Flame of Love

Our Bansimama

Bansidhar-ji — Bansimama as I have always known him since my childhood — was a close friend and well-wisher of Vaidya Kesarimalji, my grandmother's brother who was a disciple of Punamchandbhai, one of the early disciples of Sri Aurobindo. My grandmother asked Punamchandbhai, way back in the 1920s, to take her only son, my father, to Sri Aurobindo Ashram. That, I have learned, was how our family was introduced to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. And this is how both Kesarimalji and Bansidharji had always been our mamas, maternal uncles, to us five children.

When our mother fell seriously ill and had to go to Calcutta for a long treatment, the Mother asked Bansimama to become our guardian. I have always found him a very loving person. He used to buy lots of mangoes for us in the season, and, on our birthdays, bought us rings with the Mother's symbol and also books of Sri Aurobindo or the Mother signed by the Mother and given by Her to us when we went up to Her. Bansimama would always be there working in silent obedience behind Champakmama. I bow down with gratitude to both of them for this privilege bestowed upon us.

Bansimama stood by us in all our difficult periods and gave the best advice possible in such circumstances, that is, to pray to the Divine Mother. He also taught us many Sanskrit shlokas, talked to us about Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and encouraged us to meditate regularly.

I would to recall an incident of 1989 concerning my

Page 48

Page 49

factory at Ariyankuppam. The place was infested with snakes and practically every afternoon staff girls would suddenly start screaming and running around because a snake was seen in some corner or the other. Now, Bansimama used to visit the factory whenever he could find time, in order to encourage me and give me strength to face the adversities that had then heaped on my head. I requested him to inform Champakmama about this problem and invoke the Mother's blessings and protection. Champakmama then called me and wanted to know everything in detail. After hearing all I had to say, he meditated for some time and wrote on a piece of paper, "Henceforth none of this will happen." Along with that he gave me a blessings packet. From that day, to our happy surprise, we never saw any snake in the premises! It was only when I was vacating the building after the closure of the factory, that a cobra came in the garden, stopped at the main entrance, and coiled itself in its well-known way, its hood held high. But after some time it quietly slipped away. I have often wondered what Champakmama had done....

Champakmama had also come and visited my sister Chetana in Bombay, a few weeks before she passed away there in 1984. She was suffering from brain cancer and had been pleading with our father to bring her back to Pondicherry. It was in that circumstance that Champakmama had turned up. His presence, his touch, brought to her the Mother's blessings and peace and smoothened her passage to the other world.

Yes, both Champakmama and Bansimama were ex-

Page 50

tremely helpful. Would we ever have such loving elders again? I pay my respects to them for paving a path for us with their selfless love, devotion and faith.

ASHA KOTHARI

To live in love, by love, for love, indissolubly united

to Thy highest manifestation....

Always more light, more beauty, more truth!

- The Mother

Page 51

FLAME OF LOVE

This book comprises of reminiscences of Motiba (Champaklal's aunt) and Bansidhar (Champaklal's younger brother). They came to Sri Aurobindo Ashram in its early days when the Ashram had few inmates — sixty to seventy. Those were days of intense sadhana, for Sri Aurobindo and the Mother were bringing down the Supreme Truth, Light, Harmony, Peace and Love into the earth-consciousness. Given the privilege of living in close proximity with them, the Divine in human form, the sadhaks and sadhikas were single-mindedly concentrated on their sadhana. They were silent servitors and one in their aim to surrender to the Lord Sri Aurobindo and the Mother with full faith. With a burning flame of love in their heart they came — to serve, to love, to realise the Divine.

(From the Preface)

Page 52