104 IN THE VISION OF GOD
hereafter referred to as 'brahman Ramdas.' He stood up
and defiantly spoke out:
" I refnse to debase myself by taking prasad from his
hands," pointing towards Eanidas.
This outburst stunned Madhavrao and the-whole congre-
gation, as though a bomb had suddenly exploded in their
midst. Ramdas only smiled and told Madhavrao not to
mind the brahman's words and there was no harm done.
The other brahmans, discovering in brahman Ramdas an
intrepid leader, theacef orth gathered round him and raised
a united standard of revolt.
Madhavrao was thoroughly frightened* He feared that
the celebration which went on so far smoothly would
be upset. He understood Ramdas perfectly. He took
care to see that Ramdas was not brought in contact
with them, so that there might be no room for discontent
or disruption. While previously at dinner Ramdas and
the brahmans were sitting in one line, Madhavrao now
divided up the ranks and so arranged matters that no
invidious distinctions were palpably noticed. However,
the celebration terminated without further unpleasantness,
although the brahmans maintained the tenseness of the
situation to the end. Eanidas was all the time an amused
witness of the whole game. The matter, however, did not
stop here,
Eaindas had meanwhile received an invitation from a
neighbouring village. The brahman Ramdas who came to
know of it proceeded to the village in advance and warned
the devotee, who would have Ramdas at his place, not to
take him there. He told the devotee and others that Ramdas
was an impostor in the garb of a sadhu and, for all that
they knew, he might be an outcast and was not therefore
worthy of being associated with by brahmans of their
status. Bine things about Ramdas indeed!
But the devotee Balwantrao of Angar-Angar being
the name of the neighbouring village—would not be pre-