THE STORY OF ICHALKARANJI
the trust reposed in him from the start of his c.arecr by Santaji Rao, who was now the Commander-in..QUef of the Mahratta
Forces; and they were marked in course of time by a.U other
Mahratta leaders. Santaji Rao finally entrusted to Naro Pant
the sole management of the accounts of the army and of his
O personal Jagheer, and it soon became obvious that the
master loved his servant as well as, if not more than, he would
love his own son. On one occasion, says tradition. Dwarkabai
the wife of Santaji Rao asked Naro Pant to cat food from the
plate of Santaji in order to prove, according to the Mahratta
custom. that Naro was Santaji's son. Brahmin as he was, Nato
Pant showed himself ready to comply and to sacrifice his all
for his benefactor. But Santaji Rao stepped in and said that
there was no need for Naro Pant to do such a thing when it
was so generally recognised in every other way that he was a
member of the family, although the incident undoubtedly won
for Naro Pant the still greater esteem and love of his patron and Dwa.rkabai. In due course this loving relationship was definitely expressed when Naro Pant adopted Santaji Rao'$ surname Ghorpade for himself and his family, thus becoming a real nobleman and a ffit"mlxr of the aristocracy. nus was as great a gift on the part of Santaji as it was an honour for Naro Pant, and the latter, like a dutiful $On, in course of time repaid a luuld!edfold Ius obligations to Santaji, as this story will show.
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