Kedar Babu said in the course of conversation, "Mother, all your children are learned men. Only we few are ignoramuses. Sarat Maharaj wrote a book on the Master and spread his teaching everywhere. Other children are all giving lectures and touring. How much work is going on!" At this the Holy Mother said, "What do you say? The Master himself was not learned. He learned only to keep his mind on God. Through you a great deal of work will be done in these parts. This time the Master has come to liberate all-the rich and the poor, the wise and the foolish. Now there is a splendid Malaya breeze.
1 Just set your sail a little, take refuge in him and immediately you will be blessed. This time anything other than grass and bamboo-whatever has a little core-will surely become sandalwood. What do you think? You are my own people. But do you know, a learned Sadhu is like an elephant with gold-sheathed tusks." Saying this, she got up for Puja. A little after dusk the Holy Mother left for Jayrambati in a palanquin.
The man who was to go from Koalpara as the storekeeper for Jagaddhatri Puja, fell ill. And so in his stead I went to Jayrambati. The Holy Mother said, "It is very good you have come. Today you observe everything. Tomorrow quite early in the morning take bath and come to the store. Attend to the work there, observing all ceremonial procedures. Keep a little distance and carry on the work. Everything will be all right." She said these last words, because in those regions caste restrictions were quite strict.
On the day of the Puja, she came early in the morning to the store and took her seat on a sack, with her feet dangling. When anyone came for anything from the store, I showed the required things to the Holy Mother and then handed it over to the person. At the end of the Puja, the Mother bathed and went to the Mandap, taking the aunts with her for the flower offering. She offered flowers thrice at the feet of the Devi, and with hands folded, and the end of her Sari wound around her neck in humility, she sat silently for some time. Puja concluded without a hitch. In the noon many men and women of the village were fed. As I had fever on the second day-for the image had to be kept for three days
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1 It is a tradition in India that the mythological breeze blowing from the Malaya mountains will turn all trees and plants that have a core, into sandalwood trees.