Chapter 45 — Poet Narhari Becomes a Disciple of Shri Guru

Literal. Narhari of Hipperge composes daily poems in praise of his town's god Kalleshwar (a Shiva-form). Asked to praise Shri Guru, he refuses: I have sold my tongue to Kalleshwar. He worships Kalleshwar; falls asleep in the temple; sees in dream that Shri Guru is sitting on the Linga and Kalleshwar is worshipping Shri Guru. He goes to Shri Guru, repents for not recognizing him as Kalleshwar himself.

Symbolic. The local deity is a sub-aspect of the larger one — Narhari's exclusive devotion to Kalleshwar is not invalidated; it is recontextualized. The pattern recurs throughout the book (Trivikram in Ch. 24).