May 14, 2015 Thursday: Mother As I Saw Her (Being Reminiscences of Holy Mother Sarada Devi)
14-May-2015 (Thursday)
Mother As I Saw Her – Swami Saradeshananda
Mother’s Preference for Renunciation: Instance of Banku – 01
That was why the Mother would be very happy if she was able to cut asunder the bondage of the household of a son of hers. “It is a kite or two amongst a thousand that are cut free, and you, Mother, clap you hands in glee”, says the refrain of a familiar song. The following incident revealed to me what great attraction the Mother had for the world-renouncers. Banki (Bankim) was a son of a cousin sister of the Mother. He had a naturally sweet voice and was very fond of music from his boyhood. As he grew up, with great perseverance, he learned to sing the Ramayana, gradually built up a party of Ramayana singers under him, and taking it as a profession, earned a good income for himself. When this Banku of golden voice sang the name of Rama and his divine exploits, swaying a Chamara (bushy fan) and dancing in rhythm with tinkling anklets on his legs, there used to be none in his audience not thrilled and charmed. The birthplace of Banku was in the village of Pukurey, about a couple of miles to the south-west of Jayrambati. From his early age he used to visit his maternal uncle’s place, Jayrambati. The Mother was a distant aunt of his. She was very fond of the orphan boy from his infancy and liked his sweet songs. Banku had given a musical performance of Ramayana at the Mother’s house too.
[Mother As I Saw Her (Being Reminiscences of Holy Mother Sarada Devi) – Swami Saradeshananda. Translated by Prof. J. N. Dey. Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore Madras-600004: p 141-142]
