One day I was travelling to Kumbla to my father’s house by rail. In the same compartment a wonderfully handsome lady was travelling. While the train was moving, I saw her deep in meditation, unperturbed by the buzzle and noise in the train. Her face glowed with beauty, goodness and godliness. Later I came to learn that the lady was Sadguru Sri Rama Devi of Tellicherry. This was how I met Mother for the first time.
At another time, while I was at Kumbla, I came to understand, that Mother was gracing the occasion of a bhajan at Manjeswar with her presence. I went to the bhajan. A kirtan, extolling Mother, sung by her disciples, drew my attention. The meaning of the song was “all worldly happiness comes to an end and the permanent joy abides in devotion to God. Sri Rama Devi has come down in this Kali Yuga to show mankind the way to eternal happiness.” The song impressed me profoundly. This was my first experience of bhajan with Mother. Another time, with my husband’s mother, I went to Tellicherry, to visit one of our relations. It was an ekadasi day and knowing that there would be special bhajan at Mother’s residence, we went to participate. As the bhajan proceeded, Mother went into the bhava of Panduranga, the deity of Pandarpur. I had not at that time any idea of what samadhi was. I was immersed in worldly care and anxiety and hence my mind was wandering. Without my mentioning, she asked me about a matter that was troubling my mind. I felt there was something extraordinary about her.
At Cannanore, near our house, lived a lady who used to read puranas and hold discourses. A friend of mine introduced me to this lady. Hers is a home of happiness, friendliness and piety. The unity among the members of the family, their respect for guests and their every action appeared to me to be exemplary. Their company gave me mental relief. The members of this household, who were disciples of Mother, went to Tellicherry every ekadasi day for bhajan at her house. I also began to accompany them. At their request, during navarathri day, Mother once visited Cannanore, and blessed their house with her presence and bhajan. This day Mother’s visit to Cannanore remains fresh in my recollections, because, it was then that she initiated my mother-in-law and myself into the practice of meditation.
Once, when she came to Cannanore, she distributed plantain fruits with her own hand as Prasad among all her devotees. From the fruit a sweet scent of camphor and sandalwood emanated. This incident made me conscious of her divinity. Afterwards, when I prayed to her, I used to recapitulate this scent. This waft of fragrance reminded me of her presence. It would draw me to my sense of duty whenever I failed to act according to her teaching.
– Smt. Gulabi Bai Kamath – 1961
Tags: GJS#164