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The house seemed a void to Sachi Mata in the absence of her daughter-in-law. She cried whenever she saw Nimayi. Though Nimayi knew his mother’s feelings, he moved about silently. Sachi Devi deeply desired to get Nimayi married once more to a girl of good character and noble family. With this in mind she scrutinised all the young girls she came across.

Noticing a beautiful young girl offering salutations to her with great reverence and devotion whenever she went for bath to the banks of Ganges, Sachi Mata enquired of her, ”Child! what is your name?”. She softly replied that her name was Vishnupriya. “What a beautiful name” exclaimed the mother and said, “Your name is as sweet as you are. Who is your father?” Without uttering her father’s name, Vishnupriya said shyly, ”Rajapundit”. A surprised Sachi Devi exclaimed, ”What! Are you the daughter of Sanathana Mishra!”. She desired to get Vishnupriya married to her son. But she hesitated if Sanathana Mishra, who was a rich man, would accept this offer. However, she picked up courage and contacted Sanathana Mishra, in this regard, through a gentleman. Sanathana Mishra sent back the word of consent, ”I consider it my great fortune to have a great pundit such as Nimayi as my son-in-law. This was in fact my long cherished desire but I was hesitant to ask”. When Sachi Mata conveyed this to Nimayi, he said shyly,”Ma ! Do as you wish”.

Marriage arrangements began in great pace. Nimayi married Vishnupriya on an auspicious day. The students of Nimayi and the rich men in town gathered to make the marriage a grand affair. Vishnupriya experienced extreme joy on having got Nimayi, who was a mine of noble qualities, as her husband.

The hour for Nimayi to begin the mission of his incarnation approached. All the symptoms of ecstatic love for god were found manifested completely in Nimayi. History had not until then seen the descent of an avatar as great as Nimayi. Nimayi was possessed of such rare ‘Prema Bhava’ (divine love) that is beyond all descriptions.

Once, While returning from the Patashaala, Nimayi threw away his books suddenly and ran towards his house. He collected all the utensils and scattered them in the courtyard. Many of the utensils broke. Everybody stood stunned at his state. He thrashed those who came near him. Some students forcibly caught him and seated him on the cot and held him tightly. He then kept repeating, “I am indeed Lord Vishnu. Worship me ! I am the only one worthy of salutations and worship in this world. The name ‘Krishna’ is the only essence in this world. All else is devoid of any essence!”

People began to feel that Nimayi had gone mad and said that he was possessed by certain evil spirits and tried various remedies. On his own he regained his original state in a few days. He started going to the Patashaala. But Nimayi was different now. He was no more the old mischievous Nimayi. He folded his hands in respect on seeing the vaishnavaas and strictly advised his students to mark their forheads with Tilak whenever he saw them without that. He asked everybody to adhere strictly to Sandhya vandhana regulations. He himself performed Thulasi Pooja and Bhagavat Pooja dedicatedly.

Even after having got a helpful, well-mannered, beautiful wife like Vishnupriya, Nimayi appeared like one having lost something precious. He undertook a pilgrimage to Gaya hoping that this might bring about a change in his mental state. Much importance was given to ‘Pithru Karma’ (annual rites done to the dead ancestors) in those days. Many went to Gaya to perform these rites and since this practice was more prevalent in Bengal, with the consent of his mother Nimayi also started for Gaya along with a few relatives and students. The Party proceeded singing Krishna Keertan and as they reached a place by name Mandaar Nimayi suffered from severe fever, which did not respond to any treatment. Nimayi then said, “My disease will not get cured by any ordinary medicine. The grace of Lord is its only remedy and the best way to obtain that is to serve and worship the Brahmins. The Lord himself has claimed in Srimad Bhagavatam that Agni and Brahmins are His two faces. Hence the water from the Holy feet of the Brahmins alone can cure my fever”.

The students at once enquired of Nimayi, “There are some who do not practice any ‘Anushtana’(certain rules to be practised daily as ordained by the Shatras) and are Brahmins only in name. Why should we propitiate such people who lack austerities and are critisised by the shatras as ‘Brahmana Bandhu’( just a relative of a Brahmin). Nimayi replied, “What you say is right in one aspect. A Brahmin who has deserted his Dharma(duties) is akin to a cow which cannot yield milk any more. But a person wishing to live by the Shatras should never look into the defects of others. He should take care of both a milch cow and a non-milch cow. Else, won’t we become selfish? A noble aspirant of God should never see other’s faults. So, hurry up and get the Holy Pada Theertha (water with which the feet have been washed) of a Brahmin from the village.

Soon, a few students went to the village and brought the water with which the feet of two Vaishnavaites had been washed and gave it to Nimayi. The moment Nimayi drank it up, the fever subsided. Thus, Nimayi performed this Lila to show the glory of the Brahmins to his disciples. He then continued on his pilgrimage.

To be continued......

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