedom from attachment and complete surrender
to Him are the conditions of this supreme vision."
"I cannot fully understand what you say," Krishna-