Anandamayi Ma Visits Baba

as related by Baba

Anandamayi Ma came in 1942 or 1943 to the Karar Ashram in Puri, accompanied by eight of her disciples. From the gate, she started calling out loudly, "Rabindranath, I want to see you, I want to talk with you." All the while she was coming toward my room. But my predecessor, Swami Sevananda, was very unhappy with her because of all the noise she was making. So he asked her, "Why are you shouting? He is observing silence." Anandamayi Ma said, "For whom he is observing silence?" Swami Sevananda did not know who she was, so he exclaimed, "Nonsense, you silly woman! I told you not to shout, because he is observing silence."

All the while, Anandamayi Ma was coming toward my room. When I heard from the room that Swami Sevananda was loudly rebuking Anandamayi Ma, I opened the door. Swami Sevananda saw me, and was amazed I usually never left my room. Why was I coming out now? I said, "Sevanandaji, this is mother Anandamayi Ma. You do not know her, yet she is revered in the whole India."

Swami Sevananda was ashamed. He ran and prostrated at her feet and said, "My mother divine, I did not know that you were Anandamayi Ma. It is my great fault." Anandamayi Ma answered, "My affectionate and divine son Sevananda, you have done well. You are helping Rabindranath in his seclusion and silence. However, I know Rabindranath will open the door for me and will talk with me. This does not count as talk."

She had the deepest love and affection for me. "Long before, when he was still wearing trousers, I said, Rabindranath is always remaining in tip-top condition, but surely he will leave everything and become a monk, keeping a long beard on his chin. It is why I have come here; to see that he is in seclusion. I had to come now, for in two days I am leaving Puri. A long time ago, I met him in Puri. I was going from Puri to Howrah (Calcutta) with 65 disciples, but on the way, they lost the tickets, and they had no money to purchase more tickets. Rabindranath saw us in our predicament and immediately gave money to purchase the 65 tickets. He was remaining in Puri, which is a very spiritual place purushottam dham.

Rabindranath is very spiritual, well-versed in all scriptures, vastly learned. He left everything and now he is a monk, sitting in seclusion. Surely he will be a highly realized yogi and will get the samadhi stage, because he is very sincere. I have known him from long before."

Swami Sevanandaji was astonished. Again he bowed and touched the feet of mother. I told Sevanandaji, "You are fortunate, you touched the feet of mother. Mother does not allow anyone to touch her feet." Sevanandaji sat in the room with us. Mother talked with me for my God-realization and samadhi: "Meditate very deeply, get success quickly the samadhi stage, pulseless, breathless stage."

She had brought some sweets for me and kept them in my room. I bowed to her, and then they all left the ashram. I immediately closed the door and Sevanandaji followed her to the gate with folded hands.