5A?;BA-3OrflCAH FARVA7 189
ls- They were fed on choice dishes. The mother %vas all
The meal OTCT, she requested Ramdas to enlighten
vrith a discourse on bhakti. All the ladies of the
h^jgehoM assembleil in the room to hear him. Although bis
Hindi v^as poor he would. grow eloquent when lie tallied on
relsirious topics- He spoie for nearly an hour. He inter-
mingled in his discourse many Puraruc episodes describing
t*»w in the life of devotees, after a keen struggle, bhakti
triumphed. In short he held out devotion to God as the one
purpose of human existence. The listeners were touched by
the talk and tears of pure emotion flowed down their
cheeks.
Xov, he vas about to start when Balak Ram beckoning
him to be seated a few minutes more, said: "I have also a
few words to say"5—then turning his gaze at the hostess,
'Twenty rupees down for sadhn sera—at once, quick," and
raising his right hand high in the air he brought it
<]own striking the floor vrith his palm. The kind hostess and
other ladies \vere struck dumb at this sudden demand.
"*Matajif" said Balak Rani, "why do yuu hesitate?—
come along—no time to lose ; twenty rupees down/'
The bewildered mother left the room and reappearing
•with the money placed a pile of twenty rupees in silTer in
front of the sadlms. Balak Ram at once closed his fingers
on the pile and holding the amount in his hand got up.
"Swamiji, let us now go/* he said turning to Ramdas.
They went out and reached Moolchand's house.
Balak Ram, now a master of wealth, set about discover-
ing ways and means of spending it. He called a -visitor to
his side and said: "Here are six rupees; get me from the
bazaar orange coloured cloth sufficient for a govm, and also
a tailor." The yisitor left with the money.
uNowf yon there," he called another, "here, two rupees;
bring me two rupee worth of charas (extract of ganja)/*
The second visitor was also sent away on his errand.
la a couple of hours he had the long loose gown decking