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"Holy Mother" painted by Swami Tadatmananda
Used courtesy of the Vedanta Society of Southern California
Swami Apurvanandaji...
07-March-2012 (Wednesday)
Reminiscences of The Holy Mother!!!
SWAMI APURVANANDA - 23
Having had only one rupee in my possession, I could not make any offering to my Guru, nor did I have any opportunity to serve her in any way. This thought kept tormenting me. So next morning when I heard that Mother’s attendant, Barada Maharaj, was going to market at Kotulpur, I too touched Mother’s feet and accompanied him. We had to trudge along a muddy cross-country track about six miles long. Barada Maharaj purchased enough vegetables to fill a basket, along with various other commodities, while I bought a plate of sugar-candy for Mother. After having our lunch at the Koalpara Ashrama, we returned to Jayrambati in the late afternoon – I, with the basket of vegetables on my head. To me carrying the basket containing articles for Mother’s use was one way of serving her. After reaching Jayrambati, when I offered the plate of sugar-candy to Mother, she held out her hands to take it, and much pleased, said, “You’ve done well, son. I shall have a little candy syrup everyday.” Tears came to my eyes. It was candy worth merely five annas. Mother had accepted it with so much love! I had not been able to render her any service at all. So a little before dusk when I saw Mother’s attendant, Hariprem Maharaj, digging in the garden with a spade in order to plant saplings of eggplant on the bank of Punya-pukur, I took the spade from him and having prepared the soil, helped him plant the saplings. One day those plants would bear brinjals which would be of use to Mother.
(REMINISCENCES OF Sri Sarada Devi by Monastics, Devotees, and others - Compiled and Edited in Bengali by SWAMI PURNATMANANDA - Translated by MALOTI SEN GUPTA : P 62-63)
Location: Bangalore, India