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This
life-story has been excerpted from the book 'They
Lived With God' by Swami
Chetanananda, published
by the Vedanta Society of St. Lois. To read the entire studied life,
and lives of 27 other intimate disciples, please read this book.
(Swami
Chetananda has also published a book on all 16 the Monastic Disciples
of Sri Ramakrishna 'God Lived With Them')
Some
aspects of her personality
| 1. |
Yogin-ma
was a woman of strong determination. Whatever she undertook
she carried through to perfection. After practicing spiritual
disciplines for some time according to the Master's instructions,
she decided that Calcutta was not a suitable place for such
practices. The sacred atmosphere of Vrindaban, she thought,
would be better. Sri Ramakrishna was then staying at the Cossipore
garden house for his cancer treatment. When Yogin-ma asked
his permission to go to Vrindaban he readily agreed, but he
asked her if she had talked to Holy Mother about it. Holy
Mother was present then and said: 'Whatever was to be said
has been said by you already. What is there to add?' Nevertheless,
the Master said to Yogin-ma: 'My dear child, go, after obtaining
her consent. You will get everything'.
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| 2. |
Yogin-ma
looked on the monastic disciples as her own children and they
in turn were very free with her. One day Swamiji saw her in
Calcutta and said: 'I want to have lunch with you. Please cook
a curry for me'. On another occasion he said: 'Today is my birthday.
Please feed me well. Prepare some rice pudding for me'. She
was an expert cook. Holy Mother and the direct disciples all
liked her cooking very much, as had Sri Ramakrishna. |
| 3. |
Although
Yogin-ma apparently was a householder, actually she was a nun.
She was too modest to make a show of her renunciation, however,
and wore the ochre cloth only at the time of worship. At other
times she wore the usual white cloth. |
| 4. |
Yogin-ma
had a deep respect for the monastic ideal. One day Swami Saradananda
was dictating some letters to a young monk in his room when
Yogin-ma entered. Her foot accidentally touched the monk's cloth,
and she immediately put her hands together and saluted him.
The monk said: 'The touch of your foot is a blessing, Yogin-ma.
Please don't feel embarrassed'. Yogin-ma replied: 'You are a
monk. Your ochre robe is a symbol of renunciation. It is this
renunciation that made Sri Ramakrishna great, and you are following
in his footsteps. A little cobra is as poisonous as a big cobra.
Her words made the monk realize what a great responsibility
lies in the wearing of the monk's robe. |
| 5. |
An
American devotee, Sister Devamata, also gave her reminiscences
of Yogin-ma:
Yogin-ma
always seemed to me one of the noblest of Sri Ramakrishna's
disciples… She did not abandon her householder life,
but no nun in a cloister was more rigid in her spiritual observance
than she… No service was ever omitted, no care neglected.
Her
day was too well organized to permit of conflict.
She
was very strict in conforming with all the usages and traditions
of worship. She would never speak while she was worshipping,
and it seemed at times as if Holy Mother was teasing or testing
her, for she would go up to her and ask her a question. Yogin-ma
would give a monosyllabic answer behind closed teeth without
moving her lips. Mother would smile and walk away…
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