Chapter (অধ্যায়): THE DISCOVERY OF SARADAMANIPage: 10 of 89
mother in a great predicament about his bride,
he himself suggested that there was a little girl
who might be suitablethe daughter of Ram
Chandra Mukhopadhyayaat Jayrambati, only
six kilometers away.
His mother, Chandramani, took up this suggestion,
sent a man to Jayrambati and learnt that
the girl, beaming with divine effulgence, was not
only the pet child of her parents and family but
also the idol of the whole village. There was something
in her which even at that early age drew
everybody to her. Whoever saw this little girl
could not but feel a fascination for her. So Chandra
Devi at once agreed to have her as her daughterin-
law. The marriage was arranged and performed
with Sri Ramakrishnas own consent, in
spite of the fact that his thoughts constantly
soared high above the earthly region.
The name of the bride, who was afterwards
known as the Holy Mother to innumerable disciples
and admirers of Sri Ramakrishna, was
Saradamani. Her father, Ram Chandra Mukhopadhyaya,
was a very pious Brahmin; her mother,
Shyamasundari Devi, was also known for her
great piety. Being very poor, Ram Chandra had
to struggle very hard for his livelihood and the
maintenance of the family. The income from his
priestly duties was too meagre for his needs, so
he had to supplement it by agricultural pursuits