श्री रामकृष्ण देव अमृतवाणी से

प्रश्न- क्या संसार मिथ्या है?

 उत्तर- जब तक ईश्वर का ज्ञान नहीं होता तब तक मिथ्या है, जब तक मनुष्य उन्हें भूल कर, मैं -मेरा करते हुए माया में बद्ध होकर कामिनी, कांचन के मोह में मुग्ध होकर संसार में और भी डूबता जाता है। माया के कारण मनुष्य इतना अंधा हो जाता है कि जाल में से भागने का रास्ता रहने पर भी नहीं भाग पाता। तुम लोग तो स्वयं ही देखते हो कि संसार कैसा अनित्य है। देखो न यहां कितने लोग आए और चले गए। पैदा हुए और कितने मर मिटे। संसार इस क्षण है तो दूसरे ही क्षण नहीं। यह अनित्य है। जिन्हें तुम इतना मेरा मेरा कह रहे हो तुम्हारे आंखें बंद करते ही वे कोई नहीं रहेंगे। संसार में कोई नहीं है फिर भी इतनी आसक्ति  कि नाती के लिए काशी यात्रा नहीं हो पाती। कहते हैं मेरे बेटे हरि का क्या होगा? जाल में से निकलने की राह खुली है; फिर भी मछली भाग नहीं सकती। रेशम का कीड़ा अपने ही लार से कोष बनाकर उसमें फंस कर जान गवा देता है। संसार इस प्रकार मिथ्या है, अनित्य है। 

अहंकार को कैसे दूर करना चाहिए जानते हो? चावल कांड़ते समय बीच-बीच में रुक कर देखना पड़ता है। यदि कांड़ना  ठीक नहीं हुआ तो फिर कांड़ना पड़ता है। निकती पर कोई वस्तु तौलते समय, जब तक कांटा ठीक न हो तब तक ठहर कर देखना पड़ता है। मैं समय-समय पर अपनेको गालियां देकर देखता था कि मुझ में अहंकार उठता है या नहीं और विचार करता था भला यह शरीर क्या है, सिर्फ हाड़ मांस का ढांचा। इसके अंदर क्या है खून, पीप, गंदी चीजें। जिस शरीर के भीतर सदा मल भरा हुआ है, उस पर भला इतना अहंकार क्यों किया जाए। 

मान लो हण्डी में चावल पक रहा है। चावल पका है कि नहीं यह देखने के लिए तुम उसमें से एक ही सीथ लेकर उसे दबा कर देखते हो और उसी पर से समझ लेते हो कि चावल पका है या नहीं। तुम चावल के सभी सीथों को एक-एक करके परखकर नहीं देखते; फिर भी यह समझ लेते हो। यहां जिस प्रकार पूरा चावल पक चुका है या कच्चा है यह एक सीथ को देखकर तुम समझ लेते हो, उसी प्रकार यह संसार सत्य है या असत्य, नित्य है या अनित्य यह भी तुम संसार की दो-चार वस्तुओं को परख कर ही जान सकते हो। मनुष्य जन्मता है कुछ दिन जीता है फिर मर जाता है। पशु का भी यही हाल होता है और वृक्ष का भी। विचार करके देखने पर तुम्हारी समझ में आ जाता है। जो भी वस्तु नाम और रूप से युक्त है उसकी यही गति है। पृथ्वी, सूर्यलोक, चंद्रलोक सभी के नाम और रूप हैं, उनकी भी गति यही है। इस प्रकार जब तुम जान जाते हो कि सारे संसार का यही स्वभाव है, तब तुम्हें संसार की सभी वस्तुओं का स्वभाव ज्ञात हो जाता है या नहीं? इसी तरह जब तुम संसार को सचमुच अनित्य असद् अनुभव करोगे तब तुम उस पर प्यार नहीं कर सकोगे, तब तुम उसे बिल्कुल मन से त्याग कर वासना रहित बन जाओगे। जब तुम इस प्रकार पूर्ण त्याग करने में समर्थ हो जाओगे, तभी तुम जगत कारण परमेश्वर के दर्शन पाओगे। इस तरह से जिसने ईश्वर दर्शन प्राप्त कर लिया है, वह व्यक्ति यदि सर्वज्ञ नहीं हुआ तो फिर क्या हुआ?

श्री रामकृष्ण देव अमृतवाणी से

The saga of Pundalik

The saga of Pundalik is one of the most important Mahimas (legends) about Vithoba. Pundalik is a devoted son to his parents Janudev and Satyavati, who lived in a forest called Dandirvan.

But after his wedding, Pundalik begins ill-treating his parents. Tired with their son’s misbehavior and ill-treatment, the elderly couple decide to leave for Kashi. Upon hearing his parents’ plans, Pundalik and his wife decide to join them on pilgrimage. While the youthful son and his wife ride on horseback, the frail old couple walk in bad weather and the ill-treatment continued. Every evening, when the party camps for the night, the son forces his parents to groom the horses and do other jobs.

On the way to Kashi, the group reaches the ashram (hermitage) of a pious and venerable sage, Kukkutswami. Exhausted, the family decides to spend a few days there. That night, when all were asleep, Pundalik by chance is awake and sees a remarkable vision. Just before dawn, a group of beautiful young women, dressed in soiled clothes, enter the ashram; they clean the floor, fetch water and wash the venerable sage’s clothes. After finishing their chores, they go to the prayer-room. When they reappear after prayer, their clothes are spotlessly clean. Then, they vanish as inexplicably as they had appeared. Pundalik feels a deep sense of peace witnessing the scene.

It remains on his mind the whole day and he resolves to remain awake the next night, and confirm it was not merely a dream. Pundalik is very curious and approaches the beautiful women and asks them of their details. They reply that they are the Ganga, Yamuna and other holy rivers of India. Pilgrims wish to take a dip in their holy waters to wash away their sins, and that is soiling their clothes. Then, the women say: “But O Pundalik, with your ill-treatment of your parents, you are the greatest sinner of them all!”

Pundalik is utterly shocked and his conscience transforms. He realises his misdeeds, becomes entirely devoted to his parents and ensures their comfort.

Devotion in any form reaches God swiftly and impressed by Pundalik’s devotion to his parents, Lord Vishnu plans to bless and pays a visit to Pundalik’s ashram.

Vishnu knocks at Pundalik’s door, while he is busy serving his parents. Pundalik does realise that God is at his door, but such was his devotion to his parents, he wants to complete his duties and then attend the visitor. Then, Pundalik does something strange but out of real devotion. He pushes a brick outside for God to stand on and wait for him until he finishes attending to his parents.

Seeing this act, Vishnu is extremely pleased and the ever-loving God waits for his devotee.

When Pundalik comes out, he begs for pardon from the Lord but far from being displeased, Vishnu is overtaken by Pundalik’s love for his parents and grants him a boon. Pundalik requests Vishnu to stay back on Earth and bless all his devotees.

The Lord agrees to take the form of Vithoba, or God who stood upon a brick, and a temple was built there. Along with Vithoba, Rakhumai (Rukmini, the consort of Krishna) is also worshipped here.

Swami Nirvanananda (1890 - 1984)

Swami Brahmananda Ji being pleased with the service Swami Nirvanananda (1890 - 1984 ) unconditionally rendered to him blessed him saying , “You will attain Brahma-jnana (the knowledge of Brahman)”.

Read on: 

Swami Nirvananandaji (familiarly known as Surya Maharaj) is remembered in the Ramakrishna Order for his devoted service as a personal attendant to Swami Brahmananda Maharaj.

Swami Nirvanananda was born in what is now known as Palang district in Bangladesh on 10 May 1890. He was named Girindra Kumar Sen by his parents. Girindra had indomitable energy, bubbling spirit and a daring nature from childhood. To such a mental makeup were added idealism, spirit of service and sacrifice and love for the country in his teenage. He grew up in an atmosphere charged with nationalistic sentiments. He became an active member of an organization fighting for the independence of the country from British rule. Also, he had taken solemn oaths to practice moral principles and build up an unblemished character. He enjoyed a healthy and well-built body even from his student days, thanks to regular exercise. Like many youths of his age, he came under the influence of Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts. From Swami Vivekananda to Sri Ramakrishna was but a small step. His study of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna revealed to him the names of Swami Brahmananda and other monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Feeling attracted to Swami Brahmananda, he started writing letters to him.

Towards the end of 1913, Girindra went to Varanasi intending to join the Ramakrishna Order. There he met Swami Brahmananda for the first time and was much impressed by his bright smiling face, childlike simplicity and benign nature. Swami Brahmananda allowed him to remain in Varanasi Home of Service as a brahmacharin and gave him mantra diksha. While in Varanasi, he had also the privilege of living in the company of Swami Shivananda Maharaj and Swami Turiyananda Maharaj.

Girindra began his monastic life in Varanasi serving sick people at the Home of Service (hospital). The ideal of the institution shiva jnane jiva seva stirred his heart, and he derived much satisfaction in attending to various duties in the hospital. Added to this was the spiritually elevating presence of his guru Swami Brahmananda who had remained there for quite a few months.

Towards the end of February 1916, Girindra came to Belur Math and was ordained a monk and received the name Swami Nirvanananda.

A glorious chapter began in the life of Swami Nirvanananda in November 1917 when he was appointed a sevak of Swami Brahmananda. From then on he served him with exemplary devotion and dedication until Swami Brahmananda’s passing away in April 1922. As a sevak, his mind was attuned to the needs of his master and he would remain at his disposal all through the day and night. Swami Brahmananda was also immensely pleased with his service and he blessed him, “You will attain Brahma-jnana (the knowledge of Brahman)”.

After the passing away of Swami Brahmananda, Swami Nirvanananda was appointed head of Bhubaneswar Math in May 1922. After about four years, he was called back to Belur Math to serve as its Manager and take care of relief activities of the Math and Mission.

He was appointed a trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and a member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission in 1929. He went back to Bhubaneswar to serve as the head of the centre there in 1931. He worked very hard to develop the centre in every respect. Those who had seen him in those days remember him as a dynamic monk with indefatigable enthusiasm and at the same time deeply drawn to meditation and austerities. He built a small kutir in a secluded corner for meditation. This kutir is known as ‘Nirvanananda Sadhan Kutir’.

In December 1939, he was once again appointed Manager of Belur Math. He held this responsible post for the next 26 years. He paid particular attention to keep up the religious traditions set by Swami Brahmananda and other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. He also oversaw several major relief operations.

Swami Nirvanananda visited the USA along with Swami Madhavananda Maharaj in 1956 to take part in the temple consecration at Santa Barbara. He was elevated to the office of the Vice-President of the order in February 1966. About a year before this, he had been authorized to give spiritual initiation to devotees. He guided a large number of devotees in the path of devotion and liberation.

Swami Nirvanananda’s two significant contributions to the order were his role in acquiring the house of Sri Balaram Bose in Kolkata (it is now known as Balaram Mandir) and founding an ashrama in Sikra-Kulingram, the sacred birthplace of Swami Brahmananda Maharaj.

Swami Nirvanananda passed away at Belur Math on 6 April 1984 at the age of 94

देवरहा_बाबा

#अद्भुत_ब्रम्हचारी ऐसे ब्रम्हचारियों की जीवनी पढ़ना ही चाहिए..

#देवरहा_बाबा एक ऐसे महान संत योगिराज जिनके चरण अपने सिर पर रखवा कर आशीर्वाद प्राप्त करने के लिए देश ही नहीं विदेशों के राष्ट्राध्यक्ष तक लालायित रहते थे। वह यूपी के देवरिया जिले के रहने वाले थे।

मंगलवार, 19 जून सन् 1990 को योगिनी एकादशी के दिन अपना प्राण त्यागने वाले इस बाबा के जन्म के बारे में संशय है। उनकी उम्र के बारे में भी एक मत नहीं है। कुछ लोगों का तो यहाँ तक मानना है कि बाबा 900 वर्ष की आयु तक जीवित रहे (बाबा के संपूर्ण जीवन के बारे में अलग-अलग मत है, कुछ लोग उनका जीवन 250 साल तो कुछ लोग 500 साल मानते हैं.)।

भारत के उत्तर प्रदेश के देवरिया जनपद में एक योगी, सिद्ध महापुरुष एवं सन्तपुरुष थे देवरहा बाबा। डॉ• राजेन्द्र प्रसाद, महामना मदन मोहन मालवीय, पुरुषोत्तमदास टंडन, जैसी विभूतियों ने पूज्य देवरहा बाबा के समय-समय पर दर्शन कर अपने को कृतार्थ अनुभव किया था. पूज्य महर्षि पातंजलि द्वारा प्रतिपादित अष्टांग योग में पारंगत थे।

श्रद्धालुओं के कथनानुसार बाबा अपने पास आने वाले प्रत्येक व्यक्ति से बड़े प्रेम से मिलते थे और सबको कुछ न कुछ प्रसाद अवश्य देते थे. प्रसाद देने के लिए बाबा अपना हाथ ऐसे ही मचान के खाली भाग में रखते थे और उनके हाथ में फल, मेवे या कुछ अन्य खाद्य पदार्थ आ जाते थे जबकि मचान पर ऐसी कोई भी वस्तु नहीं रहती थी।

श्रद्धालुओं को कौतुहल होता था कि आखिर यह प्रसाद बाबा के हाथ में कहाँ से और कैसे आता है. जनश्रूति के मुताबिक, वह खेचरी मुद्रा की वजह से आवागमन से कहीं भी कभी भी चले जाते थे. उनके आस-पास उगने वाले बबूल के पेड़ों में कांटे नहीं होते थे. चारों तरफ सुंगध ही सुंगध होता था।

लोगों में विश्वास है कि बाबा जल पर चलते भी थे और अपने किसी भी गंतव्य स्थान पर जाने के लिए उन्होंने कभी भी सवारी नहीं की और ना ही उन्हें कभी किसी सवारी से कहीं जाते हुए देखा गया. बाबा हर साल कुंभ के समय प्रयाग आते थे।

यमुना के किनारे वृन्दावन में वह 30 मिनट तक पानी में बिना सांस लिए रह सकते थे. उनको जानवरों की भाषा समझ में आती थी। खतरनाक जंगली जानवारों को वह पल भर में काबू कर लेते थे।

लोगों का मानना है कि बाबा को सब पता रहता था कि कब, कौन, कहाँ उनके बारे में चर्चा हुई. वह अवतारी व्यक्ति थे. उनका जीवन बहुत सरल और सौम्य था।वह फोटो कैमरे और टीवी जैसी चीजों को देख अचंभित रह जाते थे। वह उनसे अपनी फोटो लेने के लिए कहते थे, लेकिन आश्चर्य की बात यह थी कि उनका फोटो नहीं बनता था। वह नहीं चाहते तो रिवाल्वर से गोली नहीं चलती थी. उनका निर्जीव वस्तुओं पर नियंत्रण था।

अपनी उम्र, कठिन तप और सिद्धियों के बारे में देवरहा बाबा ने कभी भी कोई चमत्कारिक दावा नहीं किया, लेकिन उनके इर्द-गिर्द हर तरह के लोगों की भीड़ ऐसी भी रही जो हमेशा उनमें चमत्कार खोजते देखी गई।अत्यंत सहज, सरल और सुलभ बाबा के सानिध्य में जैसे वृक्ष, वनस्पति भी अपने को आश्वस्त अनुभव करते रहे. भारत के पहले राष्ट्रपति डॉ राजेंद्र प्रसाद ने उन्हें अपने बचपन में देखा था।

 देश-दुनिया के महान लोग उनसे मिलने आते थे और विख्यात साधू-संतों का भी उनके आश्रम में समागम होता रहता था. उनसे जुड़ीं कई घटनाएं इस सिद्ध संत को मानवता, ज्ञान, तप और योग के लिए विख्यात बनाती हैं।

कोई 1987 की बात होगी, जून का ही महीना था. वृंदावन में यमुना पार देवरहा बाबा का डेरा जमा हुआ था. अधिकारियों में अफरातफरी मची थी। प्रधानमंत्री राजीव गांधी को बाबा के दर्शन करने आना था।प्रधानमंत्री के आगमन और यात्रा के लिए इलाके की मार्किंग कर ली गई।

आला अफसरों ने हैलीपैड बनाने के लिए वहां लगे एक बबूल के पेड़ की डाल काटने के निर्देश दिए. भनक लगते ही बाबा ने एक बड़े पुलिस अफसर को बुलाया और पूछा कि पेड़ को क्यों काटना चाहते हो? अफसर ने कहा, प्रधानमंत्री की सुरक्षा के लिए जरूरी है. बाबा बोले, तुम यहां अपने पीएम को लाओगे, उनकी प्रशंसा पाओगे, पीएम का नाम भी होगा कि वह साधु-संतों के पास जाता है, लेकिन इसका दंड तो बेचारे पेड़ को भुगतना पड़ेगा।

वह मुझसे इस बारे में पूछेगा तो मैं उसे क्या जवाब दूंगा? नही! यह पेड़ नहीं काटा जाएगा. अफसरों ने अपनी मजबूरी बताई कि यह दिल्ली से आए अफसरों का है, इसलिए इसे काटा ही जाएगा और फिर पूरा पेड़ तो नहीं कटना है, इसकी एक टहनी ही काटी जानी है, मगर बाबा जरा भी राजी नहीं हुए. उन्होंने कहा कि यह पेड़ होगा तुम्हारी निगाह में, मेरा तो यह सबसे पुराना साथी है, दिन रात मुझसे बतियाता है, यह पेड़ नहीं कट सकता।

इस घटनाक्रम से बाकी अफसरों की दुविधा बढ़ती जा रही थी, आखिर बाबा ने ही उन्हें तसल्ली दी और कहा कि घबड़ा मत, अब पीएम का कार्यक्रम टल जाएगा, तुम्हारे पीएम का कार्यक्रम मैं कैंसिल करा देता हूं. आश्चर्य कि दो घंटे बाद ही पीएम आफिस से रेडियोग्राम आ गया कि प्रोग्राम स्थगित हो गया है, कुछ हफ्तों बाद राजीव गांधी वहां आए, लेकिन पेड़ नहीं कटा. इसे क्या कहेंगे चमत्कार या संयोग.

बाबा की शरण में आने वाले कई विशिष्ट लोग थे. उनके भक्तों में जवाहर लाल नेहरू, लाल बहादुर शास्त्री , इंदिरा गांधी जैसे चर्चित नेताओं के नाम हैं. उनके पास लोग हठयोग सीखने भी जाते थे. सुपात्र देखकर वह हठयोग की दसों मुद्राएं सिखाते थे. योग विद्या पर उनका गहन ज्ञान था. ध्यान, योग, प्राणायाम, त्राटक समाधि आदि पर वह गूढ़ विवेचन करते थे. कई बड़े सिद्ध सम्मेलनों में उन्हें बुलाया जाता, तो वह संबंधित विषयों पर अपनी प्रतिभा से सबको चकित कर देते।

लोग यही सोचते कि इस बाबा ने इतना सब कब और कैसे जान लिया. ध्यान, प्रणायाम, समाधि की पद्धतियों के वह सिद्ध थे ही. धर्माचार्य, पंडित, तत्वज्ञानी, वेदांती उनसे कई तरह के संवाद करते थे. उन्होंने जीवन में लंबी लंबी साधनाएं कीं. जन कल्याण के लिए वृक्षों-वनस्पतियों के संरक्षण, पर्यावरण एवं वन्य जीवन के प्रति उनका अनुराग जग जाहिर था.

देश में आपातकाल के बाद हुए चुनावों में जब इंदिरा गांधी हार गईं तो वह भी देवरहा बाबा से आशीर्वाद लेने गईं. उन्होंने अपने हाथ के पंजे से उन्हें आशीर्वाद दिया. वहां से वापस आने के बाद इंदिरा ने कांग्रेस का चुनाव चिह्न हाथ का पंजा निर्धारित कर दिया. इसके बाद 1980 में इंदिरा के नेतृत्व में भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस ने प्रचंड बहुमत प्राप्त किया और वह देश की प्रधानमंत्री बनीं।

वहीं, यह भी मान्यता है कि इन्दिरा गांधी आपातकाल के समय कांची कामकोटि पीठ के शंकराचार्य स्वामी चन्द्रशेखरेन्द्र सरस्वती से आर्शीवाद लेने गयीं थी. वहां उन्होंने अपना दाहिना हाथ उठाकर आर्शीवाद दिया और हाथ का पंजा पार्टी का चुनाव निशान बनाने को कहा।

बाबा महान योगी और सिद्ध संत थे. उनके चमत्कार हज़ारों लोगों को झंकृत करते रहे. आशीर्वाद देने का उनका ढंग निराला था. मचान पर बैठे-बैठे ही अपना पैर जिसके सिर पर रख दिया, वो धन्य हो गया. पेड़-पौधे भी उनसे बात करते थे. उनके आश्रम में बबूल तो थे, मगर कांटेविहीन. यही नहीं यह खुशबू भी बिखेरते थे।

उनके दर्शनों को प्रतिदिन विशाल जनसमूह उमड़ता था. बाबा भक्तों के मन की बात भी बिना बताए जान लेते थे. उन्होंने पूरा जीवन अन्न नहीं खाया. दूध व शहद पीकर जीवन गुजार दिया. श्रीफल का रस उन्हें बहुत पसंद था।

देवरहा बाबा को खेचरी मुद्रा पर सिद्धि थी जिस कारण वे अपनी भूख और आयु पर नियंत्रण प्राप्त कर लेते थे।

ख्याति इतनी कि जार्ज पंचम जब भारत आया तो अपने पूरे लाव लश्कर के साथ उनके दर्शन करने देवरिया जिले के दियारा इलाके में मइल गांव तक उनके आश्रम तक पहुंच गया. दरअसल, इंग्लैंड से रवाना होते समय उसने अपने भाई से पूछा था कि क्या वास्तव में इंडिया के साधु संत महान होते हैं।

प्रिंस फिलिप ने जवाब दिया- हां, कम से कम देवरहा बाबा से जरूर मिलना. यह सन 1911 की बात है. जार्ज पंचम की यह यात्रा तब विश्वयुद्ध के मंडरा रहे माहौल के चलते भारत के लोगों को बरतानिया हुकूमत के पक्ष में करने की थी. उससे हुई बातचीत बाबा ने अपने कुछ शिष्यों को बतायी भी थी, लेकिन कोई भी उस बारे में बातचीत करने को आज भी तैयार नहीं।

डाक्टर राजेंद्र प्रसाद तब रहे होंगे कोई दो-तीन साल के, जब अपने माता-पिता के साथ वे बाबा के यहां गये थे. बाबा देखते ही बोल पड़े-यह बच्चा तो राजा बनेगा. बाद में राष्ट्रपति बनने के बाद उन्होंने बाबा को एक पत्र लिखकर कृतज्ञता प्रकट की और सन 54 के प्रयाग कुंभ में बाकायदा बाबा का सार्वजनिक पूजन भी किया।

बाबा देवरहा 30 मिनट तक पानी में बिना सांस लिए रह सकते थे. उनको जानवरों की भाषा समझ में आती थी. खतरनाक जंगली जानवरों को वह पल भर में काबू कर लेते थे.

उनके भक्त उन्हें दया का महासमुंदर बताते हैं. और अपनी यह सम्पत्ति बाबा ने मुक्त हस्तज लुटाई. जो भी आया, बाबा की भरपूर दया लेकर गया. वितरण में कोई विभेद नहीं. वर्षाजल की भांति बाबा का आशीर्वाद सब पर बरसा और खूब बरसा. मान्यता थी कि बाबा का आशीर्वाद हर मर्ज की दवाई है।

कहा जाता है कि बाबा देखते ही समझ जाते थे कि सामने वाले का सवाल क्या है. दिव्यदृष्ठि के साथ तेज नजर, कड़क आवाज, दिल खोल कर हंसना, खूब बतियाना बाबा की आदत थी. याददाश्त इतनी कि दशकों बाद भी मिले व्यक्ति को पहचान लेते और उसके दादा-परदादा तक का नाम व इतिहास तक बता देते, किसी तेज कम्प्युटर की तरह।

हां, बलिष्ठ कदकाठी भी थी. लेकिन देह त्याहगने के समय तक वे कमर से आधा झुक कर चलने लगे थे. उनका पूरा जीवन मचान में ही बीता. लकडी के चार खंभों पर टिकी मचान ही उनका महल था, जहां नीचे से ही लोग उनके दर्शन करते थे. जल में वे साल में आठ महीना बिताते थे. कुछ दिन बनारस के रामनगर में गंगा के बीच, माघ में प्रयाग, फागुन में मथुरा के मठ के अलावा वे कुछ समय हिमालय में एकांतवास भी करते थे।

खुद कभी कुछ नहीं खाया, लेकिन भक्तनगण जो कुछ भी लेकर पहुंचे, उसे भक्तों पर ही बरसा दिया. उनका बताशा-मखाना हासिल करने के लिए सैकडों लोगों की भीड हर जगह जुटती थी. और फिर अचानक ११ जून १९९० को उन्होंने दर्शन देना बंद कर दिया।

लगा जैसे कुछ अनहोनी होने वाली है. मौसम तक का मिजाज बदल गया. यमुना की लहरें तक बेचैन होने लगीं. मचान पर बाबा त्रिबंध सिद्धासन पर बैठे ही रहे. डॉक्टरों की टीम ने थर्मामीटर पर देखा कि पारा अंतिम सीमा को तोड निकलने पर आमादा है.१९ तारीख को मंगलवार के दिन योगिनी एकादशी थी।

आकाश में काले बादल छा गये, तेज आंधियां तूफान ले आयीं. यमुना जैसे समुंदर को मात करने पर उतावली थी. लहरों का उछाल बाबा की मचान तक पहुंचने लगा. और इन्हीं सबके बीच शाम चार बजे बाबा का शरीर स्पंदनरहित हो गया. भक्तों की अपार भीड भी प्रकृति के साथ हाहाकार करने लगी।

YOUR SWAMIJI

YOUR SWAMIJI

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 1

Have you heard of Swami Vivekananda? Yes? But have you heard of Narendranath Datta? I am sure most of you have not but some of you may have. Well, this little boy is the subject of our story which I shall begin narrating to you, children, from today.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 2

The Dattas were an affluent family who lived in North Kolkata at a place called Simla or Simulia. Rammohan Datta was the grand patriarch who had thrived in the legal profession and amassed a fortune. His sons, Durgaprasad and Kaliprasad, grandson, Vishwanath, were the immediate ancestors of Narendranath who grew up to become the world renowned monk, Swami Vivekananda. Durgaprasad excelled like his father at law but renounced life to become a monk at age between 20 and 22 after fathering a son. So, Kaliprasad became the head of the Datta family and as he was not upto earning a living, the Dattas' fortunes started declining steadily.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 3

Durgaprasad renounced between age 20 and 22. Shyamasundari, his wife of valorous virtue, took up to rearing baby Vishwanath amidst great difficulties as Kaliprasad was not sympathetic to their lot. When Vishwanath was three years old, Shyamasundari went on pilgrimage to Varanasi by boat. En route the playful baby fell into the Ganga. Instantly the mother, forgetting the fact that she knew not how to swim, dived into the surging waters and gripped the baby, so hard that it bore the mark for several years. A fellow pilgrim and a resident of the Datta household, indigenous physician Umapada Gupta, diving suit, rescued them and hauled them overboard. The pilgrimage carried on and holy Varanasi was reached in the fullness of time.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 4

Varanasi. The Ganga flowing by since time immemorial, sanctifying this city of Shiva. Thousands of temples of all kinds of deities thronging to get the worship of devotees who flock by the millions. The most ancient city of the world, dating 5000 years, now welcomed Shyamasundari and her little boy, Vishwanath.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 5

Shyamasundari went on her daily rounds of the temples in Varanasi. One day on her way to the seat of Lord Vishwanath, she slipped on the way and fell unconscious. A monk passing by picked her up, laid her on the temple steps and brought her back to her senses. When she came to her own she was astonished to behold her own husband as her rescuer. Overwhelmed by sudden emotion, the couple, now renounced to the world, went their way.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 6

Durgaprasad visited his hometown Kolkata once, probably en route to the Gangasagar, and put up with a friend. He requested confidentiality but the message leaked and he was accosted home by his family members where he was confined to a room with food and refreshments for three days. The monk, locked up thus, touched neither food nor drink for the said period and his relatives, fearing the worst, unlocked the door. The monk quietly slipped away thereafter and was never seen again. Later it was rumoured that he had become the head of a monastery in Varanasi but nothing could be ascertained with any degree of certitude. Vishwanath in his youth visited Varanasi in search of his father but failed to trace him. Thus disappeared the monk of sterling spiritual strength from the horizons of the Datta household till his gene reappeared in his redoubtable grandson, Narendranath, whose monastic future bore unmistakable marks of his predecessor, Durgaprasad.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 7

Vishwanath, deprived of paternal care and patrimony, grew up under the loving care of his mother, though amidst straightened circumstances. But a worse fate was awaiting him. At the age of ten he lost his mother. Now, orphaned and ill-treated by uncle Kaliprasad, Vishwanath took to the hard way of labouring through to life's success. He became proficient in several languages - Bengali, English, Persian, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi, and also learnt a smattering of Sanskrit in a classical Sanskrit Tol. He studied history in-depth, astrology enough to be able to cast the horoscopes of his children, and studied music under an Ustad. After completing secondary education he attempted business,  failed and apprenticed himself under Mr. Temple, a British attorney. In 1866 he qualified as an attorney and set up shop with one Ashutosh Dhar under the name 'Dhar and Datta'. Soon his legal proficiency earned him independent status as attorney-at-law in the Calcutta High Court where his practice took off.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 8

Vishwanath's fame as a legal practitioner spread far and wide and he had to travel extensively all over India to meet up with his clients' cases. His income soared and so did his expenditure as he lived lavishly and gave liberally to seekers in need. His charity earned him the sobriquet 'Daataa Vishwanath' or 'Philanthropist Vishwanath'. He refused none and gave to all who were in need and even to some indolent relatives who abused his magnanimity by indulging in intoxicants with his money. Vishwanath lived for the day and saved nothing for the morrow, steered by the conviction that his sons, if well fed and well educated, would be able to make their way in life but that the hapless ones he helped were too weak to help themselves and, hence, needed help. The large heart of Vishwanath bled for all, perhaps so conditioned by his own stressful childhood in financial and psychological distress under an unsympathetic uncle. Anyhow, this was how he was and this liberal largeheartedness he bequeathed to his beloved sons, Naren in particular who even imbibed sterling virtues of head and heart from his mother Bhuvaneshwari.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 9

Well-versed in the Holy Bible and the Dewan-i-Hafiz and well acquainted with Hindu, Islamic and European culture and customs, Vishwanath had a universal outlook on life and living. Progressive in thinking but guarded in giving into new-fangled socioreligious movements of the day, Vishwanath was a precursor in some sense to the modern Hindu man as yet germinating in the womb of time. His illustratious son would set the seal on the mould that was thus being cast on the dawn of this new awakening of the ancient spirit whose crest bore the personality of Ramakrishna. But we are fast-forwarding the narrative thus which we must desist from. As of now we must remember that here was Vishwanath, caught in the cross-current of the three aforementioned cultures out of which he was fashioning his own perspective, his world-view, and setting them to print in the form of three books which he authored, namely, 'Shishtaachaar Paddhati' ('Canons of Good Conduct') in two volumes and a novel in his vernacular Bengali, titled 'Sulochanaa'. Vishwanath supported Vidyasagar's crusade for the remarriage of widows but refrained from participating directly in such social movements, busy as he was with his intensive legal practice. One more pointer about Vishwanath - he was an agnostic of sorts, irreverent of superstitious religious practices that kept people down but was never irreverent towards sublime principles of spiritual and moral thought which he tried to put into practice in his own life by way of alleviating the misery of the hapless ones he came across in his life's thoroughfare. This was then the father of the future Vivekananda.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 10

Hardly anybody recalls the name of Swami Vivekananda's maternal grandfather or the maiden surname of Swamiji's mother. That she was Basu and bore in her bloodstream the kshatriya valour of this clan from erstwhile Kannakubja (Kanauj) is forgotten in the name Narendranath Datta. But the great prophet bore in his arteries that strong blood which made him revolutionise India into rebellion against the British and break the citadel of global colonialism. Narendranath's grandfather on his mother's side was Nandalal Basu of Simla, North Kolkata, and his only daughter Bhuvaneshwari Basu, married to Vishwanath Datta, was his mother. Bhuvaneshwari, born to wealth and high culture, was aristocratic in temperament devoid of its vices and it was from her that the boy Bileh absorbed in his mother's milk that nobility of character that set him out as unique in the world of men, so much so that in later years in Paris he was mistaken to be a prince by a hotel boy who could not be convinced otherwise. Well, Bhuvaneshwari, wedded to Vishwanath at ten, mothered Narendranath as her seventh child and her first surviving son. But more of that later for here we are in the midst of the maturing of a modern Madonna for who else could hold in her womb the one whose eagle eye holds countless universes in harmonic play ? Let us dwell on this girl, Bhuvaneshwari.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 11

Bhuvaneshwari was wedded to conjugal life at the early age of 10 as was the custom in those days prior to the passing of the Age of Consent Bill. She bore fruit several times of which three died in infancy and she remained without a son yet. The pious girl prayed and fasted and exhorted an aunt living in Varanasi to offer prayers at the seat of Vireshwar Shiva in Kashi. Accordingly, every Monday special offerings were made there and they were reinforced by Bhuvaneshwari keeping her vigils and fasts here in Kolkata. The channel was thus being set up for the golden road that was to connect the ancient city and this modern metropolis, and when the pathway had been fully laid, Bhuvaneshwari dreamt of the meditative Shiva awaking from his seat of concentration and announcing His resolve to be born as her son. In ecstatic joy Bhuvaneshwari awoke from her divine slumber and fell prostrate at her chosen deity's feet, the adorable Umanath, who she had so ardently worshipped all these years. Bathed in tears of bliss Bhuvaneshwari felt saturated with the Lord's grace. Soon she felt that she had conceived.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 12

12 January, 1863. Makar San°kraanti Day. Millions of pilgrims were assembled at the estuary of the Bay of Bengal to offer oblation to the Highest when heaven itself descended to earth in the form of the infant who was to steer humanity onto a new course, setting the stamp of his divine personality on the unfolding age of light that was now waiting in the wings to emerge in full flight. The forest of this world was ready for this fresh efflorescence and the bud blossomed from the womb of Bhuvaneshwari six minutes before sunrise to send a thrill of joy through the Datta household. A son had been born, Bhuvaneshwari's long-cherished dream, the parched earth's long longing, humanity's hope of redemption from its decadent state. Vishwanath grew so blissfully excited that his charity broke all bounds this hour as he started giving away to whosoever came his way anything he could lay his hands on. Finally, he had given away the very clothes he was wearing, a la Emperor Harshavardhana of old, and had to borrow his wife's saree to cover himself. The boy was named by the mother Vireshwar after the deity who had fulfilled His promise to be born as the pious supplicant's son. Soon lingustic aberration changed it to Bileh and so was how the future Vivekananda used to be called by his loving mother even in his twilight years in Belur Math when the old lady proudly strutted about the precincts of the monastery in search of her son, calling loudly, "Bileh ! Bileh !" and the son would emerge from his room and descend the stairs to fall prostrate at his beloved mother's feet. But we have much advanced in our narrative in our flight of fancy and must revert to its fresh beginnings, for we have a full lifetime to cover. Right now the baby cries in its mother's arms. Or, does it blink in wonder at the strange world around ?

YOUR SWAMIJI ...13

The boy was Bileh at home, to the world Narendranath, a name that was, as if by divine sanction, to set its stamp upon the very world. An exceeding force seemed to well up within him making him irrepressibly naughty, playful, self-willed and at times given to fits of violent temper when he would even rampage his way through whatever he could lay his hands on, furniture et al. Mother Bhuvaneshwari, driven to her wit's end, would then in exasperation exclaim, "Alas ! I had prayed to Shiva for a son but He has sent me one of His demons instead." No amount of censure, threat or even inducement would work with the turbulent child and he had to be manned by two nurses constantly to keep him in a semblance of check. Finally, Bhuvaneshwari discovered a unique way of tackling the situation. When Bileh was in one of those moods, she would pour water over his head profusely while chanting the name 'Shiva'. She would further induce fear in him saying, "If you are naughty thus, Shiva will refuse you entry into His abode, Kailash, again." Like magic this would work and calm the boy and he would be his bonny self again.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 14

Now two very important features of the baby Bileh's personality were (a) his easy acceptance of all and sundry as his own and his consequent easing into anyone's arms who extended them to hold him, and (b) his submission to gentleness shown to him by any and equal revulsion of harshness by any in interaction with him. These traits manifest in the baby are worth meditating on as we attempt to unravel not only the secrets of the child-mind universally but also as we seek to plumb the divine depths of the future Swami Vivekananda, now, though, right in bud.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 15

Grandfather Durgaprasad's gene was very much manifest in Narendranath from early boyhood. He had a liking for mendicant monks and would give away alms freely to them. But he was just a small boy. What did he have that he could give? Well, he gave away his first piece of dhoti from round his waist to a sadhu. Likewise he gave away whatever he could lay his hands on to these pilgrims of the Spirit so much so that when any such appeared at their door he had to be kept confined in an upper storey room to keep him in bounds. But such ploys failed when Naren flung through the open window whatever was available to him in his cell to monks passing by on the road below. Such affinity for the renunciates was early signal of things brewing up in the heart of the Divine Mother orchestrating things from behind that was to fashion Narendranath's fate. A vast force was accumulating in the child that was to inundate the world in the days to come. And in this prophetic mission of his he was to bear not only the blessings of his divine Master but those of each and every monk who he gave and who in their turn blessed him silently from the depths of their hearts.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 16

Ebullient as he was, Naren was given to pranks galore. One of these was to tease his sisters and, when chased, to seek refuge in the open drain and makes faces and remarks such as 'Catch new! Catch me !' from there, knowing full well that they would not dare follow suit into the dirt where he lay. The future Vivekananda was worshipped in Kashi Kedarnath Temple as Shiva, was reverenced by a passing monk in the Himalayas as Shiva and venerated by many including his brother disciples like Swami Brahmananda as the same Lord Ascetic. In that sense he was Pashupati, the Lord of all animals, and to this effect he showed early signs by way of his affinity towards his pet animals. Lifelong this relation remained, even in his advanced years in Belur Math where he had quite a number of pets. The boy Bileh had a monkey, a goat, a peacock, pigeons, guinea-pigs, the family cow and his father's horse to keep him company. He with his sisters would bedeck the cow with garlands, mark her forehead with vermillion and reverence her on festive occasions. This easy relation with the dumb animals must have been a formative influence in the making of his future deep sympathy with the muted millions of his benighted motherland.

YOUR SWAMIJI ... 17

Naren's bosom buddy was his father's coachman. He spent hours in the company of the syce at the stable and nursed ambitions of one day becoming a syce himself. His intimacy with the syce drew the twain into close communication and imperceptibly lay open Naren's mind to whatever the former had to say to him. At noon every day the little boy was privy to the women folk's rendition of the Ramayana reading and with rapt attention he absorbed the epic tales which gradually endeared him to Sita and Rama. Soon he had bought from the market idols of the divine couple and with the help of a friend installed them in the attic and with floral offerings worshipped them to his child heart's content. This went on till the syce, himself victim to an unhappy marital life, criticised the very institution of marriage vehemently before Naren, thereby making the boy brood on its futility. He could no more now accept the fact that his divine ideals, Sita and Rama, were also one such married couple and in tears confided his predicament to his mother. Bhuvaneshwari instantly assuaged his grief by asking him from then on to worship the ascetic of ascetics, Shiva, instead. Naren was pacified but could not reconcile himself anymore to being in the proximity of Sita and Rama. Accordingly, he rushed to the attic, picked up his beloved idols and in the dark enveloping evening walked to the edge of the terrace railing and hurled down the images onto the road below. His ideal had been shattered, now he smashed the idols representing them. Next day he bought from the market a clay image of Shiva and began afresh his meditation on the Lord. However, Sita-Rama remained forever etched in his memory as his boyhood's first divine love and became a significant formative influence in his life and a perennial presence in his monastic life as well. Many years later he called every Indian the child of Seeta, that holy woman who unmurmering bore all her suffering in her all-encompassing love for her beloved husband, the divine Rama.

Written by Sugata Bose

Tibet, the land of the forbidden.

Tibet, the land of the forbidden.

Maya was a simple young lady who lived in the Tibetan settlement on the outskirts of Mundugod, near Hubli in North Karnataka. She used to teach the Tibetan language to the children in the camp, so they could not forget their roots. She was smart and hard-working. 

My father was a doctor working in Hubli and he occasionally visited that settlement. If any of the Tibetans wanted further treatment, they would visit my father at the government hospital in Hubli, Maya too started visiting my father and she was expecting her first child. 

Over the months she became quite friendly with all of us. Whenever she came to the hospital she would pay us a visit too. My mother would invite her for a meal and we would spend some time chatting. 

In the beginning, we would be in awe of her and stare at her almost-white skin, dove eyes, the little flat nose and her two long, thin plaits. Slowly we accepted her as a friend and she graduated to become my knitting teacher. Her visits were sessions of knitting, chatting and talking about her life in the camp and back in her country for which she still yearned. Maya would describe her homeland to us with great affection, nostalgia, and at times with tears in our eyes. 

‘Tibetans are simple people. We are all Buddhists but our Buddhism is of a different kind. It is called Vajrayana. There’s been a lot of influence from India, particularly Bengal, on our country and religious practises. Even our script resembles Bengali.’Her words filled me with a sense of wonder about this exotic land called Tibet they I would pester her to tell me more about that country. One day we started talking about the Dalai Lama. 

‘What is the meaning of the Dalai Lama?’ I asked.

‘It means “Oceans of knowledge”. Ours is a unique country where religious heads have ruled for 500 years. We believe in rebirth and that each Dalai Lama is an incarnation of the previous one. The present Dalai Lama is the 14th. You know, India is the holy land of Buddha. Historically, we have always respected India. There is a nice story about how Buddhism came to Tibet through India….’

I could not wait to hear about this!

‘Long ago there was a king in Tibet who was kidnapped by his enemies. They demanded a ransom of gold, equal to the weight of the king. When the imprisoned king heard this, he somehow sent word to his son: “Don’t waste any gold to get me back. Instead, spend that money to bring good learned Buddhist monks from India. With their help, open many schools and monasteries so that our people can live in peace and gain knowledge.””

Months passed and Maya delivered a baby. After that our meetings became less frequent. But she succeeded in awakening within me a curiosity about Tibet and a great respect for Buddhism. 

Recently I got a chance to visit Tibet and memories of Maya filled my mind. I knew I would be seeing a Tibet filled with the Chinese but nevertheless I was keen to go. Among the places I wanted to see was a Buddha Temple in Yarlung Valley that she had described to me. 

When I finally reached the valley, it was past midday. There was a cold wind blowing though the sun was shining brightly. The Brahmaputra was flowing like a stream here, nothing like the raging torrent in Assam. Snow-capped mountains circled the valley and there was absolute silence all around. 

 The monastery at Yarlung is supposed to be a famous pilgrimage spot, but I could see only a handful of people in the entire place. After seeing everything inside I sat down on the steps and observed the serene beauty of the place. 

I noticed an old woman accompanied by a young man walking into the monastery. The Woman was very old, her face was wrinkled and she walked slowly and weakly. She was wearing the traditional Tibetan dress and her hair was plaited. The young man on the other hand was dressed in the usual modern manner, in tight jeans and a body hugging T-shirt. The woman started circumambulating the monastery using her stick for support while the man sat down on the steps like me. 

When she finished, I realised the old lady was staring at me. Then she said something to the young man in Tibetan. She looked tired by her ritual and sat down on the steps. She said something to her companion again but he took little notice of her. So she slowly picked up her stick and came towards me. She sat down near me, took my hand and, saying something, gently raised them to her eyes and kissed them. Before I could say anything, she got up and started to walk away. But I noticed she was smiling, as if she had achieved a long-held desire. I realised there was a wetness where her eyes had touched my hand.

Now the young boy reluctantly came up to me and apologised. ‘Please forgive my grandmother,’ he said. ‘She is from a village in the interior part of Tibet. She has never ventured out of her village. This is the first time she has come to Yarlung. I beg your pardon for her behaviour.’

He was talking to me in English with an Indian accent. 

‘How come you speak English like us?’ I asked in surprise. ‘My name is Ke Tsang. I was in India for five years. I studied at Loyola College in Chennai. Now I run a restaurant in Lhasa. People here like Indian food and movies. I accompanied my grandmother for her pilgrimage. She was thanking you.’

‘But for what? I have not done anything for her!’

‘That is true, but your country has. It has sheltered our Dalai Lama for so many years. He is a living God to us, particularly to the older generation. We all respect the Dalai Lama, but due to political reasons, we cannot express it in public. You might have seen that there isn’t a single photo of his in any public place in the whole of Lhasa. He’s the 14th, but we have paintings, statues and pictures only upto the 13th. 

I still did not understand old lady’s gesture. The grandson explained, ‘She said, “I am an old lady and don’t know how long I will live. If I don’t thank you before I die, I will never attain peace. Let anyone punish me for this it does not matter. It is a gift that I met an Indian today and was able to thank you for sheltering our Dalai Lama. Yours is the truly a compassionate land.””

Her words eerily echoed Maya’s from many years back. I could only look down at the wet spot in my hand and smile.

Story courtesy: Mrs Sudha Murty.

Who am I -- a nice story

_*Who am I?*_

_Once, a beggar while begging in a train, noticed a well-dressed businessman wearing a suit and boots. He thought that this man must be very rich, so he will surely give good money if I ask him. So he went and asked that man for alms._ 

_The man looked at the beggar and said, *"You always beg and keep asking from people, do you ever give anything to anyone?"*

_The beggar said, *"Sir, I am a beggar, I can only keep asking people for money. How will I be able to give anything to anyone?"*

_The man replied, "When you can't give anything to anyone, then you don’t have any right to ask as well. I am a businessman and believe in transactions only - if you have something to give me, then I can also give you something in return.”_

_Just then, the train arrived at a station, and the businessman got down and left._

_The beggar started thinking about what the man had said. His words somehow reached the beggar’s heart._

_He started thinking that maybe I do not get much money in alms because I am not able to give anything to anyone in return. But I am a beggar, I am not even worth giving anything to anyone. But for how long will I keep asking people without giving anything._

*After thinking deeply, the beggar decided that whenever he gets something on begging, he will definitely give something back to that person in return.*

_But now the question was, what could he give others in return for begging? The whole day had passed thinking about this but he could not find any answer to his question._

_The next day while he was sitting near the station, his eyes fell on some flowers blooming on the plants around the station. *He thought, why not give some flowers to the people in return for alms.*

_He liked this idea and plucked some flowers from there and went to the train to beg._

*Whenever someone gave alms to him, he would give some flowers to them in return. People used to keep those flowers happily with them.*

_Now the beggar used to pluck flowers everyday and distribute those flowers among the people in return for the alms._

_Within a few days he realized that now a lot of people have started giving him alms. He used to pluck all the flowers near the station._

 _As long as he had flowers, many people used to give him alms. But when no more flowers were left with him, he wouldn’t get much. And this continued every day._

_One day when he was begging, he saw that the same businessman was sitting in the train, because of whom he was inspired to distribute flowers._

_The beggar immediately reached out to him and said, *"Today I have some flowers to give you in return for alms.*

_The man gave him some money and the beggar gave him some flowers in return. The man liked his idea very much and was quite impressed._

_He said, *"Wow! Today you too have become a businessman like me."*

_Taking flowers from the beggar, he got down at the station._

_But once again, his words had reached deep into the beggar’s heart._

 _He kept thinking again and again about what the man had said and started becoming happy._

_His eyes started shining now, he felt that he had now got the key to success by which he could change his life._

_He immediately got down from the train and excitedly looked up at the sky and in a very loud voice said, *“I am not a beggar anymore, I am a businessman now, I can also become like that gentleman, I can also become rich.”*

_When people saw him, they thought that maybe this beggar has gone mad. From the next day that beggar never appeared at that station again._

_Four years later, two men dressed in suits were traveling from the same station. When both of them looked at each other, one of them bowed to the other with joined hands and asked, *"Do you recognize me?"*

_The other replied, *"No! Maybe we're meeting for the first time."*

_The first one again said, "Sir, try to remember, we are not meeting for the first time but for the third time"._

_Second person, "Well, I can't remember. When was it that we met before?"_

_Now the first person smiled and said, *"We have met twice in the same train before. I am the same beggar whom you had told in the first meeting what I should do in life, and in the second meeting you told me who I really am."*

_"As a result, today I am a very big flower merchant and I am going to another city in respect of the same business."_

*"You told me the law of nature in the first meeting... according to which we get something only when we give something.*

_This rule of transaction really works, I've felt it very well, but I always thought of myself as a beggar, I never thought to rise above it._

*When I met you for the second time, you told me that I have become a businessman. Thanks to you, from that day onwards, my perspective changed and now I have become a businessman, I’m not a beggar anymore.”*

_Indian sages probably put the most emphasis on *‘knowing yourself’.*

_As long as the beggar considered himself a beggar, he remained a beggar and when he considered himself as a businessman, he became one._

*Similarly, the day we will understand our true nature, then what will be left to know and understand?_*

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏