Today I am mentioning an incident which also took place in Banagram Paramananda Mission. That day also, there was present my nephew cum friend Subrata Chottopadhyay from Charkhi, Katwa as well as the other devotees.
There is need of a prelude before saying this incident. I first came to Banagram Paramananda Mission on 25th December, 1983 and my writing “BANAGRAM MEMORIES” was started from my first visit to Banagram ashram. But I felt a problem to do this. This was – I am not able to maintain continuity- there are arising many incidents which are overlapping upon another. That’s why, it is very difficult to write date wise.
There is a main purpose to say these incidents. This was -“Katha Prasange” is a book in which answers are elaborated against questions. They devotees will exchange knowledge to each other. They will enjoy from these discussions.It will be established that Guruji was a great wise man or great yogi. But His attitude of walking, talking, His interactios with various devotees, His smile, His fun, His other activities – we, the devotees, who have witnessed His activities, will present these facts to our next generation in which way? That’s why it is a little attempt.
However, we come back to the main incident. The man who is in the centre of today’s incident, is Chitta Mukherjee from Sodpur, Kolkata. When Chitta Babu started to come in the Ashram, then he was 70 years old or more. Chitta Babu was as if a perfect gentleman in his white hair, white dhoti- Punjabi (Punjabi i.e a kind of garment), fair glow skin, tall- broad stature. He heard low in his ears. That’s why, he sat near Guruji. He was a retired police officer. His son, Shyamal Babu, was perhaps a high ranking officer. Because Guruji sent three girls in Bangladesh to obtain training of ‘Kantha- Stich’ (sewing) depending on him. That time- Shyamali, Jaba and Gita went to the foreign country to obtain training by aeroplane. We gave very much importance to this incident. Guruji set up an ashram (Shatabhisha) in Ajimgunj for girls. These girls will work for the other girls from backwards classes – we thought it. But it was failure in reality. Shatabhisha ashram is going now also. But it is running in its own way. At present, they are not involved in any work of this ashram. However, for the sake of any reason, they are failure in succeeding Guruji’s dream in staying to this Shatabhisha ashram.
But they are not the guilty – because we also belong to this category. Guruji said many words – ” This time, there will build many Vivekanands, not one or two Vivekanandas.” Once He said, “All of you become a Paramananda itself.” Besides these, He said once, “My sons will burst in form of an atom bomb individually in the society.”
But we are transforming into small atom bombs in place of big atom bombs. Of course, not all of us but it is the maximum in number.
However, we are talking about Chitta Babu. The incident took place in 1991/1992 .That day, many devotees sat in the sitting in the early morning taking their baths.The male devotees sat in the right side (in case of Guru Maharaj- left side) and the female devotees in the left side. Guruji took His particular seat coming out from His room in steady but firm, strong strides. There started ‘Pranam activity’ ( bowing down heads). After ‘Pranam activity’ Guruji started talking some unimportant words to the devotees. There was a coconut tree in the left side in case of where Guruji sat. Chitta Babu sat near the coconut tree. There was a hill of the ants who were fat but red in colour under the coconut tree. These ants formed a high mound digging soils under this coconut tree. Guruji gave ‘prasad’ the devotees as well as the ants. Sometimes, we noticed Guruji turned upside down the shell of wood apple ( ‘prasad’ was kept in this container) upon the ants. Of course, He gave ‘prasad’ the dogs, the peacock as well as the other birds etc.
However, Guruji noticed that Chitta Babu was killing or trying to kill one or two ants who was coming upon the tarpaulin.
Guru Maharaj at once said noticing this matter, “What are you doing, Chitta Babu? Why are you killing the ants? Have the ants harmed you?”
Chitta Babu said, “No, no, my dear. The ants have not bitten me but I am feeling afraid if these ants bite me?”
Guruji said, “Have you noticed, my dear devotees? Men tender this behavior. That’s why, the lower class creatures want the destroy of men to God.”
After saying these words, Guruji left His seat and He went to Chitta Babu and He made Chitta Babu sit upon the hill of the ants. Instantly, a swarm of the ants started to come upon the white clothes of Chitta Babu. Noticing this, Chitta Babu was wanting to flee being afraid but Guru Maharaj made Chitta Babu sit forcibly upon the swarm of these ants. Chitta Babu said in afraid, ” My dear father, if these ants bite me.?”
Guruji said, ” You sit pressing and holding your fingers into your ears.Then the ants will not bite you.” After then, Guru Maharaj took His seat again.
Chitta Babu was pressing and holding his fingers into his ears. Noticing these, we were thinking as if a naughty boy was sitting near his sir of a primary school holding his fingers into his ears. That was a very funny scene.
After a long time, Guruji left his seat and went to Chitta Babu. He made Chitta Babu stand up and started to sweep the ants. As soon as Chitta Babu went to sweep the ants, Guruji said at once, “Don’t release your fingers from your ears. If you do so, the ants will bite you.”
Instantly Chitta Babu held his fingers into his ears.
When all the ants were swept, Chitta Babu took his seat again. Guruji also took His seat and said, ” Hey, Chitta Babu – you spent a long time with the ants. Did the ants bite you?” Chitta Babu replied, “No.”
Then Guru Maharaj said, “Have you noticed? For this reason, I wanted to say that there is jealousy in the mind of Man and this Man is thinking other creatures jealous? If Man forgets jealousy, the wild animals will also forget jealousy and they will become friends of Man. This matter really happened in the ancient age when the sage lived.”
[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Paramananda Mission.]
*BANAGRAM MEMORIES*_(57)
