Nilkanth was now walking with a brisk pace. He had finished the first leg of his journey by completing his austerities in Pulhashram. Now it was on to his other journey: to redeem all those who he met on his way. With fierce determination, Nilkanth walked swiftly through the dense forest. It was here where someone called out to him. It was a sadhu. His name was Mohandas and he saw Nilkanth going by and called out to him. He was greatly impressed by Nilkanth’s personality. As soon he saw Nilkanth he experienced bliss and was convinced Nilkanth had extraordinary spiritual powers. He bowed at the feet of Nilkanth and asked‚ “Brahmachari! I have lost my way while trekking through the Himalayan foothills. But at this young age why are you roaming through this difficult terrain?” Mohandas asked. “I am on a journey to show the way to the likes of you who are lost‚” replied Varni.

The sadhu was convinced that Varni would show him the true path and decided to stay with him. The young Brahmachari permitted him to stay. He realized that the sadhu was eager to discover his true self but his mind was attracted to worldly things. Someone had presented Nilkanth with an attractive kamandal (gourd). Mohandas took a liking to it. Though he did not want it‚ his mind remained fixed on it even while doing the darshan of Nilkanth.

While walking they came to a river. It had stones of all sizes covered with moss. Mohandas warned Varni‚ “Be careful while stepping over the stones. If you slip the kamandal will break.” Nilkanth was really surprised at the concern of the sadhu for a mere kamandal. On reaching the opposite bank‚ Nilkanth dashed the kamandal against a boulder and broke it. “What have you done? You have broken a beautiful kamandal‚” Mohandas cried out.

Nilkanth replied‚ “Instead of concentrating on Bhagwan you have become attached with this mundane object. Then how will you get redeemed from this world?” A reformed Mohandas touched Varni’s feet.

A few days later they came across a tall tree from which violet mango-like fruits had fallen on the ground. Nilkanth started to eat one. Mohandas‚ too‚ took one to eat. “Don’t eat the fruits‚ they are poisonous‚” Varni warned him. “If you eat them you will die.” Mohandas threw away the fruit.

Soon four bawas came. On seeing Nilkanth eating the fruit the bawas plucked some. Varni told Mohandas‚ “Tell them not to eat the fruits.” Mohandas told them that they were poisonous and they would die if they ate them. “But why is the Brahmachari eating them?” the bawas questioned sternly.

“Because he is a great person‚” Mohandas replied. “We too are great‚” boasted the bawas. And so out of arrogance they ate the fruits and died. After some time together, Mohandas departed from Nilkanth’s company. Then, several years later, while Mohandas was on a pilgrimage to Dwarka, he met Nilkanth, who was now known as BhagwanSwaminarayan, in Saurashtra. He asked to be initiated and given diksha as a sadhu. Maharaj agreed, giving Mohandas diksha and named him Vrajanand Swami