At Khetri, after some days, the Swami gave the Raja spiritual initiation. And what a wonderful disciple the Raja became! Memories still live of him kneeling in reverence before the Swami. The monk in his turn, knowing the depth and sincerity of the man, loved him dearly and expected much of him in the way of advancing the well¬being of the country. Later, when in America, he kept the Raja informed of his progress and made him one of those who were privileged to receive letters from him. An idea of the Swami's regard for the Raja is given in a letter he wrote to Mrs. Ole Bull in 1895: "In India Raja Ajit Singh of Khetri and in America Mrs. Ole Bull-these are the two persons upon whom I can depend at any time. Of all the friends I have in the world you two show such wonderful steadiness of purpose and both are so calm and silent."

The Waqyat Register shows that the Swami stayed at Khetri from August 7 until October 27. He spent his time with the Raja and his royal guests, with the pandits and State officers, and with visiting sadhus and others: discussing scriptures, singing songs, studying books and teaching people. He showed great interest in science, and at his suggestion the Raja started a small laboratory on the top floor of his palace, equipped with a telescope and a microscope. The Swami and his disciple put these instruments to good use. It was from the Swami that the Raja learnt the fundamental principles of physics, chemistry and astronomy.

They were there for about ten days spending much of their time, as before, in talking on various subjects. On August 3 they left Jaipur for Khetri by train, halting at Khairthal for the night. Next day, in the Raja's state carriage, they started for Kot, where the party stayed for a day. On August 5 they left Kot for Khetri, which they reached on the 7th morning. On the way the Raja spent his time in the company of the Swami, asking him questions, and listening to his answers.

One day he asked, "Swamiji, what is Truth?" The Swami replied, "Truth, Your Highness, is One and Absolute. Man travels constantly towards it, from truth to truth, and not from error to truth." Then he went on amplifying his meaning, pointing out how all forms of knowledge and experience and all forms of worship and thought are paths to the same Truth. He showed how true monk and true householder could attain the same Truth by different paths.

At the Khetri palace the Swami became acquainted with Pandit Narayandas, the foremost Sanskrit grammarian of his time in Rajputana. Believing this to be a great opportunity, he decided to resume his study of the Mahabhashya (Patanjali's great commentary) on the Sutras of Panini, which he had begun at Jaipur. The pandit was pleased to have him as a pupil. At the end of the first day he remarked, "Swamiji, it is not often one meets a student like you!" One day the pandit questioned the Swami on a very long lesson given the day before. To his surprise the monk repeated it verbatim, adding his own comments. After a time the pandit, noting that his pupil was often forced to find the answer to his own questions in default of an answer from himself (the pandit), said, "Swamiji, there is nothing more to teach you. I have taught you all that I know, and you have absorbed it." And so the Swami, saluting the pandit respectfully, thanked him for his kindness, and became in many respects the teacher of the pandit.

On one occasion the Raja asked, "Swamiji, what is law?" Without a moment's hesitation the Swami replied, "Law is altogether internal. It does not exist outside; it is a phenomenon of intelligence and experience. It is the mind which classifies sense-observations and moulds them into laws. The order of experience is always internal. Apart from the impression re¬ceived through the sense-organs and the reaction of intelligence upon these, in an orderly and consecutive manner, there is no law. The scientists say that it is all homogeneous substance and homogeneous vibration. Experience and its classification are internal phenomena. Thus law itself is intelligent and is born in absolute intelligence." Then the Swami spoke of the Sankhya philosophy and showed how modern science corroborated its conclusions.

Such was the devotion and reverence of the Raja for his spiritual teacher that he would serve him in various ways, even rubbing the Swami's feet gently while he slept, and, in the day-time, even doing acts of service before others; but the Swami forbade this last, saying that it would lower the dignity of the Raja in the eyes of his subjects.

One day the Raja expressed sorrow to the Swami for not having been blessed with a son and heir. "Swamiji," he said, "bless. me that a son may be born to me. If you will only do so, there is no doubt that my prayer will be granted." Seeing his anxious longing, the Swami blessed him.

But the Swami did not spend all his time in the palace. He was often at the houses of his poorer devotees, and frequently ate at the house of Pandit Shankarlal, a poor Brahmin. The whole town of Khetri was enamoured of the Swami, and he treated the least of his admirers with the same love and affection as he bestowed on the Raja.

At Khetri an incident occurred which proved an eye-opener to the Swami. One evening the Raja was being entertained with music by a nautch-girl. The Swami was in his own tent when the music commenced. The Raja sent a message to the Swami asking him to come and join the party. The Swami sent word in return that as a sannyasi he could not come. The singer was deeply grieved when she heard this, and sang, as it were in reply, a song of Surdas, the Vaishnava saint. Through the still evening air, to the accompaniment of music, the girl's melodious voice reached the ears of the Swami._x000d_ _x000d_ O Lord, look not upon my evil qualities. _x000d_ Thy Name, O Lord, is Same-sighted._x000d_ One piece of iron is in the image in the temple, _x000d_ And another, the knife in the hand of the butcher; _x000d_ But when they touch the philosophers' stone, _x000d_ Both alike turn to gold._x000d_ So, Lord, look not upon my evil qualities, etc._x000d_ The Swami was deeply touched. The woman and her song told him something he was forgetting, that all is Brahman, that the same Divinity is back of all beings-ay, even of this woman whom he had despised. He forthwith went to the hall of audience and joined the party. Speaking of this incident later, the Swami said, "Hearing the song I thought, `Is this my Sannyasa? I am a sannyasi, and yet I have in me the sense of distinction between myself and this woman!' That incident removed the scales from my eyes. Seeing that all are indeed the manifestation of the One, I could no longer condemn anybody,"

On October 4, which was the eve of the Navaratra festival, the Swami went with the Raja on horseback to visit the temple of Jin Mata (a well-known deity of Rajputana, in Sikar State). On the way they visited the Shiva temple sited on a hill at Gudha, and reached Signor the same day in the evening. They reached Sikar on the 6th, and from there went to visit the temple of Jin Mata, accompanied by the Maharaja Madho Singhji of Sikar. On the 10th they started back, and reached Khetri the next day. October 12 was Dasera. Special worship, a state procession, and state dinner were arranged by the Raja. His monastic guest took part in the celebrations.