Part 52 (1/2)

”'The doctors are seeing Rauru sht heart tostate

”'He cannot last more than one or two hours,' one of the physicians told esture of despair Once more I hastened to Lahiri Mahasaya

”'The doctors are conscientious men I am sure Rama will be well'

The master dismissed one One had left me a note: 'We have done our best, but his case is hopeless'

”My friend was indeed the picture of a dying man I did not understand how Lahiri Mahasaya's words could fail to coesting tothus on the seas of faith and apprehensive doubt, I ministered to my friend as best I could He roused himself to cry out:

”'Yukteswar, run to Master and tell hione Ask him to bless hed heavily and gave up the ghost {FN32-2}

”I wept for an hour by his beloved form Always a lover of quiet, now he had attained the utter stillness of death Another disciple came in; I asked him to reed back to uru

”'How is Rama now?' Lahiri Mahasaya's face reathed in smiles

”'Sir, you will soon see how he is,' I blurted out emotionally

'In a few hours you will see his body, before it is carried to the crerounds' I broke down and moaned openly

”'Yukteswar, control yourself Sit caluru retired into SAMADHI The afternoon and night passed in unbroken silence; I struggled unsuccessfully to regain an inner colanced at ly 'I see you are still disturbed Why didn't you explain yesterday that you expected ible aid in the form of somecrude castor oil

'Fill a little bottle from the lamp; put seven drops into Rama's mouth'

”'Sir,' I remonstrated, 'he has been dead since yesterday noon Of what use is the oil now?'

”'Never mind; just do as I ask' Lahiri Mahasaya's cheerful ony of bereave out a small amount of oil, I departed for Raid in the death-clasp Paying no attention to his ghastly condition, I opened his lips with ed, with my left hand and the help of the cork, to put the oil drop by drop over his clenched teeth

”As the seventh drop touched his cold lips, Rama shi+vered violently

His ly

”'I saw Lahiri Mahasaya in a blaze of light,' he cried 'He shone like the sun 'Arise; forsake your sleep,' he commanded me 'Come with Yukteswar to see me'”

”I could scarcely believe h after that fatal sickness to walk to the houru There he prostrated hiratitude

”The master was beside himself with mirth His eyes twinkled at me mischievously

”'Yukteswar,' he said, 'surely henceforth you will not fail to carry with you a bottle of castor oil! Whenever you see a corpse, just administer the oil! Why, seven drops of lamp oil must surely foil the power of Ya me I don't understand; please point out the nature of my error'

”'I told you twice that Rama would be well; yet you could not fully believe me,' Lahiri Mahasaya explained 'I did not mean the doctors would be able to cure him; I remarked only that they were in attendance There was no causal connection between my two statements