24-04-2016 Sunday
Holy Mother By Swami Nikhilananda: 097
In The March of Events – 09
It will be of interest to describe briefly some of Sri Ramakrishna’s women disciples who were frequent visitors at Dakshineswar and who spent a great deal of time with Sarada Devi. Years later two of them lived with her permanently.1 (1 For fuller account of the women devotes of Sri Ramakrishna see Great Women of India, Calcutta, Advaita Ashrama, 1953.)
Yogindra Mohini Devi, known as Yogin-Ma2 (2 Yogi-Ma, often called ‘Yogin’ by Sarada Devi, should be distinguished from Yogin, an intimate male devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, who later renounced the world and assumed the monastic name of Swami Yogananda. Sarada Devi also addressed Yogin-Ma as ‘Daughter Yogen,’ and Yogen as ‘Son Yogen.’) was regal in appearance and dignified in deportment. She hailed form an aristocratic family of Calcutta. At an early age she was given in marriage to a handsome youth of a well-known wealthy family who soon gave himself to excesses, became a moral wreck, and squandered his fortune. Yogin-Ma’s married life was a tragic one. Her first son died within six months of his birth. In the course of time her daughter was married. Soon after, this daughter left her husband’s home to live with her widowed mother. The romantic picture of a happy and peaceful family life being shattered, Yogin-Ma was desolate and turned her mind to religion. At this time she visited Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar and saw the Master, who was in a state of ecstasy, reeling life a drunkard. The bitter memory of her tipsy husband made her shudder, but she soon realized the true nature of the Master’s spiritual emotion. When he learnt that she had come without taking food, he sent her at once to the Nahabat, where Sarada Devi with great affection fed her. Soon an intimate relationship grew up between them, and Sarada Devi often referred to her new companion as ‘my Jaya.’1 (1 One of the attendants of Durga, the Divine Mother; the other as Vijaya.)
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Holy Mother - Being the Life of Sri Sarada Devi Wife of Sri Ramakrishna And Helpmate in his Mission By Swami Nikhilananda p: 64 – 65
