asking her, she has asked me, 'Why did you take the dust of my feet in this way?'" So I replied, "I have a disease on my hand." She then said, "Let me see." On seeing my hand, she lamented so deeply that I was astounded. She said, "Ah! Dear, you are here so long and your hand is in such a condition! Though I am your mother, I wasn't aware of it. I feel so sorry, my dear." Then she asked me how long I was suffering and how I had contracted the disease. I had to disclose everything now.
Then the Mother said, "Dear, I am in such a state that I remain absorbed within myself. So I failed to observe you. You perform Puja with this hand; that's why the disease is lingering. Well, come with me. The flowers and leaves offered to the Master and the Charanamrita (holy water of worship) will be removed and thrown into the Ganges. Come quickly." I followed her to the other room. She said, "Look, the Kamandalu contains the Charanamrita as well as flowers and leaves. Dip your hand up to the wrist into it."
I did accordingly. Then she added, "Your hand will be free from the disease. But avoid handling fish, meat, onion and garlic as far as practicable. You cannot completely keep away from them. When you handle them, there may appear some eruptions on your hand. Perform the Master's worship daily. As soon as you notice some eruptions, apply the Master's Charanamrita on them. It will cure you. Had you trimmed your finger nails on the day you cut the papayas?" I replied, "I don't remember." She said, "You must have pared your nails and then come into contact with the papaya juice. These two together are responsible for your trouble."
In the afternoon the Mother said to the other women, "None of you, including your husbands and children, should cut your nails with the nail-cutters of barbers; for it may lead to many bad infectious diseases. My daugher here has contracted such a disease on her hand. But by the will of the Master it will not linger." On that occasion, the Mother spoke of the various dangers involved in eating together with others from the same plate, in lying on the same bed with another, and in using somebody else's cloth and bath-towel. She also told us how a person's good or bad physical condition is transferred to the body of another.
Strange enough, I had never told the Mother how I passed my days, and that I was compelled to cook fish and meat also.