Kasaragod

The foregoing chapters of this narrative were written some years ago. To bring the narration up-to-date, the account that follows is now appended to it. It is also intended to make this supplement as brief as possible by going over only the most outstanding features of Ramdas’ later experiences.

Life at Anandashram, Kasaragod, was also filled with events which are worthy of chronicle. The earlier part of it ran on smoothly except for the crowds of visitors who assembled in the ashram either for performing bhajan or listening to the talks of Ramdas. Then commenced a period marked by celebrations during which the singing of the Lord’s Name and glories went on continuously for twenty-four hours attended by hundreds of the devotees of Kasaragod.

Spiritual aspirants, young and old, had recourse to the ashram. Of these, mention may be made of a few who were, as it were, whole-time sadhakas, because they remained in the ashram during night as well. Ramanath Kini, Kanda, Purnanand and Krishnappa were the principal aspirants. Ramanath Kini was a young man who possessed not only a steadfast devotion to God but also a spirit of dispassion towards the pleasures of the world. Krishnappa was also a remarkably earnest and enthusiastic devotee. Kanda and Purnanand were of advanced age. They devoted their time mostly in taking part in the bhajan and repetition of God’s Name. They were one and all exceedingly kind and loving to Ramdas.

Ramdas’ daily food which consisted of a small quantity of boiled rice, milk and curry in the afternoon and fruit and milk in the night, was provided by Anandrao. Although he lived in a quiet and out-of-the-way retreat, he was kept engaged in talks, correspondence and other activities till late in the night.

Now a few main incidents during his stay in the ashram will be recounted here.

Krishna Bai, whose life in some detail has already been written and published in a booklet, visited the ashram in the company of some other ladies. From that time, her attraction for the ashram and Ramdas grew in intensity until at last she dedicated her life to the service of God and became a prominent co-worker with him. Her radiant personality, the selfless and silent service she rendered in the ashram, her pure overflow of love towards all alike, shone out of her and revealed her inherent greatness. She underwent innumerable persecutions when she was thus walking heart and soul along the divine path, but all through it, she maintained her cheerful and patient nature untouched and unruffled. Those aspiring souls who came under the influence of her dazzling purity were redeemed.

Rama Bai (Ramdas’ daughter by the old birth) with her husband was one of the constant visitors of the ashram. As she imbibed the discourses of Ramdas on devotion, during which he spoke also impressively on vairagya, the girl’s mind turned away from the world, awakening in her heart a deep love and longing for God. Thenceforth she appeared to have been caught in the grip of a severe mental struggle. She lost all taste for the things of the world. She curtailed her domestic activities, reduced her food and finally gave up all interest and attachment to her house and became absorbed in God-thought. This state of things naturally frightened her husband and others in the house. Her one cry to Ramdas was: “Make me love God.” This state continued for some months. However, after a great deal of persuasion by him, she came round and lived a normal life, of course without detriment to her love and devotion to God.

About this time, mother Rukma Bai, although she was ailing due to the chronic attack of asthma, came to stay with him at the ashram. The aspirants and devotees and principally Krishna Bai served and attended on her with great love and reverence. She bore bravely the discomforts of the ashram life. However, at the pressure of Ramdas, she went back to live with her daughter, coming to stay in the ashram off and on.

Soon after the ashram was started, two young women, school-mistresses from Kasaragod, became regular visitors to the ashram. Both of them were unmarried but they were real spiritual aspirants. Purity and nobility of character shone on their faces. They got instructions from Ramdas regarding the methods for repetition of the Name and meditation. With earnestness and zeal they acted up to these instructions. One day both of them questioned him whether a woman can maintain brahmacharya all her life. Ramdas replied, ‘Certainly.’ At this they were highly pleased. They put themselves under strict discipline, started evening bhajan at home, regulated their diet and thus led an austere and chaste life. Blessed mothers! May the light of God ever illumine your hearts and all the ways of your lives!

Through correspondence, Ramdas was in touch with innumerable devotees in various parts of India. A year passed away in the ashram and these distant friends longed to see Ramdas again. Letters commenced to pour in from all parts appealing to him to leave the Ashram and start on another tour. Since he had no command from Ram to go from the ashram he stuck on to it. Efforts through correspondence having failed, the friends of Maharashtra deputed Janardan Pant to visit the ashram in person to persuade Ramdas to go over to them under his escort. Janardan Pant and Sri Krishna Deshpande arrived. Their advent yielded immense joy to devotees of Kasaragod. Janardan Pant performed a kirtan at which hundreds of them assembled. But in spite of Janardan Pant’s assiduous attempts to induce Ramdas to start with him on a tour, he had to turn down his proposal. He had not at the time, the least inclination to respond to his loving invitation. It was all so willed by God. Janardan Pant’s disappointment was indeed great, and at the time of his departure he was moved to tears and exclaimed: “What message can I carry to the devotees of Sholapur who are so eager to have your darshan?” Ramdas had nothing to say in reply except to request him to convey to the devotees his appeal namely, that they should not cease repeating the Lord’s Name and feeling that Ramdas was ever with them. Janardan Pant and Sri Krishna Deshpande left.

Among the saints who visited the ashram and gave Ramdas the joy of their satsang were: Swami Pranavanand, Swami Anandashram and Dwarakadas.

Swami Pranavanand, an elderly sannyasi, was a great and noble soul. At the very sight of Ramdas he conceived a love for him which can only be compared to the love of a mother for her child. His stay was very short being only for a day. In the night he would join Ramdas when he danced in ecstasy taking the Lord’s Name. The swami, at the request of the devotees of Kasaragod, delivered a discourse on the tennis ground near the Munsif’s court. At the swami’s pressure, Ramdas was made to fill the president’s chair. After his discourse Ramdas spoke a few words on the unity of religions.

Shortly after, Swami Anandashram, the spiritual head of the Saraswat community, arrived at Kasaragod and took his residence in the precincts of the Sri Pandurang temple. Of course, the members of the Saraswat community went in large numbers for his darshan. At the repeated pressure of a friend among them, Ramdas was also taken over to him for darshan. Ramdas was made to take his seat opposite to him in an arm-chair in a small room on the first-floor of a house. The elite of the community had also assembled at the place. Ramdas duly honouring the swamiji with salutation took his seat. At the first glance he discovered the swamiji to be a pure and great soul. His handsome features radiated the glow of spiritual light. Ramdas felt perfectly free and blissful in his company. Without ceremony Ramdas started recounting to him the incidents of his trip to Kashmir and Amarnath. In a few words he discoursed upon the siddhanta of Kashmiris, that is, of Shiva and Shakti. Soon after, Ramdas, taking leave of the swamiji, returned to the ashram. A few days later, the swamiji in company with his disciples paid a visit to Anandashram. The occasion was characteristic of his broad-mindedness and kind and affable nature. After spending an hour or thereabouts in Ramdas’ company, during which Ramdas alone spoke a few words on the value of solitude and satsang, the swamiji left the ashram and went back to the temple.

Dwarkadas’ stay in the ashram extended over two months. While he was a devout and pure soul by nature, he was given to smoking ganja. The intoxication of this drug would unsettle his mind and turn him into a violent and irritable man. He carried with him a few small brass images of God for his daily worship. He was performing the daily worship after bath on the front verandah of the ashram. About this time Mark Sanjivrao was coming to the ashram for the nights.

One day Ramdas was called away to Rama Bai’s house for attending their bhajan. In the ashram there were Ramnath Kini, Mark Sanjivrao, Dwarkadas and two other devotees. After the bhajan was over Ramdas returned to the ashram at about nine o’clock in the night. Meanwhile something had happened in the ashram. Dwarkadas was found to be sitting in a corner with a wry face nursing his knee-joint. The tale came out. When Ramdas was away there was a friendly scuffle between Dwarkadas and Ramanath Kini in the course of which Dwarkadas tumbled down from the verandah, his knee striking hard on the floor of the yard. He was fretting and grumbling over the accident. Ramdas consoled him. It must be related in this connection that Mark Sanjivrao was an early sleeper. He would therefore insist that all the members in the ashram go to bed early. So by ten o’clock all retired to sleep. It might have been about eleven o’clock when a loud grunting noise proceeded from the direction of Dwarkadas which awakened the sleepers. Mark Sanjivrao was the first to cry out. Rubbing his eyes he lifted up his head from the pillow and inquired what the row was about. Ramanath Kini from outside enlightened him with the information that Dwarkadas was the cause of the disturbance. Now Ramdas drawing the attention of Dwarkadas asked him what the matter was. He replied:

“I just now remembered my dead father and as a result of it could not help weeping over his separation.” Sanjivrao assured him that he would meet him some day and everything would be all right and that he might for the present sleep the matter off. For a time there was a lull and Sanjivrao and others entered again into the depths of sleep. Not many minutes had passed before a piercing yell startled Sanjivrao and others. This time Sanjivrao shot out of bed and going up to the dimly burning lantern, turned up its light, and, arming himself with it, directly made for the place where Dwarkadas was sleeping. All the time he was muttering: “Let us lay the ghost once for all. The devil is at its tricks again. We shall find out what the matter with him is.” He held the lantern before Dwarkadas’ face, allowing its full glare to fall upon him; “What is wrong with you?” he bellowed. The reply came: “I want to attend the first call of nature.”

“Why don’t you?” anxiously asked Sanjivrao.

By this time Ramdas was also standing beside Sanjivrao.

“Look here, have you no eyes to see? My knee-joint has swollen and I cannot walk,” he replied pointing to his knee, on which there had appeared a protrusion as big as a tennis ball.

Mark Sanjivrao was a man of tact and resource. He called Kanda and Ramanath Kini for help. Dwarkadas, on account of his incessant smoking of ganja, had a lean and emaciated body. Under instructions from Mark Sanjivrao, Kanda and Kini raised Dwarkadas by the armpit, one on each side. He was easily lifted up. Mark Sanjivrao with a lantern in hand became the leader. With his usual swinging gait and long strides he walked in front, lantern in hand, and the two friends at the back carried the bent frail figure of Dwarkadas, lifting him right above the ground. Ramdas watched the procession. He was taken near a pond and the business over, in the same style, pomp and circumstance he was carried back to bed. Mark Sanjivrao, after a parting word of advice coupled with a warning and a threat not to make any more horrible noises, retired along with the others to rest.

Purnanand used always to have discussions over religious beliefs and practices with Kanda who was his chum and of the same age. The outer verandah of the ashram had a screen on one side made of palm leaves. The screen was fixed about a foot from the edge of the verandah, leaving a dark gap in between. One day Purnanand sitting on this edge of the verandah was with great enthusiasm exhibiting to Kanda the various modes of asana. In the process, his back being turned towards the enclosure, he slipped backwards and tumbled down the dark gap. His two legs and hands alone were seen shooting outwards. There was a hue and cry. None could resist roaring with laughter at the ludicrous situation into which our yogic aspirant had fallen. Kanda who was a stout and strong man stepped forward, and pulling him out both by the legs and hands put him the question: “What do you call this asana?”

One afternoon Purnanand and Ramdas were alone in the ashram and they were sitting on the verandah. Now Purnanand’s son, a young man, dropped in. Coming straight to Ramdas he squatted facing him. He said: “I have come to teach you, if you would condescend to become my disciple.” Ramdas replied: “Ramdas is your humblest disciple and would be highly grateful to you if you would teach him.” Ramdas awaited his reply in an attitude of perfect humility. All the time Purnanand was fuming with rage at the behaviour of his son, but Ramdas signed to him to keep quiet. The son proceeded:

“You have to know that the world is the manifestation of Ram. He dwells in all beings, creatures and things. This vision you have to attain if you aspire for absolute liberation. Do you understand?”

“Yes, by your grace,” Ramdas replied.

Purnanand was restraining himself from dancing with fury, and curbing his tongue from hurling curses on his son. No more questions were asked. There was silence for some time. Then the son spoke again.

“Swamiji, I have a question to ask you.”

“What is it, Ramji?” Ramdas said.

“You see, in the nights when I sit up for meditation, my mind wanders. Can you prescribe a method by which I can have steady concentration and meditation?”

Ramdas said: “Ram, you are simply wonderful. Have you forgotten that you are the guru of Ramdas who has come to teach him what he does not know, viz. about God-realisation? Whence is this question about the restless mind and all that? You are veritably Ram Himself.”

“No, no,” he impatiently cried out, “I am not Ram, I am Ravana. Hit me so that I may behave better.” Saying this he laid his head at the feet of Ramdas, and when Ramdas raised him, he found that the friend’s face was wet with tears. Soon after he left, Ramdas learnt from Purnanand that his son had a bet with his friends in the bazaar that they should stand him a treat in a tiffin shop if he succeeded in making Ramdas angry; and if he failed he would stand them a treat instead. Poor friend, he lost the bet!

Dwarkadas’ worship of the images went on regularly day after day. The time of his departure came. The day previous to it he was as usual engaged in his worship having the murtis spread out on a cloth in front of him. Ramdas was at the time sitting on his asan outside. Kanda who was a so-called untouchable, which fact Dwarkadas could know only the day before, came to the ashram as usual but this time with a bunch of ripe plantains as a farewell offering to Dwarkadas. He directly came up and was about to place the gift at the feet of Dwarkadas when the latter suddenly flared up and shouted forth: “How dare you come near me? Don’t you see that I have put on the sacred cloth and am doing puja? Get away from my presence.” At these sharp words Kanda shrank back and quietly going into a corner took his seat. Ramdas observed the whole game. Getting up from his place Ramdas quietly proceeded towards Dwarkadas, and before he could know why Ramdas was coming to him, collected the images and the puja materials by folding up the cloth on which they were placed and making the whole thing into a sling, with all the force at his command flung them into the ditch at the right side of the ashram. Dwarkadas was stunned, and gazed at Ramdas with looks filled with awe. Ramdas then told him:

“Look here, Ramji, your devotions have been taking decidedly a wrong turn. That devotee before you,” pointing to Kanda, “came to you with a heart full of love and reverence and was about to offer you a precious gift of fruits. Now you chose to discard him. That means you have discarded the very love of God. For you in future the living human image should be God. Therefore, get up and prostrate at the feet of Kanda whom you have wantonly insulted. He is your Ram, God and all. This is the vision that you need. Worshipping brass images and conceiving hatred for man is not devotion. Be quick to repair your gross blunder.” Instantly Dwarkadas got up and going to Kanda fell at his feet. Thereafter, until he left the ashram he was engaged in repeating God’s Name and prostrating before everyone, to whatever caste or creed he or she belonged, who visited the ashram.

The call from the devotees from Maharashtra and Northern India for Ramdas became insistent. At last he could not resist it. Ram gave him the command to go out and fulfil their wishes. Accordingly he wrote to Janardan Pant asking him to come over and fetch him.

The news of Ramdas’ intended departure created quite a sensation amongst the adherents of the ashram. Of them Krishna Bai was affected most. Till then she was spending her nights with her children in the house in which she resided. Now she insisted that he should permit her to stay in the ashram for the nights. Mother Rukmabai in spite of her ill-health remained in the ashram but as regards Krishna Bai, he was not willing that she should keep away from her children in the nights.

One evening as usual he had to remind her to return to her house. In fact she used to be so much absorbed in the service of the ashram that she would entirely forget to mark the passage of time and to leave the ashram even when the darkness of night was closing upon the world. On this occasion she was most reluctant to leave for her house. In so many ways she appealed to him to allow her to remain in the ashram. But in view of her children he could not agree to that. She left.

The following day, about eight o’clock, a cultivator turned up bringing the news that Krishna Bai was found lying down in a jungle at the top of the hill near the bhuta sthana, one of her legs swollen and herself partly unconscious. At once Ramdas with some others in the ashram ran up to the place. They found her sitting beneath a tree, her clothes all soiled with mud and earth and one of her legs swollen up to the knee. Ramdas with the help of the friends conveyed her to the ashram. He learnt from her lips that she had spent the night partly in the outer yard of the ashram and partly in the jungle where she was found. The refusal on the part of Ramdas to let her stay in the ashram had deeply affected her. She said she could not return to her home. The swelling was due to a snake bite, but Krishna Bai was perfectly calm and her face was as radiant as ever, not a shadow of pain marring it. However, by God’s grace, she recovered.

Among the earnest aspirants who visited the ashram was one named Gunda, a native of Puttur. He came on leave from Bombay where he was employed. At the closing period of his leave he came to see Ramdas. A brief talk with Ramdas brought about a far-reaching transformation in him. He at once abandoned the idea of rejoining his post in Bombay and made up his mind to stick to Ramdas. At his request Ramdas initiated him with the Ram-mantram. No sooner did he repeat the mantram for half-an-hour than he was so far carried away by the spiritual emotion caused by it that he began to dance in a wild ecstasy. Thereafter he turned his mind and life entirely to the thought of God and service of the ashram. He was a silent man, humble, unobtrusive and assiduous. He was a simple, pure and great soul.

The day for departure arrived. Ramdas left Kasaragod in Janardan Pant’s company and the railway platform was fully crowded with the devotees of Kasaragod including Krishna Bai, mother Rukmabai and others.