Anjangaum – Angar

(i) An Honest Rebel

Ramdas had a unique experience during the visit to the Sholapur District. The reader may remember that Ramdas had visited Anjangaum once before a year previously and had been the recipient of great kindness and hospitality at the hands of the devotee, Madhavrao Kulkarni. The celebration in his house was of navavidha bhakti, that is, nine kinds of devotion. The devotee who is a high-class Brahman had engaged the services of over a dozen brahmans to perform the various functions of the sacred festival. Besides Ramcharandas, Ramdas was later joined by Bhavanishankerrao of Bangalore.

Ramdas arrived at Madhavrao’s house only two or three days before the close of the festival which had a run, as usual, for nine days. Since his arrival, Madhavrao’s house had a rush of visitors to see Ramdas. Now the attention of most of the inmates of the house and the people of the village was diverted from the religious ceremony towards him. The brahmans did not at all like the turn of events. They remonstrated with Madhavrao against the undue prominence paid to a wandering sadhu. Poor Madhavrao was in a sore fix! His love and regard for Ramdas would not diminish in spite of the repeated onslaughts of the brahmans against his fidelity to Ramdas.

The inevitable last straw was not lacking in the present case. The situation was growing every moment more and more tense. At the request of Madhavrao and other guests, Ramdas was made to distribute prasad. The brahmans demurred to accept it from the hands of Ramdas. However, some of them most reluctantly received it from him, and there was an honest rebel. His name was also Ramdas, hereafter referred to as ‘brahman Ramdas’. He stood up and defiantly spoke out: “I refuse to debase myself by taking prasad from his hands,” pointing towards Ramdas.

This outburst stunned Madhavrao and the whole congregation, as though a bomb had suddenly exploded in their midst. Ramdas only smiled and told Madhavrao not to mind the brahman’s words and there was no harm done. The other brahmans, discovering in brahman Ramdas an intrepid leader, thenceforth gathered round him and raised a united standard of revolt.

Madhavrao was thoroughly frightened. He feared that the celebration which went on so far smoothly would be upset. He understood Ramdas perfectly. He took care to see that Ramdas was not brought into contact with them, so that there might be no room for discontent or disruption. While previously at dinner Ramdas and the brahmans were sitting in one line, Madhavrao now divided up the ranks and so arranged matters that no invidious distinctions were palpably noticed. However, the celebration terminated without further unpleasantness, although the brahmans maintained the tenseness of the situation to the end. Ramdas was all the time an amused witness of the whole game. The matter, however, did not stop here.

Ramdas had meanwhile received an invitation from a neighbouring village. The brahman Ramdas who came to know of it proceeded to the village in advance and warned the devotee, who would have Ramdas at his place, not to take him there. He told the devotee and others that Ramdas was an impostor in the garb of a sadhu and, for all that they knew, he might be an outcast and was not therefore worthy of being associated with the brahmans of their status. Fine things about Ramdas indeed!

But the devotee Balwantrao of Angar – Angar being the name of the neighbouring village – would not be prejudiced. He had on the last occasion come in touch with Ramdas and had been all kindness and love. He ran down to Anjangaum and took over Ramdas to Angar. Nearly fifty villagers from Anjangaum followed him including Madhavrao and many members of his household. Divine love was fully at work in the hearts of these simple and pure country-folk. It was a walk of about three miles. Ramdas and party duly reached Angar.

The brahman Ramdas was there. He came and sat near Ramdas. His looks were full of contempt and his manner cold and overbearing. There was now quite a crowd around Ramdas. The Brahman asked Ramdas a question: “What is panchikarana?”

Ramdas replied that he was not learned and his knowledge of such matters was very little. At this he laughed derisively and then raising his voice told the assembled people that they were veritable fools to have come to pay homage to an impostor whose only qualification was his colossal ignorance. The hearers did not relish this pointed attack and hung their heads down. As for Ramdas, he broadened his usual smile and remained perfectly calm and quiet. Hundreds of visitors streamed into Balwantrao’s house, and afforded Ramdas the happiness of their company. Their love for him was marvellous. The brahman chafed and burned with the fire of jealousy. The day passed. Next day there was a big feast. The brahman openly refused to join it.

In the evening he proposed to perform a harikatha. On such occasions Ramdas was made to sit in a prominent place, and the performance would take place in front of him in the midst of a vast multitude. So also did it happen this time. The brahman Ramdas, who brought about the situation to serve his purpose, indirectly levelled at Ramdas a most spirited diatribe. After dilating at length upon the qualities of a hypocritical sadhu, he concluded the katha with this peroration:

“Vagabonds and frauds are abroad, pretending to be sannyasis and sadhus. Beware of them! Only dull-headed people run after them, make much of them and eventually fall an easy prey to their wiles and machinations.”

Ramdas was not any the worse for a fresh baptism of abuse. God so willed it and he submitted, his equanimity undisturbed.

(ii) A Wonderful Transformation

Two days later, there was another dinner arranged by a pious merchant of the place. In those days Ramdas was mostly on milk-diet and would take a little food once in two or three days, along with the devotees at their dinner party. On this occasion also the brahman Ramdas had been invited. But he failed to turn up at the appointed time. All the guests waited for his arrival. He was, however, not to be seen. The merchant started to fetch him and after a search found him, but could only persuade him to attend the feast after a great deal of entreaty. At last he came. His face was charred; his looks were haggard and eyes sunk in their sockets. It was evident that envy was fast consuming him. On seeing him come, Ramdas felt really glad and asked the merchant to serve him first.

“No, no,” he shouted, “I am not going to take any meals today. I have vowed to fast.”

Ramdas begged of him to take at least some sweets. He pondered for a while and to the infinite delight of Ramdas and all, consented to have sweets. Accordingly, some sweet balls or ladoos were placed before him. Ramdas requested all the guests not to start eating until the brahman had commenced to eat. He had about three or four ladoos. All hail, O God of love, Thou hast at last triumphed!

It was observed that the brahman did not feel quite at ease. The kindness and love offered in return for harshness and hate on his part almost overpowered him. He left the scene suddenly. That evening at four, a harikatha function was arranged by a devotee to be performed at his house by an old haridas of the village. Of course Ramdas attended it with Ramcharandas and Bhavanishankerrao. Now the last two would not, in the ordinary course, remain in the town after five in the evening, but would run up to the neighbouring hillocks and spend the nights together in meditation and repetition of Ramnam. When kirtan was still going on they left the place at the usual time and disappeared on the hills.

A mysterious event now took place. Some devotees of Anjangaum (the last village visited by Ramdas) who were away when he was there, but who had seen him at the time of his visit over a year before, were hastening to Angar with the object of meeting him. On their way they happened to pass the hill on which Ramcharandas and Bhavanishankerrao were sitting. Strangely enough, they beheld, as they approached the hill, three men sitting in a line, Ramdas in the middle and the other two, one on each side. They were not surprised. They thought that he in company with the two friends must have gone to the hills for an evening spell. They did not like to disturb the trio, since they discovered them in a state of meditation.

They proceeded straight to Angar hoping to meet Ramdas on his return at nightfall. As they entered the village, they heard the sound of cymbals at the kirtan party, and led by the sound they came to it. But what was their astonishment to see Ramdas sitting in the assembly attending to the kirtan, while they had clearly seen him on the hillock which they had passed a little while ago! He was on the hills and at the same time at the kirtan party too! They were bewildered. They related the matter to the brahman Ramdas who formed one of the assembly at the performance. This miraculous incident produced no small effect on the brahman.

At about eight o’clock that night he met Ramdas at a milk party. His attitude towards Ramdas had, in the meantime, entirely changed. He fell at Ramdas’ feet and wept bitterly. He condemned himself in scathing terms and begged piteously to be forgiven. Ramdas asked him what the matter was. It was then that Ramdas heard from his lips the whole story of the double personality. While Ramdas listened his hairs stood on end, his eyes were filled with tears, and his entire frame thrilled with indescribable ecstasy. He only muttered: “It is all Ram’s glory. His ways are inscrutable.” From the ensuing day, until Ramdas left Angar, this brahman participated heartily in all the festivities and closely associated himself with Ramdas. He evinced a marked love, kindness and regard for Ramdas. What a wonderful transformation! Certainly, there is no more potent force than divine love!