Stories by Vimal Chandra Mitra

Stories by Vimal Chandra Mitra I

The grandmother of Baba and my own grandmother were closely intimated to each other. Former often used to narrate the strange stories of his childhood.

At the age of three years, Baba could tell and explain the various stories of Mahabharata. Once I asked Baba to what extent His memory functioned. Baba replied that He could even remember the stage of His existence before birth. He further said that when he has hardly two months old, He could feel pain of the goat being butchered for the feast arranged to celebrate his birth as the first son in the family. Baba used to play with me until He was twelve. At that time, I believed that He was also practicing something secretly.

Both of us joined service in the same office almost at the same time. From then onwards I dared not meet Him because I felt one could very easily merge himself in Baba's personality. Any question put to Him was very easily and appropriately answered as if He was the authority on all the subjects. When asked about music, He could explain not only the origin but also all other minute details. He further explained the mode of putting questions. While I was still reading the headlines of different news items, He would finish reading the newspaper. Further more, He would direct me to read certain important news- items. After a few days when He asked. me again about those news items, I was unable to recollect them.

Then He would ask me to touch His finger and would subsequently narrate the entire news thoroughly. Baba explained that all such phenomena were based on a definite theory. But I fail to recollect that theory now. Elucidating the theory, He also said that all the people in the world were linked together. But I don't clearly remember what He taught me then.

Baba remembered everything He had studied during His entire academic life right from the first class. Baba used to treat me as a representative of the people, I thought of Him as the incarnation of God and was sure His fame would spread throughout the world. I got the answers of all of my questions during conversation with Him. At the end of conversation Baba asked if there were more doubts in my mind. Afterwards I asked Him how He could know the questions and doubts rising within my mind and replied them though apparently I did not ask. He would then clarify that when one stood with Him, all the things in former's mind flashed like a cinema-reel before Him.

A perfect palmist: I also found Baba as a perfect palmist. He taught palmistry to several persons in the workshop within a week. Prominent among them were Viswanathji and Shyamal Sen. Once a person named Binay Sinha wanted his palm to be read by Baba. I approached Baba who said, "I do not know palmistry. Go and see Viswanath Babu for this". At the very outset Viswanathji started chiding him: "Are you not ashamed of showing your palm?

Having heard this Baba instructed me to call the man on the morrow. Baba wanted all his crimes (as depicted by the lines of his hand) to be disclosed in the presence of all, so that he might reap the fruits of his crimes. Baba later helped Binay, the culprit, very much to become a gentleman.

Once a farewell party was given to Badal Chatterjee, nephew of Shankarji, on the eve of his transfer. A garland was offered to him, but Badal Chatterjee declined to be garlanded since he had mentally offered that garland to Revered Baba. He said that the garland should be offered to Baba. Baba accepted the garland and gave it to that very culprit, Binay. Baba also instructed him to preserve the garland at a safe place and to have a look at it while going out for day's work. Binay purchased a piece of red cloth and wrapped the garland with it and put it in the box. He used to start every work after seeing the garland. Gradually his problems were solved, he became a good man and the garland eventually disappeared from his box. Though Binay Sinha is a non-margi, yet he is devoted to Baba.

I never desired anything from Baba, but I faced no problems due to His grace. People were jealous seeing me in the company of Baba. But they could do me no harm. "A great man has to do no propaganda for himself", Baba said.


Stories by Vimal Chandra Mitra II

Once Baba told me that He knew an American Engineer whose brother in law was a poet and philosopher. Former went to meet latter who presented him, a book "Idea and Ideology". The engineer acquired much knowledge and derived satisfaction from reading the book. He made up his mind to meet the author of the book named P.R Sarkar, popularly known as Anandamurtijii. The engineer bade goodbye to his brother-in-law who failed to give him the address of Shrii Sarkar and told him that he was proceeding to India to meet Shrii Sarkar. He came to Delhi and wanted to go to American embassy in order to know the whereabouts of P.R. Sarkar. He hired a taxi and proceeded towards the embassy. After crossing a junction of roads the engineer thought to go via another road left behind. He therefore asked the driver to drive back the taxi on that road. Unexpectedly in the way, he came across a sanyasi who was astonished to see that an American was inquiring the whereabouts of Shrii Sarkar. The sanyasi belonged to Ananda Marga and so he took him to Ananda Marga office. The American later visited Varanasi and he was initiated into Marga there. He met P.R. Sarkar soon after. Thereafter, he started pracar of Ananda Marga enthusiastically after returning back to America. I do know that American.

Once Baba told me that the Raja of Garh, Jaipur was highly impressed by the thoughts of Ananda Marga and so wanted to help it. He was then eighty years old and was not able to do anything himself so, he expressed his desire to his family members to donate some land to Ananda Marga which could be used by latter for educational, relief and welfare activities. Baba went to see the land and liked it. Marga wanted to shift its headquarters to that place and start colleges and hospitals there. The Maharaja of Kashi who also wanted to donate land to Ananda Marga sent his Acaria to Baba to convey his message. A committee was formed which selected the site at Ananda Nagar i.e., the land of Raja of Garh, Jaipur. They had, therefore, to decline the offer made by the Maharaja of Kashi. Complete project of Ananda Nagar was drawn and the place started humming up with various types of activities.

Once I told Baba that He possessed extraordinary powers and was capable of doing anything he liked in no time. Baba said, "like to struggle in the prime of My life so that I may live peacefully for a long time. Struggle is beneficial. One can not progress in the absence of struggle."

Baba gave programme for children's home. He wanted homes for destitute children-children whose parents may or may not be alive but who have virtually no sources even for their survival. I asked Baba how this home would run. Baba then mentioned a verse of Ravindra Nath Tagore: Once famine broke out at the time of Gautam Buddha. He appealed to a few rich men to help him fight the famine, but none came forward. There was a beggar girl who came to Buddha and offered herself for the noble cause. She told him, that the millionaires' donation would come from one house (i.e., each will give from his own account only) but she had innumerable houses to beg from.

Baba was loved and admired by several persons in His office because of intellectual profundity, and was more often, surrounded by them. This irked the high-ups who, though holding higher official position, were very poor in learning and knowledge. They felt ashamed to Enquirer and know anything from Baba. In order to conceal their weaknesses they started hurling abuses on Baba out of sheer jealousy. They said, "What does Prabhat Babu (Baba) know? He had read only a few books. Only fools have encircled Him."

A few others in office were jealous of Him because they could not follow His great thoughts and ideas. So far as I am concerned Baba's teachings had immense effect on my life. I had been loving and respecting Him since I first knew Him in 1947.

Baba was never scolded by His senior officers. On the contrary, Baba reproved them for their faults. Some officers were always trying to find fault with Baba so that He could be transferred on that pretext. But they never got such an opportunity. Several times CID. men went to make enquiq about Him but they used to return being initiated into Ananda Marga.

Baba used to sit quietly in His office. Once a man from Bhagalpur started offering red roses to Him every day. He used to return after bidding pranam to Him. He was never seen asking any boon from Baba. This made me Enquirer about the mystery behind that offer Baba replied, "He is a very clever man. One day he would get something which would fulfil all of his wishes."

Within a day, Baba explained to me the inner thoughts of Gatanjali. It surprised me to find how He explained so many things in such a short period.

Although Baba was mostly busy explaining various matters and answering different questions to the inquisitive minds, His official works always remained upto-date. Those participating in discussions and conversations with Baba also kept their records up-to-date so that higher officials could get no chance to tell anything which offended Baba.

Once senior officers came to Him on the pretext of inspecting work report. They went back disappointed to find no point to make complaint against Him.

Baba told me about their bad intentions.

On one occasion, Baba was called to furnish explanation on some fabricated charges. Baba submitted His resignation in reply.

There was periodical "Angika Samachar" being published from Bhagalpur. Angika language had no grammar then. So the magazine had to face insurmountable difficulties in editing. Baba called Anil Bhattachaqa and dictated the grammar of Angika with in two hours. Angika Subhodh, the grammar, was handed over to the editor, who found his difficulties solved in on time.