troni .Ihausi. IIM t«* tail in visit the Pilikoti ashram. Z£*.v
Runidas, entering the tav»nnds of the ashram, mingled with
riit thrnujL' of sannyasis. At midday he joined with them in
rheir feast. In the afternoon, taking a walk around the hill,
he returned to the ashram in the evening. He occupied for
the night a stone bench—a number of such bencces had
rif-en erected iti the yard. The peculiarity with them was
rltat the upper slab was fitted on to the uprights at a slight
yngle, so as to keep one's heart ut a higher level when one
recline*! on it ut full length. IB tJir- iri^lits these slabs were
,.MiM aff ke.
A* night advanced Ramdas, wanting to rest, covered
himself with u part of the only cloth he had, the other part
*,^t' which being spread on the bench and he lay down. In
thise days he liad very little sleep. An honr later, a young
£iniijttBi/who hud crome with two blankets drew his atten-
tion. **Sahuraj, have these karabals; the cold is bitter."
By his ir^iag Ramdas vacated the bench and the sannyasi
spread u blanket oa the slab and, after he rested on it,
him vrith the other. Everybody is kind to him
everyone is He.
day, at daybreak, he went to the river ior a hath.
The gonrd had nnw become his companion. He came back
to* ^,\e ashram by midday. In the evening the young
simnyasi who had provided him with blankets the previous
night, seeking his society, took Mm to hie knti which
stood on the opposite side of the road. Ramdaa spoke
to him of his meeting with Svvami Nirbhayamind and
his wife at Jhansi. Then he inquired of Ramdas" name.
He gave it.
The night passed. The folio-wing day, early as usual, he
went to the river for bath and reappeared by noon at the
a«hram. In the front verandah of a small outhouse a
number of sannyasis had assembled. As he enteiexl the
compound they were to a man gazing deliberately at
Mm and giggling! He was about to walk past them
21*