THE PILGRIMAGE TO AMARNATH 359
About eight o'clock an incident happened in the
doctor's tent which needs to be chronicled here. The
doctor and the pandit friends occupying the tent were
accustomed to massage Ramdas' legs by turns. They took
great pleasure in doing this service. When Ramdas was
seated in the tent at Panchatarni, the doctor and another
friend divided between themselves Ramdas1 legs, and were
busy massaging them. At this juncture, an old female
pilgrim, emaciated and weak, came to the front of the
tent and cried out in distress. Her whole frame was shiver-
ing with cold as she had only a thin cotton saree covering
her body. She piteously appealed for some warm clothing.
Her repeated supplications fell upon deaf ears. None in
the tent would condescend to part with a single piece of
woollen cloth for the suffering beggar woman. The friends
had brought plenty of dress and covering to stand against
the cold, and so Ramdas thought that they could help the
poor woman in her hour of need.
When Ramdas suggested some assistance to the woman,
they to a man declined to give it, offering the excuse that
they could not spare anything. Ramdas was put in mind
of the woollen gown which had been presented to him and
now in the keeping of the doctor. Ramdas requested the
doctor to hand over the gown to the woman. Even this
the whole party opposed.
" The gown is for your use, Swamiji," said the doctor;
" I cannot give it to the woman."
"Well, friends," Ramdas then asked turning to the
doctor, " why are you so fond of pressing Ramdas' legs ?
What do you get thereby? "
" We feel happy when we do so," replied the doctor.
" Ramdas permits you to do him this service, because
it grants you joy, while you would not give him happi-
ness by yielding to his will in the matter of presenting the
gown to the woman whose need of it is far greater than
that of Ramdas,1' said Ramdas.