[My early days at Banagram Ashram]
‘Guru Maharaj (Swami Paramananda) is the incarnation of Baul, He is the re-incarnation of Sri Ramkrishna’ — – these words I heard most at that time, from Pankaj Mandal of Karimpur. Of course, most of the disciples of various communities consider their own guru as God – and that fact is of course normal ! When I was a kid, I heard a story from a man in our village about a drunk tribal man who was asked, “What are the best four(water, fruit, woman and man) things in his eyes?” He replied like that-
When fresh alcohol is made in his house(tribals use to make it at their own home), he has to mix water in hot condition, so he said ‘hot water’ is the best for him. He has a berry tree in his house__ and he does not buy or eat any other fruit – so he told that the berry (fruit of his house tree) is the best for him. And ‘Bade’ or Badyinath is his son – so his son’s mother or his wife is the best woman for him as he doesn’t look at other women. And at last, the drunkard has thought he himself was the best among the men!!
So it is not the fault of any community or guild. Everyone can think their guru as God ! It is said in Guru Anukul Chandra community that since Thakur (God) Sri Ramkrishna did not have a normal relationship with his wife even though he was married with her, he maintained equality of that fact by polygamy in Anukul incarnation !! That is to say, in one word, Anukul Chandra is the next birth of Thakur Sri Ramkrishna. Most of the communities, after Thakur Sri Ramkrishna, have tried to prove their Guru as Thakur Sri Ramkrishna !! And I knew all these facts. So, it doesn’t make much more impression on me then. It was because I saw – a monk and a celibate (not one of Paramananda mission) reached a stage of asceticism and began to think themselves as Sri Ramakrishna. Within a few days, I saw the tragic consequences for both of them. But I have never heard Guru Maharaj to say “I am someone special”! Instead, he answered to any such question – “Do you think I am God himself ? Wow, then you do feel God in everything and everyone ! Are you feeling like that? If you do not – then you will know that your thought is not right. You’re saying this to keep my mind. I don’t like these matters.”
There was talking about of Pankaj Mandal or Pankaj Babu of Karimpur. The gentleman was an employee of the State Government Electricity Board ! He used to work in a higher position comparatively. As a young man, he used to hunt birds in the forests with a gun in his hand – we have heard these stories from him many times. Later, he was afflicted with a serious illness – and after receiving the news from Triptima or someone else, he met Guru Maharaj. [I heard about the first arrival of Pankaj Da at Banagram Ashram from Murari Maharaj. One evening in June, Murari Maharaj and ‘Jamaida'(an inhabitant of the ashram at that time) were making bread. At that time Pankaj Babu came for the first time. After the first introduction, suddenly he took the bag down from his shoulder and washed his hands and feet and started making bread with them. Then Pankaj Babu verbally said that he had two heart attacks – he could die at any moment ! Many people had come here after hearing Guruji’s words. As usual, he also had come here so that Guruji might give mercy on him!
At that time there was an Odia (the inhabitant of the state Odisha of India) celibate named Kashinath in the Ashram. Seeing the way he was talking, Pankaj Babu asked, “Where is this brother’s house?” Then Kashinath was trying to say ‘Nilachal’ but he was repeatedly saying ‘Ilachal’! Hearing this, Panchkari (Jamai da) suddenly said _ “This guy is ‘Oriya’ (resident of odisha)!” Then everyone laughed a lot.]
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
‘Guru Maharaj (Swami Paramananda) is the incarnation of Baul, He is the re-incarnation of Sri Ramkrishna’ — – these words I heard most at that time, from Pankaj Mandal of Karimpur. Of course, most of the disciples of various communities consider their own guru as God – and that fact is of course normal ! When I was a kid, I heard a story from a man in our village about a drunk tribal man who was asked, “What are the best four(water, fruit, woman and man) things in his eyes?” He replied like that-
When fresh alcohol is made in his house(tribals use to make it at their own home), he has to mix water in hot condition, so he said ‘hot water’ is the best for him. He has a berry tree in his house__ and he does not buy or eat any other fruit – so he told that the berry (fruit of his house tree) is the best for him. And ‘Bade’ or Badyinath is his son – so his son’s mother or his wife is the best woman for him as he doesn’t look at other women. And at last, the drunkard has thought he himself was the best among the men!!
So it is not the fault of any community or guild. Everyone can think their guru as God ! It is said in Guru Anukul Chandra community that since Thakur (God) Sri Ramkrishna did not have a normal relationship with his wife even though he was married with her, he maintained equality of that fact by polygamy in Anukul incarnation !! That is to say, in one word, Anukul Chandra is the next birth of Thakur Sri Ramkrishna. Most of the communities, after Thakur Sri Ramkrishna, have tried to prove their Guru as Thakur Sri Ramkrishna !! And I knew all these facts. So, it doesn’t make much more impression on me then. It was because I saw – a monk and a celibate (not one of Paramananda mission) reached a stage of asceticism and began to think themselves as Sri Ramakrishna. Within a few days, I saw the tragic consequences for both of them. But I have never heard Guru Maharaj to say “I am someone special”! Instead, he answered to any such question – “Do you think I am God himself ? Wow, then you do feel God in everything and everyone ! Are you feeling like that? If you do not – then you will know that your thought is not right. You’re saying this to keep my mind. I don’t like these matters.”
There was talking about of Pankaj Mandal or Pankaj Babu of Karimpur. The gentleman was an employee of the State Government Electricity Board ! He used to work in a higher position comparatively. As a young man, he used to hunt birds in the forests with a gun in his hand – we have heard these stories from him many times. Later, he was afflicted with a serious illness – and after receiving the news from Triptima or someone else, he met Guru Maharaj. [I heard about the first arrival of Pankaj Da at Banagram Ashram from Murari Maharaj. One evening in June, Murari Maharaj and ‘Jamaida'(an inhabitant of the ashram at that time) were making bread. At that time Pankaj Babu came for the first time. After the first introduction, suddenly he took the bag down from his shoulder and washed his hands and feet and started making bread with them. Then Pankaj Babu verbally said that he had two heart attacks – he could die at any moment ! Many people had come here after hearing Guruji’s words. As usual, he also had come here so that Guruji might give mercy on him!
At that time there was an Odia (the inhabitant of the state Odisha of India) celibate named Kashinath in the Ashram. Seeing the way he was talking, Pankaj Babu asked, “Where is this brother’s house?” Then Kashinath was trying to say ‘Nilachal’ but he was repeatedly saying ‘Ilachal’! Hearing this, Panchkari (Jamai da) suddenly said _ “This guy is ‘Oriya’ (resident of odisha)!” Then everyone laughed a lot.]
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]