Devadas, Chapter 19

BY: SUN STAFF - 3.1 2025

A transcendental novel in 21 chapters, by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

After the disappearance of the gurudev, Suhasini happily spent a few years with her sons, grandsons, and daughter-in-laws. According to the instruction of the gurudev she her husband and her sons regularly worshiped the Supreme Lord in the morning and in the evening. Whenever any guest, stranger, poor, or fallen persons came to her door steps she immediately satisfy by feeding them. After everyone finished eating she ate herself. If any of her neighbors became ill she should immediately find out the details of the illness and if needed she helped them with money.

After the meal she would sit down with her daughter-in-laws and discuss religious books. Sometimes she would teach her daughter-in-laws about the household activities. A few years passed in this way. Once a message came from Kashi that Devadas's mother and father-in-law were attacked by dreaded disease and there is no possibility of being cured. Devadas took Suhasini and Jivadasa with him and immediately left for Kashi. Both the patients were aged. Their diseased condition was such that there is a very little hope for their survival. On seeing Devadas, Jivadasa, and Suhasini, they became extremely happy. Devadas, Jivadasa, and Suhasini offered their obeisances to them who in turn blessed them.

Jivadasa was a well established doctor. Therefore he began to treat his grandfather and grandmother. But what to speak of the disease being cured, it continued to increase. When Devadas saw that there was no hope of their disease being cured, he stopped their medicine and always sat down by their side and chanted the glories of the Supreme Lord. For them Devadas did not have to stay at Kashi for a long time. Five days after his reaching Kashi his mother and the next day his father-in-law expired. Devadas performed the funeral ceremony of his mother and Suhasini performed the funeral ceremony of her father. Gradually their sraddha ceremony were duly performed.

Whenever Devadas received any news of his mothers and father-in-laws illness he came to Kashi and served them. Whenever he got some spare time he visited the house of his gurudev. The house of the gurudev is now almost empty. Gurudev is no longer there. The stranger old man had left his body even before gurudev. Now only the daughter of the gurudev lives there alone. She is fifty-five, fifty-six years old at present. She became a widow in her young age. Since she had no children her body was healthy and good enough for working. By seeing her one felt that she was merged in bliss. Her form was gentle and beautiful. Whatever monthly pension she received she only spent a portion of that for her maintenance; rest of the amount she spent for the service of the fallen, poor and orphans. She was very popular in Varanasi. Those who knew her showed great faith and respect. There was no one at Kashi who attracted people's attention as she did. She received proper training regarding knowledge and devotional service from her father. Gradually she made further advancement on this path through cultivation. She was initiated by her father and expertly mastered all his process of sadhana. She was very dear to Devadas. When Devadas's mother and father-in-law were very sick and Devadas was absent she regularly went there and looked after them. She considered her self fortunate if she could serve people in any way. Devadas had many servants to take care of them therefore she need not served them so much ; But she was such a great soul that when ever any need arose she was ready to serve personally.

Many orphans and shelterless people lived at Kashi. She helped them in their danger regardless of their caste and creed. She did not face any lack of fund regarding these activities. All the residents of Kashi saw her with faith and devotion. Whenever she asked for help from the residents of Kashi after careful consideration they happily helped her. Actually they were so much attracted by her good qualities that whenever they gave some monetary help they were assured that the donation given to a qualified person and that their help has been successful. Gradually many people began to imitate her saintly examples. Many people came forward to help her serve sick and helpless people. She spend very little money and labor for the maintenance of her own body. In fact she devoted her mind and body for the service of others. She considered other distress as her won distress and others happiness as her own happiness.

Whenever she went to a sick or helpless person they relished a taste of her wonderful affection. Her love mixed with affection induced similar love in their hearts. Whenever someone was afflicted with a contagious disease and nobody was brave enough to come forward and help him this bright helpful women seeing that the patient was suffering with pain and his relatives are not present served him by putting her own life in danger. By the quality of her service the ray of hope manifested in the heart of that hopeless patient. She was the friend of poor, fallen and destitutes. She felt joyful to satisfy them by feeding. Everyone considered her like their own mother and even addressed her as mother. Whether one was a sick, helpless, poor or a fallen she satisfied everyone through her service and necessary money whenever she found them helpless. Everyone whether they were shopkeepers, aristocrats or any resident of Kashi offered their obeisances to her when they met her. Such a selfless love for the living entities as exhibited by her was rare among the human beings.

She never refrained from welfare activities considering proper or improper times. There were many days when she did not get an opportunity to eat. She was a widow from her young age therefore she did not get an opportunity to serve her husband as a chaste wife. She lived with her father and properly learned the process of worshiping the Supreme Lord from him. She followed strict celibacy. It is true that a widow can not serve her husband but a celibate widow is like the Lakshmi in this world. No one can become as expert as her in the welfare activities. Since she had no son or husband and thus no question of serving them she could freely spend her time in welfare activities.

It is not a fact that she only helped people in their sickness or danger. If need arose she try to establish peace in the hearts of the people by instructing them about the religious principles. An embodied soul is prone to illness and danger and in such a situation he cries out the names of the Lord loudly. Realizing this she often instructed such a person to surrender to the Supreme Lord. Attachment to the Supreme Lord was manifested in her every word, Therefore her words entered the hearts of the human beings and helped them to be attached to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Her instructions on the religious matters were effective and bore fruits. Just as her words were sweet and spontaneous so her instruction were effective; they entered people heart and remained there. This certainly created a change of mind of the people. From this it appeared that the Supreme Lord has sent this goddess with a desire for their deliverance.

Devadas regularly met with the daughter of his gurudev. He was extremely pleased by her bright qualities and activities. He already wanted to give her five hundred rupees, but she refused to accept that donation due to common courtesy. That is why Devadas, with her approval, kept five hundred rupees with a trusted rich man of Kashi for the service of the poor, fallen, sick, and helpless people. So that whenever she needed she could take that money from that person. After making this arrangement and offering obeisances to the daughter of his gurudev, Devadas took her leave. Devadas was her close relative. At the time of this separation their heart became distressed for each other. Both of their hearts were filled with wonderful emotions. Both were speechless for a while. After regaining composer they spoke to each other for some time and then Devadas left.

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