SWAMI CHETANANANDA RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

Sri and Her Divine Play

SWAMI CHETANANANDA

efore I begin my subject—Sri Sarada discourses on the Kathamrita.’ (Indeed, the Devi and Her Divine Play—I shall way he interpreted The Gospel of Sri Bsay something about Swami is unique in the Ramakrishna Bhuteshanandaji, as this is his endowment Order. Perhaps, you have seen the seven lecture. I met the swami in1960 in Advaita volumes of Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita Ashrama, Calcutta, and I was closely Prasanga in Bengali published by connected to him till 1998. I still remember .) hiding his shoes, or sometimes soaking his Responding to my quip, he said, ‘You clothes in soap water, so that he would not are right. When I was at Kankurgachi, I was go away to . He would say, ‘You the Vice President and I used to give class are naughty. I am supposed to go to Belur every week. But they made me the President Math, and you are preventing me from of the Order and now I give only initiation going!’ and darshan! I have no time to give classes.’ We loved to hear from him. I sometimes When I met him in 1997, I said, become very emotional when I think of him. ‘Maharaj, what kind of a guru are you? Tulasidàs said: ‘I bow down to the holy and Thakur said that the uttam vaidya (best the unholy. Why? Because both give me physician) put his knee on the patient’s chest pain. When the unholy person comes near and forced in the medicine. So, can you put me, I get pain; and when the holy one leaves your knee on the chest of your disciples me, I get pain. So I bow down to both.’ That [who are like diseased persons] and give is how I feel about Swami Bhuteshanandaji. them the knowledge of Brahman?’ There is another dohà from Tulasidàs: He quipped, ‘âmàr to dui hàntutei ‘Tulsi, jab jag me àyo, jag hàse, tum roye; byathà, both of my knees are afflicted with aisi karne kar chaloki jab tum hàse jag pain!’ roye’—‘O Tulasi, when you came to this What a humorous person! His humour, world, you cried and the world smiled. You his fantastic memory, his knowledge of the do such things in your life that when you scriptures, and erudition, as well as his love die, you will smile and let the world cry for and compassion for monks and devotees, you.’ That couplet is true about Swami were phenomenal. I have many stories about Bhuteshanandaji, the 12th President of the him that I shall never forget. . I have so many stories about him. One About the book day I said to him, ‘Maharaj, it is a big Now, I have to talk about Sri Sarada mistake that we made you the President of Devi and Her Divine Play. This book is an the Order.’ exhaustive, updated, authentic, and ‘Why?’ he asked. comprehensive biography of the Holy I replied, ‘You did not finish your Mother, Sarada Devi, the wife of Sri

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Ramakrishna—the spiritual phenomenon of comprising events from 1910 to 1920. this age. This book consists of 876 pages Holy Mother was born in in and 125 photographs. It took me seven years 1853. She was five years and five months to complete this book with the help of a old when she was married, and the Master team of editors. was twenty-four. Of course, this was not a Let me tell you a little bit about the real marriage; it was a kind of betrothal. At Mother’s life. Holy Mother Sarada Devi was that time child marriage was popular. I born in 1853 and passed away in 1920. The sometimes make joke and say that the dowry first book on her, the first part of Sri Sri for a grown-up girl was very expensive, so Màyer Kathà came out in 1926. The second the Master paid only 300 rupees for a little part was published in 1936. In 1937, Akshay girl! Chaitanya wrote the first Bengali biography Be that as it may, as Holy Mother of the Mother. In 1940, Swami gradually grew up, she became tormented by Tapasyananda wrote Mother’s biography in village gossip. The village women remarked: English. In 1954, Swami ‘Aha, Sarada’s husband is mad. Shyama translated his Bengali book on Holy Mother, arranged her daughter’s marriage to a Srimà Saradà Devi, into English. In 1962, lunatic.’ At that time, Ramakrishna was in a wrote Holy Mother, God-intoxicated state in Dakshineswar. published by the Ramakrishna Vivekananda There is a saying that gossip spreads faster Centre in New York. After that, many books than the gospel. As it happens, people about Holy Mother came into existence, showed lip-sympathy, but nonetheless she including: Swami Ishanananda’s Màtri was hurt. Although she avoided those village Sànnidhye, Swami Saradeshananda’s Sri Sri women, it was hard for her to digest the Màyer Smritikathà, and Swami criticism voiced against her husband. But Parameshananda’s Sri Sri Mà O Jairàmbàti. what to do? She confined herself to her I myself edited a book—Màtri Darshan— room. However, in 1872, she decided to go that contains 49 reminiscences of Holy to Dakshineswar to see for herself. She Mother. Swami Purnatmananda edited four travelled with her father and some village volumes in Bengali titled Sri Sri Màyer women who were going to Calcutta to take a Padaprànte. After that came Pravrajika holy bath in the Ganges during the dol- Bharatiprana’s reminiscences of the Holy purnimà, or Holi festival. Sometimes I Mother. Much valuable information is in visualize Holy Mother walking sixty-four these books—so much that I felt we needed miles with bare feet, carrying a bundle with an updated biography. I started working on a spare sari, one gàmchà (a towel), muri Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play in (puffed rice), molasses, bananas, and a little February 2009, and I finished it in money to pay the ferryman. She had to cross September 2015. five rivers—Amodar, Dwarakeswar, Mundeshwari, Damodar, and Ganges—to Three sections of Holy Mother’s life reach Dakshineswar. Sometimes I visualize We can divide Holy Mother’s biography her bathing in a pond or in a lake on the into three sections: First, âdi lilà, or the way, fully clothed, and allowing her sari to early lilà, which comprises events from 1853 dry on her body because there was nowhere to 1886; second, Madhya lilà, the middle to change her cloth. When she was tired, she lilà, which includes events from 1887 to took rest under a tree, and she passed the 1909; and third, Anta lilà, or the final lilà, nights in roadside inns.

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Sarada Devi was a village girl, but she be mad. However, when she arrived she was was extremely intelligent and had strong surprised to see that her husband was not common sense. On this first journey to mad, but rational, caring, loving, and Dakshineswar in March 1872, she had no conscientious—a wonderful person jewellery; later the Master gave her some, altogether! which she hid in puffed rice during her Second, she was worried that he might journeys so that robbers could not find them. reject her. Sri Ramakrishna took sannyàsa in She and her party arrived in Dakshineswar at 1864, and it was now 1872. When Mother 9 o’clock at night. Sri Ramakrishna said to came to Dakshineswar, however, she found his nephew: ‘O, Hriday, this is the first time that her husband did not reject her. History she is coming. Did she consult the says that Buddha left his wife, Yashodharà. almanac?’ That was the first sentence the Chaitanya left his wife, Vishnupriyà. But Mother heard from her husband, and she Thakur did not leave Sarada Devi. Every thought, ‘My husband is a loving and a avatàr comes with his Shakti, such as Ràma caring person.’ with Sità, with Ràdhà, Buddha with The second sentence she heard the Yashodharà, Chaitanya with Vishnupriyà, moment she entered the room: ‘Esecho, besh and Ramakrishna with Sarada. Swami korecho—It is good that you have come.’ Vivekananda said: ‘A bird cannot fly with The third sentence: ‘Ore, màdur pete de— one wing.’ Both wings are necessary. Both Spread a mat for her.’ There was no man and woman are necessary to form an furniture in the Master’s room. The moment ideal society. the Master heard that she had a fever, he The married life of Ramakrishna and anxiously said: ‘Uh! tumi eto deri kore ele, Holy Mother spanned about twenty-seven àmàr Mathur chole geche—You have come years, but they lived together for nearly ten too late; my Mathur has passed away.’ years. During her lifetime, the Mother Rasmani’s son-in-law, Mathur, died in July travelled 29 times from - 1871, eight months before the Mother Jayrambati to Calcutta, and from Calcutta to arrived. Referring to Mathur’s death, Sri Kamarpukur-Jayrambati. Ramakrishna regretted that his right hand Who started the worship of had broken (àmàr dàn hàt bhenge geche). Ramakrishna? It was first started by Holy By this he meant that if Mathur were alive Mother when she lived in the Nahabat in he would have taken good care of her, and Dakshineswar. One day when she was he was sorry. That was the fourth sentence. worshipping the picture of the Master, he Hriday then brought some puffed rice came there and said, ‘Hello! What are you (muri). Mother ate the muri and drank some doing?’ Then he himself worshipped his Ganges water. Then, of course, she wanted picture. So it was Holy Mother who first to go to Chandramani Devi, who was staying started the worship of Sri Ramakrishna in in the Nahabat. But Sri Ramakrishna said, the Ramakrishna Order. ‘No, no, no, don’t go there. You stay in my I began visiting Udbodhan when I was room. It will be difficult for the doctors to fourteen. I used to meet the swamis there treat you there.’ A bed was then made on the and served them. One day as I went to bow floor of Sri Ramakrishna’s room. Another down to Swami Shantanandaji, he said, woman slept next to Mother. ‘You bow down from a distance—don’t Sarada Devi had two fears in mind when come near me.’ I was surprised because no she left Jayrambati. First, her husband could swami had ever said such words to me! Why

8 Bulletin of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture  December 2017 SRI SARADA DEVI AND HER DIVINE PLAY was he talking that way? I wondered. Later I on me with a wholehearted faith and heard he had tuberculosis, so he had asked devotion. me to stay away from him for my safety. This is a gospel of hope. When you have When I was going to America in 1971, the trouble or difficulties in your life try to get swami told me: ‘jap koro, practise .’ this command from the Mother. It is That was the message he gave me. wonderful. I shall tell you an incident that Swami Mother appeared before Swami Sridharanandaji told me. In 1940s medicine Shantananda and asked, ‘What do you for curing tuberculosis had not been want?’ invented—that came in the 1950s. So, when The swami said: Mother, ‘I may die, but Swami Shantananda had tuberculosis in that doesn’t matter. See that this young man , he was kept in isolation. He who is serving me may not get tuberculosis. received food from the ashrama kitchen and That is my only prayer to you.’ that was all. He was a little puzzled by this Mother said, ‘Let it be so.’ arrangement because no one told him that he had tuberculosis. Salil Maharaj (later The stories told by Mother’s disciples Sridharananda) was his attendant. Swami I met several disciples of the direct Virajanandaji arranged a bed for him in the disciples of the Master and Mother. Among George VI Tuberculosis Sanatorium at them were at least two persons who had seen Simla. When Shantanandaji went there, he Sri Ramakrishna: Bhavatarini Devi, wife of discovered that he had tuberculosis, which Upendra Mukherjee, and Ramendra Sundar disturbed him immensely. He became very Bhattacharya. Swami Vishuddhanandaji, a grave and indrawn. He was not concerned disciple of Holy Mother, said: ‘I gave a about himself, but for his attendant. He name to Holy Mother—Gandibhàngà Mà, began to pray to Holy Mother, his guru, and the barrier-breaking Mother.’ He continued: his prayer was answered. I shall read to you from Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play: Here are Ram’s mother and Shyam’s mother. Ram’s mother thinks Ram came Mother had once told Swami Shantananda from her body. Ram is her son, her how to receive her command: If there is any possession. Similarly, Shyam’s mother crisis in your life, remember me. Isolate thinks Shyam came from her body and is her yourself from others for a few days, and son. When Ram is sick, Shyam’s mother practise japa and meditation intensely. Pray does not feel and when Shyam is sick, wholeheartedly and ask me, ‘Mother, what Ram’s mother does not feel. But Holy shall I do?’ During that period, eat less and Mother sees Ram, Shyam, Ram’s mother, keep your body and mind pure. Try to Shyam’s mother and all the beings came maintain silence and speak only if it is from her cosmic body. ‘I am the Mother of absolutely necessary. Don’t let other people all, I am the Mother of the Universe’, she know what you are doing. Continue your declared. There is no barrier. prayer and sadhana in this way with a one- Somebody asked Swami Vishuddha- pointed mind. Never lose patience. If you nandaji: ‘Mà bado nà Thakur bado?—who see that you are not receiving my command, still you should not give up hope. If you find is greater—the Master or the Mother?’ that no response is coming, then know for Maharaj laughed and said: ‘I do not certain that your mind has not risen high know who is greater, but the Master enough to receive my command. You will worshipped Holy Mother. Now, you decide definitely receive my command if you call who is great.’

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I will tell you a very interesting thing: chance to sit in front of the Mother or the Sri Ramakrishna saw Holy Mother from Master for a long time, but you can sit in a three angles, and Mother also viewed the secluded corner after receiving darshan. Master from three angles. The Master saw Then you can meditate and feel their Sarada as my wife, my disciple, my Ishta, presence in your heart. Jagadambà. Mother saw the Master as my Here is a story from Swami husband, my guru, my Ishta. Their Haripremanandaji, which he told in his relationship is divine and amazing. In other memoir: Radhu, Mother’s niece, was not incarnations, we find Shakti is neglected, well. Mother took her to Bankura to ignored, ill-treated, and underappreciated— Vaikuntha Maharaj (Swami witness the situations of Sità, Ràdhà, Maheswarananda), for treatment. Hariprem Yashodharà, Vishnupriyà. Shakti was Maharaj accompanied them. Vaikuntha neglected and humiliated in those Maharaj was a good homeopathic doctor. incarnations, but not in Ramakrishna and One evening Radhu was lying on the bed Holy Mother’s incarnations. Here, Shakti is and the Mother was seated there. There was worshipped, adored as Shodashi, the Divine a kerosene lantern nearby. The Mother Mother. Holy Mother said: ‘The Master has suffered from arthritis in her legs, and left me behind to demonstrate the universal someone would rub on some medicated oil Motherhood of God. I am the Mother of all.’ in the evening. Hariprem Maharaj was In 1959, I was in Varanasi and stayed at rubbing her feet. The Mother was then an . I was close to Swami elderly woman and her feet were full of Haripremanandaji, Mother’s disciple. I wrinkles, veins and sinews. Maharaj was remember that the moment I arrived, he said: thinking: ‘People call her the Divine Mother, ‘Hello! Young man!’—I was young then— but I see she is an old lady!’ Gradually he ‘If you go to any place you must remember saw the Mother’s feet began to change. They two things: First, where is the bathroom? became beautiful and well-developed, just And second, where is the drinking water? like those of a young girl! Maharaj was These two things are very important for a bewildered. Then he looked up and saw the visiting guest.’ The disciples of the Mother four-handed goddess Jagaddhàtri. He uttered were very practical. ‘Mà,’ and fell down unconscious. After a The swami took me to the temple of while, Holy Mother said: ‘O, Hari, ki holo Vishwanàth to have His darshan. We put go? Otho, otho—O, Hari! What has some flowers and Ganges water on the happened to you? Get up, get up.’ Maharaj image and stayed very briefly. The temple then regained his consciousness and again was so crowded that you didn’t have to he saw the same old Mother sitting in front make any special effort to get into it: The of him. She had revealed to him her true pilgrims just push you in and push you out. nature. Anyway, after the darshan, Maharaj took me I met Swami Parameshwaranandaji in outside and asked me to sit with him on a 1962, during my first visit to Jayrambati. marble bench. He told me to repeat the Parameshwaranandaji used to tell us many and think of Lord Vishwanàth. We stories about the Mother. One of his stories sat there for 15 minutes. I learnt from this in particular touched me: During Holy how to visit a holy place, and how to Mother’s time, there was no electricity in visit a deity. When you go to Dakshineswar Jayrambati, and no running water. The or visit Belur Math, you may not get a villagers would use the water from

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Banerjee’s pond. People used the same you who have read Shankara’s will water for bathing, washing clothes, drinking, find that all human beings cycle through and cooking. Naturally, in the rainy season three states: avidyà (ignorance), kàma the polluted water caused stomach problems. (desire), and karma (action). Ignorance As a result, Mother sometimes suffered from brings desire, and desire brings action. Why a form of dysentery. do you work? Because you want to fulfil Swami Parameshwarananda sought to your desires. Why do you have desires? solve the problem by fetching drinking water Because you have ignorance. Mother was from the Amodar river, where he used to go Bhagavati–the Goddess. She had no desires. to take his bath. The swami collected water Moreover, the Mother was Kaushambi, a in a pitcher and carried it to the Mother to married woman with unbroken chastity drink. On the first day, she forbade him to (which is also an epithet of Durgà). bring water from Amodar river. But the Barada Maharaj had a footprint of the swami paid no heed and did what he wanted Holy Mother that had been taken in 1919 at to do. On the second day, Mother again Koalpara. Wherever he went, he carried that forbade him, saying: ‘I am your guru, but footprint wrapped in a red cloth. Barada you don’t listen to me.’ On the third day, the Maharaj passed away in Varanasi in 1973. In same thing happened. When she forbade him 1986, I went to Varanasi and saw that from doing what he had been doing, the footprint, which was then with Rajani swami said: ‘Mother, I go there for bath and Maharaj. I knew him when he was in I shall bring water. If you wish, you drink, or Gadadhar Ashrama, Calcutta. He was a very do whatever you like with that water, I don’t simple and loving monk. I said to him: care.’ ‘Maharaj, do you remember how much The Mother said: ‘My son, that water is affection you had for me? You used to bring really helping me. Do you know why I asked sandesh prasad for us.’ you not to bring water? Because you will ‘Yes, yes,’ he replied. have to carry a heavy pitcher of water from Then I said, ‘Maharaj, will you please such a long distance. That is the reason I am give me this footprint?’ asking you not to bring water for me.’ ‘Aha! You will get it after I am dead.’ This is the sign of real love. It is the true ‘Maharaj, when you will die I shall not expression of love, not the mere verbal form be here. You better give me this footprint of love—‘I love you, I love you.’ right now.’ I remember, when I was going to With a smile, he gave me that footprint. America in 1971, Barada Maharaj (Swami I brought it to St. Louis and had it framed on Ishanananda) gave me some of Mother’s an acid-free cloth. Now the Mother’s hair and some other things. I have all those original footprint, taken during her lifetime, mementos. One day I asked him: ‘Maharaj, remains under the altar of Sri Ramakrishna in my home I have mother, sisters, aunts—so in St. Louis. many women in our family. What is the I stayed with for difference between Holy Mother and them? five years in Hollywood. The swami had met She is also a woman.’ Holy Mother, and he told me that her mind He said: ‘Have you seen any person who never went below the vishuddha, the throat is completely desireless? The Mother was chakra. Anybody who visited her felt her to nirvàsanà —desirelessness’. be his or her own mother. It was an amazing All human beings have desires. Those of phenomenon.

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In 1977, I met Swami Saradeshanandaji monks and devotees. It is amazing how she in Vrindaban. I said: ‘Maharaj, you were in maintained her equanimity. Gità says that Jayrambati for many years. You served Holy yoga is equanimity of the mind. The Mother Mother. What speciality did you see in her? loved and served all equally, and she What were her characteristics? Please tell demonstrated practical Vedanta. me.’ Truly, while Ramakrishna’s life was one He said: ‘I saw in Mother of condensed spirituality that may be nirabhimànatà—humility. She was compared to the snow in the Himalayas, completely egoless.’ Holy Mother’s life was one of flowing Human beings have an ego but God spirituality like the water of the Ganges. doesn’t. Ego comes from ignorance. God Melted snow turns to water, but they are the has no ignorance. Mother was a goddess. same substance: one is solid; the other is People become proud if they have a lot liquid. We cannot see the physical forms of of money or beauty or learning. One Ramakrishna or Holy Mother, but their lives becomes egotistic. Indeed, ego is the wall and teachings are living in the hearts of between the finite and the infinite. The countless people all over the world. moment ego dissolves, one becomes one Swami Saradeshanandaji narrated this with God. Sri Ramakrishna said story in his reminiscences: One midnight in categorically, ‘àmi mole ghucibe janjàl, all Jayrambati he saw the Mother, with a troubles come to an end when the ego dies.’ kerosene lantern, picking up broken glass One of Saradeshanandaji’s stories really and chips in the courtyard. He asked, inspired me. One evening Mother was ‘Mother! What are you doing?’ kneading dough in Jayrambati. He said: She replied: ‘You see, some people have ‘Mother, we can do that. You work so hard!’ come from Calcutta with their children and Mother said: ‘Bàbà, àshirbàd karo jeno they walk barefoot. They may cut their feet. shesh din porjanta kàj kore morte pàri’— That is the reason I am removing these ‘Bless me, my child, so that I may go on things from the courtyard.’ working till the last day of my life.’ Mother Just imagine! She was doing this at was a real karmayogi. midnight so that no one would see her. This It is important to remember that it was action was an expression of her boundless not possible for Sri Ramakrishna to love. demonstrate gàrhastha dharma, the ideal In 1986, I met Bishesh Maharaj (Swami life of the householder. Because he had Satyaswarupananda) in Varanasi. I asked taken monastic vows, and was an him: ‘Maharaj, what did you see in Holy embodiment of renunciation, he was Mother?’ absorbed in samàdhi most of the time. He replied, ‘Mother never hurt anybody Although Holy Mother did not take any with harsh words.’ formal vows, she was an ideal nun in her We make friends as well as enemies white sari. She demonstrated both the through our words, dealings, and our monastic ideal and the householder’s ideal behaviour, and through our actions. We are in her day-to-day life. Her household was not born with friends and enemies; we make ‘khepàr hàt bàzàr—a mart of crazy people them. But Mother was Ajàtashatru, a person including her unbalanced nieces, greedy whose enemy has not been born. She never brothers, and eccentric disciples.’ Of course, hurt anybody. she also was surrounded by some wonderful One day Golap-ma was shouting:

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‘Mother, here nobody listens to me! brahmacharins confronted him in the It is your house. So everybody listens to courtyard. They grabbed his hands and you.’ demanded: ‘Uncle, you have taken away the Mother said quietly: ‘This is not my Mother’s mosquito curtain, return that right house. This house belongs to my children now.’ and I only live here. If you have anything to ‘No, no, Didi gave it to me,’ said Uncle complain about, go to Sharat (Swami . ).’ ‘No Didi did not give it to you; you took Bishesh Maharaj told me another it away. You will have to give it back.’ interesting story: The Mother was preparing Then Uncle Kali shouted: ‘Didi, tomàr to leave Udbodhan for Jayrambati. Swami bhakterà àmàke mere phello go!—Sister, my Saradananda told Rashbehari Maharaj and life is at stake in the hands of your Ashok Maharaj to help Mother pack. So devotees!’ they came to pack Mother’s trunk, bedding Mother came out of her room, and Kali and other things. They were to go to freed himself from their grip and ran away. Jayrambati with the Mother’s entourage, Mother said: ‘You are monks. Why do you which included Radhu and others. Sharat fight for this petty mosquito curtain? Forget Maharaj had bought a new mosquito curtain it.’ for her. They took the train from Howrah One should remember that Holy Mother station to Vishnupur, and travelled from was acting in her divine drama: she needed Vishnupur to Jayrambati (a distance of both good and bad characters in her play. A twenty-eight miles) by bullock-cart. These drama cannot be interesting if there is no two brahmacharins carried Mother’s luggage friction between good and evil. The more the to her room, then they went to their room. hero or heroine of the play is opposed, Mother opened her trunk and began to persecuted, and ill-treated, the more that unpack. Meanwhile Uncle Kali (Mother’s character shines and inspires affection in the brother) came to see her. When he saw the audience. For example, in a performance new mosquito curtain, he said: ‘Didi [sister], when Sità is abducted by Ràvana, or I shall take this mosquito net.’ Saying so, he Duhshàshan publicly humiliates Draupadi, took it and left. Mother kept quiet. When the the viewers’ love and sympathy wells up for two brahmacharins returned that evening to Sità and Draupadi, and at the same time they set up the mosquito curtain for the Mother, are filled with anger and abhorrence towards they could not find it. They asked her: the villains. In her own drama, Holy Mother ‘Where is the mosquito curtain? We packed selected bad and worldly roles for some of it in the trunk!’ her relatives and good and spiritual roles for Mother at first kept quiet, and then said: her devotees—just as Ramakrishna had done ‘My son, Kali came and took it.’ before her. They replied, ‘Mother, that is not right. Sharat Maharaj gave the net to you and you In the midst of her family have not used it even for a single day!’ In the chapter on ‘Holy Mother in the ‘My son, what to do? You just set up my midst of her family,’ we see Radhu kicking old mosquito net and that will be enough.’ Holy Mother on the bullock-cart and the So they followed her order. Mother taking the dust of her own feet and In the meantime, Uncle Kali was coming blessing her with it. Incredible! However, back to Holy Mother’s cottage. The two Radhu did a wonderful job: she helped to

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keep the Mother in this world for twenty put her own picture in the niche of the years. temple of the Master.’ Swami Brahmananda Radhu was born in 1900 and died of gravely remarked: ‘Tarakda, this is not a tuberculosis in 1940. Mother died in 1920. good sign. She is probably planning to After reading this chapter, the reader might depart from this world very soon.’ Swami wonder why Holy Mother endured all these was also there. He said, trials. Why did she surround herself with ‘Mahàmàyàr icchà—it is the will of selfish, jealous, quarrelsome, and greedy Mahàmàyà. Who can stop her wishes?’ relatives? She could easily have had a joyful Life stories of Ramakrishna, Holy and comfortable life in Calcutta with her Mother, and the disciples are still fresh and wonderful devotees and disciples. This is her inspiring. Sometimes I imagine the Mother divine play. shopping at Rameswaram, buying some The Mother said that after the Master’s pictures of and a pencil for Radhu. passing away her mind was soaring high. One day she gave a picture of Lord She thought: What was the purpose of living Rameswar to Swami Keshavananda for anymore in this world? It was better to Koalpara Ashrama. Mother asked him to leave—but she had a mission to fulfil. She frame the picture and put it in the shrine. conducted Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual The swami said, ‘No, Mother, we have too ministry for thirty-four years after the many pictures already.’ Nevertheless, she Master’s passing away. insisted, ‘No, no, I have brought it from Mother travelled across eight states in Rameswaram. You frame it and at least put India. Thakur did not travel so much. Swami it on the wall.’ used to say, ‘I wanted to After composing a hymn to the Mother, sanctify the whole of South India. Thakur Abhedananda expressed his desire to recite could not come. Mother and Brahmananda it to her. She was startled, and asked: ‘What will sanctify the South.’ How the disciples kind of hymn? Whose hymn?’ loved the Mother! To them, her word was Abhedananda humbly replied, ‘Mother, final. I composed a hymn on you.’ In 1912, Mother was in Varanasi. She Amazed, the Mother asked, ‘My son, used to live in Nivas, which was what is the need to compose a hymn on me?’ opposite to Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama. However, when Abhedananda sincerely One day she entered the temple in Advaita repeated his request, the Mother calmly Ashrama and closed the door. She put her listened to the entire hymn. When the swami own picture in a niche behind the Master’s recited ‘Ramakrishnagata-prànàm—whose marble image and offered a couple of soul is absorbed in Ramakrishna,’ the flowers to it. Then she came out and said to Mother became completely motionless. Swami Nirvarananda (Chandra Maharaj): When he recited ‘Tannàma-shravana- ‘Chandra, offer a few flowers to this picture priyàm—who loves to hear the Master’s everyday.’ Thus she installed herself in name,’ tears began to roll from her eyes. Varanasi. Then Chandra Maharaj told When he said ‘Tadbhàva-ranjità-kàràm— Swami about this: ‘Maharaj, whose mental state is saturated with the Mother has put her own picture in the Master,’ he saw that the Mother was no temple.’ Mahapurush Maharaj hurried to the longer there: The Master was seated in her temple to see it, then immediately informed place. Swami Brahmananda: ‘Maharaj, Mother has (Continued to page 28)

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