Bhupendra nath sanyal biography of mahatma gandhi

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He assuaged her, however, saying Sanyal Mahashaya would live long, and many works urgently awaited his attention to be fully accomplished. He established an ashram there named Gurudham in 1923 and an ashram named Bhagalpur in 1924. Before coming to Santiniketan, he ran a store for Swadesi goods. To the Yogiraj and his advanced disciples the Babaji was much more than the God.

It pains a worshipful heart when it is perceived in the present days that even much humbler individuals are making a bee line at Ranikhet and some even claim to have had received benedictions from this superman.  Gullibility of men knows no limit.  Some of the illumined disciples of Lahiri Mahasya claimed to have had Darshan of this holy saint; Swami Sri Yukteshvar, Swami Keshavananda, Paramhansa Pranavananda, Acharya Panchanan Bhattacharya have claimed to have had Darshan of Babaji Maharaj.  One of the biographers of Lahiri Mahasaya, a grandson of the Yogiraj, tried to belittle these claims as untrue.  His endeavours, however, are found to be an attempt to paint Lahiri Mahasaya as their family property forgetting that the great Yogi was a world teacher.  None of the Yogiraj’s progenies could claim to have attained higher stages in Kriya.  Such opinions as against versions of the Yogiraj’s several saint disciples can be contemptuously ignored.

No authentic account is available about the Babaji’s name.  Some writers pointed out that among contemporary sages in Northern India Babaji was also known as Traimvak Baba and Shiv Maharaj.  But there is no parrallel confirmation of this from the accounts that can be had from the closest saint disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, nor any reference to this effect in Lahiri Mahasay’s recorded talks.  It is preferable therefore not to accept such assumptions.  A picture is also now seen, claiming it to be of the Babaji, professedly drawn from visions of some eminent men in the line.  But from accounts available directly from those who had avowed having seen this unusal god-man do not fit in the features found in the pictures.

It may be recalled that among the disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya at least four famous ones had claimed to have personally seen the Babaji Maharaj.  They were Swami Sri Yukteshvar, Paramhansa Pranavananda Giri, Paramhansa Keshavananda and Acharya Panchanan Bhattacharya.  While no information is available about the opinions of the latter two saint disciples as to what the Guru of their Guru looked like, Swami Sri Yukteshvar gave out specific descriptions.

One day, sometime in the year 1932, Swami Sri Yukteshvar paid a surprise visit to the dormitory where this author was living as a college student.  After passing sometime the saint asked the author to accompany him to the ancestral house of Paramhansa Yogananda, which was not far from the dormitory.  We were not required to go to the house as Shri Sananda Lal Ghose, third brother of Yoganandaji, appeared on the road in front of the house.  Sananda Lal is a reputed artist, expert in drawing portraits.  He is now in his eighties and is still hale and hearty.  Seeing him the Swami said he was looking for him.  Then he asked him to draw a picture of the Babaji Maharaji stating that this would not be difficult for him.  He was simply to make the picture of Lahiri Mahasaya in a standing position, make locks of hair a litte longer and flowing over the shoulders, free end of the narrow Dhoti worn made to go round the shoulders and resting on the right arm held in a right angle like that of an up-country cow boy, and the left hand hanging parrallel to the body.  Face would be exactly like that of Lahiri Mahasaya but should look much younger.  The Swami assured Sananda Lal that he could do it without much difficulty.  But the artist became bewildered.  How could he paint such a picture, he demurred and whose picture he would succeed in drawing he would not know.  He expressed strong diffidence in succeeding to accomplishing the task as desired.  Sri Yukteshvar re-assured him of his success and left.  However, Sananda Lal did not dare to handle the task, perhaps considering the holiness of the individual involved.  From the description given a clear idea as to how the holy one had looked like, at least as far as how Sri Yukteshvar had seen, can be made out.

Paramhansa Pranavananda Giri Maharaj gave an account of description of the Babaji as he had seen him in the company of his own Guru Lahiri Mahasaya as also of some talk he had had with the holy one.  The account was published in the edition of the Gita which was named after him – the Pranava Gita – by his disciple Sri Jnanendra Kumar Mukherji who is now over one hundred years of age and is still hale and hearty.  As Pranavananda was talking to his Guru in the latter’s sitting room Lahiri Mahasaya suddenly got up in a hurry and excitement, walked up on to the courtyard and Pranavananda followed him, and fell prostrate on the feet of an up-country looking youngman.  Pranavananda was dismayed at his elderly Guru showing such veneration to an unknown youngster.  Getting up Lahiri Mahasaya directed Pranavadanda to show his veneration to his Guru Babaji Maharaj.  Pranavananda immediately did as asked, but wondered how the Babaji could look so young.  The three had dined together and during their talks Pranavananda asked the holy one a few questions.  The following is an account, briefly, of the questions and answers.

Bhagalpur became a center for the spread of Kriya Yoga. When Mohit Sen had to leave the asrama due to ill-health, Rabindranath asked Bhupendranath to take charge as Adhyaksha. His spiritual practice and education were impeded by frequent illnesses during his schooling and subsequently in his college days. Sanyal Mahashaya bloomed into a divine person filled with inner joy and beauty in the spiritual environment of this Brahmin family.

Bhagalpur became a center for the spread of Kriya Yoga.