Miracles...concluded

RAKHAL

7. After two stories where devotees were blest by being denied food, it is time to listen to one where a meal had to be arranged by the Master, long after he had moved to the 'other room' to pacify his spiritual son and another beloved child of his. They were Rakhal and Harinath whose monastic names were Swami Brahamananda and Turiyananada., respectively. For a proper appreciation of the story one should know that Rakhal Maharaj was born in an affluent family with lots of landed properties. So, if he had stuck to the worldly life, whatever else he might have missed, it would not have been two square meals a day! 

When this story unfolds the two of them, Rakhal and Harinath, were roaming around together, visiting various holy places and performing the most austere sadhana. The Master had passed away about ten years earlier in 1886 and Swamiji had also left on his world-conferring mission to America. Rakhal Maharaj was so fully absorbed in his sadhana that he devoted no time for anything else and it was left to Turiyananda to do madhukari ( begging for food) for both. Rakhal Maharj's detachment knew no bounds and he was satisfied with whatever food could be obtained. Even dry bread dipped in water, for days together was accepted cheerfully without ever a complaint. It was Turiyananda who used to feel miserable, thinking, "He whom the Master used ti feed 'ksheer and noni' with such loving care should be offered only dry bread by me!"

Matters became even worse when in the course of the wanderings they came to Ayodhya, the holy city of Ramachandra. For, while they enjoyed the celebrations connected with 'Dulan Purnima' the hardship about food became more severe as Ayodhya was in the grip of a famine. On the Ekadasi day following the Dulan Purnima, all that Hari Maharaj could procure were a few pieces of boiled arum ( arbi) The two brothers sat down to make meal out of them but discovered almost immediately that the arums were of the wrong variety which causes severe irritation to the throat followed by swelling and pain. The 'meal' had to be discontinued almost before it had begun and Turiyananda, who was in considerable pain himself ,rushed out in search of the antidote, i.e a sour lemon. He searched for and located a garden full of lemon plants, but devoid of any lemons, as it was the off season for the fruits. He appealed to the labourers working in the garden but they regretted that no lemons would be available. Disappointed, he was about to retrace his steps, when he saw one, solitary, lemon ripening on a plant. This surprised the labourers also who gladly plucked it and handed it over saying "It is your good fortunate that has produced one!  take it."

After sucking the lemon Rakhal Maharaj felt some relief from the pain but the swelling continued. The discomfort in the throat coupled with the acute hunger in the stomach taxed the patience of even a Brahmananda to the limit and in a sudden pique he complained to Thakur, " If you cannot  arrange for even a daily morsel of food why did you pull me out of the home? If only you can arrange for hot khichuri with achar for breakfast tomorrow, I shall know that you are still with me."

The spiritual son of the Master having doubts about him? well, perhaps an occasional bout of doubt adds spice to the 'play' of the Master! Let us pass on to the sequel.

Next morning the two brothers went for an early bath to the 'Lakshman Barjan' Ghat on the banks of the river Sarayu famous in the Epic. As they were coming out of the river after the ablutions, they noticed a sadhu (a Ramayet i.e devotee of Lord Rama, from the markings) eagerly looking for someone. After seeing Brhamananda and his companion he quickly approached them and said "Are you the two who observed fast on Ekadasi day yesterday? Do please come to Lord Rama's cottage for breaking the fast". The two sanyasi's were surprised and one of them asked, " Babaji, what can you offer for breakfast this early in the morning?" The sadhu said humbly " I have already offered Khichri to Ramji and I am afraid you will have to be satisfied with His prasad". The two brothers followed the sadhu to a straw hut under a neem tree, the sadhu's dwelling. They sat down to a breakfast of khichri with three varieties of achar (mango, lemon and tamarind). As they were eating, the sadhu kept on shedding tears of joy and saying repeatedly how kind Ramji had been to him. Swami Brahmananda interrupted him and asked for an explanation. Babaji said, " I have been living a life of prayer in this kothri for twenty four years hoping to hear one word from Lord Rama and longing for one vision of him. Last night, in the early hours, soft hands shook me awake and I heard, ' I am very hungry; please cook some khichri soon and offer it to me. Then as soon as it is dawn go to Lakshman Barjan Ghat where you will find two devotees of mine having their bath. They observed a fast on Ekadasi day. Invite them in and give them my prasad to eat". Pointing to a framed picture of Lord Rama, he continued." I clearly saw that it was this Ramji who woke me up and said those words to me. It is surely due to your kindness that this hard hearted Ramji has at last fulfilled my life's ambition today".

No comments are necessary except to recall that Vivekananda had recorded in writing that " The same Ramachandra dearer that life to Sita, incomparable in the three worlds, has in this age of ours' been born as Shri Ramakrishna."

SANYAL

8. This is also a story of hunger and of direct intercession by the Lord on behalf of his devotee. But whether the story can qualify as a miracle of Shri Ramakrishna, it is for the reader to judge.

The first name of this Sanyal was Sashibhushan and his great scholarship and saintly life so impressed the eminent educationist and well known sadhaka, Dr. Gopinath Kaviraj, that Sanyal finds an important place in Kaviraj's study of saints and savants written in Bengali under the title: Sadhu Darshan o Satprasanga.

Sashibhshan's scholarship was such that the list of those who studied with him includes the great Vivekananda and Swami Abhedananda. He perused no other profession, and for teaching he charged no fees even from the resident students. He depended entirely on charity for his own sustenance as also of his family members and the resident students. Moreover, such charity had to come unsolicited. This was the creed of "Ajachakvritti" that he had voluntarily adopted and so rigid was his code that he would rather go hungry with all his dependents than solicit help from any source. Let us now pick up the thread of the story as told by Dr. Kaviraj. 

"He (Sanyal) was residing at Baranagar at the time when this incident occurred. Though a householder, he depended entirely on unsolicited charity. He could have made a living by practising medicine but did not take it up as a profession....not that he did not treat patients, for many persons from different parts of the country used to come to him for treatment, but he did not charge any fees from them....there was no question of his taking up any salaried job. The number of his dependents was also not small, as, apart from his direct family, visiting relatives, patients and resident students had to be provided for. He used to consider it his duty to provide free maintenance to all of them and he never asked for any contribution from them. The maintenance of the dependents had to be manged with whatever was given freely and good heartedly. 

It happened once that nothing whatsoever was received.one day and he had to instruct all to subsist on the juice of 'bel' leaves. The same thing happened on the second day. On the third day also, up to  midday, there was no indication of any help materializing from any where. The Babaji (Shri Sanyal) continued to remain calm and unperturbed and went on performing his daily routine which included treatment of his patients and imparting instructions to the students. In the afternoons he used to study the spiritual texts with seekers after knowledge. On the third day (of continuous fasting) he was, in the afternoon, studying a commentary on the Brahma Sutras with the assembled listeners, quite a few in number, including, I understand, Swami Abhedananda. Of course he was not known by that name at that time, but as Kali Maharaj.

No one in the assembly knew the state of affairs in Babaji's household as he never gave a hint to anyone about want. He believed that He who need know, knew everything and it was pointless to inform others!

That afternoon when the participants were fully absorbed in the philosophical discussions, a postal peon appeared with a registered and insured cover addressed to Babaji. He opened it after taking delivery and silently read the letter that was inside. After laying it aside, he remained quiet with his face fixed upwards and tears streaming down from his eyes.This continued for about fifteen minutes, the assembled persons watching him silently.

Then Kali Maharaj said,''Sir what has happened? Has the letter brought some bad news?........We are surprised at your shedding tears so copiously and the rigid silence after reading the letter". Babaji replied,"No, these are not tears of anguish. Grief does not upset me much. What has overwhelmed me is the kindness of God and inspite of my best efforts I could not hold up my tears of joy''.So saying he tossed the letter forward and said , ''You can read it and find out for yourself ''.

The letter was read aloud and it transpired that it had come from Benaras and had been written by one Mitra, apparently a person of some importance, residing in Chowkhamba area of the city. He had written that on the previous night his 'Ishta' (chosen ideal) Lord Viswanath had come to him in a dream asking for food to assuage his hunger. He felt as if the Lord was saying, ''I am fasting, have taken neither food nor water, since a great devotee of mine has been going hungry. If you have the least devotion for me, at once arrange for my food and drink by providing food for my devotee. You must do this immediately without the least delay ''. So saying, he informed Mitra the name address of the devotee and also visually exhibited these in letters of gold. Mitra woke up after the dream and wrote down the name and address. Next day he despatched the letter along with currency notes for Rs. 500/- in the name of Babaji. Mitra ended the letter saying, " Though I have no other knowledge of your name and address, I have no doubt my dream has not deceived me and that this letter and the money will reach the intended person".

After the letter was read, Babaji disclosed the state of affairs in his house and that he and his family members had been fasting....learning all these the assembled gentry were also overwhelmed with joy and divine fervor and started singing the praises of the Lord. Needless to say, studies for the day came to an abrupt halt!"

Having borrowed this story from Dr. Kaviraj it now remains to provide justification for its inclusion in a chronicle of miracles of Shri Ramakrishna. The reported presence of a disciple of the Master at the psychological moment when the intervention by Bhagwan on behalf of his bhakta was disclosed would not make it a miracle performed by the Master. The fact as recorded by Dr. Kaviraj, elsewhere in the essay, that Sanyal had met the Master would not link this story with him. For that we have to find out what the other Sanyal (Baikuntha) has recorded in his 'Leelamrita'.

SASHIBHUSAN SANYAL

9. Erudite scholar, a devotee scrupulous in observing the code of conduct prescribed in the shastras. Being pleased with his rigid adherence to the code, Thakur said," God himself has to step in to enable the genuine 'aachari' to maintain it. He had blest him once by stepping into his house after a visit to the Temple of Kalyaneshwar Mahadeva.

We also learn for 'Bharater Sadhak' written by Sankarnath Roy that it was the Master who had dissuaded Sanyal from adopting medicine as a profession. It is also recorded there that the Master himself had invited Sanyal to accompany him to the Kalyaneshwar Shiva Temple, from where the Master had walked, for him a long distance, to Sanyal's house. The Master had accepted some sweets and fruits and drunk a glass of water there.

So, we see that:

1. Sanyal's acceptance of "Unsolicited Charity" as his only means of sustenance had the approval of the Master and may have been directed by him;
2. Sanyal had received the Master's blessing that his 'achar' would be duly protected, if need be by divine intervention;
3. Sanyal's link with Mahadev ( or Vishwanath) as his protective Deity was established by the Master by taking him to the Kalyaneshwar Shiva Temple.

Would it then, be too much, to conclude that the Master did have a hand in the timely arrival of succor to the beleaguered Sanyal?

Before closing this episode I cannot help noting another (minor) miracle.

On the day the Master visited Sanyal's house he invited Sanyal to come to Dakshineshwar with him offering as an inducement to him the famous rasagullas of Baghbazar. Thakur told the 'Pundit', as Sanyal was called by him, that two persons would be sending two 'handis' (earthenware pots) full of rasagullas. One of them would be doing so with a 'motive' while the other's act would be 'pure' Of course, the Pundit was assured that he would get his share from the 'pure' lot.

When they arrived at Dakshineshwar the two 'handis' of rasgullas had duly arrived!