Part 71 (1/2)
”Lord,” I said, grief-stricken, ”Thou dost not wish to engage withof war' at Puri, where Thou wilt have to deny my incessant prayers for Master's life Must he, then, depart for higher duties at Thy behest?”
In obedience to the inward co evening I set out for the train; on the way, at seven o'clock, a black astral cloud suddenly covered the sky
{FN42-11} Later, while the train roared toward Puri, a vision of Sri Yukteswar appeared before ht on each side
”Is it all over?” I lifted ly
He nodded, then slowly vanished
As I stood on the Puri train platforainst hope, an unknown one?” He left me without another word; I never discovered who he was nor how he had knohere to find ainst the platfor to convey towith rebellion, my soul was like a volcano By the ti collapse The inner voice was tenderly repeating: ”Collect yourself Be calm”
I entered the ashra in the lotus posture-a picture of health and loveliness
A short tihtly ill with fever, but before the day of his ascension into the Infinite, his body had become completely well No matter how often I looked at his dear form I could not realize that its life had departed His skin was smooth and soft; in his face was a beatific expression of tranquillity He had consciously relinquished his body at the hour of one!” I cried in a daze
I conducted the solemn rites on March 10th Sri Yuktesas buried {FN42-12} with the ancient rituals of the swaarden of his Puri ashram His disciples later arrived frouru at a vernal equinoxnewspaper of Calcutta, carried his picture and the following report:
The death BHANDARA cereed 81, took place at Puri on March 21 Many disciples careatest expounders of the BHAGAVAD GITA, Swairaj Sri Shyama Charan Lahiri Mahasaya of Benares Swaa (Self-Realization Fellowshi+p) centers in India, and was the great inspiration behind the yoga ananda, his principal disciple It was Sri Yukteswarji's prophetic powers and deep realization that inspired Swaananda to cross the oceans and spread in Ae of the masters of India
His interpretations of the BHAGAVAD GITA and other scriptures testify to the depth of Sri Yukteswarji's command of the philosophy, both Eastern and Western, and remain as an eye-opener for the unity between Orient and Occident As he believed in the unity of all religious faiths, Sri Yukteswar Maharaj established SADHU SABHA (Society of Saints) with the cooperation of leaders of various sects and faiths, for the inculcation of a scientific spirit in religion At the tiananda his successor as the president of SADHU SABHA
India is really poorer today by the passing of such a great h to have come near him inculcate in themselves the true spirit of India's culture and SADHANA which was personified in hi e with its sacred memories, I summoned Prafulla, Sri Yukteswar's little disciple in Serae you left for the Allahabad MELA,” Prafulla told ananda is gone!' he cried 'Yogananda is gone!' He added cryptically, 'I shall have to tell him some other way' He sat then for hours in silence”
My days were filled with lectures, classes, interviews, and reunions with old friends Beneath a hollow smile and a life of ceaseless activity, a strea polluted the inner river of bliss which for so many years had meandered under the sands of all one?” I cried silently from the depths of a tormented spirit
No answer came
”It is best that Master has completed his union with the Cos in the doain may you see hieryour friends to meet him, or proudly say: 'Behold, there sits India's JNANAVATAR!'”
Mr Wright ements for our party to sail froht in May of farewell banquets and speeches at Calcutta, Miss Bletch, Mr Wright and myself left in the Ford for Bombay On our arrival, the shi+p authorities asked us to cancel our passage, as no rooain in Europe
”Never ht ”I want to return once ain water the grave of hest; HANSA, swan The HANSA is represented in scriptural lore as the vehicle of Brahma, Supreme Spirit; as the syht of as able to separate the true SOMA nectar from a mixture of milk and water HAM-SA (pronounced HONG-SAU) are two sacred Sanskrit chant words possessing a vibratory connection with the inco breath AHAM-SA is literally ”I aenerally evaded the difficulty by addressing me as SIR
{FN42-3} At the Puri ashra a sroups for adults Meetings of saints and pundits convene there periodically