TOWARDS GOKARN-GOKARN 27
ever willing Ramcharandas. The scenery of the place was
charming*. The place was close to the sea. The roar of the
rolling waves could be heard at a short distance. The land
was covered with an extensive forest bounded by hills.
Tradition has it that the spot was sanctified in ancient days
by the austerities of Agastya Muni. So,, that part of village
bears the name of Agastyamuni Ashram. The pujaris of the
temple declared that the water of the tank possessed
wonderful virtues. The water was indeed pure and sweet
in spite of the washing and bathing for which it was used
by the villagers. Ramdas was greatly captivated by the
singular fascination of this place. After resting for some-
time they started again. They passed through Byndoor and
Bliatkal and reached Shirali. Here Ramcharandas proposed
to visit the famous Saraswat Chitrapnr math. It was God's
will that Ramdas should only wait in the jungle outside
the math buildings while Ramcharandas entered the math.
After a while he returned with bhiksha.
Chitrapur math is a religious institution belonging to
the enterprising and intelligent Saraswat community in
which Ramdas had his old birth. The religious head or guru
of the community has his headquarters in Chitrapur. The
present head of the math is a young man of great purity,
character and spirit. Ranidas had the good fortune of
having his darshan in the Kasaragod ashram. The late
guru was conservative in his methods of control over the
community, but he was a great tapaswi. His successor,
the present swaini, possesses a broad outlook and has relaxed
the stringent rules of the previous regime.
" No institution can justify its existence if it does not
keep abreast of the changing times. Evolution is the law of
life and change is its keynote. While stagnation means
deterioration and misery* progress denotes freedom and
happiness. The former stands for discord and chaos and the
latter for harmony and peace. Religion points to the vision
of God-the supreme liberation and bliss born of the