Shree Madhab Enactment of His Earthly Mission
Dhamrail is a quiet village in Bangladesh close to the busy capital Dhaka. The religious Bengali may be familiar with the name due to its famous Madhab temple. Within a few quick strides from Dhamrail, or so the villagers would have you believe, lies the scantily populated sleepy village of Kushura inhabited by poor farmers, small time traders and craftsmen.
Bishwambhar and Kaushalya, like many other couples of Kushura, somehow managed to maintain their livelihood by farming their small plot of land. Yet they had nothing to complain of except the absence of a child in the household. When all hopes seemed to be lost the couple prayed to the almighty for His kind blessings. Bishwambhar went to pray at the Madhab temple and his wife at the Beni (Shiva) temple. The prayer of the couple was soon answered with the birth of a son, who was christened Beni-madhab after the gods. Thus Madhab made his appearance on the earthly stage to prepare it for the Final Act. It was Wednesday, the second day after the new moon in the month of July 1921 – the auspicious day of Rathayatra.
The personality and the features of Madhab did not bear any resemblance with the rest of the family even with those of his brother and sister who followed later. There was a unique distinctiveness in his manners since his young days. His personality attracted all. Even people much older in age came to seek his advice. His mere presence used to be a source of joy to all those near him. In short Madhab soon became the central personality in the village of Kushura.
His education suffered a setback with the death of his father when Madhab was a student of Class II. Later he told his disciples, “Look, in that situation it was impossible for me to study. As I was the eldest, I had to earn to feed my younger brother, sister and mother. Maybe I was only a child at that time, but I tried to earn a living.” He took a job of teaching in the primary school of that village. Although his education did not reach beyond Class II, he could teach even higher-class students with ease. When the elders of the village asked Madhab to take up teaching in the village high school, he told them he would certainly do that if they considered him suitable. Soon, his reputation as a teacher spread in the neighbourhood. One day the Inspector of Schools came for a visit. Madhab explained, “ In those days the Inspectors took pains to evaluate the capabilities of teachers by secretly observing them while they were teaching. It was not a casual routine visit like the modern times.” The Inspector was so impressed with the way Madhab taught that he immediately offered him a permanent position as a teacher of that school. However, when he came to know that Madhab had only an education level of Class II, he told him, “ You have put me in a dilemma. On one hand it is a wonder how you could teach so well with only an education up to Class II and on the other, it is impossible for me to appoint you as a teacher with this qualification.”
As time passed by, need to increase his earnings became more and more acute. So Madhab started to take up miscellaneous odd jobs. While speaking about those days of extreme hardship, Madhab said, “The wholesalers in our part of the country used to bring sacks of salt on boats. I took up a job of unloading the salt sacks in exchange of half a rupee.” He used to add in a lighter vein, “Look, my neck is stunted and I am so short. Believe me it is only due to those heavy salt sacks which I had to carry in my young days.”
In reality he had unusually short features. While the upper part of his body was that of a person of standard height, the lower half of the body was abnormally short. So, in a sitting posture no one could imagine that he was so short. Another unique feature was that his hands and feet were unusually soft. He never wore shoes or slippers but the soles of his feet remained soft and pinkish red, which is astonishing for a man who had gone through a hard life walking barefoot on the dirty and rough streets of Calcutta.
However, when Madhab found no way to make the ends meet, he arrived at the city of Calcutta in search of a job. It was mid April in 1944 and Madhab was a young man of 22 years.
Meanwhile, before coming to Calcutta an incident occurred, this was both amusing and romantic. As is the custom in a traditional Indian household, all parents are keen to get their sons married off and bring a bride into the family and Madhab’s mother was no exception. She interviewed many prospective candidates in search of a fair young bride for her son. Madhab remained cool and indifferent to her activities. Whenever she went to interview a girl, Madhab told her, “Go if you wish but this girl is not my bride.” “Don’t lecture me,” his mother would say, “You may succeed with your lecture elsewhere, but not with me.” One day Madhab told his mother to go to a certain house in an adjacent village where, he assured her, she would find his bride. He said, “If you go and tell her parents that you wish to marry their daughter to your son, they would readily agree.” So it happened and Sri Madhab was married to ‘Ganga’ (called by the disciples as Ganga – ma) on the 5th day of Sravana Bengal era 1348. Madhab’s mother had an objection regarding Ganga-ma’s dark complexion. But, they were not ordinary mortals. The Supreme Consciousness descends on this earth with a well laid out plan to achieve his mission, where our petty likes and dislikes have no significance.
Sri Madhab came to Calcutta a few days after his marriage. His cousin Sri Nani Saha had a mess in Belgachia (north Calcutta) and Madhab used to stay there. After sometime he wrote to his mother to send some money for starting a small business. At that time his mother took up the job of a cook in Bangladesh. His wife and younger brother used to stay with a distant uncle and made their living by selling lotus leaves. Madhab’s mother managed to send him about Rs.20/-, which she took as an advance from her employer.
It has been stated earlier that since his young days Madhab had an outstanding personality, which was unique. He never sought sympathy from anyone no matter what his condition was and had no emotional attachment whether worldly or spiritual. He never took any gift from any person. He also never had a guru. His mother used to tell him, “Look, are you going to blemish our family name? You have not taken ‘diksha’ yourself but you have disciples. I am not going to tolerate such nonsense in the house. You better get yourself a guru quickly.”
His mother got hold of a maharaj who was asked to give ‘diksha’ to Madhab. On the day of the diksha, both of them were closeted in a room. Soon all those who were present witnessed a curious scene. The maharaj lay prostrate at the feet of Madhab, tears streaming down his cheeks unchecked. He begged for some tulsi leaf, which he placed at the feet of Madhab and paid obeisance as one does to his deity. Thus ended his mother’s efforts of getting him a guru.
Madhab often spoke about his days in the mess at Belgachia. He said that for many days he had to go without food, but he never disclosed this to anyone. He said, “I used to fill my stomach with water from the road-side tap and buy a ‘pan’ worth half a paise and reach home posing that I had a grand feast.”
The cook of the mess was very fond of him and used to store some food for him. Although he never did take anything given to him out of sympathy, he did not refuse the food given to him by the cook as this was out of love. When his brother asked him to take his dinner, Madhab used to reply “Believe me, I had dinner just now. What can I say, but they fed me so much that my stomach is full.”
Once Nani Saha’s wife fell critically ill. Even the doctors were helpless. Madhab told his brother “If you allow me, I can cure her.” All were surprised to hear him speak thus. However, Madhab asked everybody to leave the room and after sometime he said, “Now it is okay, you all may come in.” Inside there was a strange scene. The woman, who was sick and dying only moments ago, was sitting up on the bed and chatting with Madhab. His brother asked him how he could achieve such a miracle. Madhab replied in a strange voice, “I can do anything.” “What else can you do?” asked his brother. “Well ask boudi (sister-in-law) what she would like to eat. I can get her whatever she desires.” After some thought Nani Saha’s wife asked for some ripe jackfruit; knowing that it was impossible to get it as that was not the season for the fruit. Madhab feigned helplessness and said, “Oh now I have invited trouble for myself. Anyway, since I have promised, I have to do something.” Moments later Madhab brought in a plate full of pieces of jackfruit. The taste and the smell of the fruit surpassed anything earthly. How was this possible? Madhab said, “I can do anything I want. But none can know about me unless I reveal myself.”
During this time he had a septic boil in his right hand, which became very painful. His cousin took him to nearby R.G. Kar Medical College, where he was admitted. One day, Madhab overheard a couple of doctors discussing that his hand was to be amputed because gangrene has set in. This was not what was to be; Madhab knew that within a few days his hand would be cured. That night, Madhab quietly slipped out of the hospital, but he could not get back to his brother’s mess, as he would get caught. So he spent some days hiding under people’s balcony, car driveways, or under railway bridges. On one side the excruciating pain and on the other pangs of hunger continued. When the situation reached its peak, he found that some packets of food, probably the leftovers of some feast in the R.G. Kar Medical College hostel, were being thrown into a nearby dustbin. Finding the food inside untouched, he thought of using it to satisfy his hunger. When he was about to put it into his mouth, he felt a strange sensation in his head. The dark alley was illuminated with a dazzling light and Mahamaya (the goddess symbolizing power of creation) stood before him. She said, “Ask me what you want. I shall give it to you.” Madhab said, “I have not come here to take anything from anyone. However, I am glad that you have appeared before me out of sympathy. But I have nothing to take from you.” On hearing these words the image vanished. However, Madhab did not take the food in those left over packets. Within a few days his hand was cured and the money sent by his mother also arrived.
Madhab utilized the money to buy potatoes and onions from a wholesaler and sell it in the retail. Gradually, with hard work and sincerity he managed to save money and wrote to his mother to come and stay with him. He took up a shelter in a slum in Sovabazar known as Habu Goonda’s bustee and started living with his mother, brother and Ganga-ma. During this time he also took up the work of book binding in Bandha-ghat in Howrah. Madhab never hesitated to take up any kind of work. While he continued to earn his living in this manner, his mission on this earth proceeded in the background.
One of those days while Madhab was resting on a bench on the banks of river Ganga near Nimtollah Burning Ghat on his return from work, he noticed a well-dressed Sikh gentleman strolling restlessly forward and backward in front of him. It was apparent that he was deeply disturbed, probably due to some critical problem. But every time he crossed Madhab, he cast a curious glance at the former as if in awe. At last he seemed to bear it no longer, and lay himself at Sri Madhab’s feet saying, “Whoever you may be, please save me.” Madhab said, “This is strange! How can I save you?” The Sikh gentleman asked again, “Pray tell me who you are?” Madhab said, “Why?” The Sikh gentleman said, “When I cross you in one direction I see you as the Lord Krishna. Again while returning I saw you as Sri Rama. Again some other time I visualize you as Guru Nanak. I am so shaken that I am unable to control myself. Please tell me the truth, who are you?” Madhab smiled mysteriously and said, “Look, I am a common man. Whatever you have seen is the reflection of your feeling. However, what is the matter? What are you thinking about?” The gentleman told him that he was in deep trouble. Madhab assured him that he would try to solve his problem and asked him to visit him at his house. Within a few days of visiting Madhab the gentleman’s problem was miraculously solved. This person was Sambhu Singh, a renowned sound engineer in Bengali film industry who had close links with the celebrities of contemporary film industry like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar etc.
Sambhu Singh became a devotee of Madhab and through him many of these celebrities visited Madhab. During this time many interesting incidents occurred. On one hand Sri Madhab continued his work to achieve the divine objectives while on the other he struggled with poverty. Satinath Chatterjee, the managing director of Purabi Cinema was the next person to become a devotee of Madhab. He was from a noble family and looked like a sage. The evenings at Purabi Cinema used to be filled with untold joy with Madhab and his devotees.
The reputed film artist and a key person of Indian Cinema Sri Prithviraj Kapoor used to come quite often to Calcutta to stage dramas. Once he arrived at Purabi Cinema with his drama troupe. Madhab was a young man and was seated beside Satinath Chatterjee. Prithviraj asked, “Who is he?” “He is our guru. Pay respect to him.” Satinath Chatterjee replied. Prithviraj Kapoor remarked derogatorily, “Is chokra ko kya pranam karenge?” (This is just a young lad. Why should I touch his feet?)
On this Sri Satinath Chatterjee took offense and told him that Madhab was no ordinary person but he had divine powers and was God. Prithviraj Kapoor was shocked to hear such blasphemy. He said, “Oh, my god. What are you saying?” and left. He was a devotee of Lord Krishna. Satinath Chatterjee, Amar Chatterjee, Bijoy Basak and other disciples who were present pressed Sri Madhab to take action against such an insult. They said, “He (Prithviraj) has shown disrespect and neglect. Will you let him get away with such a thing?” Sri Madhab told them that Prithviraj could not have neglected or insulted him because he was ignorant of his (Madhab’s) true identity. He has looked upon Madhab as only a young kid so he had acted accordingly.
But, Sri Satinath Chatterjee was not so easily deceived. He told Madhab that unless Prithviraj touched the feet of Madhab on the following day, he would dissociate himself from Madhab’s company forever. In reply Madhab quietly told him to wait and see what happens.
The following day when Sri Satinath Chatterjee and others were sitting in Purabi cinema hall Prithviraj Kapoor suddenly made a hasty entrance and asked them anxiously, “Where is he? Where is he?” Sri Satinath Chatterjee asked him whom was he talking about? He replied where is that young kid? At that time Madhab came inside the room and sat down. On seeing Madhab Prithviraj Kapoor fell on his feet and started crying. Sri Satinath Chatterjee, Amar Chatterjee and others stood looking at this strange incident. Sri Satinath Chatterjee told, “Look, this is Madhab, otherwise how could the situation take such a turn?” However they then caught hold of Prithviraj Kapoor and asked him, “What is the matter? The person about whom you had no respect yesterday, today you are holding his feet and crying?” Then Prithviraj related his strange experience. “Look I am a disciple of Lord Krishna. Everyday I wake up and chant the name of the Lord. Yesterday morning when I was doing this I suddenly saw a spot of light falling on the wall facing me. The light hovered around the wall and finally stood straight between my forehead and the wall. Strangely enough the vision of Madhab i.e this boy, gradually took shape within that sphere of light. I saw him once as this boy and the next moment he became Lord Krishna. As I am a devotee of Sri Krishna I thought that the Lord has come to me. Thinking this I leapt at the figure and tried to hold it. As a result, my head hit the wall and look how it has swollen here and after that there was neither the light nor Lord Krishna nor this young boy. Only what remains is this, a big swell on my head. I have to understand what it was? I have to know everything from him (looking at Madhab). Madhab said, “Whatever you saw, it was through your feeling, but if you want something from me let me know, I’ll try to give it.”
At that time there was some problem in the Kapoor family. A rift was taking place between the elder son of Prithviraj and his wife. As the Kapoor family was conservative, this was a serious problem for them. Prithviraj briefly informed Madhab about this and told him that, “this is my only request. Please relieve me from this mental agony.” Madhab told him to bring his daughter-in-law to him. Sometime later Raj Kapoor, his wife, Rishi Kapoor and Prithviraj Kapoor all came to Purabi Cinema. One by one all of them touched Madhab’s feet. Raj Kapoor’s wife was standing at a little distance. Neither did she come near, nor did she touch Madhab’s feet. Then Madhab called her in an affectionate manner and said, “Come to me and tell me what has happened to you?” Instead of saying anything she broke down in tears. Madhab consoled her and said, “Come close to me, I know everything”. He touched her head and said, “Go, all your problems will be solved.” Thereafter, gradually the relationship between husband and wife became normal once again and no untoward incident ever happened between them.
Many similar miraculous incidents had taken place in those days. He would say, “Look I have to do all those because I was born in an ordinary family and did not have a good educational background or wealth, yet I had to attract people of various types. I had a mission and to fulfill that I needed appropriate manpower. Therefore, I started to attract people in various ways and gradually set up a gathering. Then I shifted my residence from SovaBazar to No.12 Haji Jackeria Lane, Manicktala. We somehow managed to live. At that time your mother (Ganga-ma) had only one sari to wear. After bath she used to wear half of it while drying out the other half. Look, if at that time I took money against the divine powers I possessed, then I could have constructed a double-storied house in gold on Red Road.”
Many within us are aware of and have seen such incidents where Madhab had brought back life into the dead. He could cure any person suffering from any type of illness – we have ourselves seen many such incidents. He had immense powers but the restraint he had shown drew respect and submission from ordinary people like us. He had said that “I will free the mortal from earthly torments. At first I shall cure him of diseases, and then I shall relieve him from sorrow and finally solve all his problems. During this process I shall help the universal man to come to the realization of the Truth because only then he will attain the true attributes of manhood. Who can be truly called a human? It is the person who has realised the meaning of the Universal Truth. I may have attained academic excellence, I may be a great orator or I may have won many laurels, but till such time that I have become aware of the significance of the universal Truth, I have not become eligible to pursue the path of the divine. In other words all my homage at the feet of the divine will be a futile exercise. Hence Madhab said, “My sole purpose to be born into this world is to make mankind aware of the significance of the universal Truth”. We are marching forward with this mission. Sri Madhab had led his worldly life in a simple manner, no different from thousands of ordinary men, skilfully hiding his true self. I have taken many persons to him who could not even guess the extent of his greatness. Many of them now come to me crying in anguish saying, “Oh, Nilanjan. In spite of your telling us, we could not realise his true self when we met him”. I replied, “How could you guess? It is not possible unless he wishes you to do so. The instruments of your perception like the intellect, academic knowledge or the power of the conscience are grossly inadequate to perceive the divine power. He is known to be beyond the realm of the mind and the intellect. Only with awakening of faith, devotion and reverence within you, he gradually lifts the veil and allows you to have a glimpse of his true self. There is no other way to know him.
However, in this manner Madhab gradually drew together his chosen persons and sowed the seed of the power of awakening within them while he remained in stark poverty. Finally, when he was satisfied that the ground is ready and the seed is fertile to flourish into a flowering plant that will bear the fruit for Humanity, he quietly shed his mortal body. It was 1: 20 AM at night on the 4th July 1987. A couple of days before his departure he told the doctors attending on him, “Look, with all your medical qualification and after so many pathological tests you could not diagnose that I had cancer. I know how to treat the ailments of this world. Do you think I did not know what happened to me? But the moment has arrived for me to depart, so I left myself in your hands. None of your medicines can cure me. Let me tell you that I shall live for another two days. Neither can any one kill me before this time nor can any one keep me alive after this period.” On this the doctors brought the latest expensive medicines, injections etc. But all their efforts proved futile. Just after two days he departed.
Now is the 14th year after he left his mortal body (calculated at the time of writing this article). All indications are there that firmly establishes the fact that he is avatariya shakti. This shakti gradually comes to light after mortal existence (aprakat). It was similar in the case of Sri Ramakrishna. So long as he was alive, the academics, experts of the scriptures, persons of social status or even great men failed to give him due recognition. Instead a few simple and innocent boys whom he had brought with him when he came to this earth, started to speak about he being avatari. This drew the ire of the intellectuals and academics, who clamoured in unison, “Look, these are a bunch of ignorant and crazy boys. The things they are saying are nothing but the delirious utterance of mad men. Ramkrishna himself was mad and he has made these boys also mad like him. Instead of building their career through education, these boys have become crazy after thakur(Sri Ramkrishna). The mad man came and made others also mad.” This was how the intellectuals expressed themselves about Sri Ramkrishna. However, it is a well-known fact that how these so-called bunch of crazy persons positioned India in the world arena. Even now these disciples of Thakur Ramakrishna are a subject of research among the theosophical community. What was the inspiration that propelled these boys to sacrifice them for the welfare of mankind? However, I can say with firm conviction that if Madhab is avatariya shakti then this must find expression by 2003 as this is the 16th year of the aprakat (the state after leaving the mortal body). Same thing had happened in the case of Sri Ramakrishna. Thakur became aprakat in 1886. Just after 16 years, in 1902, his divinity fully revealed itself to the mankind. This continues till today. There has been no further addition to this force after 1902, either from the perspective of its effect on the world or on the organisation of Sri Ramkrishna. The power that radiated to full glory in 1902 is still the inspiration behind the present activities of Ramkrishna Mission. The appearance of Sri Madhab had also followed a similar pattern. In 2003 he will be revealed to the world. People from various parts of the world are already communicating through letters and other means. We are spreading the message of Sri Madhab to mankind through our website and through verbal discourses. Moreover, research is in progress on the herbal dietary supplement VADU, which is proving to be the curer of all diseases. It relieves a person from all bodily ailments and keeps him vibrant with vitality. He lives a disease-free life till the end of his tenure on this earth. However, the scientific analysis of its full potential is kept secret till the time of complete revelation. But, it is sure that the first bombshell of Sri Madhab will be through this VADU within a short time. He had said that “My job is to overwhelm material science in order to make the present day man accept religion, guru or even god”. The impact of material science has prejudiced us against all that is not explained by materialistic theories to the extent that we have lost faith in god. But, if diseases that science fails to cure can be cured by the herbal product given by Sri Madhab, the scientific community will stop to think how this had been possible. They will be drawn towards Madhab through research on the scientific properties of the herbal product. They will wonder as to what is the power behind an almost illiterate person who could invent a cure to the diseases which they are unable to cure with all their scientific knowledge and expertise. Their scientific bend of mind will make them seek the answer to this puzzling fact.
Next is the ‘Reliever of All Worldly Sufferings’. In the present days mankind is constantly burdened with restlessness, irritation and grief. As if a feeling of dissatisfaction continues to haunt his earthly existence. In order to be relieved from this state Sri Madhab said, “All your sufferings will cease to exist if you be in my company”. Those of us who try to be in regular company of Sri Madhab can say with conviction that we no more confront those subjects of sadness that can truly affect our minds. Not only me, but all those who regularly come here have a feeling of joy, faith and awareness in their minds, the source of which is Sri Madhab’s company. This, I am certain, will increase day by day till it floods the world with its divine impact.
Finally, the ‘Resolver of All Obstacles’. In this manner, possessing a healthy body and strong mind, mankind will depend on the Divine Spirit and seek its shelter. Once under its protective umbrella, man will be free of all obstacle, or rather, the obstacles that may confront him will cease to be of any significance. He will thus lead his life free of anxiety, in endless joy. This is how Sri Madhab has stood beside us as ‘Curer of All diseases’, ‘Reliever of all Worldly Sufferings’ and ‘Resolver of All Obstacles’. You may find in the magazines published by our Sangha that how the writers, young and old, have expressed this feeling by narrating their experiences.
However, I shall not prolong my speech. Today, on this auspicious occasion of Sri Madhab’s Abirbhab Tithi, I pay my homage to him with this prayer that, ‘Oh, Madhab, give us strength and power so that we can fulfil the great mission that you sought to achieve.’
‘Look at His unique birth,
Search for Truth in falsehood.
This is my Will that precedes all others,
Search, search and search again
Is this His birth or Abirbhab’?