[ My first visit to Banagram]
In the evening of December 26, 1983, I was first introduced to N’kaka (Shyamaprasad Mukherjee) by Nagen of Banagram. I came to Mukherjee’s house last evening too, but I didn’t get to know N’kaka then . Moreover, there was no way to recognize someone in the dark, as there was no electricity then. (In fact, If he could not give me his identity, then how would I be able to know?)
Many days later, Tapima told me about the first day’s visit of Guru Maharaj to Banagram . As soon as Guru Maharaj met N’kaka on that day, in Panchanantala(N’kaka was approaching towards the way, through which Guru Maharaj was coming.) He said,” “Oh! You’re here? I was searching you for a long time!” Listening to it, I came to know that N’kaka was also someone ‘Great man!’
However, during these two days of my first visit to Banagram, my respect for Mukherjee’s house in Banagram was gradually increasing, as I came to know that so many young boys and girls from this house had taken celibacy from Guru Maharaj. I also knew that N’kaka was the fourth brother of this house, as they were the five brothers. A daughter (Reba Maa) of the eldest brother Devibabu [Devi Prasad Mukherjee, who lived in Satgechia and worked in the Madhyamgram high school. For this reason, Trishanda was his student. And when Guru Maharaj went to the Madhyamgram for the work of Rural Electrification, he had many conversations with Devibabu . Guru Maharaj’s first visit to Banagram was based on his identity.] was a ‘Sannyasini’ (nun). The second brother of them was Ramaprasad Mukherjee. His two sons (Dipti Maharaj & Hari Maharaj) and one daughter (Tapima) were also monk/ nun .The Son of Umaprasad Mukherjee (the third one) was Keshab ( Swami Debananda, he is well-known as ‘Khyapathakur’) who was a monk of Banagram Ashram too.
These all monks and nuns had come out from this family !! So, it was normal to pay my earnest respect to that family !
Golok Prasad was the youngest among them. He lived at Panipat, Haryana. He had three daughters . They used to come to Banagram off and on. Now only N’kaka was remained to be talked about.
I heard many things about N’kaka at Banagram Ashram. (Later, of course, I heard many more things about him from Guru Maharaj_himself, it will be told later.)
However, in that evening (in the Mukherjee’s house)as soon as different facts were being discussed, Guru Maharaj entered with a ‘drunken man’s mood’ and sat down quietly in His seat (which was always kept reserved for him in the house.Even today, in that particular place of Mukharjee’s house a seat is being kept for Guru Maharaj in the morning and evening. When we go to Banagram, we complete ‘Pranam’ in that seat of the house.). I used the word ‘drunken man’s mood’, because, later, we noticed that when Guru Maharaj would enter Mukharjee’s house in the evening, sometimes He would come boldly with a strong torch in his one hand, but sometimes while walking to enter Mukharjee’s house his two legs were falling side by side – not front and back . So his walking was something like a ‘drunken man’.(Later, I came to know that it’s called ‘transcentendal state’.)
That evening Trishanda(Swami Parameshwarananda) was right behind him . [Trishanda surely used to come to Mukherjee’s house in the evening at that time and returned to the ashram after having dinner there. However, before returning to the Ashram, he used to converse and make funs with N’kaka for a long time in the another house behind Mukherjee’s original house (the house where N’kaka lived, then N’kaka and N’kakima only went there to sleep at night). I had the good fortune to sleep many times in the upstairs of the N’kaka’s house. That’s why I had experienced all these. I wanted to sleep in the room upstairs of N’kaka’s house because I heard that Guru Maharaj used to live in that room at past(when He came first at Banagram and as there was no room in Ashram then). And he compiled the book ‘Naturality and Love’ there.]
However, as soon as Guru Maharaj took his seat, the light of the hurricane was dimmed. I heard that He preferred darkness. What a light-dark environment of that evening was ! The women (Tapima, Sejoma, Manju Ma_wife of Gorachand Ganguly and some others) were in the backside of Guru Maharaj. A mother (N’kakima) of that house went to Gurumaharaj with a glass of tea and completed ‘Pranam’ to Him. The old men’s ‘group’ from Samanti also completed ‘Pranam’ to Guru Maharaj and left.
Among these all incidents, that matter(pranam of the old men) made me feel a little bad ! Because a young saint(Guru Maharaj was then within thirty years of age),took ‘Pranam’ from those old people?? In this case, It was no matter how great a saint He was– I began to think ! But this bad feeling did not last long ! Because after a few low voice words with the women devotees_ sitting behind Him, He suddenly started saying in normal voice, ” Many old people complete ‘Pranam’ to me. Those who see it_feel bad. But to take pranam from man of any age-group, I don’t have any problem. Because I never see the man’s gross age, I see his spiritual age. In that vision, I see that everyone is as a ‘child’ for me. Don’t you see ?__ I often adore the older by shaking chin or pressing cheek? It is like how you adore a child.”
I got a little scared. I then thought that he probably could read everyone’s mind ! Because, He gave me answer so quickly which I just began to think only !
After a while, he started to discuss about physics and said something that I didn’t think was right. I said __ “It’s not like ‘this’, it will be like ‘that’.” What a surprise !! He agreed and said in a sweet voice __ “Oh! You are a student of science !!!”
I started to feel a little proud. I thought that Everyone was probably looking at me. Whom(Guruji) everyone called a “Great Man” or “God Himself” __ I had corrected His mistake !!’
What a nonsense thinking _it was !! His little ‘acting’ was enough to change one’s life – I didn’t even have this idea then ! After a while, he got up from His seat and left for Ashram. Another thing I noticed that evening was that, as long as Gurumaharaj was sitting in his seat, the same time Trishan Maharaj was standing at the door-side.
In that night, for the first time, I and Nagen along with Guru Maharaj came to ashram by talking with Him. It seemed then that Nagen deserved to be a beautiful ideal friend of mine.(To be continued)…….
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
In the evening of December 26, 1983, I was first introduced to N’kaka (Shyamaprasad Mukherjee) by Nagen of Banagram. I came to Mukherjee’s house last evening too, but I didn’t get to know N’kaka then . Moreover, there was no way to recognize someone in the dark, as there was no electricity then. (In fact, If he could not give me his identity, then how would I be able to know?)
Many days later, Tapima told me about the first day’s visit of Guru Maharaj to Banagram . As soon as Guru Maharaj met N’kaka on that day, in Panchanantala(N’kaka was approaching towards the way, through which Guru Maharaj was coming.) He said,” “Oh! You’re here? I was searching you for a long time!” Listening to it, I came to know that N’kaka was also someone ‘Great man!’
However, during these two days of my first visit to Banagram, my respect for Mukherjee’s house in Banagram was gradually increasing, as I came to know that so many young boys and girls from this house had taken celibacy from Guru Maharaj. I also knew that N’kaka was the fourth brother of this house, as they were the five brothers. A daughter (Reba Maa) of the eldest brother Devibabu [Devi Prasad Mukherjee, who lived in Satgechia and worked in the Madhyamgram high school. For this reason, Trishanda was his student. And when Guru Maharaj went to the Madhyamgram for the work of Rural Electrification, he had many conversations with Devibabu . Guru Maharaj’s first visit to Banagram was based on his identity.] was a ‘Sannyasini’ (nun). The second brother of them was Ramaprasad Mukherjee. His two sons (Dipti Maharaj & Hari Maharaj) and one daughter (Tapima) were also monk/ nun .The Son of Umaprasad Mukherjee (the third one) was Keshab ( Swami Debananda, he is well-known as ‘Khyapathakur’) who was a monk of Banagram Ashram too.
These all monks and nuns had come out from this family !! So, it was normal to pay my earnest respect to that family !
Golok Prasad was the youngest among them. He lived at Panipat, Haryana. He had three daughters . They used to come to Banagram off and on. Now only N’kaka was remained to be talked about.
I heard many things about N’kaka at Banagram Ashram. (Later, of course, I heard many more things about him from Guru Maharaj_himself, it will be told later.)
However, in that evening (in the Mukherjee’s house)as soon as different facts were being discussed, Guru Maharaj entered with a ‘drunken man’s mood’ and sat down quietly in His seat (which was always kept reserved for him in the house.Even today, in that particular place of Mukharjee’s house a seat is being kept for Guru Maharaj in the morning and evening. When we go to Banagram, we complete ‘Pranam’ in that seat of the house.). I used the word ‘drunken man’s mood’, because, later, we noticed that when Guru Maharaj would enter Mukharjee’s house in the evening, sometimes He would come boldly with a strong torch in his one hand, but sometimes while walking to enter Mukharjee’s house his two legs were falling side by side – not front and back . So his walking was something like a ‘drunken man’.(Later, I came to know that it’s called ‘transcentendal state’.)
That evening Trishanda(Swami Parameshwarananda) was right behind him . [Trishanda surely used to come to Mukherjee’s house in the evening at that time and returned to the ashram after having dinner there. However, before returning to the Ashram, he used to converse and make funs with N’kaka for a long time in the another house behind Mukherjee’s original house (the house where N’kaka lived, then N’kaka and N’kakima only went there to sleep at night). I had the good fortune to sleep many times in the upstairs of the N’kaka’s house. That’s why I had experienced all these. I wanted to sleep in the room upstairs of N’kaka’s house because I heard that Guru Maharaj used to live in that room at past(when He came first at Banagram and as there was no room in Ashram then). And he compiled the book ‘Naturality and Love’ there.]
However, as soon as Guru Maharaj took his seat, the light of the hurricane was dimmed. I heard that He preferred darkness. What a light-dark environment of that evening was ! The women (Tapima, Sejoma, Manju Ma_wife of Gorachand Ganguly and some others) were in the backside of Guru Maharaj. A mother (N’kakima) of that house went to Gurumaharaj with a glass of tea and completed ‘Pranam’ to Him. The old men’s ‘group’ from Samanti also completed ‘Pranam’ to Guru Maharaj and left.
Among these all incidents, that matter(pranam of the old men) made me feel a little bad ! Because a young saint(Guru Maharaj was then within thirty years of age),took ‘Pranam’ from those old people?? In this case, It was no matter how great a saint He was– I began to think ! But this bad feeling did not last long ! Because after a few low voice words with the women devotees_ sitting behind Him, He suddenly started saying in normal voice, ” Many old people complete ‘Pranam’ to me. Those who see it_feel bad. But to take pranam from man of any age-group, I don’t have any problem. Because I never see the man’s gross age, I see his spiritual age. In that vision, I see that everyone is as a ‘child’ for me. Don’t you see ?__ I often adore the older by shaking chin or pressing cheek? It is like how you adore a child.”
I got a little scared. I then thought that he probably could read everyone’s mind ! Because, He gave me answer so quickly which I just began to think only !
After a while, he started to discuss about physics and said something that I didn’t think was right. I said __ “It’s not like ‘this’, it will be like ‘that’.” What a surprise !! He agreed and said in a sweet voice __ “Oh! You are a student of science !!!”
I started to feel a little proud. I thought that Everyone was probably looking at me. Whom(Guruji) everyone called a “Great Man” or “God Himself” __ I had corrected His mistake !!’
What a nonsense thinking _it was !! His little ‘acting’ was enough to change one’s life – I didn’t even have this idea then ! After a while, he got up from His seat and left for Ashram. Another thing I noticed that evening was that, as long as Gurumaharaj was sitting in his seat, the same time Trishan Maharaj was standing at the door-side.
In that night, for the first time, I and Nagen along with Guru Maharaj came to ashram by talking with Him. It seemed then that Nagen deserved to be a beautiful ideal friend of mine.(To be continued)…….
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]