If I start to tell the story of dalliance of Guru Maharaj, I must tell the story of His dalliance partner. If I do not do this, in what way the story of dalliance will nurture? Previous day, I was talking about Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj. I was telling about his sincere attempt to beautify the ashram of earlier days naturally. Once in the ashram, I saw that it was raining heavily in the early days of the Bengali month ‘Ashar’ – it was raining heavily continuously since the morning. That day the sitting was not held due to heavy rainfall. Instead of inconvenience, I went towards Guruji’s cottage and I saw that Maharaj along with one or two helpers was planting medium sized flower shrubs and crotons, uprooted, from a place to the left and right sides of Guruji’s room, also at the both sides of the way line by line, getting wet in the rain. The traveller’s trees, situated at the both sides of His room – were also planted by him. Later I asked him why he was doing this, getting wet in the rain in such way. Then he replied, “The rainfall in the first monsoon is the most suitable time in case of planting medium sized trees, uprooted, from one place to another.”
Once Maharaj was bitten by a russell’s viper (one kind of venomous snakes). First he did not pay attention towards this. When we asked him, “Maharaj, who did bite you?”, he replied, “This is not a serious matter. A scorpion has bitten me.” But the venom of a russell’s viper reacts slowly. Within few days, the bleeding occurred from the various organs of Maharaj. (The venom of a russell’s viper attacks kidney. As a result, blood becomes diluted, and it comes out of the body with the urine or the blood comes out of the body through the nostrils). The maharajs of the ashram realised that Maharaj’s body had become poisonous. [ I heard from Murari Maharaj that there was a field beside the pond, few years ago an old age home was set up in that same field. Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj went to defecate every dawn in that place taking a bottle of water. A russell’s viper bit on his foot there.] During his staying at Surat Bharat Sevashram Sangha, he tramped across the stool of a horse. As a result, there formed many small holes in his soles. Besides these, his soles were calloused also. For this reason, the sign of the snake’s bite was not noticed clearly. We asked him repeatedly, ” What happened , Maharaj?” He only replied that a scorpion had bitten him. But his health deteriorated quickly. That’s why Murari Maharaj told him to urinate in an earthen pot. Then it was noticed that the colour of Maharaj’s urine was red. Noticing this, Murari Maharaj sent him in Burdwan immediately. Trishan Maharaj ( Swami Parameshwarananda Maharaj) was then in Burdwan. Being informed, Trishan Maharaj went to the Burdwan Medical College Hospital, taking Tapan Daa (Roy) of Khal- Bil math ( name of a place) with him. After testing the blood of Maharaj, the doctors diagnosed that venom of a russell’s viper existed in Maharaj’s body. That time, a severe trembling started in the body of Maharaj – it was so much trembling that wrapping Maharaj with three or four blankets and holding him by the two or three persons – the trembling was not being controlled. The persons, present there, thought that Maharaj would surely die. Then Trishan Maharaj asked the doctors, “Is there no way to cure the patient, the Maharaj?” The doctors then replied that the dialysis was the only way to cure the patient. That time, there was not arrangement of dialysis in any hospital of Burdwan. So, Trishan Maharaj brought Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj in Kolkata with him. First he admitted him in Kolkata Medical College, then in P.G Hospital (SSKM Hospital) directly. Then a devotee named Basudeb Pakhira of our ashram served in P.G Hospital. That’s why, he helped very much in case of admitting or better treatment of any patient. Then, if any patient who was the devotee of the ashram or any member of that devotee’s family, even if the patient was the inhabitant of Banagram or the local village – who was suffering from severe illness – got the help from Trishan Maharaj. Trishan Maharaj arranged to send and treat them in Kolkata. He also looked after them. Later, Babu, a devotee from Ajimgunj, helped Trishan Maharaj in this affair. Long long days later, Pralay Maharaj looked after the treatment of the outsider patients. Still now, Pralay Maharaj is doing this job.
However, Trishan Maharaj admitted him in P.G Hospital. The dialysis was arranged for him. It was expensive also. Every moment they thought that Maharaj would surely die. But, after dialysis, Maharaj recovered. But, again Maharaj was ill. Again, dialysis, and Maharaj recovered again. Finally, Maharaj recovered from his illness. That time Guru Maharaj was abroad. Trishan Maharaj informed Him the reports over phone everyday. Guru Maharaj said to us, “You do not keep any fault in trying. You will notice that Maharaj will surely recover.” Hari Maharaj spent few days in P.G Hospital. Hari Maharaj also stayed with him in the cabin those days. [Perhaps, Hari Maharaj stayed 2-4 days.] Hari Maharaj told me that he spent the nights lying on the floor beside the bed of Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj. He kept the newspapers on the floor and lay on these papers. However, Maharaj returned back recovering from severe illness. After that incident, he walked on the ways of the ashram firmly – taking an umbrella in his hands – even in his 100+ years age, before his dying in 2020.
[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
BANAGRAM MEMORIES – (65)
