the spiritual disciplines he had practised at Dakshineswar. He concluded, saying, "Don't divulge these to anyone." I, a mere housewife, was shy, but on that day I sat quite close to the Master and talked with him. The Mother returned to Dakshineswar after about a year and a half. The Master had written to her, "I am having difficulties regarding my food." On her return the Master said to her, "That girl with big, beautiful eyes loves you dearly. The day you left she wept bitterly, sitting in the Nahabat." The Mother said, "Yes, her name is Yogin."
Whenever I went to Dakshineswar, the Mother used to tell me all that had happened. She sought my advice. I used to braid her hair. She liked so much the way I braided it that she would not undo it at the time of bathing, even after three or four days. She used to say, "No, Yogin braided my hair; I shall unbraid it on the day she comes next." I used to visit the Master every seven or eight days. I would take Bilva leaves from Dakshineswar for worshipping Siva at home. I used to worship Siva with those leaves even when they got dried up. One day the Mother asked, "Yogin, do you worship using dried Bilva leaves?"
Yogin-Ma: Yes, Mother, but how did you know?
Mother:During my meditation this morning I saw you worshipping with dried Bilva leaves.
One day the Mother was preparing rolls of betel leaf in the Nahabat and I was sitting by her side. I noticed that she prepared some rolls with cardamom and a few others with simply betel and lime. I asked, "Why didn't you add cardamom to these? For whom are these meant and for whom are those?" The Mother replied, "Yogin, these (specially spiced betel rolls) are meant for the devotees; by taking good care of them I have to make them my own. And these (the ones without cardamom) are for the Master; he is already my own."
The Mother had a good musical voice. One night she and Lakshmi-Didi were singing in a low tone. It was very resonant and reached the ear of the Master. The next day he said, "Yesterday you were singing. That's good, very good."
During her stay at Dakshineswar, the Mother couldn't find even a little time for rest. For the devotees who came, she had to make Chapatis out of three to three and a half seers of coarse flour. How many rolls of betel leaves she had to prepare! Then she would boil down the milk meant for the Master; for he was fond