Aspiring Swan

Kamala

Kamala came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at an early age of twelve years and dedicated her life in the service of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. She had inherited a liking for spiritual life from her father Kashibhai who had founded his Ashram at Kansia, an island a few miles away from Bharuch, where he lived a spiritual life. He used to take a very keen interest in moulding the lives of children for which he often invited saintly persons to his Ashram. He was a very kind, helpful and generous person and helped the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in many ways where he spent the rest of his life as a sadhak. During his stay at the Pondicherry Ashram, he called his daughter Kamala there.

We are giving here an edited version of the translation from the write-up in Gujarati by Champaklal.

Episodes of Infinite Grace of the Mother

on Kamalaben

"The Mother has showered her grace on her children in such a way that every child can say, the Mother has specially showered her grace on me only. For none she has done this.' Kamala is indeed one of them.

Kamala has not written about herself, but I am interested in writing about her in two ways. Firstly, it was the Mother who sustained my interest in the life of Kamala

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and secondly it gives me an opportunity to admire the Mother as I recollect many events of her infinite grace on Kamala.

In the beginning, Kamala used to observe silence when she went to the Mother. After sometime she asked for some work from the Mother who gave her the work of sweeping Champaklal's room.

In those days, Kashibhai used to place an order with Maheshbhai every week for a basket of fruits from Bombay for Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Maheshbhai (Kamala's brother) sent oranges, chikoos, grapes, almond, pistachio etc. from Bombay. When he left Bombay for Broach, this arrangement was made from Madras. Someone might want to know what was done with these baskets coming so regularly. Kamala was entrusted the job of washing these fruits in the water with Potassium Permanganate, wiping them, arranging them in three big cupboards and looking after them everyday. With the grace of the Mother, Kamala's fingers had become so sensitive that they could pick exactly the spoiled ones and keep them aside.

Daily Champaklal used to spend about an hour in extracting the juice filling three big jars. The Mother gave this juice to Sri Aurobindo and other devotees too. Kashibhai considered himself fortunate for having such a rare opportunity given to him by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

There are four doors to the passage where at pre-

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sent the photographs of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are kept for darshan. One can go to the meditation hall by passing through a long passage connecting Sri Aurobindo's room. Kamala was asked by the Mother to sit there and given the work of counting "Aspiration" flowers.

After Sri Aurobindo met with an accident, where the Mother used to sit for giving darshan, Kamala used to sit there and separate good, green grapes from bad ones for Sri Aurobindo. In fact, the Mother herself had asked her to sit there so that she could have the darshan of Sri Aurobindo everyday.

When the Mother went downstair for Pranam, she gave a unique opportunity to Kamala by asking her to remain present with her.

There was an ear-shaped glass tray in which the Mother used to arrange "Tender" flowers and keep that tray on the dressing table in her dressing room. Afterwards that work was also handed over to Kamala.

The work of cutting the stems of ail the roses and arranging them in the bowl which the Mother herself used to do was given to Kamala. The Mother required flowers early in the morning for which a big bowl filled with roses was kept in the darshan room at night. Kamala had to come in the night at 2 a. m. for this work. But how could she come at such a time? So she slept in my room in the library house as I used to sleep in Sri Aurobindo's room. She started her work of flower arrangement at 2

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a. m. and finished by 4 a. m. This way she had early morning darshan of Sri Aurobindo.

The bakery room where Kamala was staying was to be vacated. The Mother alloted her storeroom to Kamala. She was allowed to use the darshan room as a passage....

I also remember another event. Sometimes while taking bath the Mother would come out of the bathroom with a piece of cloth and ask Kamala to stitch it for her immediately. At that time I used to wonder as to why she would need it so urgently when she had so many handkerchieves and other clothes. She would come back after some time with loving, penetrating eyes, affectionate words and take the stitched piece of cloth with a sweet smile. I did not understand anything then. What do I understand now? I can only say that the meaning behind it got revealed to me gradually over a length of time.

I was interested in witnessing all this on two counts. One was to see the Mother's ways of working on Kamala and the other was to see the Mother showering grace on her.

Someone might think why only Kamala is with Champaklal. I have written this at length to show that by showering her infinite grace the Mother had Kamala with me from childhood and till today she has kept her with me.

Bonne Fête to Kamalaben

on her 77th birthday.

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Mother's Foot on Champaklal's Head A Sketch done by the Mother on 2.2.1934

The Mother's Feet

A Pencil Sketch by the Mother