THE SEVEN STEPS OF DESTRUCTION
1.
Morton School, fourth level, staircase room. It is four in the evening. M. is seated on a chair facing south. Nearby are seated Antevasi, Gadadhar, Vinay and others.
Enters Harish Babu of Decca. Having offered pranam to M., he takes his seat with the devotees. He is a bachelor and a devotee, a little over thirty years old. He has great longing for God and wants to embrace sannyasa. But was asked by the senior sadhus of the Math, the children of Thakur, to stay at home for sometime and serve his mother. Recently, his mother has died.
Harish has returned to the Belur Math some days ago after visiting several places of pilgrimage. He is not to go back to home now. Instead, he will become a sadhu. M. talks to him in a happy mood.
M. (to Harish) On knowing that you had been to so many holy places, Thakur would have gone into samadhi on seeing you. By seeing you, we feel that we have also had the darshan of the holy spots.
"A person has come from Vrindavan just on hearing this, Thakur went into samadhi. Please say what you have seen."
Harish First, I had the darshan of Kedarnath, then of Badrinarayana. After that, I went to Kashmir. There, I had the darshan of Sri Amarnath and Sri Kshir Bhavani.
"I also had darshan of Rishikesh, Lakshman Jhula and Swarga Ashrama. In the Swarga Ashrama, the sadhus live in huts on the bank of Ganga and beg their food in the satra (a free food distribution centre). One feels very inspired there."
M. How quickly those twelve years passed! I was in the Swarga Ashrama for some time. The bank of the river, the Himalayas! A beautiful spot it is! A deep peaceful atmosphere reigns in all these places. I also stayed at the Maya Kund of Rishikesh. Swami Vivekananda and others had been there even earlier. In Maya Kund there was a satra. I also lived in a room there. I was also in the Kankhal Ashrama. I used to go and sit at the bank of the Ganga near the satra of Basti Ram. I was in one of the rooms of a primary school. Rakhal Maharaj was in the Sevashrama then, along with Hari Maharaj and Mahapurusha Maharaj. They lived in the hall. They are all nice places to live in. And then to have such a company!
M. Swamiji (Vivekananda) had been to Kshira Bhavani. It appears, it is there that Thakur ‘unlocked’ him. Thakur had said to Swamiji at Cossipore Bagan, ‘Now, go and do Mother’s work.’ He had kept everything locked up. Later on, what an amount of work he did in America and Europe!
"Swamiji told me that he had had the darshan of the Mother. He had thought of the tyrannical deeds of the Muslim kings and had said to himself that he would have saved all by giving his own blood, if he had been there. Immediately, the Mother spoke from above, ‘Son, is it I who protect you or you that protects Me? All this has happened at My will.’
"How wonderful! What can a man understand?"
What is M. thinking of? He resumes.
M. (to Harish) There has been a catastrophe in Rishikesh. Many sadhus have lost their lives in the floods. Two of the Math have also departed.
A Particular Bhakta Sarveshwarananda and Bhavani Chaitanya.
M. (to Harish) How did you find Naimishyaranya? How did you go there?
Harish On the journey back from Hardwar, one gets down at the Balamau Junction, some fifty miles from Lucknow and travels fifteen or sixteen miles by another train.
The Patua of Goswami Sut in Naimishyaranya is situated on the bank of the Gomti river. There, he had narrated the Bhagavata for the first time to Rishis and Munis. And there Veda Vyasa had compiled the Puranas.
M. rises, goes to the roof and walks up and down there. After sometime, he goes to sit on a desk-bench facing west in the south-western corner of the roof. Harish and Jagabandhu come and sit on another bench in front of M. They converse.
M. (to Harish) These are all holy places. And if you think of it, all places are holy. The earth has supported the rishis, so the whole earth is a place of pilgrimage.
"And then, see in the Vamana avatara, one of His feet had held the earth. Besides, Thakur says, ‘It is He who is living everywhere in every form in all these.’ Thus, everything is holy, all places are places of pilgrimage.
"But, we live with small things. That is why, we feel a little inspired on going to such places of pilgrimage. It is a fact, yes, we live with very small things."
Harish is going to the Math. As desired by M., Jagabandhu gives him sweets in a plate. Besides, the evening lamp has been lighted. M. says to Harish, ‘It is already evening. Repeat the name of Thakur for a while and eat this.’ Having taken the sweet snacks, Harish departs.
Eight in the evening, the staircase room. M. is seated on a chair facing south near the sill. To his left and right are seated some devotees the Elder Jiten, the Younger Jiten, Jagabandhu, Vinay, Pleader Lalit, Balai, Gadadhar, Buddhiram and others.
The eldest grandson of M., Matko is singing on the second storey. The child has a sweet throat. The waves of his song have stolen M.’s mind. Thereafter, he talks.
M. (to the bhaktas) It attracts the mind so much. Music makes the mind very steady. Also, the company of sadhus.
The Elder Jiten None of us knows how to sing.
M. You don’t try, that’s why. How much effort did Narendra put in for learning it! He went from the house of one teacher after the other to learn it. On hearing his music, the mind would steady itself at once. It would not roam at all. The same was the case with Thakur’s songs. Why did it happen? A feeling of God used to show itself in the tune of their songs. So, it used to attract the mind like a magnet. One would forget the world. Thakur’s dance was also equally attractive. The eye would see nothing else. Thakur’s words also stabilised the mind and when he went into samadhi, the minds of the bhaktas would also get concentrated in a fixed stare. Song is an easy spiritual practice. It quickly steadies the mind.
2.
Nava Vidhan Brahmo Samaj Mandir. It is six in the evening, Friday. The birth anniversary of Brahmananda Keshab Chandra is being celebrated. He was the founder of this sect and the temple.
Now, they talk on the life of Keshab Sen. Gopal Babu is the presiding preacher of today. The topic of discussion is Keshab and national problems. The Samaj temple is decorated with flowers and greenery and is illuminated by chains of lamps.
M. enters the courtyard of the temple with Jagabandhu and Vinay. M. stands in front of the western gate and talks happily with the head pundit of the Calcutta Madrasa. In the meanwhile, Rajni, the devotee of Silcher joins them.
M. enters the mandir by the northern gate to the west along with the bhaktas. He sits in the nearest row of benches on the first seat. There are only a few persons in the mandir. So, an attendant comes and requests him to take a seat in front. M. rises and takes his seat at the first place in the first row.
There is a path leading to the pulpit on M.’s left. Antevasi takes his seat in the first row to the right of the path; the Younger Jiten takes a seat in the row behind Antevasi. On a bench to his right sit Vinay and Rajni. The doctor sits with M. to his left and Gadadhar in the second row behind M. Balai arrives a little later.
Religion, politics, social reform and such other activities received a new life with the coming of Keshab. The preachers proceeded on their side of action with a new earnestness. Let us go ahead brothers, let us all go ahead such zeal spread everywhere. These topics began to the discussed everywhere.
After an hour, M. and the devotees came out of the temple and set out for the Morton School at a slow speed. It takes only five minutes to reach there.
7.30 p.m. M. is seated on a bench in the veranda on the second level veranda of the Morton School. The Elder Jiten, the Stout Sudhir, the Elder Amulya, Jagabandhu and others are seated close to M.
After a while, M. goes up to the third level for taking his meals, asking others to remain busy. The devotees talk at random. After a while, they will start reading but they don’t. In an hour, M. returns after taking his meals. Says he, ‘Well, where are you devotees? The class hasn’t started yet.’ Antevasi says, ‘It has been a period of recreation.’
M. enters the assembly room of the second level. A mat and a blanket had been spread on the floor. M. sits on the blanket facing east. The bhaktas are seated on his three sides. As soon as M. takes his seat, the devotees offer him pranam. He keeps silent for a few moments. Then he hums the following:
Rishibhirbahudha gitam chhandobhirvividhaih prithak,
Brahmasutrapadaishchaiva hetumadbhirvinishchitaih.
[This (the Field and the Knower of the Field) has been sung by rishis in many ways and distinctly in various hymns and also in well reasoned and conclusive expressions of the aphorisms of the absolute (Brahmasutra). (Gita 13:4)]
M. sings it again and again as if he is intoxicated. His voice gradually rises crescendo and then goes down into the sweetest of mental state. This mantra is the most favourite of M., so he generally sings it in a tune. This same sweet, grave, mental current goes on for fifteen minutes. Then, he turns a wave or two of this current to the devotees.
M. (to devotees) Aha, just see, what a reverence he has for rishis he says, ‘The rishis say so.’
"But Arjuna also says, ‘You say, you are God. So, I believe it.’
"Aha, both of them are right. Arjuna is also a bhakta and he talks to him as a bhakta. And he, Sri Krishna, to give credit to the rishis, also said what he had to say.
"The Rajasuya yajna was performed in Yudhishthira’s house. Sri Krishna took the responsibility of washing the feet of all the Brahmins. The Brahmins of that time, you see, were always calling upon God."
The Elder Jiten Then only, the others will learn, besides.
M. (interrupting him) No besides. He comes down only for teaching mankind ‘He teaches dharma to the humans by His own conduct’.
M. remains silent for a while and then resumes.
M. (to the devotees) Aha, how devoted they are to Keshab Babu. Mannatha srijagannathah madguruh srijagadguruh [My master, the Master of the world, my guru, the guru of the world.]
"Only He (God) knows why so much of devotion to the guru. No, it is for us."
M. (to all present) Tomorrow evening a kathkata (a commentary on an old tale with music) is going to be held about Keshab Babu in the Lilly Cottage. I am thinking of going there by a rickshaw.
The Doctor Why, we will go by car. Isn’t it right to go in this way?
M. No. It would be better if we return by car. You can go that side (Cossipore, Shyam Bazaar and the Circular Road). Let us come back by car.
"One must not bother the driver. Since he is paid, should he for that reason be made to work so hard? Fie!"
"It was in the newspaper. A woman was working as a nurse in England. You see, they earn a lot by way of salary and the European women have so many engagements theatre today, bioscope tomorrow. They leave their children in the care of the nurses and then don’t have to worry.
"Later, a son of the nurse herself fell ill. She asked for leave. The lady did not grant it. She said, ‘We have engaged you for this work. It cannot be done.’ The next day she heard that the nurse’s son died. Just see all this just for money!
"It is the same everywhere. This happens wherever there is clash of interest. A constant struggle goes on there and one loses one’s temper."
M. is pensive for a movement then he resumes.
M. (to the bhaktas) A boy went to meet somebody. A girl was winnowing paddy. The bangles in the girl’s hand were jingling. The boy follows the sound. By striking with each other, the bangles break one by one. When there are only two bangles in her two hands, there is no longer any sound. Seeing this, the boy is about to go back, when the girl says, ‘Why don’t you meet me before you go?’ The boy then replied, ‘By God, no. There is no sound (fighting) when one is alone. I would rather be alone.’
3.
"To establish agreement in the midst of disagreements, well, only an avatara can do it."
The Elder Jiten Husband, wife and child, in these two and a half persons there is never an agreement!
M. Why husband and wife? Wherever there are two there is no agreement.
Dhyayato vishayan punsah sangasteshupjayate,
Sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodhobhijayate.
Krodhat bhavati sammohah sammohat smritivibhramah,
Smritibhranshat buddhinasho buddhinashat pranashyati.
(Gita 2:62-63)
"(Counting on his fingers) (1) Thinking of worldly objects (2) Attachment (3) Desire (4) Anger (5) Delusion (6) Loss of memory (7) Ruin of reason these are seven steps leading to destruction.
"He quarrels with another but he doesn’t know who is making him dance this dance.
"Just imagine, there is one big boss in an office. Under him, there is the second boss. Under him, there is another man and so on one under the another. Then this group departs and another comes dancing in its place. And such is the world.
"One loses his temper here. So for those, who cannot remain stable, there is sannyasa."
Vaman Das Mukherjee is a teacher of the Morton School. He has beaten a boy, Gyan Rai by name. He has struck rather hard. M. is the rector. He is informed about it. He has become very disturbed.
M. (to the devotees) If you have the strength of ten thousand elephants within you, you may take to worldly life. But if you lose your patience by a mere trifle, you have no place in the world. The sannyasa ashrama is for you. Why does he not take to sannyasa?
The Elder Jiten Who will give him bread and dal? And who will arrange the mosquito-net for him?
M. You may say so. But if you have the strength of ten thousand elephants, you may enter it (household). Otherwise, come out. The sannyasa ashrama was created for this purpose.
A Particular Devotee Teacher I have insulted Rakhal in his class by reprimanding him.
M. We will ask you another day what kind of insult you have inflicted.
M. (to the devotees) Look here, he thinks upon Thakur night and day. If he has such a state of mind, what to speak of others’ condition. Alas, even devotees are in such a state!
"Thakur therefore said, ‘The world is a burning fire.’"
The Elder Amulya Two persons were quarrelling in the College Square. One was Bengali, the other Hindustani (from northern India). While one gave the highest place to Tulasi Das, the other would not agree with it.
M. (absent mindedly) Such a dance goes on, what else?
The Elder Amulya When will the kathkata be held there tomorrow?
M. At six in the evening, in the Lilly Cottage. Besides, it is held in the Nava Vidhan in the morning in their preaching hall. All these people go there (Rajni, Buddhiram, Gadadhar, Vinay, the Younger Jiten and so on.)
"Some four or five persons live there, all good people. They are sadhus, of little means. They have not given themselves the privilege of worldly name and fame. They are all renouncing sadhus.
"They say: Man makes a family by visits. By visiting others, you come to know them.
"Perhaps, they have talked so much about Thakur, you see, I have not been there for number of days. How then to know? Many of them enjoyed the love of Thakur They used to accompany Keshab Babu on his visits. There are many other groups like these.
"What the Christian devotees do, we do not know. Many of them had the darshan of Thakur. Besides, there are so many who did not have his darshan, but know so much about Thakur. And they love Thakur.
"Similarly, there are Muslims devotees. I have heard that many Muslim devotees used to visit Thakur before his close disciples came to him. There are so many such groups of devotees of Hindus, of Muslims and of Christians. There are so many branches of the Hindus the Buddhist, the Jains, the Sikhs, the Brahmos, the Arya Samajists and so many others. The mother of them all is the Veda. Nowadays, they all accept the word of Thakur according to their own interest.
"So one should meet them all. By meetings, one comes near each other. In one or two days, one may meet perhaps two or three persons. Then one comes to know how many earnest, how many devout persons there are.
"Today in the Nava Vidhan Brahmo Samaj, they mentioned Thakur’s name thrice. Once they said, ‘The Paramahansa Deva, on seeing Keshab, said: The bait of this boy has sunk.’ And another time while talking of Christ, Moses and Chaitanya they also talked of Thakur. And a third time they said, ‘The Paramahansa Deva used to repeat the name of the Mother of the Universe.’
"Thakur went to attend the prayer meeting in the Adi Brahmo Samaj. Keshab Babu was then meditating seated on the pulpit. He was then twenty seven. As soon as Thakur saw him, he said, ‘The fish hook of this boy has sunk.’ That is to say, the fish has attached itself to the hook. When the fish tries to eat the bait, the hook sinks into the water though the fish has not yet been hooked. It means that the mind has attached itself to God but it has not been able to hold Him yet. What a great thing he said! Is it an ordinary thing? So Thakur said, ‘Keshab is a highly spiritual person.’ "
The Elder Amulya Who was the first teacher of the Adi Samaj?
M. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first. Thereafter, came Devendra Nath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen. Keshab Babu was their preacher. But, he could not conform himself to them. He admired Christ but Devendra Nath Thakur used to say, ‘A man should not be raised so high.’ So Keshab broke away and established the Nava Vidhan Brahmo Samaj.
M. keeps silent for a while and then starts the conversation.
M. (to the bhaktas, hinting at the Elder Amulya) What right have you to see what others are doing, or not doing? Where is the time even to see the work of the others? Even a single mourning and everything gets upset. Such is the state of things! How can people then find time to think about others?
A two year old daughter of Amulya has recently passed away.
M. (to Antevasi) Let there be a little reading from Purana. Is there any book here?
Antevasi No, Sir.
M. Never mind, I have a Gita.
Gadadhar brings the hurricane lamp near. M. himself reads the Gita the (Lord’s) universal form. But, since the wick of the lamp is too small, it flickers and dies down. It is dark all around.
A particular bhakta goes up to the fourth level to fetch another lamp. In the meanwhile, M. begins talking again. ‘(Hinting at the Elder Amulya) How can we get time to see the work of others? One says one is unstable in one’s own fire.’
The lamp has been brought in. The reading of the Gita continues (Lord’s) universal form.
M. (to the devotees) Arjuna could not have complete faith on who was Sri Krishna. He would begin to doubt at times. Sri Krishna said, ‘I am the Father, Mother and Master of the world. I am all. And I am also its destroyer.’ When he gained a little faith, Arjuna wanted to see His universal form but could not bear it. He started shaking all over.
"The devotees cannot understand all about the avatara. Where is the power to do so? Therefore, they don’t even want it. What they can bear is good enough for them. When one asks for too much, what Arjuna experienced is bound to happen. The Lord fulfilled the request of the bhakta. And at the same time, he taught others not to ask for too much.
"But, of course, it was really meant for Arjuna. Yet, he says to all bhaktas:
Matkarmakrinmatparamo madbhaktah sangavarjitah,
Nirvairah sarvabhuteshu yah sa mameti pandavah.
[He who does work for Me, he who looks upon Me as his goal, he who worships Me, free from attachment, he who is free from enmity to all creatures, he goes to Me, O Arjuna.(Gita 11:55)]
" ‘Take refuge in Me, make Me as your goal,’ that is to say know that God comes first, the world only next. If you wish to attain God this is what is needed. You will have to change your entire outlook. God first, world next."
Morton School, Calcutta,
Friday, 21st November, 1924,
The 6th of Agrahayana 1331 (B.Y.),
The 9th day of the dark fortnight,
2 Dandas/13 Palas.