Mother and Me

Introduction

So many people have written about the Mother that perhaps there was no solid reason why I should venture to write about her. But since I came to Pondicherry and was fairly close to her as her attending doctor, I was coaxed by many friends to share some of my memories. I have narrated only a few episodes. There were many others but they have either slipped my memory or are too personal. I have included only those by which I was deeply touched or which I could share with everyone.

Incidentally, when I was reflecting upon the title of this work, my attention was brought to the fact that the phrase “Mother and I” is grammatically correct, not “Mother and Me.” While I agree, I somehow could not refer to myself as “I.” To me, this appears to be a boosting of ego. All my life, I have been struggling to undermine this “I” and convert it into an “i.” To use “I” in the title might be grammatically correct but it does not reflect my inner sentiments!

I know I am an ordinary person with limited understanding and mode of expression. I am neither a yogi nor a mystic. However, whenever I try to meditate on the Mother — instead of her face and eyes which were considered (and no doubt were) most powerful and captivating — I only see her feet. Therefore, maybe my description of her will be biased although I have attempted to see and describe her in an unbiased and forthright manner. Nevertheless, during my contact with her, it was her feet that somehow captivated me more than anything else. I will recount more about this as we go along.

But first, I must tell you how I became the Mother’s doctor. In his book Memorable Contacts with Mother, Dr. Nirodbaran, a sadhak and inmate of the Ashram, and a personal attendant of Sri Aurobindo, writes:

“Last night Dr. Sanyal suggested that if needed, another doctor could be consulted.”

Then the name of Dr. Bisht came to my mind and I said,
“Dr. Bisht could be called.”
Mother asked, “Is he a yogi?”
“I don’t know about that,” I replied, “but he reads your books and Sri Aurobindo’s and he is a good man.”

A few days later, Champaklalji came down from the Mother’s room at 2 A.M. He said that Dr. Bisht of JIPMER hospital was to be called to examine the Mother.