Jayrambati Series -28
God’s love and compassion
After the meal the Mother was resting for a while. She lay down on the bed. All the devotees were eager to do her some personal service. But she asked them all to take some rest. They all therefore went away to their respective places as they had various things to attend to. I remained there with an old lady devotee, who was a widow, who was a contemporary of Sri Ramakrishna. I was massaging the Mother’s feet. The widow sat by her side and began to narrate the various incidents of her family life. “Mother! ” said she, “ you always excuse my shortcomings, but my people arc so exacting.” I asked her if she had seen Sri Ramakrishna. “Yes, dear,” she replied. “I have seen him. He often visited our place. The Holy Mother was quite young at that time.”
Devotee : Please tell us something about Sri Ramakrishna.
Widow: Not I. Ask the Mother to tell us something about him.
The Mother was resting with her eyes closed, so I did not ask her. After a while, Mother herself said, “ He who will pray to God eagerly will see Him. The other day one of our devotees, Tej Chandra, passed away. What a sincere soul he was! Sri Ramakrishna used to frequent his house. Some one had deposited Rs. 200 with Tej Chandra. One day he was robbed of that amount by a pick-pocket in the tram car. He discovered the loss after some time and suffered a terrible mental agony. He came to the bank of the Ganges and prayed to Sri Ramakrishna, with tears in his eyes, ‘ O Lord, what have you done with me!’ He was not rich enough to make up that amount from his own pocket. As he was thus weeping, he saw Sri Ramakrishna appear before him and say, “Why do you weep so bitterly? The money is there under a brick on the bank of the Ganges.” He quickly removed the brick and really found there a bundle of bank-notes. He narrated the incident to Sarat (Swami Saradananda). Sarat
said, ‘You are lucky to get the vision of Sri Ramakrishna even now. But we do not see him.’ Why should Sarat and others like him see him anymore ? They have see so much of him and all their desires have been fulfilled. Those who have not seen him with their physical eyes are most anxious for his vision. When Sri Ramakrishna was staying at Dakshineswar, Rakhal and other devotees were very young. One day Rakhal (Swami Brahmananda) came to Sri Ramakrishna and said that he was very hungry. Sri Ramakrishna came to the Ganges and cried out, ‘O Gaurdasi, come here ! My Rakhal is hungry.’ At that time there was no refreshment stall at Dakshineswar. A little later a boat was seen coming up the Ganges. It anchored near the temple. Balaram Babu, Gaurdasi and some other devotees came out of the boat with some sweets. Sri Ramakrishna was very happy and shouted for Rakhal. He said, ‘Come here. Here are sweets. You said that you were hungry.’ Rakhal became angry and remarked, ‘Why are you broadcasting my hunger?’ Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘What is the harm?
You are hungry. You want something to eat. What is wrong in speaking about it? ’ Sri Ramakrishna had a child-like nature.”
Bhudev, the nephew of the Holy Mother, just then returned from school. He had an attack of fever. The Mother asked me to arrange a bed for him. She was preparing to go to Balaram Babu’s house to see his son who was suffering from an attack of dysentery. She finished the evening worship and offered me some Prasada. I said that I would eat it later on. She agreed and asked Nalini, her niece, to give me the Prasada later. A carriage was brought for her. She asked me to wait there till her return. Golap-Ma accompanied her. They returned after
an hour. The Holy Mother was glad to see me and said, “I have come back quickly for you. Have you eaten the Prasada?’’ When I replied in the negative, she remarked, “Nalini, why did you not give her the Prasada as I had asked you?” Nalini: I forgot to do so. I shall bring it presently.
Mother: You need not worry about it any more. I shall give her the Prasada myself. (To me) Why did you not ask for it yourself ? This is your own home.
Devotee : I am not very hungry. Had I been so, I would have asked for it.
The Mother, shortly after, brought some sweets that had been offered in the shrine and gave them to me. I partook of them joyously. I prostrated myself before her and asked her leave. She said, “Come again, dear child. Durga ! Durga! Shall I come with you to the ground floor ? Can you go alone ? It is dark.’ “ I shall be able to go alone. Mother,” said I. Still she began to repeat the name of God and accompanied me as far as the staircase. “You need not take any more trouble,” I requested Mother. “It will be easy for me to find the way.”