412 IN THE VISION OF GOD
whilst all the congregated people were standing and the
saint was performing the puja in all eclat. The puja over,
the saint without caring even to look at Ramdas, retired te
an inner room of the house as a mark of displeasure at the
apparently insulting behaviour of Ramdas. In fact, Prom
Singh had unwittingly made him sit on the gadi or asan of
the saint who must have surely boiled and fumed at Ramdas1
gross insolence.
But Ramdas was unconcerned ami iudiflCorcnt. Next,
to make reparation for the lapse and scenting unpleasant-
ness, Prem Singh, preparing another scat by the side of
Ramdas, requested the saint to como out and#raco it, which
he however did with manifest reluctance. Then garlanding
both, he saluted them. The saint was not yet pacified.
The saint asked Ramdas who hid guru was to which
Ramdas replied "Ramdas' guru is residing in his own
heart and in the hearts of all." At this the saint sniffed
contemptuously and left his seat.
In the evening, as usual, in the programme of the saint
there was reading of Dasbodh, the well-known work of
Saint Samarth Ramdas, the eminent guru of Shivaji of
historic fame. In the course of bis discourse tho saint
levelled at first veiled sarcasms at Ramdas and at last broke
out into the peroration: "Nowadays, it ifl common for any
man in the street to don the sannyasi robe, peso himself as
guru and travel from place to place for collecting disciples.
Of this type you have one in tho person of tho gadhu sitting
here," and he pointed his finger directly at Ramclns.
Ramdas could only smilo at the invective. After his
pravachan was over, Maruti, tho lad, WHB called upon to
jgpeak on the oft-quoted and sublime si oka of tho Gita:
!'8arl'vadharman parityajya" etc....."abandoning all
come to Me alone for shelter, grieve not, I shall
%e from al1 SIB*." The boy delivered himself in
a tothless outflow tor about half-an-honr. Lastly tho
*gaint asked Ramdas to speak a few words in Hindi.