Dear friends, we all know that our Master Swami Vivekananda is a
touchstone. Whoever comes in His contact becomes pure gold at once!
Today we are going to narrate a real story of an ordinary girl whose life was changed & dedicated in service of men by Swamiji’s blessings. This fact can be known from the memories of Haricharan Misra, the priest of Baidyanath Dham, Deoghar. When Swamiji lived at Deoghar, He used to stay at Priyanath Mukhopadhyay’s house named ‘Ananda Kutir’. A tribal couple, Munna Santal & Jhari Santal worked at Ananda Kutir as servents. They had only one daughter named Munia. When Munia was a child of just seven years, unfortunately her father died of cholera without any treatment, as there was no arrangement of treatment of this disease at that time. After Munna’s death, Jhari burst into tears at Priyanath’s house, and then Swamiji consoled her. Priyanath also provided her some financial help.
After that, both mother & daughter started to work at Priyanath’s house. Munia served Swamiji very lovingly, she brought water for His bath, washed His cloths & footwear (how lucky was she!). She addressed Swamiji as ‘Sadhu Baba’. Little Munia took care of Him who takes care of all! She made healthy food & juice from some medicinal plants in order to cure Swamiji’s illness. Swamiji used to say, ‘Munia is my guardian here’. He had immense affection towards this girl who had lost her father. One day He said to Haricharan, ‘Pandaji (priest)! You are Brahmins. You are serving many pilgrims everyday. Can you please arrange some education for this poor orphan girl? If you need some money for that purpose I’m ready to arrange it for you.’ Then Haricharan assured Him, ‘No Swamiji you need not pay for that. Once you have ordered it to me, I will try to do at my best.’
One of Haricharan’s relatives was a teacher. He sent Munia to that teacher. Munia learned to read & write from him. She did never get any School-College or University Degree but she had the real education within her & she became a perfect human being, only with Swamiji’s blessings. When Swamiji visited Deoghar for the last time, He told Munia, ‘Ask Pandaji (Haricharan Misra) for whatever you need. He will arrange it for you.’ According to Swamiji’s instruction, after primary education Munia was employed as a servant in the Kushthashram, the Leprosy Clinic. Thus she could help her own family financially.
Little Munia grew up & gradually came to know the Holy Name of Thakur Sri Ramkrishna Dev. Besides she knew about Swamiji’s life & works, & about His Mission. Gradually the simple girl understood that who came to their village to bless her, & whose affection she had got! She respected Swamiji so much that she used to salute that house of Priyanath every morning before going to her work, as a salutation to Swamiji’s Holy Ashram!
The tribal society started to create pressure on Munia’s mother as her daughter was then elder enough to get married. But Munia disagreed to marry. Her mother & Haricharan both tried a lot to convince Munia for marriage, but Munia did not marry. She said, ‘Sadhu Baba (Swamiji) blessed me by keeping His hands on my head, He will protect me always’! Blessed this girl was who had so strong faith on Swamiji.
Remaining unmarried Munia dedicated herself entirely in service of Leprosy patients. The patients loved her very much, & her sacrifice & service was appreciated by all.
After serving human God throughout her small life, Munia died at very tender age of 20 or 22. Before death she was attacked by a dangerous fever. Getting that news when Haricharan reached at their home he found Munia was no more! But there was a pair of footwear near her head. Haricharan asked the reason of them. Munia’s mother answered, ‘They are Sadhu Baba’s footwere. Munia begged them & worshipped them daily. Within her fever she asked me to keep them near her head, she told that her Sadhu Baba will come to use them again!' (By then Swamiji had already left His mortal Body).
Haricharan became astonished. He realized that Munia got the blessings of Swamiji indeed. Otherwise how an illiterate orphan girl could lead such an ideal life & dedicate herself in Swamiji’s Mission ‘Service to man is service to God’! Swamiji once said to Swami Swarupananda, “Look, Swarup, on whose head I have kept my hands once, that person need not worry about anything.” Does this sentence need any more proof? Munia had proved it in her life!
Dear friends, we should learn something from this so-called illiterate poor girl. We should learn how to keep faith & how to use that faith to be rigid in own decision & not to compromise with own ideals of life. Above all, we should learn from her how to dedicate ourselves in Swamiji’s Work. If this girl could do it then why not we, the University Degree holders can do something for our Master’s Mission?
Always think that, we all have got His blessings in our previous births. What else can choke our way when Swamiji is with us?
Jayatu Swamiji!
(Next part to be published soon)
Whoever comes in His contact becomes pure gold at once!
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