Ramakrishna Ashrama Penang

A Mother's Heart

In 1918, when Holy Mother was sixty-five years old, she fell seriously ill with malarial fever at the Koalpara Ashrama, near her native village. The monastic members of the Ashrama as well as the villagers of the locality were very concerned about her delicate condition. At this juncture, when Holy Mother would have been much comforted to have her dear niece Radhu by her side, the latter -whimsical as usual- suddenly took it into her head to visit her husband's parental home in Tajpur, not far away, and left at once in a palanquin. Holy Mother must naturally have felt a bit hurt, but nevertheless decided to send a Brahmachari to Radhu, to find out whether she would like to accompany her to Calcutta. Radhu would not listen to any such suggestion, and refused to move from her father-in-law's house. Meanwhile, Swami Saradananda and Yogin Ma arrived with a physician in order to take Holy Mother to Calcutta, where she could receive proper medical treatment. Within seven or eight days, when the patient was in a condition to travel, they all left for Calcutta. This was Holy Mother's first visit to Calcutta without Radhu. In Calcutta Holy Mother soon recovered from her illness, but then it was Radhu's turn to fall sick! By the middle of June of the same year Radhu had a painful boil on one finger and wrote to the Mother in Calcutta asking if she could stay with her again. The compassionate Mother, whom Radhu had recently deserted during her illness, now behaved as if she did not remember anything of it at all! She at once made all arrangements for Radhu's journey to Calcutta. Radhu travelled with her husband and her mother, and a Brahmachari escorted them all the way from Koalpara. They arrived at the Mother's house after nine in the evening, and the next day a doctor began to treat Radhu's finger.

Maharaj's (Swami Brahmananda's) visit to Holy Mother

One morning at nine o' clock, Swami Brahmananda arrived at the Udbodhan House to have the darshan of Holy Mother. Covering herself with a shawl, the Mother sat on a cot and asked Varada to bring the Swami in. Varada escorted Swami Brahmananda, walking behind him towards the Mother's room, and, as they came into her presence, he could see the Swami's legs trembling! Maharaj made a full prostration at the Mother's feet and then asked her about Radhu's health. The Mother blessed him by placing her hand on his head, then told him about Radhu's illness, and asked him about himself and the other monks. After giving brief replies to the Mother's questions, Maharaj came out and sat in Swami Saradananda's room. Varada then saw that, after meeting the Mother, Maharaj was perspiring profusely. Following the Mother's instructions, Varada arranged some biscuits, fruits, and sweets on a tray. Holy Mother held the offerings before Sri Ramakrishna's picture for a while, partook of a tiny bit of it, and then gave it to Varada saying: `Give this to Rakhal'. When Varada entered Swami Saradananda's room and handed the prasad to Maharaj, Swami Saradananda exclaimed: `Will you eat the Mother's prasad all by yourself? Maharaj: `Sarat, you eat Mother's prasad daily, do you want a share of this prasad as well? All right, here you are. After all you are Mother's doorkeeper; unless you are pleased one cannot go near the Mother.' Swami Saradananda: `Brother, you are the one who appointed me to this job!' Joking in this way, the two brother-disciples ate the Mother's prasad with great joy.

Holy Mother's efforts to cure Radhu

In 1919 Radhu was pregnant, and gradually becoming mentally unbalanced. Seeing the Mother at a loss to know how to cure her, Nalini suggested that they make Radhu wear bangles offered to the `Mad Goddess Kali' of the Tirol village, since that had once worked in lessening Radhu's mother's insanity in the past. The Mother agreed at once and, turning to Varada, said: `Look, Nalini is right. Varada, tomorrow without fail please go to Tirol, offer worship to Mother Kali there, and bring the bangles with you.' Varada left for Tirol the next day, spending the night at a devotee's house on the way. Arriving in Tirol on the second day, he offered worship to Mother Kali and bought the bangles, returning to Holy Mother at Koalpara in the evening. The following morning before breakfast, Radhu was bathed and the bangles were put on her wrists according to scriptural injunctions. Holy Mother prostrated herself in the direction of Mad Goddess Kali's shrine, and fervently prayed for Radhu's recovery. Radhu's condition, however, did not change or improve in the least by wearing the bangles; rather, Radhu's mother's madness took a turn for the worse! She began to quarrel with Nalini for having prescribed the bangles for Radhu. After a few days, Radhu's mother began to reproach Holy Mother again and again, telling her: `Why did you bring Radhu from Calcutta? If she had stayed there, she could have received proper medical treatment. Now the weather is so hot; in Calcutta they would have applied ice on her head, and that would have alleviated her condition. If you can manage to procure ice and apply it on Radhu's head, she will be cured.' Holy Mother again believed in the new proposal and turning to Varada said: `Varada, she is right. Tomorrow please go by bicycle to Bankura and bring some ice.' As his bike was not in a very good condition, Varada was reluctant to cycle all the twenty-four miles distance to Bankura, but the Mother assured him: `It will be all right, you please go.' The next morning Varada presented himself before the Mother, ready to depart. The Mother did some japa (repetition of a holy mantra) on his head and chest, and gave him an offered flower to tie in his cloth. Travelling by bicycle and by train, Varada managed to return to the Mother with twenty pounds of ice nicely packed, by five in the afternoon the next day. At the Bankura Ashrama the members had given Varada some cucumbers and other things for the Mother's household, so in the end the young man had to carry a forty-pound load! While Holy Mother and Radhu's mother were happily applying the ice to Radhu's head, Uncle Kali (Holy Mother's brother) happened to come that way. Hearing of the new treatment prescribed by the mad aunt (Radhu's mother was known by that name), he said to Holy Mother: `Sister, do you apply ice on the head of a pregnant girl on the advice of the mad aunt? Take care that she doesn't catch a cold.', and: `Sister, you don't understand. If the big doctors of Calcutta have admitted defeat, being unable to cure her, then this is no disease at all. In my opinion she is possessed by a ghost. In the village of Sushnegere there is a tantrik practitioner; why don't you send for him and get his opinion about Radhu?' At these words the Mother stopped applying ice on Radhu's head and said to her brother: `Fine. Tomorrow Varada will go to Jayrambati; from there you will take him to Sushnegere. Explain the case to the man and see if you can bring him with you.' The next day Uncle Kali and Varada arrived in Sushnegere and, as soon as they approached the tantrik occultist, the latter threw some mustard seeds at both of them, and at his altar, and then said: `Yes, I have understood everything. In the next couple of days I will have to go there. I have received the command.', etc. Uncle Kali still told him in detail about Radhu's mental condition and requested him to come to Koalpara to examine her. On the way back to Koalpara, Uncle Kali began to talk to Varada on different subjects, and finally said, referring to Holy Mother: `Look, Varada, if my sister would save all the money that the devotees give her, she could be very well-off, but instead of that, she spends it all on Radhu and her brothers, she doesn't save at all. Well, to whom do you think she gives most?' Seeing that Varada uttered no response, the uncle continued: `Look, Varada, my sister is not at all attached to money, that is why she is respected by so many people. Her relatives try to take advantage of her generosity as much as they can. If she were attached to money like ordinary people, then she wouldn't be respected. That is why she is not a human being Ñshe is a Goddess, do you understand, Varada? Well, you boys have given up home and family at such an early age, and are busy serving Sister day and night. You are your parents' only son. I know your father, he is a God-fearing, noble soul. You boys of Koalpara, how much you serve Sister! And Sister also is so gracious to you! Taking upon herself such a heavy burden as Radhu, Sister depends on you for help and support. Varada, you are indeed blessed!' While the uncle talked in this manner, the two finally reached Jayrambati. The uncle stayed at his home and Varada proceeded alone to Koalpara. When he met Holy Mother she asked him in detail about the tantrik charmer, and then asked him further: `What did Kali say all along the way?' As Varada repeated Uncle Kali's words, the Mother smiled lightly and said: `Kali is always thinking about money. As if Sister were a money-bearing tree! But he also has some devotion and faith. It is Kali alone who stands by his sister through thick and thin, who always enquires about her. All the other brothers, if they can get some money, that's enough for them!' The next morning the charmer arrived at Koalpara. Holy Mother prostrated before him in all humility and explained in detail about Radhu's condition. He examined the patient and attributed the malady to the influence of spirits. The remedy he prescribed, however, was impossible to procure: the oil extracted from ten pounds of sesame seeds; four gallons of Rui fish oil; iron obtained from distant, inaccessible places; and various kinds of plants and herbs. All these ingredients had to be heated in a fire made of bull-dung cakes. The resulting oil had to be applied on Radhu's body, and from the iron from far-off places an amulet had to be made. Having given all these instructions, the charmer took a five-rupee fee and left. At first the Mother was very eager to get all the ingredients collected, but with the passing of the days it became obvious that the task was simply impossible. In this regard the Mother said, after a few days: `How many deities do I pray to for Radhu's sake, but I get no response at all. Whatever is to happen, will happen. Oh Master, you are the only protector!' (To be continued)

Vedanta Centre UK - Magazine Articles March / April 2002image sourcw http://www.vedantadfw.org/gallery/Swami%20Ishtananda.jpg