PLATE THREE
Once, after the exalted King Rantideva spent forty-eight days fasting, not even drinking water, excellent food made with ghee was brought to him, but when he was about to eat it, a  brāhmaṇa  guest appeared. Rantideva, therefore, did not eat the food, but instead immediately offered a portion of it to the  brāhmaṇa . When the  brāhmaṇa  left and Rantideva was just about to eat the remnants of the food, a  śūdra  appeared. Rantideva therefore divided the remnants between the  śūdra  and himself. Again, when he was just about to eat the remnants of the food, another guest appeared. Rantideva therefore gave the rest of the food to the new guest and was about to content himself with drinking some water to quench his thirst, but this also was precluded, for a thirsty guest came and Rantideva gave him the water. This was all ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead just to glorify King Rantideva—to show how tolerant a devotee is and how readily he foregoes his own satisfaction for the benefit of others. ( pp. 123–129 )