had died during the Master's boyhood itself.
Mother: He passed away much later. The Brahmani said, "Chinu is a devotee of the Lord. What harm is there in my cleaning the place where he has taken food ?" Hriday was annoyed at this, and said,' "What? Will you really do such a thing? Then we won't allow you to remain inside the house." The Brahmani was not the person to yield to threats. She replied, "What harm if you don't? Manasa
1 will go to bed in Sitala's room
2!" Hriday rejoined, "Well, let us see how Manasa will sleep in Sitala's room!"
All this raked up a great quarrel between the two. Hriday hurled something at her which struck her on the ears which started bleeding. The Brahmani began to weep. The. Master said, "O Hridu! What have you done? She is a holy person, a devotee of God. Your quarrel may attract all the 'people around and a scandal may ensue !"
Then one day, the Brahmani saw the Master in an ecstatic mood and curiously enough, some sort of fear seized her. Looking up, she began saying, "Oh, Where shall I go? What shall I do? Shall I go to Puri or Vrindaban?" and so on. She disappeared some days later without anybody's knowledge. None could know where' she had gone. She did not return.
Before her departure, one day the Brahmani made garlands of various flowers, smeared them with sandal-paste, and adorned the Master as Sri Gauranga. The Master entered into an ecstasy. She then sent for me. No sooner had I come, than the Master asked, "How does it look?" I somehow managed to say, "Fine", and came away after a hurried prostration. His state of divine inebriation had frightened me.
After this I returned to Jayrambati. The village people were saying all sorts of things about the Master-that he was insane, had gone fully mad, was wandering about naked, and so on. None could, understand then the state of his mind. When all people talked thus, I told myself, 'Let me go and see him'. An opportunity soon came. Many women of the neighborhood were going to Calcutta for the holy dip in the Ganga on an auspicious day which
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1 Manasa-goddess of snakes. The Brahmani thus compared herself to the angry snake.
2 The temple in which Sitala, a goddess, was installed.