BANGALORE—SHOLAPUR 435
every possible manner. To give a detailed account of the
events, during his residence at this place, would be a labori-
ous task. So he puts down here one or two important items.
Among the devotees of the village was a young widow
"belonging to the shudra caste. From a month previous to
his visit to this village, this devout soul had been observing
a rigorous fast avowing that she would taste food only
after Ramdas had taken a meal prepared by her at her
house. The young mother whose name is Anjani mata came
to him and invited him for dinner. Meanwhile, the other
devotees of the place had already divided up the days of his
stay among themselves for the offering of food to him. He
now placed the problem before them and pleaded on behalf
of the mother. One of the devotees volunteered to forego
his turn in favour of Anjani mata. So he had the unique
privilege of enjoying the nectarine food prepared by that
jiivine mother.
One day he had an invitation from a Muslim. Ramdas
went to his house folio wed by many brahman devotees. The
strangest part of it all was that the faithful Muslim condes-
cended to perform Ramdas' pada pn;ja in the proper style.
When the puja was over, the Muslim going inside his small
hut brought his long suffering wife out on the verandah
where Ramdas sat and making her sit beside him prayed to
him to pass his hands over her body. It was evident from
the condition of the woman that she was sinking under a
slow and continuous fever. She had been reduced almost
to a skeleton. As requested by the Muslim, Ramdas passed
his hands on her head and back and also gave her a part of
the milk given to him by her husband. Then he left the
place. Some days later when he was away in another
village, he came to know that this ailing mother having
been cured of her fever in about a week's time was able
to help her husband in the fields. All glory be to the great
Lord whose will is so powerful and whose ways are so
mysterious 1
65*