Passages from Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play! 07-August-2022 - 339
Satwik Joglekar
07-August-2022
Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play! 339
Passages from “Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play”: p 334
By Swami Chetanananda
Vedanta Society of St Louis
CHAPTER 20
Holy Mother in the Midst of Her Family – 27
Tormented by her insane sister-in-law, Holy Mother once remarked: “My mind is eager to soar high into a spiritual plane. I feel compassion for them and keep it down. And what do I get in return? Only abuse and insults.”37 [37 Swami Nikhilananda, Holy Mother, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre: New York, 1962, p. 125]
Once Holy Mother said to Surabala: “You are so proud of a daughter who is whining, whimpering, and sniffling all the time. Look at them,” she continued, pointing to her devotees, “my wonderful jewel-like children. I am the Mother without giving birth to any child.”38 [38 Manada Shankar Dasgupta, SriSrima Saradamani Devi, Calcutta, 1956. p. 437]
Radhu and Manmatha were Surabala’s mainstay. She felt insecure if she was not with them. Unfortunately, her mental disorder sometimes caused her to have delusions concerning the pair. One day while she was cooking in Jayrambati, the thought of Manmatha suddenly came to her mind. She searched for Manmatha in the house but could not find him. Then she thought perhaps he had gone to bathe in the Banerjee’s pond. She went there and began to search in the water. When she could not find him, she concluded that he must have drowned. She returned to the house, fell at Holy Mother’s feet, and burst into tears, crying: “Sister-in-law, my son-in-law has drowned in the Banerjee’s pond. What will happen now?” Startled, the Mother called loudly for her disciples and told them what Surabala had said. Hari responded, “Just now I saw Manmatha playing cards in a shop.” Holy Mother asked her disciples to bring him home right then. They went to the shop and escorted him to the Mother. Surabala was ashamed and embarrassed when she saw Manmatha and immediately went to her room. Holy Mother was greatly relieved.
--