Sri Sri Mamoni
Sri Sri Mamoni, whose original name was Sarojini (meaning lotus) was born in a small village Galsi within the district of Burdwan in Bengal. Her father Sri Herambanath Basu and her mother had to stay away from home at their workplace at Burdwan. So Sarojini was brought up by her grandmother who had become a widow at the tender age of 17 and thereafter lived a life of very strict discipline and deep penance. Her pious grandmother had a great influence on Sarojini’s life. She was admitted to a school at Galsi but she was not at all interested in this formal education. Rather, she preferred sitting with her grandma and listening to the ancient Hindu scriptures like Ramayana , Mahabharata and Srimad Bhaagvat and practise all the rituals. Their family deity was ‘Gargeshwar Mahadev’ ( Lord Shiva). One day after listening to how the small child Dhruba (a character from the scriptures) attained God, she wept bitterly, saying— ‘Oh God, Dhruba attained you. Won’t I be able to attain you?’ She was then only 8 years old.
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At the age of 10, Sarojini got married to Sri Harihar Mitra of Beliator village within the district of Bankura in Bengal. A few years after marriage she shifted to her husband’s workplace at Kolkata. Incidentally, a book named ‘Mahapatokir Jeebone Sadguru Leela’ (Sadguru’s grace in the life of a great sinner) written by Sri Haridas Basu came across her. Haridas Basu was a direct disciple of Sri Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami Prabhu (Gosaiji) and he was also Sarojini’s grandfather (her grandmother’s cousin). In this book Haridas Basu, a lawyer by profession, narrated the influence of ‘Sadguru Sadhan’ and Gosaiji’s blessings on his life which converted him from an atheist to reach one of the topmost stages of spirituality. This vivid description touched Sarojini’s heart so much that she became very eager to receive ‘Sadguru Sadhan’. On contacting Haridas Basu he said that the first thing that was essential was her husband’s permission. Her husband, though a very religious person was not in favour of taking ‘deeksha’ (initiation) from a Guru. So Sarojini kept on praying to Gosaiji for ‘Sadguru Sadhan’.Then suddenly an opportunity came. Her husband had to go to England and he came to take her permission. Seeing the chance Sarojini said, ‘If you permit me to take ‘deeksha’ then I will also permit you to go to England.’ This is how she got permission and finally at the age of 30, she got ‘deeksha’ from Sri Sri Jagadbandhu Moitra, a direct disciple of Gosaiji.
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After receiving ‘deeksha’ she entered a new phase of bliss
and fell into a trance which lasted for 3/4 days. From the very moment
that she received the power infused ‘naam’ from her Guruji, the ‘naam’
kept flowing within her spontaneously in every breath. Never for a single
moment in her life did the ‘naam’ stop, neither did she have to attempt to
perform the ‘naam’. The whole day she used to remain engaged in all the
household duties but the nights were her own. Every night,as per her
Guruji’s instruction, she used to sit on the ‘ asan’ and practice deep
meditation from 3a.m to 6a.m.Sarojini did not have any child of her own.
So she adopted her sister’s daughter Sukriti. Sukriti grew up to be a very
lovableand talented young girl, but her sudden death at the age of
18 years cast a deep blow on Sarojini. She got another serious
blow at the age of 58 years, when her husband suddenly expired.
While sitting with her husband’s dead body, she went into a trance and in
that state received three instructions from Gosaiji:
i) Do not leave this residence for one year.
ii) Do not take help from any relative.
iii) I will do whatever is necessary for you.
Having lost her daughter Sukriti and then her husband, Sarojini became totally helpless. Those who were friends now
turned their back and a very rude, naked picture of society was exposed to her. She now clung to her only friend
—‘Naam’ and Sri Sri Gosaiji.
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She stayed alone at this house on Hughes Road and a watchman named Ram guarded the house at night. One day at about 8a.m a person brought a cartful of coal (approximately 720 kg) and told Sarojini that a dark complexioned boy has told him to deliver this to her. She was surprised and said that she did not need so much coal as she was staying alone. But the man said that he was the son of a Brahmin and he did not tell lies. Sarojini felt that this might be Gosaiji’s will. So she paid Rs. 36/- and kept all the coal. Suddenly, after a few days, regulation was imposed on the purchase of coal and people had to stand in long queues to purchase it.
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One day she sent Ram to the publisher to purchase the book Srimad Bhaagwat. That very evening Ram came and said that one of his village folks had purchased 4 kg moong dal to take back to his village, but for unavoidable circumstances, was unable to go. So Ram requested Sarojini to purchase that dal. Accepting this as Gosaiji’s wish Sarojini purchased it. From the very next day, Hindu Muslim riot started. The surrounding locality was full of Muslims and the situation became very tense. She was totally cut off from the outer world. Time to time she would only get the news of her neighbours getting murdered. From her terrace she could see houses engulfed in flames and could hear the sound of people crying in agony. She stayed totally confined within the house and by Gosaiji’s grace she had sufficient food in stock—rice, dal and raw banana from her garden and Srimad Bhaagvat provided her mental and spiritual food.
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One night a group of miscreants planned to invade her house, but from the evening it started raining so heavily that the surrounding got totally waterlogged and it became impossible for people to cross it. Another day, another group of miscreants planned to burn the house but the patrolling military van suddenly appeared and the miscreants were forced to flee. This was how Gosaiji saved her from all mishaps.
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In the Bengali year 1352, she went to Sri Vrindavan with her mother and brother Sri Sudhir Kumar Basu (Head of the department of Psychology, Science College, Kolkata). From there she brought a beautiful small photograph of Gopalji. Her extreme love, devotion and worship infused life in the photograph and Gopalji appeared before her in his true form. In the Bengali year 1354, as per Gosaiji’s instruction, Sarojini went to Puri alone and stayed at Kashinath Khuntia’s house for one year. Kashinath Khuntia was a sevak of Lord Jagannath. From here she shifted to a rented room at a house named ‘Brajadham’ located at Kundaibent Shahi, where she lived till the end of her life.
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She again felt a deep urge for Sri Vrindavan and fighting against several odds, went there in the Bengali year 1356 and stayed there for a few months at ‘Dhir Samir Kunj’. It was here that a new stage opened up in her spiritual life. Here she used to sit daily on the ‘asan’ and concentrate on ‘naam’ from 3 or 4 a.m. to 8 or 9 a.m. in the morning and again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the evening. One day while sitting on the ‘asan’ she saw Gopalji along with Radharani and the other ‘brajagopis’(the young ladies of Braj or Vrindavan who were present at the time of Gopalji) and could hear them talking. She thought that she had gone insane, but later Gosaiji appeared before her and told her not to worry because this was a particular stage of ‘Sadguru Sadhan’. Hereafter the different ‘leelas’ of Sri Vrindavan (the incidents that actually occurred during Gopalji’s lifetime) unfolded before her--- 36 years after receiving ‘sadhan’. Not only Gosaiji and Gopalji, but Sri Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and other saints and mahatmas started appearing before her in their finer body. By Gosaiji’s grace the spiritual secrets started unfolding before her. Gosaiji instructed her to note down all the supernatural and spiritual talks she used to hear and see. Though she had very little literary knowledge, she could write down all her ‘darshans’ and could even note down the difficult Sanskrit shlokas that she heard during her ‘darshans’. Later, at Gosaiji’s instruction, these ‘darshans’ were published in several books like Sri Sri Vrindavan Leela, Sri Sri Purushottam Leela etc. Instead of publishing her original name she used the name ‘Mamoni’ as per Gosaiji’s instruction and slowly she came to be known by this name amongst the devotees.
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After a few months of stay at Vrindavan, Sri Sri Mamoni felt a very strong urge for Lord Jagannath. So she left for Puri and stayed at ‘Brajadham’ till the end of her life. Every night, after 10 p.m. she would shut the door of her room and sit on the ‘asan’. Gosaiji, Gopalji, Sri Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and other mahatmas used to appear before her. She would listen to their advice, their teachings and note them down the next morning. She would ask Gosaiji the questions that the devotees asked her, note down his answers and later convey them to the concerned devotees.
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Gopalji would appear before her and do all sorts of naughty things that a child does with his mother. There were several calendars in Mamoni’s room depicting pictures of small Gopal in different postures. Her intense love and devotion infused life into all these pictures. At night, soon after the door was closed, all these Gopals used to come down and play together. One devotee had presented Gopalji with a bat and a ball. All the Gopals used to fight for this single bat and ball. Hearing this, the devotee presented more bats and balls and the Gopals then used to play peacefully.
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Sri Sri Mamoni left for her heavenly abode on 22nd December 1966, at the age of 83. Her body was cremated at Swargadwar Crematorium. After that, as per her previous instruction, all the deities that she used to worship regularly, were immersed in the sea.
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Sri Sri Mamoni was a real mother to all the devotees. She guided them in their religious path and gave them moral strength at their times of distress. Through ‘Sadguru Sadhan’ the devotee can attain the highest form of devotional love and can feel God as one’s own. Mamoni was a living example of the ultimate stage that can be attained through ‘Sadguru Sadhan’. She not only had ‘darshans’ of ‘brajaleela’ but by Gosaiji’s grace she became a part of this ‘leela’. Her name ‘Sarojini’ proved to be worthwhile--- a lotus in full bloom.
For more details please refer " Jeebon Gantha".....
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