30HK&H PAHVAT
"Yes, Svamiji," grumbled Ramcharandas. "it wi? a <
which was such, a nice fit to my Iota; I want it.'"
'"Ram,"' Ramdas asked, "whose cnp was it?"
"Mine/* rejoined the boy.
"Nothing is yours, Ram. Everything is God's; it
frum Him and has gone back to Him, so don't fret," saH
Ramdas.
"Terr fine consul at ion," he saiu vith a tinge of re-
gret f <"»r his loss.
Thereafter he slept over the matter. Oi^e day he said
that he was going to Chhattarpur to stay for some time
•with Balak Ram who was holding his durbar ou
one of the hills of that state. Ramdas was receiving
invitations from him repeatedly. Ramcharandas had heard
of the Trays of Balak Ram. So he did nut want to take
with him his new lota which lie loved so ranch.
**Swamiji, I leave the lota with. yon. 1 shall return ii;
a few days/"' he said, and left.
Meanwhile, during his absence, two sadhu lads paid
Ramdas a visit. One of them had a water vessel while
the other was without one. The latter appealed to Ramdas
to provide him with a lota since a sadhu, he added, should
not go without a water vessel. Eanidjis had at hand
Rameharandas' lota* He took it and passed it on to the
boy. The boys departed, the one who got the lota quite
joyfully.
Four days later, Rameharandas returned but not quite
happy. Balak Ram's society was anything but exhilarating
to him.
At first sight Ramdas told him: "The lota you had, and
which Ram gave you. has been taken away by Ram. What
do yon say?"
He blinked and then smiled, because he had iielu. that
Ramdas' decisions were final and not to be questioned. He
had always submitted without a word. He had some friends
in the town among whom, was a rich merchant. He visited