Devadas, Chapter 11

BY: SUN STAFF - 4.12 2024

Devadas's uncle Shivkrishna Babu had only one daughter named Pramila Sundari. He had no son. Although his daughter was not extremely beautiful yet she was good looking. She was decorated with many good qualities. Shivkrishna Babu got her married to the son of a wealthy man in Calcutta. Both Shivkrishna Babu and his wife hoped that after the marriage their daughter will live happy and prosperous life. Their son-in-law was an intelligent person. At the time of the marriage he was studying in the first-class in Calcutta Hindu School. The headmaster of that school often praised him as ‘one of the best students.' But after the marriage he fell in the bad association and thus his character became extremely polluted.

Pretending to go to school he often went to associate with bad people and spent the entire day. After the school is over when all the students came home he too returned home. Soon his parents came to know about this.

The head master wrote a letter to his parents and inquired that why he was not coming to school for many days. After investigating everything his father came to know about the whole matter. Finding no other alternative his father took him out from the school and gave him a job in his own office. His father regularly took him to the office. As long as his father was alive he worked nicely in the office. The Boss of the office was a British. Being pleased with his work his boss increased his salary a few times. However after the death of his father gradually all his old friends joined him one by one. He became a complete drunkard in their association. After spending a few years in this way he became afflicted with incurable disease due to drinking wine. There was no possibility of his being cured from that disease. Gradually his condition became critical and soon he left this world by putting his wife and relatives in the ocean of lamentation.

Pramila Sundari became extremely impatient due to the distress of separation from her husband. Devadas brought her to his house and began to serve her in various ways. Within six months of her husband's death she was afflicted with incurable disease of small pox. Devadas brought experienced doctors and treated her. But in spite of various endeavors all hopes of her life disappeared. Following in the footsteps of her husband she also soon laid down in the soothing lap of peace giving death. His old parents became very impatient due to lamentation. Devadas made every arrangement for their proper service and care and he himself solaced them with sweet words. In due course of time they gradually became peaceful. But their bodies became extremely weak due to lamentation. Realizing that their end is near they expressed to Devadas their desire to live at Varanasi; Devadas agreed to their plan.

Shivkrishna Babu loved Devadas very much. He knew very well that after his death Devadas will be the rightful owner of his house of Calcutta; still with a fear that some discrepancy may arise, Shivkrishna Babu registered his house in the name of Devadas in advance and gave him the paper. Meanwhile Devadas began arranging their journey to Kashi. At this time Devadas's mother said to him, "My body is also becoming old and weak day by day. Now I am seeing that you are enjoying all kinds of happiness by the mercy of the all auspicious Lord. Everyone is not fortunate enough to enjoy an uninterrupted happiness in this world. After this happiness if you suffer any miseries then certainly I will feel very sad. Now all of you are well and healthy; particularly you have no scarcity by the mercy of the Lord. If I live in the distant place then I will not know what is going on with you, therefore even if you suffer from some distress I will not be affected by this. So I wish to live at Kashi with my brother-in-law." Devadas took the proposal of his mother on his head. He rented a house near Dasasvamedha-ghata at Varanasi through one of his friends. An auspicious day was fixed for going to Varanasi.

When the arrangements of going to Varanasi were being made, Devadas's father-in-law came to his house. Recently his wife expired. Devadas had arranged a service for Haridasa Babu's youngest son and got him married with the daughter of a rich man. The body of Haridasa Babu has now become extremely old. There is no hope that he will live long. Therefore Devadas wished to keep his father-in-law also at Varanasi. Haridasa Babu agreed to his proposal. He will be able to live at Kashi in old age, what more happiness can there be for a pious person like him.

On an auspicious day and time Devadas took all of them and departed to the holy place of Varanasi. Suhasini and Devadas's sons and daughter stayed back at their house in Calcutta.

[Editor's Note: Manuscript has been slightly edited, correcting what appear to be errors made during digitization, but leaving apparent of errors in translation uncorrected.]