248 IN THE VISION OF GOD
granted my prayer. The month has passed away and no
sign of your promotion. I have thrown her out.1
''Later, I discovered the rejected image lying piteously
in a heap of rubbish, in a pond, at the back of the house!
Wonderful indeed is her bhakti! What do you make of it?"
The listeners broke out into a loud laughter.
The raja yogi was growing cooler everyday, because
more sufferers from the effects of the pranayama practice
poured in. Ramdas was consulted in the matter by these
people and he advised them point-blank to put a stop to
the practice altogether. About the same time he received
complaints on the same subject from Bangalore and South
Kanara where this practice bad been widely disseminated
by other yogis of the same ilk. Ramdas could not remain
unconcerned any longer. He was made to write a strong
article, which was published in newspapers, warning the
people neither to take up nor prosecute, if already adopted,
this practice, if they were not prepared to fulfil the other
conditions of the yoga, as it would otherwise cause incal-
culable harm to them. Ramdas also spoke about the matter
to the raja yogi.
"You have observed, Ramji, what mischief this practice
of yours is causing to those who cannot observe the other
rules which necessarily go with the yoga discipline. So you
will do well in future not to initiate indiscriminately
everybody who comes to you without judging whether he
or she is fit for it or not."
Now about the vakil who was preparing for sannyas. He
broached the subject to Ramdas. The latter discouraged
him and said:
*4If you are so anxious to dedicate yourself entirely to
God, you may retire from public activity and have a small
kuti on yonr landed property and lead a life of contempla-
tion and meditation of God. Don't think you can attain
God merely by donning the orange robe."