Panchavati and Tapovan

PANCHAVATI was reached. Ramdas saw the beautiful river Godavari, on the banks of which there are a number of Kshetras for feeding Sadhus, Brahmins and poor pilgrims. To one of these he directed his steps. On the verandah of a Kshetra he found a number of Bairagis, mendicant mothers and children. Here he, as prompted by Ram, opened the parcel of fruits, etc. given to him by brother Ramakrishna Rao, and emptied the cloth in which they were tied by distributing them all amongst the small children in that place. This relieved him of a pretty heavy burden. Ram’s order is always not to worry about food and clothing. Then Ramdas, going up to the holy river, washed his clothes and after bath sat down on the bank for meditation of Ram. Time passed and it was past midday when he rose and proceeded towards a Dharmashala and found, on entering, a number of Sadhus and others coming out of the front door, to wash their hands after dinner. Ramdas quietly sat outside all the time, busy with the repetition of Ram’s name. Now a rough-looking man approached him and sitting beside him, asked Ramdas if he had his meal, to which he, of course, replied in the negative.

“Well, come on,” he said, “I shall take you to a place where you can get a meal.”

And then taking Ramdas by the hand, he conducted him a short distance away on the same road, and entered a high building where he made enquiries if it was possible to give food to a Sadhu. The friend who was asked this question on the verandah of the house went in to ascertain the matter. Meanwhile, the guide who took Ramdas there said:

“Look here, Maharaj, you need have no anxiety about food. I shall see that you get meal without fail even if it is not available here.”

“When Rambhajan is on the lips of Ramdas, he is always far from such anxieties,” replied Ramdas.

Later, meals were offered at this Kshetra. Ram takes care at every step. His concern for his devotees is a thousand times more keen and lively than that of the mother for her new-born baby. Ram now handed Ramdas into the hands of a retired merchant staying in the Dharmashala, who became very much attached to him. At midnight, without his knowledge, this kind friend would cover Ramdas with a blanket, since he would not accept a Kambal when offered. The cold on the banks of the Godavari at this time was extreme. At the pressure of this merchant-friend, Ramdas remained with him for two days. During the second night, the friend questioned him if he had cultivated powers of inducing dreams. Ramdas replied that he was quite ignorant of that Sadhana and he only knew how to utter the name of Ram.

“You can do it if you only wish, Guruji,” said the friend. “Just, for instance, desire intensely to know from Ram the winning numbers of the next Derby Sweep, and the number will be made known to you in a dream.”

“Ramdas requires none and nothing else but Ram,” replied Ramdas.

“You see, the amount that might be won is not for selfish purposes, but for feeding Sadhus,” suggested the friend.

“Ram sees to the feeding of the Sadhus,” returned Ramdas.

The friend then became silent. This was again a test of Ram to find out if Ramdas could be tempted to wish for wealth.

Another incident was this. In the Dharmashala there was a sick girl ailing from fever for about 4 months. Ramdas was asked by the mother of the girl to pray to Ram for her welfare. Accordingly, going up to her bed, and, finding her in high fever, he appealed to Ram to bless her with health. Ram’s ways are always inscrutable. The girl-mother seemed to have improved for about two days, but again fell ill. Ram alone knows the why and the wherefore.

Next day, at noon, Ramdas walked about 3 miles and reached a place called Tapovan. This is said to have been the spot where Lakshmana, brother of Sri Ramachandra, cut the nose of the she-monster Surpanakha. Tapovan is a charming place. Here the clear water of the Godavari is flowing at the foot of low hills. To sit on one of these hills is to view a most attractive scene all around. Here, on a large rock, are cut out a number of rectangular caves side by side. About 10 feet from the bottom of the rock at which the water of the river is rushing along, Ramdas fixed upon a cave for a night’s Bhajan and accordingly, after bath in the river, climbed up and occupied it. The night was intensely cold. So he had not had a wink of sleep. He sat up the whole night repeating the sacred name of Ram. In Tapovan he had occasion to meet several Sadhus. Next morning he returned to Panchavati and remained here for a day.