Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi

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"Holy Mother" painted by Swami Tadatmananda

Used courtesy of the Vedanta Society of Southern California

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Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi
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Holy Mother By Swami Nikhilananda: 241 23-September-2016

23-09-2016 Friday
Holy Mother By Swami Nikhilananda: 241

Chapter 11 – Radhu : 02

One evening as she was telling her rosary, she had a vision of Radhu being treated carelessly by her insane mother and saw that the baby’s life was in danger. She became extremely worried and returned to Jayrambati. While she was there, one day she noticed that Surabala, with her arms wound around with threads of red, blue, and other colours, was coming across the courtyard dragging some cotton quilts under her arm. She was stark mad. Radhu was crawling in the dust behind her, eating a few grains of dry puffed rice and weeping. In contrast, the other children of family were well looked after. At this pathetic sight Holy Mother shuddered. She felt choked, like a drowning person, and said to herself: ‘Who will look after the poor thing if I do not? Her father is dead and her mother insane.’ She rushed out and took the baby into her arms. Immediately Sri Ramakrishna appeared and said: ‘This is the girl you saw before. Take her as a support. She is Yogamaya.’ From now on Holy Mother’s life became inextricably entwined with Radhu’s. They were almost inseparable. Holy Mother herself fed Radhu, entertained her, and slept with her. To outsiders she appeared to be inordinately attached to Radhu. One day a disciple said to her: ‘Mother, why are you so obsessed with Radhu? Day and night you talk of nothing but Radhu. You seem to be terribly entangled in the world. Many devotees come to you and you pay no heed to them. Is such attachment good for you?’ Holy Mother had heard similar complaints before and had said with her usual humility: ‘We are women, and I follow my womanly nature.’ But this time she replied in a rather animated voice: ‘Where will you find another like me? Try and see. Let me tell you something. Those who constantly contemplate the Supreme Reality develop a subtle and pure mind. Whatever object such a mind takes hold of, it clings to with tenacity; people regard this as attachment. When lightning strikes a building, the flash is seen in the glass panes and not in the wooden shutters.’ On another occasion she said: ‘People think I worry about Radhu and am strongly attached to her. But they do not know that without this attachment my body would not have been preserved after the Master’s death. He himself kept the body alive, though Radhu, for the sake of his work. When my mind withdraws from her I shall give up the body.’ On still another occasion she remarked: ‘This constant doting of mine on Radhu is a form of attachment. But I can sever it even this moment by my mere wish. I do not do so only because of compassion. How can maya bind me?’ Holy Mother’s vision concerning Radhu gave her a reason to live and allowed her to resume her active life. Her joy in life was restored.

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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: 148 – 149

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