Anyway, we’re again coming back to the incidents which took place on December 25, 1983 at Banagram Ashram. As soon as I left with the ‘Prasad’ from Gurumaharaj, I saw Anupda(Swami Purnananda) standing in the field outside. He took me to the place where the tiffin was being served. ‘Mudi’ and ‘Ghugani’ were being served there on the leaves of the shawl tree(as plate).
There may have been a sitting of Guru Maharaj that day, but I didn’t know much about it and also I wasn’t so interested at it. Although I had experienced of Gurumaharaj’s sitting at Gangababu’s house(at Shibpur, Howrah) before and I was impressed too much after listening it. But I would have to leave after eating that day, so I thought then it will be better to go around a little!!
At that time I met with ‘Tapima'(Probrajika Pabitraprana) and her two sisters, Aruna and Buri. Tapima was so thin then!!
This is where(at Banagram Ashram) I met ‘Chinu'(Chinmay Goswami) for the first time. He was almost my age and lived at Kadamtala, Howrah. So he became my friend immediately ! His grandmother’s house was in Bhandul village(adjacent to Banagram). They were all initiated by Gurumaharaj. ‘They’ means his grandmother, his sister Tuku(Tuku was abandoned by her husband then, Gurumaharaj was very upset by her grief and how much he loved Tukudi and his son Debal cannot be expressed in words! Later Tukudi went back to her husband and had a happy family) and Chinu.
I didn’t like the idea of taking initiation then, what I liked was getting a companion from my area(then I also lived at Howrah) close to hand. So I forgot everything and went to his grandmother’s house at Vandul with him.
There I met with his mother, sister_ and everyone. Thereafter it comes out that Chinu’s real home is in a village near Katwa, close to my native village.
So this was a great opportunity which can be explained by a Bengali poem [“ভেসে যাক তরী ডুবে যাক প্রান”] (in spelling) “Bhēsē yāk tarī ḍubē yāk prāna” (let the boat float and let the soul sink).
After going there I heard that they would all go to the ashram to eat ‘Prasad'(mid day meal). So there was no hurry then_’we all will go together!’. I got a chance to converse with them for a long time.
It was too late for Grandma(of Chinu) to finish all her family-work . So we all reached Ashram lately.
Meanwhile, Purnananda Maharaj searched me everywhere and didn’t get ! So he was annoyed with me to some extent, seeing me to come with Chinu’s family ! He told me whether I had come to Gurumaharaj’s Ashram or at Chinu’s house !
After eating, I would have to leave from Ashram that time. So I had to say ‘goodbye’ to Anupda(Purnananda Maharaj)– so I found him and told him about my going back to Howrah. Anupda said, “Then go there(in front of the Gurumaharaj’s kuthia) and stand in line, meet with Guru Maharaj, get his permission then you can go!”
I looked at the kuthia and saw a line of 20/25 people there. All of them had been taken their meal and they lined up for saying their Gurudev goodbye and took His blessings (ashirbad). Only then they would go their own home.
Seeing all this, I said to Anupda, “What do I have need to tell him !! If it is necessary, then you will tell him”!!!
I have already said that I with our whole family members are very close to Anupda(Swami Purnananda)! He was then like our family-friend (This matter will be discussed in details later). Anyway, when Anupda heard my words, he started threatening me and said, “Don’t try to become an wise! It is the Indian custom to meet the master(host) before you left anyone’s home. By the way, you know how many people fall in danger after leaving from Ashram without meeting him or not taking His permission”?
Being threatened by Anupda ( Swami Purnananda) I had to go there and stand in line. One by one people were entering His kuthia! when one came out, another one was entering . At a time, it was my turn ! After entering His room, at first I couldn’t see anything inside. It was because, the sun was shining outside and it was extremely dark inside the room. And it was the first time, when I entered the ‘great room’ of Gurumaharaj. He said to me with a polite but rigid voice “Have you taken meal ? Then go and take a rest.” I said – “Yes, I have , now I will have to leave! Anupda(Swami Purnananda) told me to inform you before I leave!” He said – “Where will you go? Nowhere you are going_understand ! Go and take rest !!” I tried to say the same again in a moaning voice but He said firmly and with annoyance – “Don’t disturb me. Carry out my words . Now go from here ! Let the next one come”!!
I came out with a pale face – then Purnananda grabbed me and said “What happened !! What did Gurumaharaj say to you”??
I was so upset then!! I only said – “your Gurumaharaj is so bad!!” After hearing all, Anupada(Swami Purnananda) said, “You can not go today anyway. So rest somewhere ! you will go tomorrow morning !”.
At that time, to take rest in the noon _one had to lie down or sit under the great banyan tree on date mats(5/6 date-mats always there,under the ‘banyan tree’) !!
That afternoon I met with the famous “Nagen”(a disciple of Guru Maharaj of village Banagram) for the first time, and in the evening I went to the village (Banagram) with him –as I heard that Gurumaharaj used to come at Mukherjee’s house. There I saw Tapima (Probrajika Pabitraprana) and Aruna(whom I met at Ashram earlier) and ate ‘mudi’ with the home-made ‘sweets’ and curry sitting in the kitchen of Mukherjee’s house. I also met N’ kaka there, that very day !
[Translated by a student of class ten of Dhatrigram and correction done by Ramprasad,a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
There may have been a sitting of Guru Maharaj that day, but I didn’t know much about it and also I wasn’t so interested at it. Although I had experienced of Gurumaharaj’s sitting at Gangababu’s house(at Shibpur, Howrah) before and I was impressed too much after listening it. But I would have to leave after eating that day, so I thought then it will be better to go around a little!!
At that time I met with ‘Tapima'(Probrajika Pabitraprana) and her two sisters, Aruna and Buri. Tapima was so thin then!!
This is where(at Banagram Ashram) I met ‘Chinu'(Chinmay Goswami) for the first time. He was almost my age and lived at Kadamtala, Howrah. So he became my friend immediately ! His grandmother’s house was in Bhandul village(adjacent to Banagram). They were all initiated by Gurumaharaj. ‘They’ means his grandmother, his sister Tuku(Tuku was abandoned by her husband then, Gurumaharaj was very upset by her grief and how much he loved Tukudi and his son Debal cannot be expressed in words! Later Tukudi went back to her husband and had a happy family) and Chinu.
I didn’t like the idea of taking initiation then, what I liked was getting a companion from my area(then I also lived at Howrah) close to hand. So I forgot everything and went to his grandmother’s house at Vandul with him.
There I met with his mother, sister_ and everyone. Thereafter it comes out that Chinu’s real home is in a village near Katwa, close to my native village.
So this was a great opportunity which can be explained by a Bengali poem [“ভেসে যাক তরী ডুবে যাক প্রান”] (in spelling) “Bhēsē yāk tarī ḍubē yāk prāna” (let the boat float and let the soul sink).
After going there I heard that they would all go to the ashram to eat ‘Prasad'(mid day meal). So there was no hurry then_’we all will go together!’. I got a chance to converse with them for a long time.
It was too late for Grandma(of Chinu) to finish all her family-work . So we all reached Ashram lately.
Meanwhile, Purnananda Maharaj searched me everywhere and didn’t get ! So he was annoyed with me to some extent, seeing me to come with Chinu’s family ! He told me whether I had come to Gurumaharaj’s Ashram or at Chinu’s house !
After eating, I would have to leave from Ashram that time. So I had to say ‘goodbye’ to Anupda(Purnananda Maharaj)– so I found him and told him about my going back to Howrah. Anupda said, “Then go there(in front of the Gurumaharaj’s kuthia) and stand in line, meet with Guru Maharaj, get his permission then you can go!”
I looked at the kuthia and saw a line of 20/25 people there. All of them had been taken their meal and they lined up for saying their Gurudev goodbye and took His blessings (ashirbad). Only then they would go their own home.
Seeing all this, I said to Anupda, “What do I have need to tell him !! If it is necessary, then you will tell him”!!!
I have already said that I with our whole family members are very close to Anupda(Swami Purnananda)! He was then like our family-friend (This matter will be discussed in details later). Anyway, when Anupda heard my words, he started threatening me and said, “Don’t try to become an wise! It is the Indian custom to meet the master(host) before you left anyone’s home. By the way, you know how many people fall in danger after leaving from Ashram without meeting him or not taking His permission”?
Being threatened by Anupda ( Swami Purnananda) I had to go there and stand in line. One by one people were entering His kuthia! when one came out, another one was entering . At a time, it was my turn ! After entering His room, at first I couldn’t see anything inside. It was because, the sun was shining outside and it was extremely dark inside the room. And it was the first time, when I entered the ‘great room’ of Gurumaharaj. He said to me with a polite but rigid voice “Have you taken meal ? Then go and take a rest.” I said – “Yes, I have , now I will have to leave! Anupda(Swami Purnananda) told me to inform you before I leave!” He said – “Where will you go? Nowhere you are going_understand ! Go and take rest !!” I tried to say the same again in a moaning voice but He said firmly and with annoyance – “Don’t disturb me. Carry out my words . Now go from here ! Let the next one come”!!
I came out with a pale face – then Purnananda grabbed me and said “What happened !! What did Gurumaharaj say to you”??
I was so upset then!! I only said – “your Gurumaharaj is so bad!!” After hearing all, Anupada(Swami Purnananda) said, “You can not go today anyway. So rest somewhere ! you will go tomorrow morning !”.
At that time, to take rest in the noon _one had to lie down or sit under the great banyan tree on date mats(5/6 date-mats always there,under the ‘banyan tree’) !!
That afternoon I met with the famous “Nagen”(a disciple of Guru Maharaj of village Banagram) for the first time, and in the evening I went to the village (Banagram) with him –as I heard that Gurumaharaj used to come at Mukherjee’s house. There I saw Tapima (Probrajika Pabitraprana) and Aruna(whom I met at Ashram earlier) and ate ‘mudi’ with the home-made ‘sweets’ and curry sitting in the kitchen of Mukherjee’s house. I also met N’ kaka there, that very day !
[Translated by a student of class ten of Dhatrigram and correction done by Ramprasad,a former student of Banagram Ashram.]