Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2.djvu/395

 pupils were taken aback. They appreciated the teaching; they rejoiced at the change in their master. The latter, when he regained self-possession, found out that he had made a thorough deviation; but was unable to proceed with the lesson for the day. On the day following, he repairs to the school with a firm resolve to fare better but, to his utter confusion, falls into a longer digression. At last, discerning his inability to be a man of the world any longer, he takes leave of his pupils with many a touching exhortation and goes forth to devote his days and nights to Hari. Some of his pupils faithfully followed him into his new life; while the rest repaired to other schools. The Vaishnavas sent up their thankful praises to Hari that one of the foremost among the learned had stooped to advocate their humble cause. The Pandits of the day were satisfied that a great rival was thus removed. And the Saktas were enraged that so rich an acquisition was made to the contemptuous number of their bitter foes.