Lakshmi before others. Have you met Lakshmi?"
Devotee: No, Mother.
Mother: She is in Dakshineswar. Visit her one day. Have you been to Dakshineswar?
Devotee: Yes, Mother, I have visited the place many a time. But I did not know that she had been living there.
Mother: Have you seen the Nahabat at Dakshineswar, where I used to stay?
Devotee: Yes, Mother, I have seen it from the outside.
Mother. When you visit the place another day, go inside the room. When I stayed there, my entire world consisted of that small room. Even the vessel containing fish was hung up. I had never seen water taps before. I came to Calcutta one day and entered a room where there was a tap. I opened the tap. Before the water rushed out, there came a hissing sound, like that of a snake, out of the tap. I was terror-stricken and ran from the room. I at once came to the other ladies of the house and cried, "There is a snake in that water pipe. It is hissing." They laughed and said, "There is no snake there. Do not be afraid. The hissing sound comes from the air being forced out by the rushing water." Then we laughed and laughed till our sides began to ache.
Saying this, the Holy Mother laughed heartily again. So sweet and innocent a laughter! I too could not hold back my laughter any more and thought, "So guileless is our Mother!"
Mother: Have you seen Sri Ramakrishna's birthday festival at Belur?
Devotee: No, Mother. I have never been to the monastery at Belur. I have heard that the monks who live there do not like a crowd of women in the monastery. Therefore I hesitate to go there.
Mother: Go there once and see the celebration of Sri Ramakrishna's birthday.
* * *
It was evening when I went to Baghbazar to see the Holy Mother. She was kind enough to ask me to spread her small carpet on the floor and fetch her beads. She soon became absorbed in her meditation. Across the lane there was an open space. A few labourers lived there with their families. One of the male members began to beat a woman severely, probably his wife. Slaps and fisticuffs began to be showered upon her. Then he kicked her with such force that she was thrown to a distance with a child in her arms.