On the morning of 31 July, Baba visited the boat where the mandali were staying. He became upset when he found that his breakfast had not yet been prepared. The men's mood turned sour, because Baba had not told them to have his breakfast ready.
Seeing their reaction, he took them to task: "Learn to put up with all sorts of difficulties, and don't expect me to pat you on the cheek and humor you all the time. If you behave like this, your staying with me will be useless. Put up with these difficulties for a few days until I enter seclusion, and thereafter do as you please if you want to enjoy yourselves."
Baba added, "Serve me now and take my darshan a thousand times a day if you wish. Life has no real certainty; there is no knowing what may happen tomorrow."
Changing the subject, Baba explained about Kashmir:
In Kashmir there is a balance between the powers of God and maya, and that is the way it should be. Where there is the real I [God], results of actions cannot hurt you; but in maya, the results of actions become bindings. For example, take the confluence of two rivers. A river is independent when it flows by itself, but where there is a junction of two rivers, it is fettered.
Kashmir has a maharaja [king]. He has made laws for the Kashmiris and they have to obey them. These laws are for the good of the common people. But for his own close ones, there is freedom from these laws; they take life easy. Similarly, in many respects you are also free by staying with me.
Afterward Buasaheb was sent to find a place for Baba's seclusion. Finding fault with Vishnu and Raosaheb, Baba slapped them for eating without permission. When the situation calmed, Baba and the group sat under a tree for breakfast and tea.
They then went to the areas of Anantag (Islamabad) and Acchibal, where Buasaheb had been sent, and Baba selected a spot for seclusion. But as they could not get permission to stay there, they went to Pahadi Martand, a hill where Baba selected a cave. Leaving the place, they descended the valley and sat by a brook. Baba gave water from the flowing stream to the boys and mandali by cupping his hands and pouring a little of the water into their hands.