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### Sri Aurobindo’s Letter

> “Motiba is quite happy here and she is progressing very well in her sadhana. If she goes away from here, the progress will be stopped and much of what she has gained may be lost. An intensive and concentrated sadhana once begun has to be persistently continued in the right atmosphere. If it is kept up only for a short time and then dropped for another kind of life in which the concentration is diffused and weakened, there is no likelihood of@8@ fruition. For this reason we would disapprove of her departure.”[^2]

[^2]: Champaklal told me that Motiba’s correspondence with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother was very interesting. Unfortunately, it has not been found.

>*What work did the Mother give you?*

Initially, the ironing of Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s clothes. I was instructed by Datta, the English lady who accompanied the Mother here. Later, I was also given the work of washing Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s clothes. I had the privilege of washing them twice a day and this is how I also got my Lord’s darshan twice a day. First when I went to his and the Mother’s bathrooms in the morning to collect the clothes, and the second time when I went to return the cleaned clothes in the evening. The Mother always gave me a sweet smile. I went to Sri Aurobindo’s room in the evening to put his *Dhoti* there. At first I used to place it outside his room. Later on, the Mother permitted me to place it inside. In those days Sri Aurobindo kept walking to and fro in his room. As soon as I opened the door, he would switch on the light and I would place his *Dhoti* inside. [*Here, Foiba showed me the art of folding the Dhoti in a special manner*] After his accident, there were more clothes to wash every day.

Once I fell ill and was sent to the Nursing Home. The Mother enquired about my health every day. When I came back from the Nursing Home, I went to see her. She blessed me and said, “You will remain like this.” To me this meant that I would be active even in my old age. And this has come true by the Mother’s Grace, for I am moving around and working even today@9@

Once I got a bad cough. Sri Aurobindo noticed it and told the Mother. She herself prepared a soup for me and sent it through someone. Mother knew that I might refuse to take it, so she also sent Champaklal with a tablet. I was reluctant to take the soup but when Champaklal explained why it would help me, I took the soup and tablet. With that one tablet my cough disappeared! Since then that tablet became very popular in the Ashram.

After Sri Aurobindo’s Mahasamadhi, Champaklal did not eat for five days. The Mother herself made him drink a glass of juice.

After Sri Aurobindo left his body, I was allowed to go to his room every day for meditation. Our Gracious Mother always allowed me to sit as long as I wished.

>*What other work was given to you?*

We had no servants in those early days. There was only self-help. So I used to cook for Bansidhar as well as myself. Sometimes I cooked for Sri Aurobindo too.

>*What did you prepare for Sri Aurobindo?*

Bhajias (pakodas) made from ajwain leaves, potato-vadas and small sweet pudlas (pancakes). He liked the pudlas very much and used to eat a good number of them. Of the bhajias, potato-vadas and puris, he used to eat only two or three. Once he got some kidney trouble and Mother stopped his eating the sweet pudlas. So I made pudlas without sugar, but he did not like them. Every day, at about four in the@10@ afternoon I used to take walnuts, cashews, almonds and raisins fried in ghee for him to his room.

Once I presented to him a handkerchief woven by me with golden thread. He used to keep it with him on the darshan days.

>*Did you practise meditation when you were in Patan?*

Yes. I meditated, read the Gita, and the Bhagavat Purana; I also did japa. Once Lele [^3], the Maharashtrian yogi, visited our house. He advised me to read Bhaktiyoga, the twelfth chapter of the Gita. He never ate food prepared by other people, and usually only took fruits. But once when he was staying at our neighbour Ramlal’s bungalow, he said, “If Moti prepares the food, I will eat it.” So that day I cooked for him. Champaklal and Lele took lunch together.

[^3]: Vishnu Bhaskar Lele. See *Champaklal Speaks*, Third edition, pp. 31-35.

>*Did you have any spiritual experience with Lele?*

Yes, I saw light on his head when I first met him.

>*Any other experiences?*

Yes, I had many experiences, but I cannot describe them to you. My experience of seeing Light started at the age of seventeen. I saw a Light when my younger brother Mafatlal expired in Patan.@11@

When Champaklal left his body in Jantral I saw a Light and heard his voice telling me, “Foiba, I am leaving.” When Bansidhar was ready to leave for Jantral, he was hesitant to break the news of Champaklal’s demise to me, but I said to him, “I know it.”

I had an experience in the Playground on the day before Sri Aurobindo left his body. I had gone there to see the temple of the Mother arranged by the children, but I could not enjoy the programme. There was a constant feeling that Sri Aurobindo would leave his body soon.

I used to see visions quite often. In meditation I often saw Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and Lord Krishna. Once I saw the Mother as *Amba Mataji*. Whenever I was unwell I always saw the Mother’s hand on my head.

>*Did you go to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother daily for Pranam?*

Yes, whenever I went for Pranam Sri Aurobindo put his whole hand on my head but the Mother just touched it.

>*Why did the Mother only touch your head? Didn’t she love you?*

No, no! Mother loved me equally, as much as Sri Aurobindo! She only touched my head so that my ego would not grow.

>*Will you tell me about your experiences on the Darshan days?*@12@

The Darshan days! [*Motiba’s face became suffused with joy*] How can I describe something indescribable? When Sri Aurobindo put his hand on my head, I felt a deep peace. His touch was soft, velvety, feather like. I did not want to raise my head!

As we can see Motiba had done an intensive and concentrated sadhana throughout her life. She was for me, the ideal example of a sincere sadhika. One felt peace, light and love in her presence.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to her for all the help she has been on the way.

Roshan

>*To be receptive is to feel the urge to give and the joy of giving to the Divine’s work all one has, all one is, all one does.* @13@

> The Mother, [_Words of the Mother - II: Receptivity_](https://incarnateword.in/cwm/14/receptivity#p26)

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