BANAGRAM MEMORIES – (81)

There was a large field outside the ashram. In the right side of the field, there was cooking (the rooms of the ashram were close to the cooking place) and in the left side of the field – there was a school building, some distance away. The rooms of the school building were arranged for staying for the outsider devotees like us. Bishnu Daa as well as Rina Maa stayed in one of the rooms of school building. We were talking and this time we noticed that Bishnu Daa came out of the school building and he ran fast towards the bathroom which was opposite to the field. ( Bishnu Daa was a healthy, handsome man. He used to wear white pajama and punjabi.) After a while, Bishnu Daa came out of the bathroom but walking few steps, he collapsed with his trembling body. We rushed towards him. We thought that what happened for a well man like Bishnu Daa!!! Rina Maa also came there and told us, ” Bishnu Daa is ill since the morning. He is attacked in this way sometimes. But there is no worry. The medicine for him is to me – he will recover soon after having the medicine.”

We held Bishnu Daa’s body and brought him to school building. We made him lie there. Rina Maa fed him medicine also – but Bishnu Daa’s health deteriorated rapidly. Finding no way then, we informed Guru Maharaj. Immediately Guruji rushed towards the school building, leaving the sitting. He ordered us to reduce the crowd, then he started to pump Bishnu Daa’s chest forcibly. Once, Bishnu Daa opened his eyes – that time Guruji shouted loudly, “Bishnu” … “Bishnu”….”Bishnu”.

What a loud voice!!! Usually, we speak by the vocal cords but Guru Maharaj called from the navel. With that deep and grave voice like the rumbling of clouds, as if the room reverberated severely.

I thought this voice was piercing the heart of death- ridden Bishnu Daa and it was penetrating into the deepest part of his soul. Bishnu Daa closed his eyes slowly. Guruji helped to close his eyes. After then, He stood up and instructed all the devotees, present there, “Immediately send Bishnu to a hospital by a car or an ambulance. It will not be good to keep him here.”

Just Guru Maharaj ordered us this, we dispersed in various directions. But alas, that time no cars were available. We arranged a car from outside. We, some devotees, reached Berhampur Hospital by that car, taking Bishnu Daa with us. Soon, he was admitted to the hospital also.

After Bishnu Daa’s admission to hospital – we, some devotees, came back to the ashram by the same car. Coming to ashram, we heard from Guru Maharaj’s brother Goutam that Guru Maharaj had told him, ” Bishnu will come back no more. You return your home, next morning.” ( Here ‘you’ means Guru Maharaj’s younger brother Goutam and his wife. That year, just married Goutam and his wife started to travel to one ashram to another with Guru Maharaj.)

Long days later, we asked Guru Maharaj why he called Bishnu Daa very loudly which was like to chant the Buddhist mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’. Then He told us that he came to know about Bishnu Daa’s death in advance when He was in Ajimgunj. That’s why, He brought Bishnu Daa with Him and He made Bishnu Daa worship Maa Kiriteswari on the way.

Then situation compelled Guruji to shout loudly ( actually it was not a shout. It was actually a ‘nad’. Our voice or shout comes out by the vocal cords but ‘nad’ comes out of navel.) because Guruji noticed that before going into coma, Bishnu Daa’s mind was fixed on the image of a woman. Guru Maharaj’s that ‘nad’ entered Bishnu Daa’s mind and removed the image of that woman from his mind. In place of that woman’s image, Guruji fixed the image of Himself in Bishnu Daa’s mind.

Guruji said more that Bishnu Daa’s next birth would be spiritually developed and he would work for Guru Maharaj, coming to His ashram.

[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]