ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী মন্দির

১৫০১ খ্রিস্টাব্দে মহারাজা ধন্যমানিক্য ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী মন্দির প্রতিষ্ঠা করেন। কথিত আছে তিনি বিষ্ণুর উদ্দেশ্যে মন্দিরটি নির্মাণ করেছিলেন, পরে স্বপনাদৃষ্ট হয়ে বর্তমান বাংলা দেশের চট্টগ্রাম থেকে কস্টি পাথরে নির্মিত ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী বিগ্রহ এনে এই মন্দিরে স্থাপণ করেন । উদয়পুরের ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী মন্দিরকে ধরা হয় একান্ন পীঠের এক পীঠ । পুরাণের কাহিনী অনুসারে সতীর অঙ্গ যেখানে যেখানে পড়েছিল, সেই জায়গায়ই পীঠস্থানে পরিণত হয়েছে । বিষ্ণুর জন্য নির্মিত মন্দিরে ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী বা কালী বিগ্রহ স্থাপণ নিয়ে ধন্য মানিক্যের মধ্যে দ্বিধা দ্বন্দ থাকলেও পড়ে তা দূর হয়ে যায় দৈব বাণী শুনে । মন্দিরের শিলালিপি থেকে এই সব তথ্য জানা যায় ।শিলালিপিগুলি কালের নিয়মে নষ্ট হয়ে গেছে । 
ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী বিগ্রহ উত্‍কৃষ্ট কস্টি পাথরে নির্মিত । বিগ্রহের উচ্চতা ১ মিটার ৫৭ সে.মি । প্রস্থ ৬৪ সে.মি দেবীমূর্তি একটি পাথরের বেদিতে স্থাপিত । দেবীর চার হাত । মুখমণ্ডল লম্বাটে, তুলনায় চোখ দুটি ছোট । নাক চ্যাপ্টা । শবাসনে শায়িত মহাদেবের বুকের উপর পা দুটি স্থাপন করে দেবী দন্ডায়মান । দেবীর মাথায় আছে মুকুট ও জটারাশি । বর্তমান বিগ্রহের অবশ্য অনেক কিছুই স্পষ্ট ভাবে দেখা যায়না ।
ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী মন্দিরটি ত্রিপুরার নিজস্ব স্থাপত্য রীতিতে নির্মিত । মূল দ্বার পশ্চিমমুখী । উত্তর দিকেও একটি দরজা আছে । মন্দিরের বাইরের পরিমাপ ২৪ ফুট x ২৪ ফুট । ভেতরের পরিমাপ ১৬ x ১৬ ফুট । দেয়াল ৮ ফুট পুরু । মন্দিরের উচ্চতা ৭৫ ফুট । চার কোনায় আছে চারটি প্রধান স্তম্ভ । উপরের গম্বুজ বৌদ্ধ রীতির অনুকরণে নির্মিত । এর উপরে সপ্ত কলসী, তার উপরে পিতলের ধ্বজ দন্ড । এই মন্দিরের গঠন শৈলীতে বিভিন্ন প্রদেশ ও ধর্মের মন্দিরের গঠনরীতির সংমিশ্রণ রয়েছে । এটাই ত্রিপুরার নিজস্ব গঠন রীতি । 
ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী মন্দির বিভিন্ন সম্প্রদায় ও ধর্মীয় গোষ্ঠীর মিলনভূমি হিসাবে স্বীকৃত । মন্দিরের সৃষ্ঠ লগ্নে শৈব সাক্তের মিল ঘটেছে । মন্দির নির্মিত হয়েছিল বিষ্ণুর জন্য, প্রতিষ্ঠিত হলেন দেবী কালিকা । এখানে মায়ের সঙ্গে নারায়ণ শিলার পূজা হয় আজও । এই মন্দিরের প্রধান বৈশিষ্ট হল, এখানে আগত তীর্থ যাত্রী ও পর্যটকদের ধর্ম বা বর্ণ পরিচয় জানতে চাওয়া হয়না । যে কোনও ধর্মের বা বর্ণের মানুষ এখানে পুজো দিতে পারেন । উপজাতি জন গোষ্ঠীর প্রিয় দেবী ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী ।
মন্দিরে প্রতি দিন পূজা হয় । অন্ন ভোগের ব্যবস্থা আছে । সন্ধায় আরতি হয় । পুরানু ঐতিহ্য অনুসারে দশমী তিথি ছাড়া প্রতিদিন পশুবলি হয় ।
ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরী মন্দির বর্তমানে রাজ্য সরকার দ্বারা চালিত হয় এবং রাজন্য ত্রিপুরার ভারতভুক্তির চুক্তির শর্তানুসারে গোমতী জেলার জেলা ম্যাজিস্ট্রেট ও কালেক্টর 'সেবাইত' পদে অধিষ্ঠিত হয়। জেলা প্রশাসক ও কালেক্টর, গোমতী জেলা, সদস্য-সচিব এবং মন্দিরের পুরো ব্যবস্থাপনার দায়িত্বে রয়েছেন।

ত্রিপুরাসুন্দরী মন্দির এবং আশেপাশের এলাকার ভবিষ্যত উন্নয়েনর জন্য, ত্রিপুরা সরকার মাতা "ত্রিপুরা সুন্দরি মন্দির ট্রাস্ট" গঠন করেছে। এই ট্রাস্টের চেয়ারম্যান ত্রিপুরার মাননীয় মূখ্যমন্ত্রী বিপ্লব কুমার দেব।।

এক্তেশ্বর শিব মন্দির ও তাঁর ইতিহাস

♦️ 🕉️ এক্তেশ্বর পশ্চিমবঙ্গের বাঁকুড়া জেলার একটি পর্যটন কেন্দ্র। এটি পূর্বে একটি গ্রাম ছিল। বর্তমানে একতেশ্বর বাঁকুড়া শহরের শহরতলি অঞ্চল। এটি দ্বারকেশ্বর নদের তীরে অবস্থিত।

🔴 🕉️ অঞ্চলটির নাম স্থানীয় এক্তেশ্বর শিব মন্দিরের নাম থেকে উদ্ভূত হয়েছে। বিষ্ণুপুরের রাজারা এই মন্দিরটি নির্মাণ করেছিলেন। মন্দিরটি লালমাটিতে নির্মিত, তবে কয়েকটি অংশ বেলেপাথর ও ইঁটের দ্বারা নির্মিত। প্রতি বছর চৈত্র মাসে এখানে মহাসমারোহে চড়ক পূজা অনুষ্ঠিত হয়।

🔴 🕉️এক্তেশ্বর শিব মন্দিরে শিবের একপদ মূর্তি নামে একটি বিশেষ রূপ পূজিত হয়। শিবের রুদ্র মূর্তির একটি অদ্ভুত উদ্ভাস এই একপদ রুপ। ভগবান শিবের এই একপদ রুপটি ভারতে অত্যন্ত বিরল। দেবতার এক পা আছে কিন্তু দুই হাত। মন্দিরের দেবতা একপদেশ্বর হলেও, বর্তমান মূর্তিটি তাঁর নয়। অতীতেও এখানে কখনো একপদেশ্বরের মূর্তি ছিল কিনা তা সঠিক জানা যায় না।

🔴🕉️ মন্দিরটির শক্ত কাঠামো এর বৈশিষ্ট্য, যা বাংলায় সচরাচর দেখা যায় না। মন্দিরটি বাংলা শৈলীতেও নির্মিত নয়। এর উপরের ভাগটি হয় ভেঙে পড়েছে, নয়তো এর নির্মাণ অসম্পূর্ণই থেকে গিয়েছিল।

🔴🕉️ একেশ্বরের নাম একতা - ঈশ্বর (ঐক্যের দেবতা ) থেকে উদ্ভূত হয়।

🔴 🕉️ পৌরাণিক কাহিনীতে, বিষ্ণুপুর ও সামন্তভূম রাজত্বের মধ্যে বিরোধ নিষ্পত্তির জন্য, প্রভু শিব সীমান্তে মধ্যস্থতা করেন। তিনি বিচারক হিসাবে দাঁড়িয়ে (সালিস) তাদের মধ্যে একতা তৈরি করেন । এই মন্দির পাথর দিয়ে নির্মিত হয়েছিল এবং এটির একটি বিশাল পিরামিডকার গঠন আছে এটির শীর্ষে একটি বিশাল আমলোক শিলা রয়েছে। এটি একটি প্রথাগত বাঁকুড়া শৈলী মধ্যে নির্মিত হয়। এই পবিত্র স্থানে ভগবান শিব এর একটি পা-আকৃতির লিংঙ্গ রয়েছে । এই মন্দিরের কাছাকাছি, দারকেশ্বরের নদী প্রবাহিত হয়। পবিত্র লিংঙ্গটি নদীর সাথে সংযুক্ত। কখনও কখনও নদীর জল মন্দিরের মধ্যে প্রবেশ করে এবং লম্বা পা আকৃতির লিংঙ্গটিকে স্নান করিয়ে দিয়ে যায় ।।

🔴🕉️ এই মন্দিরের প্রবেশদ্বারটি হিন্দু দেবতাদের সঙ্গে সুন্দরভাবে সজ্জিত। এই ভারতীয় মন্দিরের ইতিহাসে বলা হয়েছে যে পুরাণ অনুসারে এই মন্দিরটি দ্বাপট যুগে পান্ডাব দের সময় নির্মিত হয়েছিল এবং এটি স্বর্গের স্থপতি দেব শিল্পী বিশ্বকর্মা দ্বারা নির্মিত হয়েছিল।

🔴 🕉️পুরান অনুসারে আরেকটি পৌরাণিক কাহিনী আমাদেরকে বলে যে, প্রভু শিবের এই শিব লিংঙ্গটি দৈত্য গুরু শুক্রাচার্য নিয়ে এসেছিলেন যিনি দানবদের গুরু ছিলেন। এবং শুক্রাচার্য এই শিব লিংঙ্গে পূজা ও ধ্যান করে সনজিবনী মন্ত্র বিদ্যা লাভ করে ছিলেন।
[তথ্য সূত্র শ্রী শুভ্র ভট্টাচার্য]

Moluti - Mouliksha Debi’s Temple Part II

Rituals :-
Special rituals are held during Poush – Sankranti (last day of the Bengali month –Poush), Mahalaya and on Deepavali. Goat sacrifices are held also. People and pilgrims from all around come to the temple for Puja and for the fair held at that time. At noon, Mother is offered ‘khichudi’ and ‘sabjis’. After ‘sandhyarati’ (evening prayer), she is made prepared to sleep.

Sadhak Byamakhyapa :-
The main attraction of the temple is that the great Sadhak Byamakhyapa came to be the priest here in His early life and stayed here for eighteen months. He was a great devotee of Mouliksha Maa. But as he could not memorise the Sanskrit hymns and chants for the Debi Maa, he was appointed as a cook here and cooked Debi’s ‘bhog’ daily and kept himself busy with the various rituals of Puja of this temple. His remuneration was Rs 2/ month and he had his food and lodging in Ramlal Babu’s house, a distant relative of Him. He spent his most of the time in the temple yard. On his own wish, he offered sweets to Debi, he worshipped Debi with flowers and leaves and even on nights, he fled from Ramlal Babu’s house to the temple. He attained his salvation here first and then finally went to Tarapith for the rest of his life to serve Tara Maa. He cried and shouted to her as ’Baro Maa, Baro Ma’ (elder Mother) so, some address Mouliksha Maa as the elder sister of Tara Maa of Tarapith.
There is an old Shiva temple, made of old red bricks, in the compound. Here Shiva is named ‘Kala Rudreshwar.’
History about the village and its temples :-
Other than Kashi, there is no such place where we can find so many Shiva temples. So, Maluti is also called ’Gupt Kashi.’ There is a keen relationship between the saints of the Sumeru Math of Kashi and the royal family. They are the ‘Gurus’ of the royal family descendants wise. Still now, they come to this village for some days on yearly basis.
‘Chala-mandir.’
The temples were made by up of lime, brick dust and thin layered bricks usually having a trident on top. The maximum and minimum heights of the temples are respectively 60 ft and 15 ft.
One can see Shankar Bagdi, an aged man of 87 years from whom many accounts of the temple can be heard. His father Late Joyram Bagdi was closely associated with the great saint Bamakhyapa, while his stay in the temple.
Sree Sree Anandamoye Maa, Bama’s Guru Kailashpati also had visited this temple.
Important places to see nearby,
1.In Maluti, there is another temple of Raja Basanta Roy, on the land given by Hossain Shah of Gauda. Constructed over a period of 100-150 years in 17th & 18th centuries, the village had earlier 108 terracotta Shiva temples which in course of time, has 72 erected now a days. These temples are under the supervision of Jharkhand Govt. It has also adjoining 3 Kali temples but with no deity inside. Constructed, they owe their existence to the tradition of family one-upmanship, but instead of mansions they constructed temples. Brick is the main building material. The spires take off from the thatched roofing common in the region. Thus Maluti — the capital of Baj Basanta dynasty — turn out to be a 'temple city'. Singha Bahini Durga is their ancestral deity. The remaining of the royal palace is to be seen in the Damra village.
2. Tumbani is a remote area in Jharkhand border with historic importance.
3. Tarapith, an important Sakti Peetha is only 10kms from Maluti.
Route :-
To reach through Railway route, one have to stop at Rampurhat Railway station and from there it’s a journey of 30 mins or more in local bus which goes to Dumka or Deoghar and then need to get down in Surichuya stop. On the other part of Suruchiya, stands the ancient and religious temple of Mouliksha Maa of Maluti in a distance of 4 kms. One can have a van or rickshaw from there. Better, if one can reserve a trekker, jeep or auto from Rampurhat station itself.
Better to take Ganadevta Express from Howrah to Rampurhat and visit the temple city and come back to Howrah via Rampurhat Express or Ganadevta Express on the same day. One can also stay at night in some local hotels in Rampurhat.
Nearest Bus Stand: Surichuya
Nearest Railway Station: Rampurhat Railway station.
Nearest Airports: Dum Dum, Kolkata.

Moluti - Mouliksha Debi’s Temple Part I

Goddess Mouliksha, Moluti :-
The Idol of Goddess “Mouliksha” at Maluti, Jharkhand. Goddess “Mouliksha” is said to be the elder sister of Goddess ‘Tara’ of Tarapith. A Trident of yogi Bamakhyapa still exists in his temple.The term Mouliskha has come from union of two words – Mouli (head) and iksha (to view). The Goddess does not have a body, but a red coloured gorgeous head fixed on to the wall of the temple. The idol is sculpted out of laterite stone covered with a mask of ‘gala’. The idol was worshipped by royal families of Maluti as their Main Goddess. The idol has a Buddhist influence which is not surprising as Buddhist Monks used to stay here decades ago .
Location :-
The Moluti village is just fifteen kilometers from Rampurhat railway station, where the Mouliksha Debi’s Mandir is situated. It is one of the oldest temples of this area, dated nearly 300 years ago. Though geographically, the village is in santhal oriented Dumka district of Jharkhand but people are habituated and regularized with the nearer Rampurhat of 15 kms than of their sadar district of Dumka with the distance of 55 kms. Previously, Muluti was within Birbhum only but now also the 500 families of villagers speak Bengali language and not the local language of Dumka. One third of the permanent villagers belong to backward class and the rest to the Hindus, of which Brahmins are of major class. The village is sanctified by the river Brahmani and Maa Mouliksha, the Holy Goddess. It has become a good pilgrimage for many from far around.
The village is Moluti. It is accepted that the name has derived from the old word ‘Mahulati’. This name is found in the will which was written between 1865 and 1881. This hilly terrain area of santhals, is full of Mahul trees and there were many villages named Mahul Pahari, Mahul bona etc and so it is also thought that Maluti has also come in that way, after Mahul trees. The village is situated on a high terrain. In the north flows the tiny Chumre River and on the east flows the Chandannala River. These two rivers join together in a place called Maltara and are renamed as ‘Chile’ and finally flows to Dwarka River, near Tarapith. Some hills in a wave like form and the terrain seen in the west side of the village.

The Deity :-
Vedic gods like Narayana, Shiva Lingam and goddess like Durga, Kali and also Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped with great awe and respect in this village. Manasa and Dharmaraj, the local two gods are also being worshipped here. Debi Mouliksha, the custodial deity of royal dynasty receives the highest latria from all around.
The main temple of the village is that of Maa Mouliksha’s temple. ‘Mouli’ means ‘head’ and ‘iksha’ means ‘to see’. These two words combine and make us see the well curved stone head fixed on the wall. Rest of the body is absent. The lustrous icon has smiling face and is made out of laterite stone. The idol is facing westward. Her colour is red. A lotus-designed halo is present behind the icons. She is the ancestral deity of the royal family. The deity is offered ‘angaraag’ (morning Holy bath) on daily basis. She is seated on alter which was made up of some old tiles. Due to daily water usage, the brick dust and lime were on the verge of broken. So, when for replacing the tiles, they were opened, mysteriously it was found that there is a deep well beneath her alter. Keeping the well intact, the place was shouldered with cement. But till date, the reason of the existence of that well is not known.
Kala Rudreshwar.
In a temple nearby the main temple, there lies the marbled statue of this great devote and beside it are kept His trident and the conch. It is that trident with which he plucked flowers from the high branches for Mouliksha Maa and that particular conch was used by Him during the Puja. He kept these two in the request of the family holders of the deity, where he was appointed. We can see these two still now.
Temple:
The temple is situated in the southern part of Maluti. The temple is of Bengal’s famous ‘do-chala’ (two-roofed) design, with a ‘verandah’ in front. The tranquility prevails all around. The temple is surrounded by a vast wall. There are numerous deciduous and evergreen trees around the temple. . The atmosphere around the temple is very calm and tranquil and is far away from din and bustle of the city. Unlike others, there is no shop for sweets and flowers to offer the deity even. The temple is situated amongst a vast land, far off from any locality except for the temple servers. The original temple was destroyed. The current temple was constructed on the original foundation.

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,

Fasting For Health Part-III

Fasting an Ancient Practice

Fasting has been practiced in all countries from the most ancient times. In early times fasting was used in connection with religion for moral, mental and spiritual purification. It was also practiced by all the people of the lower cultures in which it was supported by the rudimentary science which takes the form of magical lore, as well as by a variety of crude religious beliefs. 

The Christian ‘Lent’ is paralleled by the Mohamedan Fast of ‘Ramzan’. The Hindu and the Jain ascetics practiced severe fasting in conjunction with numerous other austerities. Primitive ‘Buddhism’ is in favour of moderation rather than extreme self-deprivation, but in practice in its various developed forms; the religion covers a considerable amount of fasting especially in Tibet. The higher Taoism of China and Confucianism enjoin periods of strict abstinence.

It should not however be understood that in India fasting was practiced only under religious superstition. The therapeutic effects of the fast were also greatly recognized. It was used for the prevention and cures of various ailments and was endorsed by writers on medicine and surgery. From the point of view of health it will be highly beneficial to fast at least once a fortnight. Many Hindus take only one mill a day during the rainy season. This is a practice based upon the soundest hygienic principles. For when the air is dump and the sky cloudy the digestive organs are weaker than usual, and hence there should be a reduction in the quantity of food.

There are several kinds of fasts in Hindu religion. Cereals, beans and pulses are prohibited in almost all fasts while no restriction is placed upon fruits, vegetables and milk – the continued use of a large amount of cereals being regarded as the cause of unhealthy accumulations in the body. A fast is known as “Chandrayan Vrata” in which the faster daily diminishes one morsel of food with the waning digit of the moon till he comes to ‘Amavasya’ when he takes nothing because the moon is not visible. Then he begins his food with one morsel and increases it daily by one morsel till the arrival of full moon. Thus a complete course is finished during the period of four weeks. Fast is also recommended during the period of a ‘Solar Eclipse’. The association of fast with the non-appearance of sun is a matter of great hygienic value. Light of the sun being the source of all vital energy the vital power of our system are naturally at a low ebb when that light is screened from us. Consequently the system is ill equipped for digesting and assimilating food. The Jains follow the same principle in talking their evening meals before sunset.

Fasting For Health Part-II

The question of proper nourishment is of the very first importance because the other two functions are closely connected with it. Eating anything because it tastes nice is not exactly what the body needs. For the sake of gratifying the palate we go on stuffing in every sort of food, time in and time out, whether the stomach requires it or not. Over-eating is the great curse of humanity and this alone is responsible for many of the ills from which man suffers. The disgruntled man who declares peevishly that he is “Fed up”, generally speaks the literal truth. At the same time it must also be admitted that an average person is not entirely to blame for not paying attention to correct diet. It is ‘Society’ that often insists that every one shall overeat and over-drink. People consider it unsocial to eat a little and dub the one who resorts to a fast as cranky. It should be remembered that when more food is put into the body than is required by it, the stomach is unable to cope with it and consequently it passes it down into the small intestine in an undigested and fermented condition. There too, the intestinal juices are unable to act properly on the fermenting mass and hence it is further pushed down into the colon unabsorbed and mal-assimilated. This putrid matter clogs the colon, begins to decay there and generates toxins. The toxins thus produced pass into the blood stream through the walls of the colon, causing toxemia and defective circulation – the root cause of most of the ailments of man.

The common attempt of a Doctor is to suppress the symptoms which the body begins to show on account of the presence of effete matter in the system by administering medicines. He does not try to find out the real cause of the disease and remove it. He labours under the false idea that disease is something which can be “caught” or which enters into the body from outside, and therefore, he uses various drugs such as purgatives, emetics, diaphoretics etc. Strictly speaking, the drugs do not ‘act’ upon the living body, the body ‘reacts’ against the drugs. Some drugs are more readily expelled through the bowels, some through the kidneys, some through the skin. But, in the process of eliminating drugs, much of the vital activity is expended and the system becomes quite prostrate, so that the after-effects of drugging prove to be more harmful than the disease itself. Sometimes there is a temporary relapse but the disease reasserts itself in an aggravated form after some time and refuses to yield to any process of cure.

Human ailments can only be removed by building health and not by doctoring symptoms of the so-called disease. Healing is a physiological process, inherent in the body economy. No substitute can perform the work. The only scientific treatment is that which removes all morbid obstructions from the body, purifies the blood and thereby helps every organ of the body to function properly and normally.

Foremost among the methods of purification stands fasting, which of late years has become quite popular. “Fasting” is the only method by means of which the body is cleared of its corruption, in as much as fasting permits the effete material already contained to be disposed of, and at the same time allows no introduction of new material into the body. We ought to stop food when the system has not sufficient power to eliminate the food poisons. Digestion and assimilation of food require a great deal of energy, and when the energy at the disposal of the body is used in that direction, there is not sufficient energy left for the elimination of poison which causes disease. When we fast that energy is diverted from functions of digestion and assimilation and is used by the self-healing principle in the system towards house-cleaning and elimination of disease matter.

Fasting For Health Part - I

You will hardly find one in a thousand who does not constantly complain of something wrong with this system. Why should it be so? The Doctors may locate the cause of the trouble elswhere, but the plain fact is that almost all bodily ills have their origin in the wrong habits of living, among which, abuse of the stomach stands foremost. Over-eating, use of unnatural foods as are invariably served at dinners, hotels, resturants and other places of enjoyment, and lack of excercise, not only derange the digestive system but choke up the body with poisonous matter, giving rise to all sorts of ills. Evidently, the treatement should consist in stopping all clogging foods and ridding the body of the disease matter, already present in it. The right way to accomplish this is to 'fast the disease matter out', as animals do when they are ill.

It is a pity that, under the influence of modern civilization, the people of India have discarded this natural method of cure which was so strongly advocated by the ancient healers of their country. In west on the other hand, the method has been brought to the forefront by the efforts of eminent naturopaths and there has grown up a large literature on the subject. It is time we should also revive the old practice.

I have written this bolgg in which I have tried to present the subject in an understandable form. If the perusal of the blog induces even a small fraction of the suffering humanity to try the fasting cure and thereby regain their normal health, I shall consider my efforts amply rewarded.

What is Disease and How Fasting Helps Remove Disease – 

Disease is nothing else but an effort of the body to expel from the system the waste matter which has accumulated owing to a long continued unnatural mode of living. Disease is then, a curative process, a process of purification and a remedial action. It is the normal ‘reaction’ of the body to an unfavorable environment. Internal Obstructions are lodged in the system in the form of filth – toxins or waste matter. They depress and hinder healthy action or normal physiology. The entire system rebels against the presence of this foreign mass, and the Vital Force, under the control of the Law of Life, strives to save the body by struggling with might and main to remove the dangerous accumulations. The human body is composed of millions and millions of tiny cells, each little cell being an individual life by itself, absorbing food, eliminating, functioning, growing, reproducing and dying. There are different groups of cells of different kinds such as the muscular cel’s, the fatty cells, the body cells, and so on. The health of the body depends on the health of each individual cell, and in order that each individual cell should function properly, it must have food – proper food and nourishment, secondly, it must have proper drainage, and i.e. it must be able to get rid of the residue left after the assimilation of food. The third necessity of the cell is the proper supply of nerve force. It is the nerve force going along myriads of nerves to different parts of the body, to different tissues, and to each individual cell, which gives these cells, and consequently the organs, the power to function properly – the power to absorb food and to eliminate the waste matters which are produced as a result of the absorption of food. A disturbance in any of the three requirements of the cell, feeding drainage and nerve supply of them ensures good health.

Ponchomokar Sadhana (Five M’s) of Mother kali

There are three way of Tantric sadhana – 1> Posyachar, 2> Birachar and 3> Divyachar. “Ponchomokar” is the part of Birachar sadhana of Tantra. Modyo(Wine), Mangso(meat), Motsyo(fish), Mudra(posture) and Moithun (sexual intercourse) collectively, five essential tantric practices or rites called as “Ponchomokar” sadhana.The Yogic explanation of these “Pochomokar” is as follows:

Modyo(Wine) –

“Somdhara khored ya tu brohmorondrat boranone.

Pitanondomoyostang jo swo ebo modyosadhoko”. - Agomsar

A sadhak who drink the stream of nectar exuded from “Sahasrar” (the central pore of the palate) called as “Modyo” sadhak. An indication in human body may be as same as one can drink wine.

Mangso(meat) –

“Ma Sobdadrosona gneya todongsan rosonaproyan.

Soda jo vokshoyodebi so ebo mangso sadhoko”. - Agomsar

Sadhak do not want to eat meat for this purpose.A man who practice or exercise of restraint in speech called as “Mangso” sadhak.Tongue in human body performs two types of work one is to speak with someone and the other is to taste food. So a sadhak must control his apeech and intake of food to achieve his goal.

Motsyo(fish) –

“Ganga Jomuna modhye motsyo dou choroto sodah

Tou motsyou vokshoyed jostu swo bhobe motsyo sadhok”. - Agomsar

In this case ‘Ganga’ means “Ida” nadi and ‘Jamuna’ means “Pingola” nadi. What is ‘Nadi’? Yogis said that man has three main flows of energy, which they called the ‘Nadi’s, Ida, Pingola and Sushumna, and which have been roughly translated as mind, body and spirit. The third flow is the result of the balanced interaction of the first two. They also said that man functions mainly in the first two areas of body and mind, Ida and Pingola, the third aspect being dormant until it is stimulated by ‘Yog’ or some other discipline. Man who control his ‘Prana’ by way of ‘Pranayam’ is called ‘Motsyo’ sadhak.

Location of the Chakras

Mudra(posture) –

“Sohosrar e mohapodme kornica mudrita nochet”. - Agomsar

A man who awake his ‘Kundolini’ to ‘Sahasrar’ and realize ‘Atma’ (spirit) is called as ‘Mudra’ sadhak. What is kundolini? Everybody should know something about kundoloni as it represents the coming consciousness of mankind. Kundolini is the name of a sleeping dormant potential force in the human organism and it is situated at the root of the spinal column. In the masculine body it is in the perineum, between the urinary and excretory organs. In the female body its location is at the root of the uterus in the cervix. This centre is known as ‘mooladhar chakra’ and it is actually a physical structure. It is a small gland which you can even take out and press. However kundolini is a dormant energy. To awaken Kundolini you must prepare yourself through ‘pranayam’ and different ‘kriyas’ as stated in ‘Tantra’.

Moithun (sexual intercourse) –

“Ferostu Kumkumavaso Kundomodhye byabosthito.

Mokaroscho Bindoorupo Mohajonou sthito priye”. - Agomsar

To raise the kulakundalini and unite it with Paramashiva, the nucleus consciousness at pineal gland the “sahasrara chakra”. When a sadhak stands at the position of “Ajapa-japa” then only he feel ‘Brahmananda’ the infinite joy this is ‘Moithun tattva’.

Tantra is really trying to free and raise shakti energy so that living liberation can be achieved. The tantrikas were not indulging in the Pancha-Makara for simple pleasure. In fact, during maithuna, orgasm was not allowed. And besides, there were many other Tantric practices that didn't involve any of the Pancha-Makara. Pranayama and physical exercises had no stigma in and of themselves.