One day as Nimai was playing with his friends on the banks of Ganges, many little puppy dogs gathered. Nimai selected the most beautiful of the puppies and began playing. His friends protested, “Why have you picked up the most beautiful puppy and left the ugly ones for us?” Nimai reassured them, “no, we all can play with this puppy. Please come to my house and we shall together, happily play with this puppy.” All the boys accompanied Nimai to his house and played, but one boy got upset during play and left in a huff. On his way the boy met Sachi mata and complained, “Oh mother Sachi, your son Nimai is playing with dogs. He’s so dirty.”
Sachi mata was concerned and she hastily rushed home and stopped her son. “Oh darling Nimai, please don’t play with these dogs” Sachi mata said to her son, “you are a son of great brahmana Jagannath Mishra and your grandfather nilambar chakravarty is also so renowned. It doesn’t behove you to play with dogs. It is not part of our tradition to get dirty dogs inside the house. Look at yourself and your friends – all of you are so unclean and dirty. You please go to Ganga and take bath and clean yourself.”
Nimai insisted that the dog was his friend. “Please don’t take this dog away from me. I love this puppy.” Sachi mata acquiesced and reassured Nimai that it’s okay he has the dog. But she appealed to her son to clean himself by bathing in the Ganges. Nimai too agreed and said he would return back and continue to play with the puppy. When Nimai left for Ganga, the dog too ran away. On his return Nimai was distraught to see the puppy gone. “What have you done mother?” Nimai cried, “You let him go away. I loved the dog.” Sachi mata assured him that she hadn’t let the dog loose. Besides, she gave hope to Nimai that they would all look for the puppy and soon find him. Then she decorated the freshly bathed Nimai with beautiful ornaments and fed him nice prasad.
To be continued…
