KA1ADY—KA3ARAGCD—IN THE STEAMBOAT 97
would consent to my adoption of sannyas, the crocodile will
set me free."
The situation alarmed the fond mother. In an instant
she saw she would rather prefer her only son alive, though
a sannyasi, than he be a prey to death in the guise of the
crocodile.
"All right, rny son—I agree/' she answered desperately.
The crocodile disappeared leaving the boy to come
up free and safe. The mother kept her word and Shankara
Deeame one of the greatest philosophers the world had ever
produced.
The party had Their ablutions in the sacred river and,
after darsban of the deities in the temples, returned to
their rooms in the dharmashala where dinner was cooked
by the mothers to the accompaniment of devotional songs.
Altogether, it proved to be a most blissful trip. By evening
the party reached back Ernakulam.
Deling his stay at Sanjivrao's, he and his wife and
children treated Baindas with all love and kindness.
(ii> Untouchafaility—a tar stain
Ramdas now felt a call from Kasaragod and wrote to
Anancirao about it requesting him, at the same time, to
arrange for an abode in a solitary place for his stay. In due
course he arrived at Kasaragod and was put up in a thatched
hut on the Pilikunji Hill-
Here he lived on goat's milk and plantains. The raja
yogi again came to him and together they danced In the
nights to the chant of Bam-mantram. Later on, a new
sannyasi from Buntwal also joined them. In the evenings,
with other friends from the town, he would also dance in
ecstasy to the music of God's Name in the front-yard of
the hut.
Bam willed that a dinner should also be given to the
poor of Kasaragod, In this instance Ramdas worked aciji-
vely for collection of funds. He visited the most prominent
13