Page 46 - Amrit Varta - Issue Feb. 2023 - English

36 MA ANANDAMAYEE AMRIT VARTA Vol. 27, No.1, February2023

Maharshi VedVyas in his Skand-Puran has described the importance of Kashi
in great detail. Only a person who aspires to liberation lives in Kashi with a
mindset of renouncing of the body. Whatever fruits are obtained after sâdhana
in any other place, the same amount of sâdhana produces a tenfold fruitition.
And in that very Kashi there is no Ashram of Shree Shree Ma. Arriving in Kashi,
Ma used to stay in the various Dharmshalas, but lodging in these were allowed
only for a short duration. Hence occasionally Ma hired the big boats ‘Bajra’
and resided on the River Ganga. Once Ma stayed in one of the Bajra’s for almost
a month. All the available Bajras were hired and Shree Shree Ma’s devotees
also resided in it. Still a land was not selected. As far as I remember, the total
rent paid for the boats was a little more than seven hundred rupees.
During the summer of 1942, Shree Shree Ma was staying in the Shiva Temple
in Raipur, Dehradun. One day after the night Maun (silence) Ma was resting in
Her room. Didi Gurupriya Devi, Swami Paramanandji, Shri Abhay, Smt Pramila
Sen (wife of Shri Amal Chandra Sen) and myself were sitting around Ma’s lotus
feet and discussing various spiritual topics. In between a topic arose whether
the non-Hindus who do not accept salvation but die in the Kashi region attain
salvation or not? After each on us had given our own ideas in favor or against
this question, it was proclaimed that there is no question of accepting or not
accepting salvation in Kashi. The greatness of this place is important. Whether
someone believes in salvation or not, whether one is a Hindu or not, because of
the effect of this place one will not have to take birth again. Just as the hand put
in fire knowingly or unknowingly gets burnt, similarly whether one believes or
not, one gets liberation after dying in Kashi.
I (to Ma): Ma! In this pious land of Kashi, we should have an Ashram. Ma!
You go to Kashi but there is no arrangement of Your stay there. You have to take
lodging in a Dharmshala. There too You are not allowed to stay more than their
decided period. This is a very depressing situation.
Hearing this Ma while swinging Her Feet’s kept one over the other remarked,
“You seem to have quite an audacity! Wish to construct an Ashram in Kashi!
Where will you get so much funds?” Is it so easy to construct an Ashram in
Kashi, the moment you decide and the Ashram will get ready?”
I: Ma! Besides Your other children, I am Your poor child. If an Ashram is
constructed in Kashi, I will donate one thousand rupees. Didi, how much will
you pay for this construction?
Didi: I have postal certificates of five thousand rupees. I will donate that
amount for the construction of Kashi Ashram.