*BANAGRAM MEMORIES*_(56)

Today I am mentioning an incident which took place probably in 1989/1990, not in the early stage of Banagram Ashram.
Guru Maharaj usually used to take His seat in the sitting before 4:00 p.m. That day also, Guruji sat in the sitting and He was discussing various topics- this time, Kalipada Singh Sardar from Bhumij para( para i.e a particular locality) of Banagram became present in the sitting. He drank so much alcohol that he was not able to stand straight. He sat near the feet of Guru Maharaj suddenly. This time, he began to talk almost near the face of Guruji. We were getting the bad smell of alcohol from the distance. He was talking near Guru Maharaj. So, we were thinking how much Guruji was facing this embarrassing, uncomfortable situation. But we strangely noticed, Guruji was facing no problems. Rather, He took the matter very easily and He was talking with him very affectionately. The title of these Bhumijs was Singh Sardar. According to Puran, once upon a time a war took place between the sage Basistha and the king Bishwamitra centring a divine cow named Kamdhenu. That time Kamdhenu created thousands and thousands warriors grinding its horns into the ground. Those warriors defeated the warriors of king Bishwamitra and restored healthy Kamdhenu. These Bhumijs say that they are the heirs of the warriors of the sage Basistha.
That day that Sardar (Kalipada) drank alcohol too much and he was talking so much that bubbles were coming out of his mouth. Spits were spreading out of his mouth and these spits were perhaps falling upon the body or face of Guru Maharaj. He was saying, “Rabin (Guruji’s family nick name was Rabin)Thakur, we belong to lower caste. That’s why, do you hate us? Don’t we respect you? You loved us very much earlier- you came to us. But do you come to us now???”
Guru Maharaj touched his head affectionately and said, “Don’t feel sad for this reason. Have you noticed, how I am busy now? Many devotees are coming here now. I have to talk with them. The area of ashram is gradually increasing, as well as the activities of ashram.”
Sardar said, ” Hence, today you promise me that you will come to my house today. Promise me surely!!!”
Guru Maharaj said, “Ok, you leave now. Today I shall go to your locality in the evening when I shall go to the village. Inform this news to all the villagers of your locality.
Ok, you leave now.”
Sardar left. Guruji stared to his departure for a long time and then He told addressing us, “these people are so much simple. Have you noticed a fact? As he was talking to me in the drunken state, all of you were keeping distance from him. But were you able to talk like his simplicity???”
One of us asked Guruji, “Hence, will you go to his locality, today?”
Guru Maharaj answered, “Of course.”
That day after the prayer in the evening, Guruji went to their locality. At present, their locality is in the opposite side of the hospital of Banagram ashram.
Kalipada was no doubt a drankard but he was conscious of his activities. He informed all the villagers of his locality – the villagers of his locality cleaned very neatly the area beneath the banyan tree with the cow dung. They had arranged Guruji’s seat upon another seat which was woven from date palm leaves and they had also arranged seats for the other devotees. They also burnt incense sticks. They made the atmosphere like a holy place.
When Guru Maharaj took His seat there, all the villagers of this locality bowed down their heads to Guru Maharaj. The drunken state of Kalipada had faded then. He bowed down his head to Guruji, wrapping his napkin in the neck and he sat in front of Guruji and said, ” Rabin Thakur, you talk to us. You say so much in the sitting of ashram. Will you not speak us something?”
Guru Maharaj said, “Ok, I am talking. I am saying one’s story of your own race who was born many many years ago. Listen to it very carefully.”
Then he told the incident of waiting of Shabari.(Shabari was a pious woman who belonged to lower caste. The story of Shabari was mentioned in the epic ‘the Ramayana’.) Guruji told us the story in so much details that I was thinking these facts were not written in any books. This was not possible to record. Because the man who was that person himself, will talk the incident elaborately. Surely, no one will talk better than him.
He discussed the topic for a long time. He was discussing the waiting of Shabari – the waiting of Shabari of each day in details. Girl Shabari grew to teenager, then to young , then to middle age and at last to old age – what a long waiting!!!
All the villagers of this locality listened to the story of Shabari attentively. They kept some fruits and sweets upon a dish. Guru Maharaj ate a small portion of it and made it ‘Prasad’.( Prasad i.e leftover – the devotees admire this ‘Prasad’.) All the devotees, present there, ate the Prasad. Then Guru Maharaj started to walk towards the Mukherjee house of Banagram.
[ Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]