RAWALPINDI-KASARAGOD 469
permanent place of residence." Thereafter, she stayed in
the ashram day and night. Yidyacharya left and
Gunda also went to Puttur, his native village, for a
change.
Under instructions from Ramdas, Krishna Bai now
started on a course of steady and continuous discipline in
meditation and asana. On his advice she also visited every
day four or five houses of devotees in the town where she
gave the benefit of her presence and service to the devout
ladies of the household. Meanwhile his fast for one month
came to a close, but as he was not satisfied with it,
he went on a further fast for three days, taking only water.
Then again, he proposed to go even without water. This
last absolute fast was observed only for one day and he had
to break it due to the most pathetic appeal from Chandra-
shekarrao, Ramabai's spouse. Thenceforth he came to his
'old diet of one meal a day. Now Ramdas and Krishna Bai
used to be alone in the ashram in the nights.
A fortnight after the breaking of the fast, when Ramdas
was busy taking a fair copy of the earlier chapters of this
book, and Krishna Bai sitting as usual in her posture of
meditation on the verandah where she slept for the night,
a man of a coarse appearance but of strong build, belong-
ing to the working class turned up, with a lantern in hand.
The time must have been about ten p. m. Ramdas came out
leaving his work and enquired of the visitor what he wanted.
He replied: "Some friends possibly from a distant place have
arrived at the bungalow on the top of the hill and have
sent word through me to ask you to go there to meet them.1'
Ramdas' heart, when he heard this, overflowed with
love and he said within himself: "At what a great sacrifice
these friends must have come from a long distance out of
their pure longing and love for Ramdas." At once he made
up his mind to go up to them. The messenger said that he
would remain in the ashram until Ramdas returned?)
Taking the lantern of the ashram he started asking