Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi 30th April 1896 - 27th August 1982 - Part-VI

In her time she met with nearly all the political dignitaries who rose to power after Independence. They did not talk about state affairs with her. She only spoke about God and the religious asprirations of man.
Some devotees in praise of her all-encompassing message sometimes say that she welcomed all faiths as true paths to God. This could be an understatement. The fact was that Sri Ma saw no differences which had to be cemented; to her, indeed,everything was the One only. The same may be said about her treatment of women. She recognised no inferiority or superiority. She demanded (if such a word can be used for her) the same high quality of asceticism from the brahmacharis as well as brahmacharinis of the Ashram. Purity of speech, action and thoughts was ever the ideal, which she set forth for all travellers on the path of God-realization.
Sri Ma when speaking with modern young people, showed herself to be fully aware of the trends of the times; even so, her interlocutors could never make her accede to their demands for compromises. She with great humour and understanding could always bring them around to accepting her request to begin the search for Him who is hidden in the cave of the heart. It could be said that for all devotees, the following text expresses their sentiments regarding Sri Ma:
bhidyatehrdayagranthicsahhidyante sarvasainsayah kshiyante casya karmani tasmin drste paravare The knot of the heart is penetrated, all doubts are resolved All bondages are destroyed on seeing Him who is here and beyond. Mundakopanisad 11.2.8
In retrospect it now seems that Sri Ma started the process of withdrawing herself much ahead of time. She became increasingly unavailable because it was said she was not well. All her devotees know that illness happened to her because it was not her kheyala to deny them access to her. Many times she had said, "Why do you feel so antagonistic to illnesses? They also come to this body like you do. Do I tell you to go away?" Acceding to the prayers of her companions Sri Ma had been seen many times, also, to perform certain Yogic kriyas to get rid of her ailments. In the late seventies and in 1981 she did not have kheyala to respond to any kind of prayers for her recovery. She went about fulfilling her various engagements. She did not look ill but as beautiful and serene as ever; but definitely the mass of devotees got used to the idea of not getting her darsana as easily as always. For all practical purposes she had withdrawn herself from public audiences apart from a few exceptions. Her last kheyala seemed to have been for the performance of the ati Rudra Yajna at Kankhal. This was the greatest of the Vedic Yajnas. Under Sri Ma's Guidance it was celebrated with such splendour and scrupulous adherence to evey detail of scriptural injunctions that the Savants said Sri Ma had initiated the Satya Yuga in the fron Age of Kali.

In the last days Sri Ma was serene but uncharacteristically seemed to be removing herself beyond the prayers of people around her. Ordinarily she always gave the greatest heed to the words of the Mahatmas, but now to all prayers for her own recovery, she would smile and say, "There is no kheyala"'. Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Shringeri, Sarada Peetham, wanted to invite her to Shringeri on the occasion of the Annual Durga Puja and urged that she should get rid of her illness speedily. She replied in her usual gentle tones, "This body has no illness, Pitaji. It is being recalled toward the Unmanifest. Whatever you see happening now is conducive toward that event". At the moment of bidding him farewell next day (July 2nd) she again reiterated her inability to accede to his wishes, saying "As the Atma, I shall ever abide with you".
Sri Ma, in other ways weaned her devotees from her physical presence. She did not answer letters but the correspondents felt her presence in their hearts and their questions answered. She did not attend any of the functions, which were being performed with the usual circumspection at their proper times in the Ashram. She had stopped taking food for many months. The attending girls could give her a few drops of water only at odd moments. Sri Ma spent her last days at Kishenpur Ashram. She made no farewells apart from saying "Sivaya namah" on the night of the 25th; this mantra is indicative of the final dissolution of worldly bondages. She became Unmanifest on Friday evening of August 27th, 1982 around 8 P.M.
Kankhal at the foothill of the Himalayas is holy land. All monastic orders have their Head Quarters at Hardwar. By a consensus of opinion the entire body of the Mahatmas came together to assume charge of Sri Ma's physical remains. The highest honour was given to her; a procession of thousands escorted the vehicle carrying her body from Dehra Dun to Kankhal. The Mahanirvani Akhadha arranged for the last rites of Samadhi. As Sri Ma had said she did belong to everybody and so everybody participated in bidding farewell to the human body which had sustained their beloved Ma for 86 years.
Sri Ma came at a time when India as well as the world passed through many crises. She remained as one of the people, throughout it, imparting hope and solace and upholding the age old ideals of our tradition through overwhelming impacts of alien influences. She fully understood the existential implications of the present age of technology and by her way of being in the world put it in a correct perspective for those who wished to see beyond it. That God is as much present in the world given over to scientific research as in the age of mythology we may say is the "Message" conveyed by her sojourn on earth.
We think the soil of Bharatvarsha is holy. Once in a while we see in India, not merely a teacher, or just a saint but an exemplar of the way of life which is the quintessence of her spirit. India cherishes a coming together of heaven and earth, a commingling of the timeless order and the order of time; a meeting of horizons of the eternal yearning in man and the descent of Grace. Once in a while such a dream is realized. We find a Teacher, a Jagadguru, who not only awakens the longing for the quest for Truth but enkindles and sustains faith in its ultimate fulfilment.
Sri Ma will ever remain with us in the form of her immortal words, the dearest of which are, "Ma is (I am) here, what is there to worry about?" (Ma Achen, Aar Chinta kisher ?).

Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi 30th April 1896 - 27th August 1982 - Part-V

Sri Ma continued to move around in her own style of unstructured itineries but she did not always choose her companions. It was a motley crowd which surrounded her. Many times it so happened that many in her entourage did not speak the same language. People from different provinces, different walks of life, mingled together in happy throngs. It was experienced that Sri Ma would accept invitations for religious functions. So the devotees would arrange for Bhagavat Saptah, Durga Puja, Chandipath etc. in their towns. They would pray for her presence at these functions. Wherever Sri Ma stayed, it immediately became the centre for a gathering of thousands. Sri Ma in her compassionate regard for the organisers moved out as soon as things began to get out of hand. There was no central management in Sri Ma's vicinity; whoever was able, took charge for as long as he could. Matters arranged themselves as it were. It is difficult to describe the sheer impromptu nature of management, which took place near Sri Ma. Unless one has experienced it for oneself, it is not possible to credit the utter fortuitous nature of a concurrence of events which seemed to fulfill Sri Ma's kheyala regarding her travels, companions or at times her places of retreat.
In all the major cities, Sri Ma visited frequently, the devotees got togther to construct one Ashram after another but it did not serve the purpose of restricting her movements or providing her with some comforts while she stayed in one place because as often as not she would not visit the Ashram at all but go some place else.
In 1940 Sri Ma came in close touch with Sri Prabhu Dattaji Maharaj of Jhunsi, a Mahatma of considerable renown. He invited her to join in their council of sadhus at Jhunsi in 1944. Here other Mahatmas came to know her, notably Sri Haribabaji Maharaj, Sri Chakrapaniji and Sri Sharananandaji. So far the Sadhu Samaj had avoided her because she happened to be in the form of a woman. Sri Prabhu Dattaji broke down this artificial barrier. Thereafter Haribabaji Maharaj gave her the highest honour possible. The heads of other Monastic Orders recognized in her the quintessence of the Upanishadic tradition and accepted her word as Shastra itself.
At Sri Ma's kheyala a great Savitri Yajna was started at Varanasi in the newly built Ashram on January 14, 1947. The samkalpa was for "The Good of Mankind". There was great tension in the country just before Independence in August of the same year. Notwithstanding all these negative factors the Yajna proceeded unhindered and came to a spectacular conclusion on Janurary 14, 1950. A great concourse of renowned Mahatmas graced the occasion. It was attended by princes, artists of repute, political personalities, and the ordinary mass of people. In Sri Ma's presence all functions take on an extra-ordinary glamour. This yajna solemn and grand in itself was overwhelming in its impact on the participants.

The most attractive function under Sri Ma's aegis turned out to be the Samyam Saptah. Sri Ma very often spoke on the importance of observing restraints in one's way of life at least once a month if not once a week. Sri Jogibhai, the President of the Sri Anandamayee Sangha suggested that a Saptah of samyam be arranged in Sri Ma's vicinity so that all devotees could assemble for this purpose. The first such saptah was organised in Varanasi Ashram in 1952. The participants would observe total fast on the first and last days. In between a menu of very simple meals once a day was drawn up by Sri Ma herself. Under her guidance the programme for the whole day was sketched like this. After personal daily puja etc., all participants would gather in the Central Hall for listening to scriptural discourses, kirtans and meditation. Doors would be closed so that there would be no disturbances. After a short break during the afternoon for food and a little rest, the Vratis (participants) would assemble for the evening session and so on.
The popularity of this function was phenomenal. The whole Ashram geared up to it. Mahatmas came from far and near. People heard learned lectures from orators whom they would never have had occasion to hear in the ordinary course. They heard rare scriptures and listened to good music. The best part of the day was at 9.30 P.M. when Sri Ma answered questions from the audience. The whole day passed by like a flash in looking forward to this half hour of matri satsang. The participants were amazed that they could live like ascetics for a week so effortlessly.

The best way to understand Sri Ma is not to compare her with any of the luminaries in our spiritual skies. The recognition that she gained in her own lifetime was just by her presence. This is what Swami Chinmayananda said about her in Bangalore (June 1978) 'When the sun shines nobody needs to demonstrate the sunshine'. The harmony of opposites was the underlying theme of her way of life. Amidst the splendour and magnificence which seemed inevitable wherever she was, she lived like an ascetic. Throughout her life she was a very small eater. Apart from the months of abstention from food, which happened periodically, she followed other rigourisms. For many years she used to eat on alternate days. When remonstrated with Sri Ma would say, "It is not necessary to eat at all to preserve the body. I eat only because a semblance of normal behaviour must be kept up so that you should not feel uncomfortable with me." The intake of food was not related to any of her illnesses. Actually she was in perfect health when she was not eating anything. Illnesses came and went following a rhythm of their own. 

Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi 30th April 1896 - 27th August 1982 - Part-IV

Sri Ma moved in this manner with the kirtan party for a few moments. After such bhavas she would lie in a samadhi for many hours. It was always Bholanathji who decided when to try and rouse her. She had this kheyala of obeying him, so when he called her repeatedly, she would somehow open her eyes and say, "You want me to get up?" in lisping and slurred tones. At this time he would ask the women to rub her hands and feet gently and keep talking to her and make her answer some questions. In this way slowly Sri Ma would be drawn back to the ordinary world. Didi Gurupriya writes in wonder "It amazed me that Sri Ma so naturally entered into a state of God-intoxication, a state which is coveted by sadhakas of all time. No, not God-intoxication, her state could not be called that, I do not know how to describe a state which was at once sublime and yet normal".
This interplay of the dimensions of normalcy and transcendence was a constant and inalienable feature of Sri Ma's behaviour. Sometimes it was likened to a sudden play of lightning in the skies. One description is, "It was like simultaneously experiencing sunlight and moonlight. Before one could be dazzled and overwhelmed by the rays of the sun, one would be soothed and reassured by the gentle moonbeams".
These states were frequent and visible to all at this time but they had happened in her childhood and while she was with Revati Mohan's family as well. They had not been understood by her companions of those times and been dismissed as some mild kind of fits which would pass away as she grew older. Sri Ma's overall deportment was so radiant and cheerful that it was easy to discount a few signs of sudden withdrawals into an inner world of mystery.
The halcyon days of happy gatherings round Sri Ma were rather short lived. Sri Ma set out on her travels in 1927. Baba Bholanath liked to visit places of pilgrimage. They travelled quite extensively. The devotees of Dhaka gradually got accustomed to Sri Ma's frequent absences. It became clear that Sri Ma had the kheyala to leave Dhaka. The devotees had built a small Ashram for her but Sri Ma's kheya1a to move out proved too strong. Accompanied by Bholanath and Bhaiji Sri Ma left Dhaka on June 2, 1932.
Travelling in a haphazard way she happened to arrive at Dehra Dun. From here they found their way to Raipur a remote village in the interior. They took up their abode in the dilapidated Siva Temple a little way from the village. This was the beginning of a new way of life for two of them. Bholanathji devoted himself to his sadhana wholeheartedly. Bhaiji tried his hand at rendering such services, which so far he had received from his own servants. To sweep and clean, wash clothes, cook primitive kind of food was hard work for him. Sometimes Sri Ma helped him out but in general she wandered around alone or sat surrounded by the village women.

When she returned to Debra Dun she and Bhaiji stayed at the Manohar Temple in Ananda Chowk. Bholanathji spent almost 3 years in Uttarkashi in doing his own tapasya; In Dehra Dun she came in touch with all the Kashmiri families who resided nearby. Sri Hari Ram Joshi became a devotee and a great admirer of Bhaiji. He was a man of strong convictions; moreover he had the courage of his convictions. Having given his allegiance to Sri Ma, he tried his best to bring all his friends to her feet. He was instrumental in introducing Sm. Kamala Nehru to Sri Ma. This proved to be a meeting which led to other ties being forged with other people from far and near. Sm. Kamala Nehru's one-pointed devotion to Sri Ma was remarkable in its depth and strength. She carried her memories to Switzerland and so influenced some of her friends, that they came to India to see Sri Ma. Mahatma Gandhi came to know a lot about Sri Ma from Kamalaji. He was so impressed by all that he heard that he sent his trusted right-hand man Sri Jamnalal Bajaj to Sri Ma. He in his turn became so dedicated a devotee that Sri Ma had the kheyala to travel to Wardha after his unexpected death and so met Gandhiji himself. In later years Sri Jawaharlal Nehru and Indiraji came to Sri Ma drawn to her inevitably by their memories of the last days of Kamalaji.
The Raja Sahab of Solon, met Sri Ma around this time. He became one of the foremost devotees and was known to all as Jogibhai. Dehra Dun became another Dhaka. The tradition of joyous gatherings spread to other towns such as Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow, Solon and Simla.At Simla the festival of Hari-kirtan under the aegis of the Hari Sabha received a new lease of life in Sri Ma's presence and by Bholanathji's enthusiastic participation. Bholanathji had rejoined Sri Ma on coming down from Uttarkashi. He had been introduced to the new devotees and accepted whole-heartedly as Pitaji (father).
The swelling tides of the happy crowd unknown to themselves were facing two crises : Bhaiji passed away in Almora in August 1937 and Bholanathji himself left his sorrowing family of devotees in May 1938 in Kishenpur Ashram. The passing away of Bholanathji resulted in a new understanding of Sri Ma and her ways. Sri Ma had been a very devoted wife and she had tirelessly rendered personal service to him whenever he had been ill. During his last illness she was constantly at his bedside. He died with her hand on his head and breathing the word ananda. It was felt that he was giving expression to his own state of an ananda and peace.
Most of the devotees had thought that Sri Ma would be distraught but they were amazed to see that there were no signs of grief. She remained as serene as always. She noted their reaction and said gently, "Do you start to wail and cry if a person goes to another room in the house? This death is inevitably connected with this life. In the sphere of Immortality, where is the question of death and loss? Nobody is lost to me". Sri Ma's followers began to understand a little of the meaning of her total detachment and yet an over-flowing compassion for her people.
As the years passed the enigma of her personality deepened; from the very moment of her birth she had been fully self-conscious; when she engaged in sadhana, everything was revealed to her by her own kheyala. She was practically an illiterate village girl but when she began to teach she spoke in the language of erudite scholars never making the slightest mistake in her logical presentation of a thesis. She seemed fully aware of all doctrinal differences, never confusing one with the other in her conversations with the learned pandits; yet she had not been initiated into any particular religious order or trained by any yogic instructor. She had not encountered any Guru who could have exerted any influence on her life. In fact she had never retired from the world to become a recluse, neither did she withdraw herself from her kith and kin. She had not performed sadhana as it is generally understood in the tradition, yet she could speak with authority on all aspects of the life of a religious quest for enlightenment. Such are the facts why the word 'unique' is applied for describing her.

Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi 30th April 1896 - 27th August 1982 - Part-III

Bajitpur: From Ashtagram, Bholanathji came to Bajitpur on a transfer.
The township of Bajitpur has acquired special significance for the devotees of Sri Ma as the place where she went through the various processes of intensive sadhana. How this came about may be best related in her own words; "One day in Bajitpur I had as usual gone to the pond near the house where we lived, for my daily bath. While pouring the water over my head, the kheyala came to me, 'how would it be to play the role of a Sadhaka? And so the lila began" These two words used so constantly with reference to Sri Ma, perhaps need to be explained a little. Kheyala may be best explained by the words 'a spontaneous thought', distinct from an act of will or a wish for some desired end. It generally came into being perhaps taking shape out of the needs of her companions. Once expressed it was seen that a concatenation of events led to its fulfilment. Sometime kheyala could be invoked by repeated requests or deflected also. Sri Ma seemed equally agreeable toward any of the results accruing from her kheya1a. Lila could be translated as "sportive play" -an activity, which is an end in itself.
With Sri Ma, Kheyala was simultaneous with spontaneous action in relation to it. In the evening she again swept out her room and its precincts. She lit incense and made a circumambulation round the cottage with the burner in her hand. She took care of Bholanathji's needs on his return from work. Even to the detail of preparing a hookka for his after-dinner smoke. After Bholanathji had settled down, she asked his permission to engage in a little sadhana. This, he readily granted. So Sri Ma sat on the floor in a corner of their room and orally began to repeat the word 'Hari, Hari, Hari'..., for no better reason than that she had learnt to sing this Name from her father in her childhood. Bholanathji saw her becoming gradually absorbed in a world of inner joy.
After a few days of this routine, he saw her assuming some yogic postures or asanas. The first of these was probably the siddhasana. Bholanathji knew of course that she had no previous knowledge of Yoga or Yogic asanas; they were happening to her. He said one day,"Why do you say 'Hari'? We are not Vaishnavas". Sri Ma asked, "Shall I then say Siva, Siva?" Bholanathji was satisfied. The change of Name had no effect on the kriyas of sadhana.

Sri Ma has said that she contemplated no visual forms when she repeated the words. The sound was all in all. The syllables were like the resonance being struck off an all-pervasive beat. Her body was as if in tune with the universal rhythmn of that power, which underpins all that exists. Her body became as if an instrument for the play of this cosmic music. She seemed to become one with the sound of the letters that she uttered; her limbs, her entire body moved rhythmically as if in vibrant dance-forms of an extra-ordinary choreography directed by an inner Power. Sometimes she lay for many hours absolutely still and totally absorbed in an inner bliss. At such times her body emanated a radiance which was visible to onlookers, Bholanathji watched her enthralled never doubting the genuineness of the manifestations; he was able to brush aside adverse comments from some of the neighbours who failed to understand that they were witnessing the unfolding of the magnetic personality of Sri Ma who had the kheyala to reveal herself in the role of a sadhaka.
Sri Ma lived the life of a pilgrim on the path of spiritual endeavour for nearly six years; during this time she initiated herself and proceeded thereafter in a more systematic manner. Bholanathji realized that he was in the presence of a very special embodiment of Divine Power. He himself accepted the much-coveted initiation from Sri Ma within the first year of this manifestation. Therefter their relationship acquired a new dimension - that of Guru and disciple, although Sri Ma never changed in her attitude of complete obedience and deference to Bholanathji's wishes.
Referring to this period of her life, Sri Ma has said, "Sadhanas by which man endeavours to attain self-realization are of endless variety, and each variety has innumerable aspects. All these revealed themselves to me as a part of myself". In later years she had occasion to talk about her experiences in select gatherings of ascetics, scholars or other seekers of Truth. The pandits have marvelled at her knowledge of all tenets of faith, in all their doctrinal details. Sri Ma has said that even so she has not talked about one thousandth part of all that was revealed to her during her years of intensive sadhana. Sometime in 1922 she became maunam that is silent. This silence came as a mark of the fulfilment of sadhana. After the period of maunam, she began to converse with visitors on religious topics.
From Bajitpur Sri Ma and Bholanath came to Dhaka on April 10, 1924. Bholanath became the Manager of the Shahbagh Gardens, a part of the Estates of the Nawabzadi Pyari Bano. Many of the people who had known them in Ashtagram and Bajitpur had relations in Dhaka. The rumour gained ground that the young housewife in the Shahbagh Gardens was gifted with great spiritual powers. Visitors came out of curiosity and stayed to become life-long devotees.
In accordance with the orthodox customs of those times Sri Ma kept herself veiled in public. If Bholanathji asked her to speak to anyone, she would do so but not otherwise. Women, of course, were always free to visit and soon there was a crowd round her. The men continued to be at a disadvantage because they were mindful of public opinion, but here Bholanathji played an important role. Soon be began to be looked up to as Baba Bholanath, a person commanding respect in his own right. Under his aegis, the swelling crowds assumed the shape of an ever increasing but close-knit family.
Among the early devotees were Sri Jyotish Chandra Rai, who came to be known as Bhaiji in this circle; Sri Shashanka Mohan Mukherji (later Swami Akhandanandaji) and his daughter Adorini Devi, known to all devotees as Gurupriya Devi or Didi. Sri Nishikanta Mitra, Sri Pran Gopal Mukherjee, Sri Niranjan Rai, Sri Baaul Chandra Basak (Bholanathji's life long friend) and many many others.
Sri Ma's parents were invited by Bholanath to come and stay at Shahbagh. They came to be known as Didima (Mother's Mother) and Dadamashai (mother's father)From them, the devotees of Dhaka heard about Sri Ma's childhood days. Bholanathji's sisters and brothers with their families also came together in Dhaka after many years. One sister remarked "After our father's death we had become rather scattered; now Badhuthakurani (a term of endearment for a brother's wife) is making it possible for us to come together as a family again".
In Dhaka, Sri Ma lived amidst an atmosphere of the miraculous. Her healing touch was sought by strangers from far and near. She was seen in ecstatic states of samadhi and mahabhava during kirtans. An eyewitness account of a mahabhava on the occasion of a kirtan is described in these words: "At one moment Sri Ma was sitting like one of us. The next moment she had changed completely. Her body was swaying rhythmically. Her sari's border fell back from over her head. Her eyes were closed and the entire body swayed to the rhythmn of the kirtana. With her body still swaying, she stood up or rather was, as if drawn upwards on her foot. It looked as if Sri Ma had left her body, which had become an instrument in the hands of an invisible power. It was obvious to all of us that there was no will motivating her actions. Sri Ma was evidently quite oblivious of her surroundings. She circled round the room as if wafted along by the wind. Occasionally, her body would start falling to the ground, but before it completed the movement it would regain its upright position, just like a wind-blown leaf which flutters toward the ground and then is uplifted and blown forward by a fresh gust of wind."

Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi 30th April 1896 - 27th August 1982 - Part-II

Sri Ma's father was a devout Vaishnava. He was well known for his beautiful rendering of devotional songs; his melodious voice never failed to touch the hearts of his audience. In fact he was sometimes compared to Ramprasad, the saintly bard of Bengal who it is believed had invoked the presence of Shakti by his inspired singing. Sri Ma's mother was a gentle woman of upright nature totally dedicated to the welfare of her family. That she was not just like countless such others became evident as the years went by. Many will remember her as the ochre-robed Swami Muktananda Giri who accompanied Sri Ma on her travels.
Sri Ma was barely thirteen when she was married to Sri Ramani Mohan Chakravarty of Atpara. Their family had a tradition of Shakti-upasana. As a child-bride Sri Ma was received into the family of Ramani Mohan's eldest brother Sri Revati Mohan and his wife Pramoda Devi. She remained with them for nearly four years while Ramani Mohan was in Atpara and in Dhaka. From a carefree childhood in her parents' home she was catapulted into a demanding situation of considerable physical hard work in an atmosphere of restrictive discipline. She cooked, cleaned, fetched water, took care of the children and served her sister-in-law in every way possible. Hard work is the lot of village women not only in India but all over the world. What sets Sri Ma apart from all such girls placed in similar situations is the fact of her total adequacy and a little extra, as it were. She remained uniformly cheerful, good-humoured, and more than willing to shoulder other people's burdens. Nothing was a chore to her. Her serene and equable temper was never disrupted by thoughtlessness or unfair treatment at the hands of the elders.

Actually Sri Ma's untroubled happy disposition caused her new family some anxiety; it could only mean a simple mind. In her childhood also she had invoked this fear in her parents' thoughts - perhaps the little girl was just a little below par, not to be at all mischievous and naughty like other children? It took many years for Sri Ma's close campanions to realize that she was ever established in her often repeated Vani: jo ho jaye: 'Whatever comes to pass, let it be'.
It took time for discerning people to understand that Sri Ma was obedient but not biddable or suggestible. Her boundless compassion overflowed in concern for whoever came within the orbit of her ministrations: family, neighbours, servants as well as animals and plants felt the magic touch of this innate interest in their welfare. She also had a very ready and impish sense of humour which always took note of the foibles of her companions and gave her and perhaps a friend, much quiet enjoyment but being without malice she never made fun of anyone. She always had the aura of perfectibility all around her but somehow it never overwhelmed her companions. Qn the contrary; by her gentle ways and ready smile she endeared herself to everyone who came in touch with her.
At the age of 18, Sri Ma by the mutual consent of both families came to Ashtagram to stay wiih her husband at his place of work. In later years Sri Ma used to refer to her husband by the name 'Bholanath' so we shall use this title for him in this account. At the fime of her coming to Ashtagram her mother had told her that she should give the same respect and obedience to her husband as she had given to her father. It has been noted that throughout her life Sri Ma was very mindful of her mother's gentle behests. Bholanathji met with a friendly but deferential treatment, which was very endearing. The mantle of a responsible guardian in charge of a precious treasure descended on his shoulders as it were. It may be stated at once that he wore this mantle with circumspection and competence all his life, till his death in 1938.
Much has been written regarding the purity and perfect celebacy of Sri Ma and Bholanathji's married life. These words are rather inadequate because it would be much better to say that such questions never arose where they were concerned. Bholanathji obviously bore the impact of a beaufiful young wife who was ready to obey his slightest bidding with an exemplary calmness of spirit. Their neighbours and close friends do not report that he was not perfectly contented as he was.

Sri Sri Ma Anandamayi 30th April 1896 - 27th August 1982 - Part-I

Sri Ma Anandamayi today is widely recognized as a personality of great spiritual eminence. She was born a hundred years ago and she took samadhi at the age of 86 ; these limitations, however, cannot said to have conditioned her utter freedom to be just herself under all circumstances. She was the embodiment of a joyous self-sufficiency, which enraptured the hearts of all who came near her. The mysterious aloofness of her personality was totally beyond human understanding and yet it was so tempered by her compassionate love for all living creatures that she seemed closer than the most indulgent friend ever could be. She was the Teacher whose guidance was sought by the learned as well as the simple, the old and also children, people from alien cultures or from traditional backgrounds. Although she travelled incessantly, it was seen that she was at home everywhere and no one was a stranger to her.

Throughout the length and breadth of India and also beyond its shores people found her to be, as if the personificafion of their own inner vision of the Adored one who is most dear to their hearts. In Dhaka where she first gained recognition, She was known as "Manush Kali", that is, the 'living Kali'. Kali is the presiding Deity of Bengal so that was quite understandable. When she moved out of Bengal and visited other provinces, her presence elicited the same type of response, even at her first appearance. On the shores of the Holy Narmada, she was greeted as "Devi. Narmada". In Madurai she was hailed as the Goddess Minakshi by surging crowds who waited hours for a glimpse of her. In the Punjab she was given the same place of honour as the Holy Granth Sahab. In Vrindaban, the much-respected Mahatma, Sri Haribabaji Maharaj saw in her his adored Deity, the Lord Gauranga. The Sindhi devotees of Sri Udiyababaji Maharaj paid her homage as the visible Form of their Deity Jhoolelal. One Muslim devotee used to a see a vision of her with a Taj on her head during his meditations. A Christian devotee remarked quite spontaneously "Now we have a Face to put on God". The simple highland women of Almora would say to her, "Now that we have you with us, we do not need to visit the Temple"
One visitor, an Irish journalist frankly asked her, "Am I right to believe that you are God?" Sri Ma answered, "There is nothing save He alone; everyone and everything is but a form of God. In your person also He has come here to give darshana". He persisted, "Why are you in this world?" "In this world?" Sri Ma answered, "I am not anywhere. I am myself reposing within myself'.
During the same conversation the Irishman said, "I am a Christian:' Sri Ma answered, "So am I, a Christian, a Muslim, anything you like".
In general Sri Ma's inimitable smile disarmed all questions regarding her identity. She once answered a devotee's query in these words: "What a childish question to ask; People have various visions of gods and goddesses (in me) according to their own predilections. What I was before, I am now, and shall be hereafter. I am also whatever you or anybody may think I am……… why don't you look at it this way: the yearnings (of seekers after Truth) have brought about this body. All of you have wanted it and so you have found it. That is all you need to know."
Richard Lannoy, a devotee of many years standing has summarised Sri Ma's ways of being with us in a very telling phrase: "Yet there is a strangeness, a particularity, an indefinable quality which comes so near the limits of the definably human as to make an adjective like 'human' quite inadequate when applied to Her case, and 'divine' paltry. It is widely accepted that She was, simply, unique…… She was, throughout Her life, the acme of effortless perfection".
Sri Ma Anandamayi was born in a small village called Kheora, in what is now Bangladesh, on April 30, 1896. She was born into a pious, prestigious but non-affluent brahmin household. Her given name was Nirmala Sundari Devi. It is translated as 'Immaculate Beauty' which seemed appropriate as the infant grew up to be a lovely child. Little Nirmala, a blithe and happy child spent her childhood in agreeable village surroundings. She was a favourite with everyone - ready to fetch and carry and to render whatever service she was capable of to anyone who asked for it. The entire village, consisting mainly of Muslim families, extended to her a love and affection which has endured through the years. Even now the Muslim population of Kheora refer to her as "Our own Ma".

মহাত্মা অঘোরী বাবা 2

একদিন ঘুরতে ঘুরতে বিন্ধ্যাচলে এলেন। এই বিন্ধ্যাচলে বিন্ধ্যবাসিনী দেবীর মন্দিরের অদূরে তিনি মহাসাধিকা মহেশ্বরী মায়ের সাক্ষাৎ লাভ করলেন। মাহেশ্বরীমা সবিস্ময়ে দেখলেন এক দিব্যোন্মাদ গৌরবর্ণ তেজোদৃপ্ত যুবক কুকুরদের সাথে একত্রে ফেলে দেওয়া এঁঠো পাতা থেকে ভাত খাচ্ছে। সত্য দৃষ্টি সম্পন্না মাহেশ্বরীমা এই যুবকের মধ্যে অধ্যাত্ম অগ্নির প্রজ্জলিত শিখা দেখতে পেলেন। তিনি ৩৬বছরের যুবক অমলেন্দুকে নিয়ে এলেন বক্রেশ্বরে। মাহেশ্বরীমা এর গুরুভাই মহাপুরুষ অঘোরীবাবা বক্রেশ্বর মহাশ্মশানে রয়েছেন। মাহেশ্বরী মা অঘোরীবাবার হাতে সত্যসন্ধানী অমলেন্দু গোস্বামীকে সমর্পন করলেন।

তিনি অমলেন্দুকে বললেন "এখানে থাক মন তোর হবে ", এই কথাটি উভয় অর্থেই অপূর্ব। মনকে করায়ত্ব করাই হল সাধনার উদেশ্য। তাই মনতোর অর্থাৎ মন্ত্র হওয়া প্রয়োজন। এই মন্ত্র লাভ হলো যথা সময়ে অমলেন্দুর। তিন বছর অঘোরীবাবা প্রদর্শিত সাধন পথে সাধনা করে অমলেন্দু গোস্বামী সিদ্ধিলাভ করলেন। দেবী ছিন্নমস্তার দর্শন ও বর লাভ করলেন।
অঘোরীবাবাকে তাঁর গুরু দুটি নির্দেশ দিয়েছিলেন - প্রথমতঃ ভারতের সকল তীর্থ পদব্রজে পরিভ্রমণ করতে হবে , দ্বিতীয়ত প্রতি বছর তিনি যেখানেই থাকুন একবার করে দেবী ছিন্নমস্তার পুজো করতে হবে। গুরুর এই নির্দেশ অঘোরীবাবা যথাযথ পালন করেন।
পরিব্রাজনার ক্ষেত্রে তিনি এক দুর্জয় সংকল্প গ্রহণ করেন , পদব্রজে তিব্বতের কৈলাশ থেকে ভারতের কন্যাকুমারী পর্যন্ত দ্বাদশ বার পরিক্রমা করেন। এই অমানুষিক , অস্বাভাবিক ও অপরিসীম প্রাণান্তকর পরিব্রাজনার সংকল্প ভারতের অন্য কোনো মহাপুরুষ গ্রহণ করেছিলেন বলে জানা যায় না।
যোগ ও তন্ত্র সিদ্ধ অঘোরীবাবার অলৌকিক যোগবিভূতি ছিল অবিস্মরণীয়। ভক্তের কল্যানে তিনি তা অকাতরে ব্যয় করতেন। প্রত্যেক বছর অগ্রহায়ণ মাসের কৃষ্ণা চতুর্দশী তিথিতে তিনি তাঁর ইষ্ট দেবী মা ছিন্নমস্তার মহাপূজা করতেন। বাংলা ১৩৮০ সনে একশো এক বছর বয়সে নদীয়া জেলার কল্যাণীতে অঘোরীবাবা বিরাট সমারহে হাজারহাজার ভক্ত নরনারীর সামনে মা ছিন্নমস্তার পুজো করলেন। বিচিত্র ভয়ঙ্কর সুন্দর এই পুজো। পুজার পূর্বাহ্নে শতাধিক বছর বয়স্ক অঘোরীবাবা এক গ্লাস পাঁঠার রক্ত ও এক খন্ড নরমাংস খেয়ে দেবীর পূজা শুরু করলেন। পূজা শেষে অন্নপ্রসাদ সবাই গ্রহণ করলেন , একটি পাঁঠা বলি দিয়ে তার মাংস রান্না করে হাজারহাজার মানুষকে পেটভরে খাওয়ালেন।
অঘোরীবাবার দৈনন্দিন জীবন ও বিস্ময়কর , সিদ্ধি লাভের পর থেকে অর্থাৎ ১৩১৮ থেকে ১৩৮০ পর্যন্ত সুদীর্ঘ ৬২বছর ধরে তিনি স্নান করেননি কখনো অথচ তাঁর শরীর চন্দনের সুগন্ধে পরিপূর্ণ থাকতো। অঘোরীবাবার প্রতিদিনের আহার হলো ১০/১২ বোতল বিলাতি মদ (জল ছাড়া) , ১০ প্যাকেট চারমিনার সিগারেট ও একটি ফল। অঘোরীবাবা সকল চিকিৎসা অগ্রাহ্য করে প্রতিদিন তা পান করে গেছেন , একইসঙ্গে তিনি অস্নাত এবং অভুক্ত ও থেকেছেন।
১৯৭৬ সালে এই সর্বত্যাগী মহাপুরুষ অঘোরীবাবা , মহাপীঠ তারাপীঠ (৫খন্ড) গ্রন্থের লেখক মাতৃসাধক শ্রী বিপুল কুমার গঙ্গোপাধ্যায় এর গৃহে পদার্পন করে তারাপীঠ ও শ্রীশ্রী বামাক্ষ্যাপা প্রসঙ্গে অনেক নিগূঢ় কথা বলেন। উক্ত কাহিনী ১৯৭৪ থেকে ১৯৮০ সালের মধ্যে বিভিন্ন সময়ে অঘোরীবাবা তাঁর কল্যাণী ও নৈহাটির রামঘাট আশ্রম এ বসে মাতৃসাধক শ্রী বিপুল কুমার গঙ্গোপাধ্যায় কে বলেছিলেন। ইং ১৯৮৫ সালে ১১২ বছর বয়সে মহাত্মা অঘোরীবাবা ব্রহ্মলীন হন। দেহ নশ্বর কিন্তু আত্মা অবিনশ্বর। .....কাল হতে কালান্তরে তা থাকবে চির সমুজ্জ্বল। মহাত্মা অঘোরী বাবা - ২

মহাত্মা অঘোরী বাবা 1

বাংলা ১৩১৮ সনের আষাঢ় মাসের মধ্য ভাগে একদিন মহাতীর্থ বক্রেশ্বর থেকে ৩৯ বছর বয়স্ক সিদ্ধ সাধক মহাত্মা অঘোরী বাবা মহাপীঠ তারাপীঠ এ এসে উপস্থিত হলেন। জগৎ জননী তারামা ও শিবকল্প মহাযোগী বামদেব কে দর্শন ও প্রণাম করে অঘোরী বাবা অত্যন্ত তৃপ্ত হলেন। সর্বজ্ঞ বামদেব এই দীর্ঘকায় তেজদৃপ্ত যোগ ও তন্ত্র সিদ্ধ পুরুষ মহাজ্ঞানী অঘোরীবাবাকে দেখে আশীর্বাদ করে বললেন "তুই ভালোই করলি , তোর ভালোই হবে"...

অঘোরী সম্প্রদায় এর সকলেই অঘোরী পদবি ধারী - গুরু শিষ্য পরম্পরায় তা চলে আসছে। অ -ঘোর অর্থে যার কোনো ঘোর বা বিকার নেই। অর্থাৎ লজ্জা ঘৃণা ভয় মান কুল শীল ক্ষুধা তৃষ্ণা প্রভৃতি অষ্ট পাশ বা ঘোর বা বিকার থেকে যিনি সম্পূর্ণ মুক্ত তিনিই অঘোরী। এই অঘোরী সম্প্রদায় বাংলার তন্ত্র সাধনার ক্ষেত্রে বিশেষ স্থান অধিকার করে রয়েছে  - বিশেষ করে শৈব ও শাক্ত উপাসক অঘোরীরা।

সিদ্ধ সাধক মহাত্মা অঘোরীবাবা শাক্তপন্থী অঘোরী। তাঁর ইষ্ট দেবী হলেন দশমহাবিদ্যার ষষ্ঠ মহাবিদ্যা দেবী ছিন্নমস্তা , তিনি বক্রেশ্বর এ গুরু অঘোরী বাবার আশ্রয় এ থেকে কঠোর সাধনা করে দেবী ছিন্নমস্তার দর্শন ও কৃপালাভ করে সর্বতোভাবে সিদ্ধিলাভ করেন। একই সাথে তিনি জাগতিক ও আধ্যাত্মিক উভয় ক্ষেত্রেই তিনি চরম সোপানে আরোহন করেছেন। তাঁর পূর্বাশ্রমের নাম ডক্টর অমলেন্দু গোস্বামী। বাংলা ১২৭৯ (ইং ১৮৭২) অগ্রহায়ণ মাসে কৃষ্ণা চতুর্দশী তিথিতে নদীয়া জেলার বিখ্যাত নিত্যানন্দ মহাপ্রভুর বংশে তাঁর জন্ম হয়। পরম বৈষ্ণব বংশে জন্মগ্রহণ করলেও বাল্যকাল থেকেই অমলেন্দুর মধ্যে বৈষ্ণব ভাবের পাশাপাশি শক্তি ও শৈব ভাব সমান ভাবে দেখা যায়।
অমলেন্দুর পিতা ছিলেন খ্যাতিমান ব্যারিস্টার , তিনি তাঁর কর্মজীবন করাচিতে অতিবাহিত করেন এবং প্রভূত অর্থের অধিকারী হন। তিনি তাঁর একমাত্র পুত্র অমলেন্দু গোস্বামীকে কৈশোরেই জার্মানিতে পাঠিয়ে দেন শিক্ষা লাভের জন্য ,ক্রমে যুবক অমলেন্দু জার্মানির হাইডেলবার্গ থেকে পি.এইচ.ডি, লাভ করেন।  anthropology তে ডক্টরেট হয়ে ফ্রান্স এর প্যারিস এ এসে অধ্যাপনা শুরু করতে করতে Sociology তে পি.এইচ.ডি, লাভ করেন।
তাঁর জীবনের একটি অতি বিস্ময়কর ব্যাপার হলো যে তাঁর জন্ম যেমন অগ্রহায়ণের কৃষ্ণা চতুর্দশীতে তেমনি তাঁর দুবার ডক্টরেট, পরবর্তীতে দীক্ষা , সিদ্ধিলাভ এবং তিরোভাব সহ সকল প্রধান ঘটনাই এই কৃষ্ণা চতুর্দশীতে ঘটে। এরপর তিনি পিতার নির্দেশে লন্ডন এ ব্যারিস্টারি পড়তে যান এবং পরীক্ষায় উত্তীর্ণ হয়ে ভারতে ফিরে আসেন ও এলেহেবাদ highcourt এ ব্যারিস্টারি শুরু করেন। এখানে তাঁর সাথে গভীর বন্ধুত্ব হয় ব্যারিস্টার মতিলাল নেহেরুর সঙ্গে। কিছুকাল পর ৩৫ বছর বয়সে অমলেন্দু গোস্বামী ব্যারিস্টারি  ছেড়ে হায়দ্রাবাদ এর নিজামের সেক্রেটারী রূপে নিজের কর্মজীবন শুরু করেন।
এইসময় তাঁর পিতার মৃত্যু হলো , মাতৃদেবী অনেক আগেই দেহত্যাগ করেছেন। পিতার মৃত্যুতে তাঁর জীবনে বিরাট পরবর্তন ঘটলো। মৃত্যুকালে তাঁর পিতা পুত্রের জন্য ২২লক্ষ্য টাকা রেখে যান। পিতার মৃত্যু তাঁকে জীবন সম্বন্ধে উদাসীন করে দিল। প্রকৃতির হাতের পুতুল হয়ে জন্ম মৃত্যু জ্বরা ব্যাধির দাসত্ব করতে করতে জীবন কাটানো তাঁর কাছে অসহ্য মনে হলো ফলে ৩৬ বছর বয়স্ক ডক্টর ও ব্যারিস্টার অমলেন্দু গোস্বামী মহামান্য নিজামের বহুমূল্য সম্মানিত সেক্রেটারীর পদ ত্যাগ করলেন। তারপর পিতৃদত্ত ২২লক্ষ্য টাকা আত্মীয় -স্বজন প্রিয়জনদের মধ্যে বিলিয়ে সকল যশ খ্যাতি প্রলোভন ত্যাগ করে একবস্ত্রে বেরিয়ে গেলেন। সত্যস্বরূপ ঈশ্বরের সন্ধানে এবং ঈশ্বরের মাধ্যম স্বরূপ সদগুরুর সন্ধানে অমলেন্দু গোস্বামী নানাস্থানে পরিভ্রমণ করতে লাগলেন। মহাত্মা অঘোরী বাবা  - ১

Acupressure For Health

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मी, करमध्ये सरस्वती ।
करमूले स्थिता गौरी, मंगलं करदर्शनम् ॥
The Bengali meaning is
করাগ্রে বসতে লক্ষ্মীঃ করমধ্যে সরস্বতী ।
করমূলে স্থিতা গৌরী চ প্রভাতে করদর্শনম্ ॥
lakShmI in the finger tips, saraswatI on the palm
shaktI is situated in the wrist, it is auspicious to see the hands

karAgre vasate lakShmI, kara-madhye saraswati
kara-moole sthitA gaurI, mangalaM* kara-darshanam.

* maGgalaM (G = nasal of ka-group in ITRANS, like 'n' in pang, fang, sink, sing etc)

there is another variation as it appears in AchAra-pradeepa as follows -
करमूले स्थितो ब्रह्मा, प्रभाते करदर्शनम्
but i think it makes more sense to use the gaurI. more on that below.

this shloka is to be recited in the morning. when you get up, just sit in the bed, don't rush out to get ready. say this shloka with eyes still closed, and open them by the fourth part (mangalaM karadarshanaM) and see your hands and smile. after this still don't rush out, say another shloka (coming up in next post), and THEN get down from the bed.

this exercise is so good, that it helps you stabilize your blood pressure. if after lying for 6-7 hours, you suddenly get up, there can be a pressure drop in the brain and this is known to be the most important factor in early morning strokes. both shlokas when said slowly will take about 1-2 minutes which is sufficient to get your brain used to new blood pressure.
There are many beliefs, faiths and for many we don't know the reason or there might be no reason but to simply strengthen the faith (maybe superstition?)

in hinduism a central idea is that the creator entered the creation, and enlivened it! that is why we say that there is the divine in all of us, all life forms, even inanimate things। that is why the supreme is also called 'antar-yAmI' (अन्तर्यामी) i.e. one who moves inside (us, living things).

the shine of the diamond, the stickiness of the gecko feet, the long snapping tongue of a frog, the "7 tons a day feeding frenzy" of an orca whale are all the same divine shining! but what does it mean to say that the divine is in us?

and what about the trinity of creator, sustainer and the transformer (also called the destroyer)? how do we interpret them in tangible ways, for those who are more into GYaan yoga (ज्ञान-योग) than bhakti yoga (भक्ति-योग) ?

there are three phases of a thing - creation (coming into existence), sustenance and destruction (going out of existence). destruction is just a type of transformation.

creation needs knowledge, hence the creator brahmA's (ब्रह्मा) consort is saraswatI (सरस्वती) - the divinity of knowledge. sustenance needs resources, hence the sustainer viShNu's (विष्णु) consort is lakShmI (लक्ष्मी) - the divinity of wealth, resource, prosperity. transformation needs energy, hence the transformer shiva's (शिव) consort is shakti (शक्ति) - the divinity of energy, also called as pArvatI (पार्वती) gaurI (गौरी) etc.

now the shloka!
lakShmI is in our fingers. why? because all we do to make resources, create or earn them, to type in a blog, to make a space shuttle or to plough the fields, we do it because of the opposable thumbs! because we can HOLD things in our hands and make tools etc. imagine if we didn't have the fingers and opposable thumbs! any progress ever? see the pigs and lions, still as they were!

the palm like a book! the destiny on our palms! we make our own destiny with knowledge! or maybe they just didn't find a better place for saraswatI :) but there lies saraswatI.

and the wrist, the power to use the hands is from the wrist, where lies the shakti, pArvatI. also, just like shiva is mahAdeva ('greatest god', explanation in later posts), pArvatI being shakti is the most important one! she powers the other two! imagine without energy to work or think would your body or brain be of any use? you first need energy, only then can you do anything.

the divine manifestation is divided in three main categories - creation (kartA, कर्ता) , sustenance (bhartA, भर्ता), transformation (hartA, हर्ता) . and all these are powered by the three goddesses! and all these three powers are right there in your hand.

so when you get up in the morning, don't whine, but rise and shine!
the entire power of this universe - create, sustain and transform - is in your hands!
be glad you have your hands, think for a moment if you didn't! it will be like you were without the divine force!

while you have this faith in the divine, please do not let anyone take advantage of you because of your faith. that is not faith anymore, that is your foolishness and others' selfishness! beware of fake gurus, and fake godmen! the real ones don't ask for any favors, they don't try to save god or truth. we all HAVE to pay for our actions!

so why is the version with "gaurI" better than that with "brahmA"? well, the other two are the goddesses, and wrist goes well with power, energy.

[sun photo,courtesy Karasán Krisztina]
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and now the shloka at hand:

kara = hand
agra = front, ahead; agre = in the front (-e suffix for in, on) [careful, it is not the same as the city Agra of the Taj Mahal, that should be correctly written as AgarA (आगरा)]
karAgre = in the front of the hand i.e. fingers
other words: agra-ja = born (ja) ahead (agra) = elder brother
agra-jA = elder sister (jA = born, feminine)

vasate = lives; root vas, vasati - singular, third person

lakShmI = the divinity of prosperity (material and spiritual); consort of divine lord viShNu, the sustainer
from the word lakShya = goal
----

kara-madhye = palm;
madhya = middle, (of hand); madhy-e = in middle

saraswatI = divinity of learning, knowledge; consort of divine lord brahmA, the creator
----

kara-moole = in wrist
moola = base, root; mool-e = in the base
kanda-moola-phala = stems, roots and fruits (diets during fasting that avoid grains)

sthitA = situated
gaurI = pArvatI, shaktI, consort of shiva; fair colored; consort of shiva the transformer.
mangalaM = auspicious
kara-darshanaM = looking at hands.

Fasting For Health Part-V

Symptoms During a Fast

Certain symptoms are liable to appear when a patient abstains from food for the cure of a disease. One need not be alarmed at their appearance as they are either indicative of the body's cleansing efforts or merely accidental to a fast. The commonest among them are thick coating on the tongue, foul or ether like breath, dizziness headaches, stomach pains, heart palpitation etc. The reason for the coating of the tongue which frequently increases day after day throughout the early stages of the fast, is that Nature employs every avenue of elimination possible, so the tongue is also used for this purpose. The coating generally clears at the conclusion of a fast when natural hunger is felt. The tongue should be cleaned daily with a tooth brush and mouth rinsed with pure cold water. Like the tongue the breath also begins to give evidence of the internal state of the body and is offensive for the part of the fast. Sometimes the breath smells like ether owing to the presence of acetone which is indicative of a functional disorder with decay of organic matter. In such a case the fast may be broken with a small amount of fruit juice or thin oatmeal gruel. Dizziness and sometimes fainting are experience during initiation as a result of anemic condition of the brain caused by the excessive flow of blood into the large abdominal blood vessel owing to slackness of the nerves of the sympathetic system. If these symptoms do not pass off quickly, they may be treated by placing the patient in a prone position so that the head is kept lower than the feet. The blood supply will be directed towards the brain and the patient soon recover. Application of cold water to the forehead and rubbing hands and feet of the patient will also be found helpful in reviving the patient.

Where Fasting is indicated and where it is not
It is not advisable for a man to fast who has nothing the matter with him. If the nutrition of the body has been properly managed no fast at all is necessary because there is no sickness to cure. Fasting is not a natural process for when the body needs food you must give it. Fasting would only be a natural process when the body is in an unnatural condition. In case where the accumulation of poisons in the system has given rise to diseased condition which have advanced or developed to an extent that the system has not sufficient power to eliminate them, you have to stop food in order to give the body that power. Nature is the best guide in ascertaining whether you need food or require a fast. If you do not feel hungry omit a meal and wait for the next.
Fasting is specially efficacious in all acute disease.In chronic disease the body is so encumbered with waste matter and the vitality is often so low, that it is sometimes advisable to enter on a fast more carefully and gradually. In most of the chronic cases the system has become overloaded with morbid matter owing to the sluggish and atrophied condition of the eliminate organs such as skin, kidneys, intestines etc. During a fast additional quantities of waste matter are produced in the form of broken down tissues which are used up in bodily nourishment. This may cause serious aggravation and complication. it is therefore wiser to build up the blood on a normal basis by natural diet and to put into order the eliminate organs by natural methods of treatment before undertaking a fast.
How to fast

Before launching on an absolute fast it is necessary to prepare the body for 

Fasting For Health Part-IV

Dangers of the Fasting

“Extremes” they say “are always dangerous.” This is true even in the case of fasting.

According to circumstances fasting may do a great deal of good or a great deal of harm. Judicious fasting is beneficial and rids the body of disease, but when carried to extreme it amounts to starvation which is detrimental, and ultimately destructive to the body. The distinction must always be kept clear in mind between fasting and starvation. When a fast is begun the system begins to oxidize and eliminate the useless material which has been accumulated in the body in the form of assimilated food and the waste which is choking and congesting the small blood vessels. This effete matter which is actually the cause of disease is the first thing that Nature disposes of before it draws upon the tissues of before it draws upon the tissues of the body.

Fasting never kills, it is only starvation that results in death and long before the stage is reached food must be taken. Fasting is not starving. The destructive and degenerative conditions observed in animals kept for the sake of laboratory experiments are due to ‘starvation’. Fasting does not result in organic deterioration nor do any pathological changes occur in the body during a therapeutic fast.

Due care must be taken not to confuse ‘habit hunger’ with ‘natural hunger’. Habit hunger is the craving or desire for food experienced at the daily meal time after the commencement of the fast. This must be resisted by drinking water or diverting the mind elsewhere. A day or two after commencing the fast the tongue will generally become coated and the breath foul. This is an indication of the fact that effete matter is present in the system and the body is throwing it off through all the available exits and that the fast is really needed. When the has been successfully completed the tongue becomes pink and breath sweet and there is a natural desire for food, not a false hunger. The natural desire for food is an exquisite sensation that can only be known to those who have experienced it. The disappearances of foul coating on the tongue and of the offensive odour of the breath are important signs of the complete removal of internal refuse. If on taking the fast for a day or two there is no change in the tongue and breath, it is indicative of the fact that a long fast is not needed by the body.

Fasts are sometimes ineffective:

Troubles deep rooted from years of ill-health cannot miraculously disappear by a week’s fast or more. The right path has been indicated in fasting and it entirely rests with the patient to follow it successfully to the final goal.

Lack of faith and determination are also the chief factors in destroying the efficacy of a fast. Faith which is said to ‘move mountain’, goes a long way towards removing sickness. Those half-willed and half-witted people, who pay good money to undergo a properly supervised fast and then slink out and eat a meal in the nearest hotel, are not worth troubling about. To them fasting will do no good for their life.

Want of rest during the course of a fast is also harmful. During the period of a fast strain is put upon the reserve forces of the body and it demands rest for the conservation of all its energy for the work of toxin elimination. Light exercise, such as walking may be taken in moderation in order to prevent stagnation but hard exertion is apt to prove injurious.

Among other obstacles to success in fasting are fear, the anxiety of friends and relatives, the too early breaking of the fast and the use of wrong foods and drinks after-wards. Go slow; resume your meals gradually and patiently. Do not think that you must eat twice as much now, because you did not take anything for so long. It is better to begin with a liquid diet daily adding some solid food until you reach the normal quantity.

Above all, importance must be attached to the right mental attitude during a fast. Fasting generally leads to pessimism. The depression of physical function during the course of a fast arouses and increases the psychic functions and may produce intense emotionalism. There is a close affinity between one’s mental state and physical state. Be of good cheer and drag your mind deliberately away from the contemplation of disease or other gloomy thoughts. Getting all ‘fussed up’ is an indulgence for which one must pay a stiff price. Let not emotions such as anger, sorrow, fear, or envy gnaw at your heart and destroy your harmony and poise. Build castles in the air and be bright as sunshine. Thus you will be able to derive the highest benefit from a fast,