Once during Jagaddhatri Puja, Holy Mother’s brother Barada was distributing food to a group of villagers that included brahmin landlords from Jibta village. One of the monks who was not a brahmin by birth put some ashes from the homa fire on Barada’s forehead. According to strict caste rules, the food being served was then considered polluted. Immediately the brahmins in the group stood up to leave, with their food unfinished. Their leaving would have been very inauspicious for the puja. Holy Mother rushed to them and humbly requested that they finish their meal. Finally they penalized Holy Mother 25 rupees and sat down again and ate the food.
This news reached Calcutta. A few days later, Lalit Chattopadhyay came to Jayrambati with a gramophone and a pistol. Every day Lalit played gramophone records in Holy Mother’s living room to entertain the villagers. The people of Jayrambati had never seen a gramophone and were amazed to hear music coming from a machine. One day the landlords from Jibta who had penalized Holy Mother came to hear the gramophone. Lalit played a couple of records for them, but then he took out his pistol. He said angrily: “Those who have collected a fine from the Mother, please beg forgiveness from her and return the money, or I shall shoot you.”
Holy Mother, her sisters-in-law, and some other women were outside the room listening to the gramophone. When Lalit got up with his pistol, the Mother tried to stop him. But the heroic devotee said to her: “Mother, now I am your terrible child. I shall not listen to you. These people think that you are helpless and live in Jayrambati with no one to protect you. They must beg forgiveness from you and from me too.” The landlords begged forgiveness from the Mother and returned the money.
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