[My first visit to Banagram Ashram]
Now I am giving a list of those who already took ‘brahmacharya’ or ‘sannyas’ (celibacy) from Guru Maharaj, when I first went to Banagram :– (1) Uday Da – Swami Swarupananda, (2) Prashanta Da – Swami Sachchidananda, (3) Mihir Da – Swami Prajnananda, (4) Manik Da – Swami Akhandananda, (5) Shambhu Da – Swami Satyananda, (6) Dipti Da – Swami Bhumananda, (6) Keshab – Swami Debananda, (6) Murari Da – Swami Nishkamananda, (9) Naba Da – Swami Asimananda, (10) Anup Da – Swami Purnananda, (11) Khokon Da – Swami Atmananda, ( 12) Amulya Da – Swami Abhayananda, (13) Madan Da – Swami Chitbilasananda, (14) Hari Da – Swami Sahajananda, (15) Mama Maharaj – Swami Keshabananda, (16) Nimai Da – Swami Krishnananda, (17) Sukumar Da – Swami Bhagabatananda, (18) Devendra Da – Swami Bishuddhananda, (19) Sando Maharaj – Swami Shankarananda, (20) …….. – Swami Tapeshwarananda, (21) Kashinath Da – Swami Nirbanananda, (22) Nilmoni Da – Swami Chidananda. That time
Brahmacharinis (Woman celibates) were –
(1) Putul Maa – Ramkrishnaprana, (2) Tripti Maa – Sanhitaprana, (3) Tapi Maa – Pabitraprana, (4) Mouni Maa – Krishnajyotiprana.
Nanu Maharaj(Swami Nirbedananda), Indrajit Maharaj(Swami asajnananda), Swami Madhabananda, Swami Jyotirmayananda etc. did not come to the ashram even then. And Trishanda(Later Swami Parameshwarananda) used to wear white clothes i.e. white Punjabi-pajamas then. I also saw another one, a young-man named ‘Bhajan’, who was dressed like Trishanda and he used to Assist Trishanda.
_____ Let’s come back to the previous discussion – I was talking to Nagen that night about Guruji ! We were speaking about various incidents of Guru Maharaj and the way he saw Him etc. Since I was in the ashram since the previous day, my sleeping place was then with the Sadhu-Brahmacharis in the earthen prayer hall, near Guru maharaj’s kuthia. At the next day(26th December,1983) many people already left and there were less people to sleep in. So, there was no rush. As a result, we were sitting under the Ashram’s great banyan tree and talking throughout the late night.
Then Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj had dug a cave-like hole under that banyan tree and lived in it. We were talking about Guruji in a low voice. But Nagen said – “No matter how low we speak – Guru Maharaj can hear us all from his ‘kuthia’ easily.” It surprised me! ”What are you talking? Is it really possible?”
He said – “This has happened many times.” Once they were discussing among themselves at a place of the ashram .The next morning, as soon as he joined the sitting, Guru Maharaj told him all about that – “You were discussing these things last night, wasn’t it?”
On that day, Nagen spoke about the banyan tree. The banyan tree was almost bald before Guruji’s coming – it always looked like it would be going to die. But since Guru Maharaj came here, the tree had got new life again.
There were so many “Ghosts” in the tree before ! As soon as he said this, my body became creepy_as we were under that tree ! ”Is it still there?” Nagen said -” No… no, now there are nothing more! Moreover, ‘Bhairab’ is now guarding the ashram.”
___ Bhairab ?? What does it mean ??
Hearing Nageen’s words, my condition was like that – my soul was getting out of my body !!!
Nagen Said _ “Guru Maharaj once said that a huge-looking ‘Bhairab’ guards the ashram __ and punishes him/her who does the wrong!”
Then l tried to remember if I did anything wrong in these two days?? I thought with a little scare If he suddenly would appear in front of us this deep night!!!
But Nagen reassured me saying that there was no reason to worry. Moreover, he used to return late night mostly, but nothing happened bad to him.
Later, many of the devotees told me that_ they had seen that Bhairab ! Some of them went to the gap between his two huge legs__etc.
Once in the middle of our conversation, Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj came up. It meant that the first part of his sleep was complete and he came out for urination. He came to us and after watching carefully he said __ “Oh, it’s Nagenbabu!!” (The tune of his words was more like east Bengali’s ). Nagen nodded his head and asked him using some mysterious (to me) words _ “Maharaj how many ‘mut(urination) ?? One ‘mut or two ‘mut’??” Maharaj laughed and replied __ “one”.
I realized the relationship between them was quite simple and close.
‘But what do the words mean ???’
Nagen explained to me that an adibasi (Scheduled Tribe) person from their village used those two terms (one ‘mut or two ‘mut) to mean ‘what the approximate time was then, at night!’
After a few words, Maharaj left – But his simple, affable attitude with any unknown person like me made a deep impression on me.
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
Now I am giving a list of those who already took ‘brahmacharya’ or ‘sannyas’ (celibacy) from Guru Maharaj, when I first went to Banagram :– (1) Uday Da – Swami Swarupananda, (2) Prashanta Da – Swami Sachchidananda, (3) Mihir Da – Swami Prajnananda, (4) Manik Da – Swami Akhandananda, (5) Shambhu Da – Swami Satyananda, (6) Dipti Da – Swami Bhumananda, (6) Keshab – Swami Debananda, (6) Murari Da – Swami Nishkamananda, (9) Naba Da – Swami Asimananda, (10) Anup Da – Swami Purnananda, (11) Khokon Da – Swami Atmananda, ( 12) Amulya Da – Swami Abhayananda, (13) Madan Da – Swami Chitbilasananda, (14) Hari Da – Swami Sahajananda, (15) Mama Maharaj – Swami Keshabananda, (16) Nimai Da – Swami Krishnananda, (17) Sukumar Da – Swami Bhagabatananda, (18) Devendra Da – Swami Bishuddhananda, (19) Sando Maharaj – Swami Shankarananda, (20) …….. – Swami Tapeshwarananda, (21) Kashinath Da – Swami Nirbanananda, (22) Nilmoni Da – Swami Chidananda. That time
Brahmacharinis (Woman celibates) were –
(1) Putul Maa – Ramkrishnaprana, (2) Tripti Maa – Sanhitaprana, (3) Tapi Maa – Pabitraprana, (4) Mouni Maa – Krishnajyotiprana.
Nanu Maharaj(Swami Nirbedananda), Indrajit Maharaj(Swami asajnananda), Swami Madhabananda, Swami Jyotirmayananda etc. did not come to the ashram even then. And Trishanda(Later Swami Parameshwarananda) used to wear white clothes i.e. white Punjabi-pajamas then. I also saw another one, a young-man named ‘Bhajan’, who was dressed like Trishanda and he used to Assist Trishanda.
_____ Let’s come back to the previous discussion – I was talking to Nagen that night about Guruji ! We were speaking about various incidents of Guru Maharaj and the way he saw Him etc. Since I was in the ashram since the previous day, my sleeping place was then with the Sadhu-Brahmacharis in the earthen prayer hall, near Guru maharaj’s kuthia. At the next day(26th December,1983) many people already left and there were less people to sleep in. So, there was no rush. As a result, we were sitting under the Ashram’s great banyan tree and talking throughout the late night.
Then Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj had dug a cave-like hole under that banyan tree and lived in it. We were talking about Guruji in a low voice. But Nagen said – “No matter how low we speak – Guru Maharaj can hear us all from his ‘kuthia’ easily.” It surprised me! ”What are you talking? Is it really possible?”
He said – “This has happened many times.” Once they were discussing among themselves at a place of the ashram .The next morning, as soon as he joined the sitting, Guru Maharaj told him all about that – “You were discussing these things last night, wasn’t it?”
On that day, Nagen spoke about the banyan tree. The banyan tree was almost bald before Guruji’s coming – it always looked like it would be going to die. But since Guru Maharaj came here, the tree had got new life again.
There were so many “Ghosts” in the tree before ! As soon as he said this, my body became creepy_as we were under that tree ! ”Is it still there?” Nagen said -” No… no, now there are nothing more! Moreover, ‘Bhairab’ is now guarding the ashram.”
___ Bhairab ?? What does it mean ??
Hearing Nageen’s words, my condition was like that – my soul was getting out of my body !!!
Nagen Said _ “Guru Maharaj once said that a huge-looking ‘Bhairab’ guards the ashram __ and punishes him/her who does the wrong!”
Then l tried to remember if I did anything wrong in these two days?? I thought with a little scare If he suddenly would appear in front of us this deep night!!!
But Nagen reassured me saying that there was no reason to worry. Moreover, he used to return late night mostly, but nothing happened bad to him.
Later, many of the devotees told me that_ they had seen that Bhairab ! Some of them went to the gap between his two huge legs__etc.
Once in the middle of our conversation, Swami Tapeshwarananda Maharaj came up. It meant that the first part of his sleep was complete and he came out for urination. He came to us and after watching carefully he said __ “Oh, it’s Nagenbabu!!” (The tune of his words was more like east Bengali’s ). Nagen nodded his head and asked him using some mysterious (to me) words _ “Maharaj how many ‘mut(urination) ?? One ‘mut or two ‘mut’??” Maharaj laughed and replied __ “one”.
I realized the relationship between them was quite simple and close.
‘But what do the words mean ???’
Nagen explained to me that an adibasi (Scheduled Tribe) person from their village used those two terms (one ‘mut or two ‘mut) to mean ‘what the approximate time was then, at night!’
After a few words, Maharaj left – But his simple, affable attitude with any unknown person like me made a deep impression on me.
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]