24-07-2016 Sunday
Holy Mother By Swami Nikhilananda: 182

Anguish and Reassurances – 06

Soon another problem presented itself, as if to add to Holy Mother’s misery, which was already great enough. The villagers, who were narrow-minded and fanatical about social traditions, thought it outrageous that she wore a red-bordered sari and gold bracelets and did not live like an orthodox Hindu widow. Wherever she went she found people’s tongues wagging about her. In distress she took off her bracelets. In addition to all this, she never felt happy living away from the Ganges, for which she cherished a life-long reverence. She even thought of taking a trip to the sacred river. But presently she saw, with her physical eyes, Sri Ramakrishna coming along the road by the side of the house, followed by Narendra, Baburam, Rakhal1 (1 A monastic disciple of the Master who later assumed the name of Brahmananda) and other devotees. She also saw that a stream of water, springing from his feet, flowed in front of him in waves. She said to herself: ‘Why, the Master is everything. The Ganges has sprung from his feet.’ She quickly plucked some flowers and offered a handful of them to the river. Sri Ramakrishna said to her: ‘Do not discard your bracelets. Do you know the Vaishnava scriptures?’ She said that she knew nothing about them. The Master told her that Gauri-Ma would come there in the afternoon and explain the scriptures of the Vaishnavas to her. Gauri-Ma arrived as he had promised and told her that could not be a widow, since her husband was none other than the Lord Himself. This vision reassured her. She put on bracelets again and turned a deaf ear to people’s criticism.



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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: 110 – 111

Location: Bangalore