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> 第七十三章 Brother Ananta And Sister Nalini
第七十三章 Brother Ananta And Sister Nalini
“Ananta cannot live。”
These inexorable words reached my inner consciousness as I sat one morning in deep meditation。Shortly after I had entered the Swami Order，I paid a visit to my birthplace，Gorakhpur，as a guest of my elder brother Ananta。A sudden illness confned him to his bed；I nursed him lovingly。
I felt that I could not bear to remain longer in Gorakhpur，only to see my brother removed before my helpless gaze。Amidst uncomprehending criticism from my relatives，I left India on the frst available boat。It cruised along Burma and the China Sea to Japan。I disembarked at Kobe，where I spent only a few days。My heart was too heavy for sightseeing。
On the return trip to India，the boat touched at Shanghai。There Dr。Misra，the ships physician，guided me to several curio shops，where I selected various presents for Sri Yukteswar and my family and friends。For Ananta I purchased a large carved bamboo piece。No sooner had the Chinese salesman handed me the bamboo souvenir than I dropped it on the foor，crying out，“I have bought this for my dear dead brother！”
A clear realization had swept over me that his soul was just being freed in the Infnite。The souvenir was sharply and symbolically cracked by its fall；amidst sobs，I wrote on the bamboo surface：“For my beloved Ananta，now gone”。
My companion，the doctor，was observing these proceedings with a sardonic smile。
“Save your tears，”he remarked。“Why shed them until you are sure he is dead？”
When our boat reached Calcutta，Dr。Misra again accompanied me。My youngest brother Bishnu was waiting to greet me at the dock。
“I know Ananta has departed this life，”I said to Bishnu，before he had had time to speak。“Please tell me，and the doctor here，when Ananta died。”
Bishnu named the date，which was the very day that I had bought the souvenirs in Shanghai。
Soon after Ananta‘s passing，my younger sister Nalini was brought back from death’sdoor by a divine healing。Before relating the story，I will refer to a few phases of her earlier life。
The childhood relationship between Nalini and myself had not been of the happiest nature。I often used to tease my sister about her cadaverous appearance。
Time passed；Nalini was betrothed to a young Calcutta physician，Panchanon Bose。
As the years went on，he and I became fast friends，often joking together，usually with Nalini as our target。
“It is a medical curiosity，”my brother-in-law remarked to me one day。“I have tried everything on your lean sister-cod liver oil，butter，malt，honey，fsh，meat，eggs，tonics。Still she fails to bulge even one-hundredth of an inch。”
We both chuckled。
“Brother，come here。You are not going to give me the slip this time。I want to talk to you。”
I mounted the stairs to her room。To my surprise，she was in tears。
“Dear brother，”she said，“let us bury the old hatchet。I see that your feet are now frmly set on the spiritual path。I want to become like you in every way。”She added hopefully，“You are now robust in appearance；can you help me？My husband does not come near me，and I love him so dearly！But still more I want to progress in God-realization，even if I must remain thin and unattractive。”
My heart was deeply touched at her plea。One day she asked to become my disciple。
“Train me in any way you like。I put my trust in God instead of tonics。”She gathered together an armful of medicines and poured them down the roof drain。
As a test of her faith，I asked her to omit from her diet all fsh，meat，and eggs。
After several months，during which Nalini had strictly followed the various rules I had outlined。
I replied solemnly。“By the grace of God。Through the divine blessings，your body shall verily change from today；in one month it shall have the same weight as mine。”
These words from my heart found fulfllment。In thirty days，Nalinis weight equalled mine。The new roundness gave her beauty；her husband fell deeply in love。Their marriage，begun so inauspiciously，turned out to be ideally happy。
On my return from Japan，I learned that during my absence Nalini had been stricken with typhoid fever。I rushed to her home，and was aghast to fnd her reduced to a mere skeleton。She was in a coma。
My brother-in-law said despairingly，“The other doctors and myself see no hope。Blood dysentery has set in，after her long bout with typhoid。”
Engaging an Anglo-Indian nurse，who gave me full cooperation，I applied to my sister various yoga techniques of healing。The blood dysentery disappeared。
But Dr。Bose shook his head mournfully。“She simply has no more blood left to shed。”
“She will recover，”I replied stoutly。“In seven days her fever will be gone。”
A week later I was thrilled to see Nalini open her eyes and gaze at me with loving recognition。From that day her recovery was swift。Although she regained her usual weight，she bore one sad scar of her nearly fatal illness：her legs were paralyzed。Indian and English specialists pronounced her a hopeless cripple。
The incessant war for her life which I had waged by prayer had exhausted me。I went to Serampore to ask Sri Yukteswars help。
“Your sisters legs will be normal at the end of one month。”He added，“Let her wear，next to her skin，a band with an unperforated two-carat pearl，held on by a clasp。”
He went on to correctly describe the physical and mental characteristics of Nalini，whom he had never seen。
“Sir，”I inquired，“is this an astrological analysis？You do not know her birth day or hour。”
Sri Yukteswar smiled。“There is a deeper astrology，not dependent on the testimony of calendars and clocks。”
I returned to Calcutta and purchased a pearl for Nalini。A month later，her paralyzed legs were completely healed。
Sister asked me to convey her heartfelt gratitude to my guru。He listened to her message in silence。But as I was taking my leave，he made a pregnant comment。
“Your sister has been told by many doctors that she can never bear children。Assure her that in a few years she will give birth to two daughters。”
Some years later，to Nalinis joy，she bore a girl，followed in a few years by another daughter。
“Your master has blessed our home，our entire family，”my sister said。“The presence of such a man is a sanctifcation on the whole of India。Dear brother，please tell Sri Yukteswarji that，through you，I humbly count myself as one of his Kriya Yoga disciples。”
These inexorable words reached my inner consciousness as I sat one morning in deep meditation。Shortly after I had entered the Swami Order，I paid a visit to my birthplace，Gorakhpur，as a guest of my elder brother Ananta。A sudden illness confned him to his bed；I nursed him lovingly。
I felt that I could not bear to remain longer in Gorakhpur，only to see my brother removed before my helpless gaze。Amidst uncomprehending criticism from my relatives，I left India on the frst available boat。It cruised along Burma and the China Sea to Japan。I disembarked at Kobe，where I spent only a few days。My heart was too heavy for sightseeing。
On the return trip to India，the boat touched at Shanghai。There Dr。Misra，the ships physician，guided me to several curio shops，where I selected various presents for Sri Yukteswar and my family and friends。For Ananta I purchased a large carved bamboo piece。No sooner had the Chinese salesman handed me the bamboo souvenir than I dropped it on the foor，crying out，“I have bought this for my dear dead brother！”
A clear realization had swept over me that his soul was just being freed in the Infnite。The souvenir was sharply and symbolically cracked by its fall；amidst sobs，I wrote on the bamboo surface：“For my beloved Ananta，now gone”。
My companion，the doctor，was observing these proceedings with a sardonic smile。
“Save your tears，”he remarked。“Why shed them until you are sure he is dead？”
When our boat reached Calcutta，Dr。Misra again accompanied me。My youngest brother Bishnu was waiting to greet me at the dock。
“I know Ananta has departed this life，”I said to Bishnu，before he had had time to speak。“Please tell me，and the doctor here，when Ananta died。”
Bishnu named the date，which was the very day that I had bought the souvenirs in Shanghai。
Soon after Ananta‘s passing，my younger sister Nalini was brought back from death’sdoor by a divine healing。Before relating the story，I will refer to a few phases of her earlier life。
The childhood relationship between Nalini and myself had not been of the happiest nature。I often used to tease my sister about her cadaverous appearance。
Time passed；Nalini was betrothed to a young Calcutta physician，Panchanon Bose。
As the years went on，he and I became fast friends，often joking together，usually with Nalini as our target。
“It is a medical curiosity，”my brother-in-law remarked to me one day。“I have tried everything on your lean sister-cod liver oil，butter，malt，honey，fsh，meat，eggs，tonics。Still she fails to bulge even one-hundredth of an inch。”
We both chuckled。
“Brother，come here。You are not going to give me the slip this time。I want to talk to you。”
I mounted the stairs to her room。To my surprise，she was in tears。
“Dear brother，”she said，“let us bury the old hatchet。I see that your feet are now frmly set on the spiritual path。I want to become like you in every way。”She added hopefully，“You are now robust in appearance；can you help me？My husband does not come near me，and I love him so dearly！But still more I want to progress in God-realization，even if I must remain thin and unattractive。”
My heart was deeply touched at her plea。One day she asked to become my disciple。
“Train me in any way you like。I put my trust in God instead of tonics。”She gathered together an armful of medicines and poured them down the roof drain。
As a test of her faith，I asked her to omit from her diet all fsh，meat，and eggs。
After several months，during which Nalini had strictly followed the various rules I had outlined。
I replied solemnly。“By the grace of God。Through the divine blessings，your body shall verily change from today；in one month it shall have the same weight as mine。”
These words from my heart found fulfllment。In thirty days，Nalinis weight equalled mine。The new roundness gave her beauty；her husband fell deeply in love。Their marriage，begun so inauspiciously，turned out to be ideally happy。
On my return from Japan，I learned that during my absence Nalini had been stricken with typhoid fever。I rushed to her home，and was aghast to fnd her reduced to a mere skeleton。She was in a coma。
My brother-in-law said despairingly，“The other doctors and myself see no hope。Blood dysentery has set in，after her long bout with typhoid。”
Engaging an Anglo-Indian nurse，who gave me full cooperation，I applied to my sister various yoga techniques of healing。The blood dysentery disappeared。
But Dr。Bose shook his head mournfully。“She simply has no more blood left to shed。”
“She will recover，”I replied stoutly。“In seven days her fever will be gone。”
A week later I was thrilled to see Nalini open her eyes and gaze at me with loving recognition。From that day her recovery was swift。Although she regained her usual weight，she bore one sad scar of her nearly fatal illness：her legs were paralyzed。Indian and English specialists pronounced her a hopeless cripple。
The incessant war for her life which I had waged by prayer had exhausted me。I went to Serampore to ask Sri Yukteswars help。
“Your sisters legs will be normal at the end of one month。”He added，“Let her wear，next to her skin，a band with an unperforated two-carat pearl，held on by a clasp。”
He went on to correctly describe the physical and mental characteristics of Nalini，whom he had never seen。
“Sir，”I inquired，“is this an astrological analysis？You do not know her birth day or hour。”
Sri Yukteswar smiled。“There is a deeper astrology，not dependent on the testimony of calendars and clocks。”
I returned to Calcutta and purchased a pearl for Nalini。A month later，her paralyzed legs were completely healed。
Sister asked me to convey her heartfelt gratitude to my guru。He listened to her message in silence。But as I was taking my leave，he made a pregnant comment。
“Your sister has been told by many doctors that she can never bear children。Assure her that in a few years she will give birth to two daughters。”
Some years later，to Nalinis joy，she bore a girl，followed in a few years by another daughter。
“Your master has blessed our home，our entire family，”my sister said。“The presence of such a man is a sanctifcation on the whole of India。Dear brother，please tell Sri Yukteswarji that，through you，I humbly count myself as one of his Kriya Yoga disciples。”
