KAS ARAGOD- SWARGASHRAM 257
There were yet ten or twelve days -for the Kumbhaiaeia
Celebration 'sit Hardwar. Saclhus and pilgrims had com-
menced to pour in, in large "numbers, from all parts of
India. Eamdas lived with the friends in • the kuti for a
couple' of days. They -obtained their food from the
annakshetra. The food was shared by the three together
from the same plate or leaf just as the Muhammadans do.
One day Bha vanish an kerrao and Ramdas finished their
meal earlier than usual, and Ramcharandas was still busy
munching the select bits of roties, quite in a leisurely
fashion. A poor sweeper at the door of the kuti was
anxiously waiting for the remains of the food, because the
food the three got was more than they could eat. Seeing
the eager and hungry look on the face of the sweeper,
Ramdas said to Ramcliarandas :
"Ram, that poor man must be very hungry; give him
gome roties. There will be anyhow a surplus left."
Ramcharandas went on eating without heeding Ramdas*
words. Ramdas again repeated his suggestion. Still the boy
gave no heed. For the third time Ramdas repeated his
request. Now the boy was roused to anger. He looked at
Ramdas for a few seconds with a steady glare, his eyes
red with anger, and he growled :
"What! you would not allow me to eat in peace ? What
is the sense of your bothering me like this ?'"
At this outburst Ramdas could not resist exploding
into laughter, whereas the boy unconcernedly went on
cramming down roti after roti.
One day Ram willed that Ramdas should visit Vasisht-
ashram. Ramdas proposed to go there alone. But
Ramcharandas and Bhavanishankerrao insisted upon
accompanying him- So the trio started together one early
morning. The route to the ashram had been described to
them by many sadhus, who were consulted on the subject,
as extremely perilous, and none of them could tell
where exactly it was. Crossing the river Ganges by boat—
S3