God lived with them

[shubha...@hotmail.com]

Swami Abhedanandaji

After dedicating the shrine of Sri Ramakrishna on 29 th August 1937, Abhedanandaji left Darjeeling on 21 September. It had been his last visit. On the way to Calcutta the Darjeeling Mail was derailed, and Abhedanandaji strained his heart as he hurriedly left the train. Completely exhausted, he returned to the Ramakrishna Vedanta Math in Calcutta. From then on his health began to fail,and water began accumulating in his system. Several prominent doctors treated his dropsy, but in the end he was under the care of Kaviraj Vimalananda, an ayurvedic physician.

Abhedanandaji was virtually bedridden for the last year and a half of his life.Even in that condition, every night after supper his disciples would read   the manuscript of his lectures and he would dictate corrections. On 14 January 1938, in spite of his severe illness, he went to Belur Math to attend the dedication ceremony of Sri Ramakrishna's marble statue in the new temple. While Vijnanandaji was installing the relics of the Master in the altar, Abhedanandaji stood motionless, listening to the monks singing a hymn he had composed for the Master during his Baranagore days. It was his last visit to Belur Math.

Gradually the great yogi made himself ready to return to his beloved guru. One day he said to a disciple,"My body belongs to the Master." Towards the end he indicated that his body should be cremated at the Cossipore cremation ground after his death. On 7 September 1939 he followed his regular routine, but in the evening he had a high temperature that continued the whole night. His disciples served him around the clock. In the morning he felt a little better, and asked his attendants to give him a glass of water. He sat on his bed and lay down after drinking the water. Swami Abhedanandaji passed away shortly after, at 8:16 a.m. on Friday, 8 September 1939.