Translated from "Sri Guru Sri Sri Ram Thakurb By Sri Rohini Kumar Mazumdar

Respected Ramdas Pal had a house in Kashi. He was engaged in the ghee business in Khurda, Chapra district. He had achieved considerable success in this business and had constructed a two-storied house in the Awadhgarbi area of Kashi. Suddenly, he felt a surge of renunciation. Gradually, his attachment to worldly affairs diminished, and he spent his days and nights in rigorous prayer and meditation. He ate only once a day, cooking for himself. Eventually, he abandoned the ghee business and went to Haridwar seeking refuge under the highly revered Swami Bholananda Giri Maharaj. Maharaj, in his kindness, accepted Ramdas Babu. When Ramdas Babu asked what he should do next, Giri Maharaj instructed him to resume his ghee business. In response, Ramdas Babu expressed that he neither had the mind for business nor the financial resources. Giri Maharaj then ordered five thousand rupees to be given to Ramdas Babu from the ashram fund. With this money, he returned to Khurda and restarted his ghee business. However, his focus remained entirely on his spiritual practices, claiming that during pranayama, he could rise a hand's breadth above the ground. Neglecting his business, he lost all his capital within two years and returned to Giri Maharaj in Haridwar, explaining everything. Giri Maharaj, upon hearing this, said, "What does it matter? Take another ten thousand rupees and carry on the business comfortably." However, Ramdas Babu refused to take more money, stating that he had already squandered the previous amount and would not take any more or continue the ghee business. This disobedience greatly angered Maharaj, who ordered Ramdas Babu to return the five thousand rupees he had previously taken. Ramdas Babu found himself in a dire situation with no means to repay the debt. Ultimately, he sold his house in Kashi to clear the debt. After this, Ramdas Babu roamed the streets, not returning home and sleeping on the roads at night, speaking to no one. This greatly distressed his wife, who was left in a difficult situation with a marriageable daughter and a son studying at Kashi Engineering College. Unable to cope, she rented a room on the ground floor of their sold house. In this sea of troubles, Ramdas Babu's wife eventually sought refuge at the feet of Sri Sri Ram Thakur, narrating her plight and pleading for a change in her husband's disposition. As she spoke to Sri Sri Ram Thakur, tears flowed incessantly from her eyes. Sri Sri Ram Thakur said, "Your husband does not come to me. What can I do if he does not come to me?" I was present with Sri Sri Ram Thakur at that time. Hearing everything, I felt very sorry and, losing respect for Giri Maharaj, uttered a few harsh words about him. Sri Sri Ram Thakur, extremely displeased, said, "One should never criticize a great person. They never speak untruths." Feeling very ashamed, I remained silent. Two days later, I returned to Muzaffarpur from Kashi, with no further news of Ramdas Babu. About fifteen days later, I received a letter from Sri Sri Ram Thakur from Kashi stating, "Ramdas Babu is coming to stay with you in Muzaffarpur for a month. Please ensure he is well taken care of." A few days later, around ten in the morning, Ramdas Babu arrived at my house with a bedroll and a suitcase, and prostrated before me. I had never seen him before. When I asked for his introduction, he said, "My name is Ramdas Pal. Sri Sri Ram Thakur has sent me to you." I showed him a room and made arrangements for his stay. We bathed and sat down for lunch around one in the afternoon. I was unaware that Ramdas Babu was a vegetarian. We rarely ate vegetarian dishes. That day, too, all the dishes were non-vegetarian. My wife was serving the food. Seeing all the dishes, Ramdas Babu said, "Brother, I eat only vegetarian food." I replied, "In that case, you shouldn't have come here." Feeling very embarrassed and distressed, I added, "I eat non-vegetarian food myself, so I urge you to do the same." Without saying another word, he started eating. During his stay in Muzaffarpur, he ate fish and meat every day. Ramdas Babu stayed with me constantly. He accompanied me to school, sat quietly in a chair while I taught classes, and even went with me to the Orient Club in the evening. While I engaged in various games at the club, Ramdas Babu sat silently in a corner, not speaking to anyone. One evening, on our way to the club, Ramdas Babu asked, "Brother, when do you practice meditation and prayer?" I replied, "I have never learned or practiced any meditation or prayer." He did not believe me, insisting, "You must be practicing at night." Despite my repeated denials, he did not believe me. Eventually, I told him, "From today, you will sleep with me on the same bed." After four or five days, Ramdas Babu said, "I still don't understand you." I said, "I always think of Sri Sri Ram Thakur as my meditation and knowledge. I wake up in the morning, bow to him, and then engage in my work, considering myself an instrument and him the player. I do not hold any specific thoughts—this is all I know." Ramdas Babu then asked, "What do you suggest I do?" I replied, "Start the ghee business again. If you remain idle with a healthy and strong body, who will take care of your family? You have a marriageable daughter and a son whose education needs to be arranged. Considering their situation, you should resume the ghee business. However, I wonder how you will restart the business without any capital." Ramdas Babu said, "The people of Khurda like me very much. I am confident they will help me financially and in every other way." After a month, Sri Sri Ram Thakur returned from Kashi. We both paid our respects to him. Sri Sri Ram Thakur asked Ramdas Babu, "Did Rohini Babu say anything to you?" Ramdas Babu replied, "He advised me to go back to Khurda and resume the ghee business." Sri Sri Ram Thakur said, "You should return to Khurda." A few days later, Ramdas Babu left for Khurda. Sri Sri Ram Thakur did not say anything to me, but I felt that perhaps he had made me instruct Ramdas Babu to resume the ghee business as a consequence of my criticism of Giri Maharaj. I realized that Giri Maharaj had not spoken falsely. His words, "You must run the ghee business," and Sri Sri Ram Thakur's admonition, "One should never criticize great persons; they never speak untruths," kept ringing in my mind. About six months later, I saw 'Ramdas Mark' ghee being sold in the market.