The word “কৃষ্ণ”(Krishna) comes from the Sanskrit word “কৃষ্”(Krish) – which means ‘to attract’ or ‘to cultivate'(to cultivate or attract one’s mind). Whatever the pundits (scholars) say – we, the Paramananda devotees, accept only _’what Gurumaharaj said’. He also said _ ” The word ‘Krishna’ means ‘to attract’.
We had seen how variety of “Akarshani Mudra”(Attraction or cultivation style) of Guru Maharaj could be ! Whom he had grace or pity, which means, whom he would give a chance to come close, he would bring her/him close by any means.
His strategy was different for a different person. No one was matched with other. That’s why _everyone had something to say different story about Guru Maharaj. His “Lila”(dalliance) was different with everyone and everyone used to say, “Gurumaharaj loves me very much.”
In the first time when I visited the ashram, I asked almost everyone the same question – “Why do you come to this remote village, despite the difficulties of living and eating?” And almost everyone replied “He(Guru Maharaj) loves me so much!!” That time most of the women said – “My mother, father, even my husband had not loved me as much as Guruji had loved me!”
But in my case, it was such a miserable attraction!! I had been in excruciating pain for at least seven days after returning home from Konnagar(Did I know then that this was also a kind of attraction) !
Anyway, I thought that the chapter (relation with Guru Maharaj) was closed ! So I went back to my fields of work again. In the meantime, I heard one day in the discussion at house that my elder brother (Gangababu) had been initiated by that saint(Swami Paramananda)! Most probably He initiated my elder brother in a railway station ! I also heard that Gurudev said him, “It’s the ideal time for you to take initiation.” But when I heard that, my mind soured again, thinking_ “That man is as like as the ‘Ritwik'(disciple of Anukul Chandra parampara, who gives initiation to the people,at anytime-anywhere.) !! He initiates wherever he gets one”.
Anyway, time was running out ! Suddenly one day my elder brother said that a Maharaj would come from Banagram Ashram, with some work of the press . He also said that I had to take him to a certain person who had been told everything about this work!!
My elder brother was the Employee of L.I.C.I. – moreover, he was then associated with various religious organizations like Sain Society, Bharat Sebashram Sangha etc. He was too busy person! So the responsibility was totally on me. The said sannyasi Maharaj, Swami Swarupananda finally had arrived from Banagram ( most people used to call him as “Udayda” then) with a young man of my age named ‘Tapan Mukherjee’ whose house was in Shridharpur,Memari and he just got a job then at U. B. I.! The two of them came to do some work on the cover page or printing of the quarterly magazine of the ashram named ‘Charaibeti’. I thought Udayda(In fact, I was not accustomed to call anyone maharaj even then. And they also did not mind anything of it) quite, calm, innocent-type but a little timid guy. He had a lot of weakness then to move around frequently, especially in such a city like Howrah or Kolkata.
However, according to my elder brother’s instructions, I left after delivering them to the specific press and introducing them to the owner. That was the time(1983) when ‘Charaibeti’ was published first. Guruji came to Gangababu’s house in September(1983) and they(Swarupananda and Tapan) came in October. Then the third volume,1st year of ‘Charaibeti’ was published. They presented me one of the copies( third volume) of the magazine and when the first day I went to the ashram, I had the book in my hand -like an invitation card. I mean, it was then only an identity card to me to enter the Ashram and nothing else!! But these will be said later!
Let’s come to the point, they stayed 5/7 days in a row at that time at Shibpur.Everyday I accompanied them to the press and at the end of the each day, they would return after finishing their jobs and I would also return from my fields of work . Then we would meet together. And definitely, we used to converse with each other for a long time. But astonishingly they only talked about Gurumaharaj ! But, just hearing “Guruji” “Guruji” I would be surprised some times and annoyed also ! It was because I had already made an concrete conception about the guy(Guru Maharaj) ! Could they change my mind then???
But one day, I was extremely surprised when Tapan said, “I will quit my job(the employment of Bank) as soon as Guruji will say me to do so.” What did he speak ?? A young man had wanted to quit his job in a bank at the beginning of his life, in one of His word ??? What’s the matter? He also said “He loves me so much that my parents never did.”
That time I thought — ‘oh well !!! Then the man(Guru Maharaj) knows hypnotism !! In such a remote village, thus He controlled the mind of the innocent men !! If I would go to that village once, I would reveal all the technique of him!!’ I also thought that, It is very easy to read some science journal and give scientific explanation about everything to the innocent village people!!!’
Swami Swarupananda invited me, “You will go to our ashram.”
—- ‘Why, what is there in that remote village??”_I enquired. [After then the conversations were…..]
__”No, there’s nothing much to say, but there is Guruji ! Come on December 25th, that’s when we celebrate ‘Guruji’s birthday’! Many people come. Many people get ‘Prasad’ in the ashram. ”
—“What happens on his birthday ???”
“What else will happen! Gurudev is worshiped, he gives ‘Prasad’ to everyone with his own hands.”
—“Worship him – means ??? You worship the man ??? And that man sits down and takes your worship?? Don’t even forbid to do that?? ”
____”Why would he forbid or why would we listen to? He is God himself – and why we can’t even worship a God? Don’t know, Thakur Sri Ramakrishna said after 100 years, He will come to Burdwan again in the form of a ‘Baul'(mystic)? It is He….”
—Oh shit!!! What does he say !!!
Udayda(Swami Swarupananda) also supported Tapan all the time.
So then, I took a decision that I have to go to Banagram once and unravel the mystery !!!!
Thus I went to Banagram first, on 25th December,1983. But what will be the result if there is so much disbelief ?? That’s why, after getting up very early in the morning and completing my bath, I went out for Banagram, but I could not see Gurumaharaj’s worship reaching there !
So,the flash back is over! I am now at Banagram . Readers ! Now let’s all come to Banagram. !!!
[Translated by Rajarshi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad Das, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
We had seen how variety of “Akarshani Mudra”(Attraction or cultivation style) of Guru Maharaj could be ! Whom he had grace or pity, which means, whom he would give a chance to come close, he would bring her/him close by any means.
His strategy was different for a different person. No one was matched with other. That’s why _everyone had something to say different story about Guru Maharaj. His “Lila”(dalliance) was different with everyone and everyone used to say, “Gurumaharaj loves me very much.”
In the first time when I visited the ashram, I asked almost everyone the same question – “Why do you come to this remote village, despite the difficulties of living and eating?” And almost everyone replied “He(Guru Maharaj) loves me so much!!” That time most of the women said – “My mother, father, even my husband had not loved me as much as Guruji had loved me!”
But in my case, it was such a miserable attraction!! I had been in excruciating pain for at least seven days after returning home from Konnagar(Did I know then that this was also a kind of attraction) !
Anyway, I thought that the chapter (relation with Guru Maharaj) was closed ! So I went back to my fields of work again. In the meantime, I heard one day in the discussion at house that my elder brother (Gangababu) had been initiated by that saint(Swami Paramananda)! Most probably He initiated my elder brother in a railway station ! I also heard that Gurudev said him, “It’s the ideal time for you to take initiation.” But when I heard that, my mind soured again, thinking_ “That man is as like as the ‘Ritwik'(disciple of Anukul Chandra parampara, who gives initiation to the people,at anytime-anywhere.) !! He initiates wherever he gets one”.
Anyway, time was running out ! Suddenly one day my elder brother said that a Maharaj would come from Banagram Ashram, with some work of the press . He also said that I had to take him to a certain person who had been told everything about this work!!
My elder brother was the Employee of L.I.C.I. – moreover, he was then associated with various religious organizations like Sain Society, Bharat Sebashram Sangha etc. He was too busy person! So the responsibility was totally on me. The said sannyasi Maharaj, Swami Swarupananda finally had arrived from Banagram ( most people used to call him as “Udayda” then) with a young man of my age named ‘Tapan Mukherjee’ whose house was in Shridharpur,Memari and he just got a job then at U. B. I.! The two of them came to do some work on the cover page or printing of the quarterly magazine of the ashram named ‘Charaibeti’. I thought Udayda(In fact, I was not accustomed to call anyone maharaj even then. And they also did not mind anything of it) quite, calm, innocent-type but a little timid guy. He had a lot of weakness then to move around frequently, especially in such a city like Howrah or Kolkata.
However, according to my elder brother’s instructions, I left after delivering them to the specific press and introducing them to the owner. That was the time(1983) when ‘Charaibeti’ was published first. Guruji came to Gangababu’s house in September(1983) and they(Swarupananda and Tapan) came in October. Then the third volume,1st year of ‘Charaibeti’ was published. They presented me one of the copies( third volume) of the magazine and when the first day I went to the ashram, I had the book in my hand -like an invitation card. I mean, it was then only an identity card to me to enter the Ashram and nothing else!! But these will be said later!
Let’s come to the point, they stayed 5/7 days in a row at that time at Shibpur.Everyday I accompanied them to the press and at the end of the each day, they would return after finishing their jobs and I would also return from my fields of work . Then we would meet together. And definitely, we used to converse with each other for a long time. But astonishingly they only talked about Gurumaharaj ! But, just hearing “Guruji” “Guruji” I would be surprised some times and annoyed also ! It was because I had already made an concrete conception about the guy(Guru Maharaj) ! Could they change my mind then???
But one day, I was extremely surprised when Tapan said, “I will quit my job(the employment of Bank) as soon as Guruji will say me to do so.” What did he speak ?? A young man had wanted to quit his job in a bank at the beginning of his life, in one of His word ??? What’s the matter? He also said “He loves me so much that my parents never did.”
That time I thought — ‘oh well !!! Then the man(Guru Maharaj) knows hypnotism !! In such a remote village, thus He controlled the mind of the innocent men !! If I would go to that village once, I would reveal all the technique of him!!’ I also thought that, It is very easy to read some science journal and give scientific explanation about everything to the innocent village people!!!’
Swami Swarupananda invited me, “You will go to our ashram.”
—- ‘Why, what is there in that remote village??”_I enquired. [After then the conversations were…..]
__”No, there’s nothing much to say, but there is Guruji ! Come on December 25th, that’s when we celebrate ‘Guruji’s birthday’! Many people come. Many people get ‘Prasad’ in the ashram. ”
—“What happens on his birthday ???”
“What else will happen! Gurudev is worshiped, he gives ‘Prasad’ to everyone with his own hands.”
—“Worship him – means ??? You worship the man ??? And that man sits down and takes your worship?? Don’t even forbid to do that?? ”
____”Why would he forbid or why would we listen to? He is God himself – and why we can’t even worship a God? Don’t know, Thakur Sri Ramakrishna said after 100 years, He will come to Burdwan again in the form of a ‘Baul'(mystic)? It is He….”
—Oh shit!!! What does he say !!!
Udayda(Swami Swarupananda) also supported Tapan all the time.
So then, I took a decision that I have to go to Banagram once and unravel the mystery !!!!
Thus I went to Banagram first, on 25th December,1983. But what will be the result if there is so much disbelief ?? That’s why, after getting up very early in the morning and completing my bath, I went out for Banagram, but I could not see Gurumaharaj’s worship reaching there !
So,the flash back is over! I am now at Banagram . Readers ! Now let’s all come to Banagram. !!!
[Translated by Rajarshi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad Das, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]