Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/671

624 On the 11th April following, old Thakurdas departed from this world of troubles, leaving his children and grand-children and a numerous family to mourn over his death. Vidyasagar had always the highest esteem and reverence for his parents; he idolised them, who were his sole gods of worship. He had already lost one of the two—his mother, and had the other left to him for his solace. When he lost that other too, he saw nothing but blank vacancy—nothing but pitch dark, all about him. His grief knew no bounds. The usual calm fortitude of the strong-minded, highly talented Vidyasagar was swept away by the vigorous current of his excessive grief. He wept and lamented bitterly like an insensate child. In excess of his grief, he had forgotten that the corpse of his dear parent was lying before him and that the funeral rites had yet to be performed. When he was reminded of his duties of the time, he assumed a somewhat calm external appearance, and then carried the dead body to the Manikarnika Ghat on the shores of the Ganges. Many outsiders offered their help, but Vidyasagar prevented them with kind and gentle words. After finishing the cremation and Tarpana ceremonies, he returned to his father's quarters, and seeing his father's room empty, again fell to crying and lamenting in most pitiful terms. No one knew how to console him.

Thakurdas was a devoutly religious man. He was honest, truthful, and resolutely firm in