We were talking about Debashish but Debashish’s elder sister and brother- in-law (Khokan Babu) were really very good persons. They were the inhabitants of Ajimgunj. Khokan Babu did business in Berhampur. They came to Guru Maharaj everyday. Debasish’s elder sister sent foods to Guru Maharaj prepared by her almost everyday. Cooked foods for Guru Maharaj were brought from the house of Chhaya Maa also.The father of Chhaya Maa,Chatterjee Babu, was really a gourmand – he loved to feed people very much. The mother of the house was a woman from East Bengal (now Bangladesh).That’s why, she cooked excellently. Tapi Maa, Sourabh, Singur’s Babu (the brother of Swami Purnananda Maharaj) – the group of these devotees gathered in that Chatterjee house to spend the time at leisure. Many times, Tapi Maa herself cooked special foods for Guru Maharaj and brought this to Guru Maharaj from that house. Mihir Maharaj from Himachal Pradesh’s Banikhet Ashram usually spent winter in West Bengal. But as Guru Maharaj spent that time in the ashram of Murshidabad, Malda, Singur etc.- Mihir Maharaj also accompanied Him. Mihir Maharaj seldom attended Guruji’s day sitting but he went to Guru Maharaj’s room at night. He sang baul songs – he himself wrote songs and composed the music of these songs also. Mihir Maharaj (Swami Prajnananda) bought various musical instruments. He made Guru Maharaj listen to songs playing these musical instruments. I spent many times with Mihir Maharaj and that time I noticed that he was a very wise man. He studied a lot. He read native and foreign philosophy, various science journals too much. Joydeep, Sabya Daa, I and Mihir Maharaj often gathered together in a place – we discussed about different subjects – I noticed his knowledge that time. Once Mihir Maharaj went to get on a train which was scheduled to depart at 12:30 a.m. for the destination to Himachal Pradesh but he did not meet Guru Maharaj, he did not inform Guru Maharaj of his departure. He missed the train. Actually the departure time of the train was at 12.30 a.m. but he arrived at 12.30 a.m. the next day. In fact, after midnight a new day starts – he miscalculated the scheduled time. Finding no way, he returned to Banagram Ashram again. When he came back to Banagram Ashram, Guru Maharaj scolded Mihir Maharaj very much.
However, we are still discussing about facts happened in Ajimgunj Ashram. A rustic devotee whose house was situated on the way from Ajimgunj Ashram to the river Ganges came to the ashram frequently. He was able to sing songs a little. He sang simple songs of sweet note playing the musical instruments that produced a noisy sound. But Guru Maharaj encouraged him to sing songs. Once Guru Maharaj asked Joydeep to sing a song. Then he sang, “Tumi jano na re priyo, jano na. Tumi mor jibaner sadhana.” (You do not know, my dear, you do not know. You are adoration of my life.) Closing his eyes, he sang the song very devotedly as a gesture of a prayer. As a result, the atmosphere of the room changed strangely. When he finished singing the song, Guru Maharaj told, “I remembered Atulprasad listening to your song.” (Atulprasad Sen was a renowned Bengali composer, lyricist and singer.) Just after then, Guruji ordered a devotee to send the young boy to Him. When the young boy became present to Him Guruji told him, “Start to sing a simple song of sweet note. I feel freshness in my body and mind.” The young devotee began to sing an entertaining song such as “Joy Shiva Shankar” ( I appreciate the greatness of the Lord Shiva) playing a small ‘dubki’ (a musical instrument). Then Guru Maharaj was seen engrossing in this song, stirring His body and clapping His hands.
[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]