May
1914
That
day the Holy Mother was coming to our Ballyganj home. All the necessary
arrangements had been made from the previous day. A separate seat, a new set of
white marble vessels, etc., had been purchased for her use. The whole night I
couldn't sleep for joy at the thought of the Mother's coming. She was to come
only by noon, but under the impression that her arrival was to be earlier, Sri
Shokaharan had gone to her Baghbazar house early in the morning and was waiting
there with the carriage. We also finished our household duties early and were
ready to receive her. I spread the Holy Mother's seat, decorated all-around
with flowers, sprinkled Ganges water all over the house, and made a garland of
flowers. On either side of her seat two large bouquets spread their fragrance.
As
the time of her arrival neared, we were on the lookout, in eager expectation.
At last the blessed moment arrived. Hearing the sound of the carriage, we all
went downstairs. As the carriage stopped, I beheld the Holy Mother's smiling
face casting a compassionate glance on us. When she got down everyone crowded
round to take the dust of her feet. Seeing us all, her eyes were filled with
tears of love.
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| Holy Mother with Radhu |
Golap-Ma,
the youngest aunt, Nalini-Didi, Radhu and a few monks came with her. We led her
upstairs, and after seating her, bowed down at her feet. The Mother said
affectionately, "Have you all finished your meal?" With these words,
she touched my chin endearingly. Till now I was too busy with the arrangements
for the visit to think of meals or anything else. I now hurried downstairs to
arrange for lunch.
Upstairs
the gramophone was playing. Finding a little respite from work, I went up.
Listening to the music of the machine, the Holy Mother was immensely pleased.
"What a wonderful machine is this!" she said, bubbling with joy like
a small girl. It was very hot. The Mother was reclining in the verandah on a
mat. Near her all others were seated. In a stone pot iced water was kept, which
the Holy Mother sipped now and then. Seeing me, she called, "Hullo, take a
little ice water." I drank some as her Prasad and went to the kitchen.
After
dusk, the offering to the Master was arranged in the next room. The Holy Mother
came and asked Golap-Ma to make the offering but she declined. "You do it
please. When you are here, why should I?" she said. So the Holy Mother sat
down to make the offering. "How beautifully has everything been
arranged!" she remarked. She was all praise for everything she saw and
made us all immensely happy. Offering was over, and the Mother and the rest sat
down to partake of the Prasad. The Holy Mother finished her meal first. She sat
in an easy chair in the verandah and called to me, "Hullo, give me a betel
roll." I was yet busy serving Golap- Ma. Quickly I took a betel roll to
her. Ashamed that she had to ask for the roll, I said to Sumati, "Could,
you not wait near the door with a betel roll? You saw how busy I was." A
little later the Holy Mother came down. Taking a lamp, I also went with her.
It
was time for departure. The Mother did not like to travel by car, as once a dog
was crushed under her vehicle. But the distance was long and unless a car was
used, she would reach her destination very late. So the Mother agreed to the
devotees' request to use a car. She got ready, after making repeated Pranams to
the Master. Blessing us all, she got into the vehicle.
* * * * *
I
saw the Mother one night. She was lying on her bed. Another woman was near her.
She at once sat up in bed so that I might bow before her. In the course of
conversation she said, "At the time of creation,
people were born with the quality of Sattva, light. They had wisdom from their
very birth. Consequently they at once realized the unreal nature of the world.
They renounced it and practised austerity. They were liberated in no time. The
Creator found that the purpose of his creation was going to be frustrated.
These wise men, who were thus liberated, were unfit for the continuance of the
play of the world. Then he again started the work of creation and mixed the
qualities of Rajas (activity) and Tamas (inertia) with, the Sattva. Thus His
purpose was fulfilled." Then she cited a popular verse bearing on
the theme of creation, and said, "In our young age
we acquired these ideas from the country dramas. But now these have become
rare."
Some
of the young girls, relatives of the Holy Mother, were reading loudly from a
book in another room. The Mother said, "Listen,
how loudly they are reading! They have forgotten that there are many people on
the ground floor."
Radhu's
mother, the insane sister-in-law of the Holy Mother, entered the room and said,
"Lakshmi-mani (Sri Ramakrishna's niece) is going
to Navadvip on a pilgrimage. I wanted to go with her. But you have stood in my
way." She left the room in a pique. The Mother said, "How can
I allow her to go with Lakshmi? Lakshmi is a devotee. She would sing and dance
with other devotees. She would not observe the distinction of caste and would
dine with others. But Radhu's mother would not understand this. She hardly
knows that the devotees need not observe caste rules among themselves. So she
would come back and criticize the conduct of Lakshmi before others. Have you
met Lakshmi?"
Devotee:
No, Mother.
Mother: She is in
Dakshineswar. Visit her one day. Have you been to Dakshineswar?
Devotee:
Yes, Mother, I have visited the place many a time. But I did not know that she
had been living there.
Mother: Have you seen the
Nahabat at Dakshineswar, where I used to stay?
Devotee:
Yes, Mother, I have seen it from the outside.
 |
| Inside Nahabat Room |
Mother: When you visit
the place another day, go inside the room (see Picture). When I stayed there, my entire world
consisted of that small room. Even the vessel containing fish was hung up. I
had never seen water taps before. I came to Calcutta one day and entered a room
where there was a tap. I opened the tap. Before the water rushed out, there
came a hissing sound, like that of a snake, out of the tap. I was
terror-stricken and ran from the room. I at once came to the other ladies of
the house and cried, "There is a snake in that water pipe. It is
hissing." They laughed and said, "There is no snake there. Do not be
afraid. The hissing sound comes from the air being forced out by the rushing
water." Then we laughed and laughed till our sides began to ache.
Saying
this, the Holy Mother laughed heartily again. So sweet and innocent a laughter!
I too could not hold back my laughter any more and thought, "So guileless
is our Mother!"
Mother: Have you seen
Sri Ramakrishna's birthday festival at Belur?
Devotee:
No, Mother. I have never been to the monastery at Belur. I have heard that the
monks who live there do not like a crowd of women in the monastery. Therefore I
hesitate to go there.
Mother: Go there once
and see the celebration of Sri Ramakrishna's birthday.
*
* * * *
It
was evening when I went to Baghbazar to see the Holy Mother. She was kind
enough to ask me to spread her small carpet on the floor and fetch her beads.
She soon became absorbed in her meditation. Across the lane there was an open
space. A few labourers lived there with their families. One of the male members
began to beat a woman severely, probably his wife. Slaps and fisticuffs began
to be showered upon her. Then he kicked her with such force that she was thrown
to a distance with a child in her arms.
Then
he started kicking her again. The Mother could not proceed with her meditation
any more. Though she was extremely modest and would not usually talk even loud
enough to be heard by people on the ground floor, she now came to the porch of
the second floor, stood by the iron railing, and cried aloud in a tone of sharp
reprimand, "You rogue! Are you going to kill the girl outright? I am
afraid she is already dead!" Hardly had the man looked at her than he
became quiet like the snake before its charmer, and released the woman. The
sympathy of the Mother made the woman burst into loud sobs. We heard that her
only fault was that she had not cooked in time. Afterwards the man became his
old self again and wanted to be at peace with the woman. The Holy Mother saw
this and came back to her room.
Some
time later, the voice of a beggar was heard in the lane. He was crying,
"Radha-Govinda! Glory unto God! Please be kind to the blind." The Mother said. "This beggar passes yonder lane
almost every night. At first he would cry, 'Please be kind to the poor blind.'
But Golap one day rightly said to him, 'Please utter that name,
Radha-Krishna-the name of God. This will serve the double purpose of uttering
the holy name and also of reminding the householders of God. Otherwise you
will, day and night, think of your blindness alone.' Since then, the blind man,
while passing through this lane, takes the name of God. Golap gave him a piece
of cloth. He also gets alms in other forms."
SOURCE: The Gospel of Sri Sarada Devi
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