[We were talking about the pathetic incident – Bapi’s death in the ashram pond.]
During the prayer evening, when we were sitting – we saw Tapi Maa rushing to enter Guruji’s cottage. We saw also that Guru Maharaj left His cottage quickly with Tapi Maa. I also left the evening prayer and followed them. After then, I noticed that there gathered many devotees in the west of the ashram pond in which there was a ghat for bathing of the ashram boys. Murari Maharaj and the other masons picked up the dead body of Bapi from the water and holding him, they kept the body lying on the ground. Bapi’s head was on the lap of Joydeep. Trishan Maharaj also became present there and sat beside Bapi’s body. Many devotees stood there centring Bapi. We heard many people saying, “Will he remain alive? He has sunk in that early afternoon!!!” The Lord Sri Krishna did not make survive His nephew Abhimanyu as well as the Lord Sri Chaitanyadeb Sribas’s baby son, the Lord Sri Ramkrishna His nephew Akshay. I had read those incidents in the book but in reality, a miracle might happen!!! But hey the readers, believe me – I was sure that as Guruji just arrived, then He would keep His hand on his head, body and as a result Bapi would stand up. Just Guruji arrived there, He started to pump the chest of Bapi without any delay. No water came out. Fresh red blood came out without any pressure with foam. ( Joydeep’s white shirt’s sleeves and lower part became red when blood touched it.)
Guruji stood up and He told with very mournful voice indicating Murari Maharaj, “Murari, send the body to the Mukherjee house as early as possible.” Instructing this, He went to His cottage.
When Murari Maharaj received the death certificate from Guru Maharaj, he arranged to send the body to the Mukherjee house bringing the cycle van which was to the office. Meanwhile, the news was spread in the village. As a result, many people were rushing to the ashram. The mothers along with Chhoto Kakima had arrived there. Hari Maharaj, Dipti Maharaj, Tapi Maa did not allow them to come to the body of Bapi. They went to their house, holding all of them – followed by Bapi’s dead body by a van and hundreds of people.
Then I was contemplating regarding Guruji. I was thinking then that Guruji’s first visit in Banagram was in the Mukherjee house, He used to go to that house daily during His staying in Banagram, so many sannyasis and sannyasinis from that house, so many devotees of Guruji from that house – in what way a fatal accident happened in that house????
After this incident, would the people be devoted to Guru Maharaj? Would Guruji go to that house again? Would the local people vandalise the ashram being angry towards the ashram? Thousands of devotees had come to the ashram to enjoy for the occasion of ‘Holi’ – what would be their mentality after this incident? What else would they tell their family members about the ashram or Guru Maharaj???
I had heard that the Lord Sri Krishna fled away from the battle field during His battle with Kalyaban – but the matter was His deception, so that the monk Muchkunda could kill Kalyaban. The devotees call Sri Krishna ‘Rana Chhorji’ ( It means the man who flees from the battle field) thinking also this matter as greatness. Would Guruji be ‘Rana Chhorji’ here also? Would Guruji not accompany them during their extreme danger times? if it was yes, then why did He send the body to the victim’s house and why did He go to His cottage back?
The rest incident and the answers of the queries, next days…..
[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
BANAGRRAM MEMORIES – (70)
