ERNAKULAM-KASARAGOD-ANGAR—SHOLAPUR 413
At first Ramdas started on the universal darshan which
he emphasized as the goal of all spiritual endeavour. Then
he came to the means of its attainment. He held out service
of saints and Ramnam as the only sadhanas for the puri-
fication of the mind and heart, which was the essential
condition for achieving that supreme vision. He congratu-
lated the assembled devotees on their good fortune in
having an opportunity for serving a saint. Pointing to
the saint by Ramdas' side, he added, that there was a saint
for them to serve and be benefittecL He exhorted them
not to allow such a God-given occasion to slip by.
For the night Ramdas was escorted to the house of a
merchant devotee; who once had an occasion to entertain
him at Angar. He was away from home, but his pure-
hearted wife welcomed him and the party into her house.
The saint whom Ramdas met at Prem Singh's relation's
house had asked him to be present next morning when he
would expound Yoga Yasishtha. But Prem Singh stood
resolutely against Ramdas' attending it. The friends who
were with him made adverse comments on the saint's
behaviour to wards him. But he stopped them saying: "Why
do you forget that it is Ram Himself playing that part? He
assumes various characters,"
Early on the following day, the party left Sholapur by
motor-bus for Akalkot. By midday they reached the town
and were put up in the house of a friend named Taksade.
He was all kindness and hospitality. This friend arranged
for a discourse in English by Ramdas at the Samadhi
temple of the late renowned saint of the place, Akalkot
Bava. A few hours before the engagement, an elderly
vakil who was stricken with grief over the demise of his
near relation came to see Ramdas. In his talk he roundly
attacked faith in the existence of a God. Ramdas had a few
words with him and a marvellous change came over him.
He took Ramdas to his dwelling and was all humility and
kindness.