it not been for the very unpleasant shock that village gossip often gave her mind. Neighbours whispered that her husband had gone mad, and that he was going about naked, shouting the name of Hari. Not only that. As she expressed it to her disciples in later times, 'In my early days at Jayrambati I was always busy with some work or other, and would never visit my neighbours; for people would blurt out at the very sight of me, "Dear me, Syama's daughter has been. married to a lunatic!" I avoided meeting anybody in order to escape such criticism.'
At first she was tempted to ignore this kind of talk as idle gossip. But at the same time her mind was not free from anxious questionings. What should she do if the worst were true? Had he really changed from the pure, pious and loving soul that she found him to be some four years back? In that case, would it be proper for her to be staying at her father's house? Was it not her duty then to be by his side and be of service to him? Days were spent in anxious thoughts of this kind, quite unknown even to her nearest kith and kin. Finally, she came to the conclusion that under the circumstances, it was better for her to go once to Dakshineswar and see things for herself. She could then decide as to where her duty lay.
Very soon an opportunity presented itself. Some women distantly related to her were going to Calcutta to have a bath in the Ganges on the auspicious occasion of Sri Chaitanya's birth anniversary. She told them that she too would accompany them for that purpose. They communicated the information to her