nimbarka-jyoti-2016.pdf - Kathia Baba Charitable Trust

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 9:46 PM

Pushpita\Nimbarka Jyoti_2016_Bengali # 73

73 Srinimbarkajyoti 10th Year Nimbarkabda 5111 May, 2016

RULES The world-wide circulation of the philosophical thoughts of Sudarshana Avatara (the human incarnation of the divine

Sudarshan Chakra) Sri Nimbarkacharya. His school of Dualism-Non-dualism (Dwaitadwita Sidhanta). the austere asceticpractices of the Nimbarka cult and immortal messages from Acharyas and elevation of auspicious banner of NimbarkaMovement is the principal goal of the magazine. To reveal the imperceptible harmony of various philosophical schoolsaccording to Adyacharya Sri Nimbarka and to attach everyone with the Nimbarka Movement and thus to uplift the humanlife to a divine one is the motivation of this pious effort. In spite of being the bulletin of Nimbarka Cult any article, withoutregarding the cults based on the discussion of self-realization, salvation, scriptures and spiritual awakening is published inthis magazine. The articles should be non-controversial.

The life time membership subscription is Rs. 1500 (Rupees One Thousand Five Hundred only) for India and US$125 for abroad. No option is available for any yearly or monthly subscription. The subscription can be made fromany month of the year.

The articles should be brief, unbiased, clearly written on one side of the page and should be submitted within Feb.2016 for the no xerox copy will be entertained next issue.

The editing, complete or partial removal of any portion of the article is completely up to the decision of the Editor. The non-nominated article should not be returned.

Any information regarding the periodical please contact The Editor, Sri Nimbarka Jyoti, Sri Nimbarka Jyoti Karyalaya,Sri Gopal Dham, 46/39, S.N. Banerjee Road, Kolkata-14, Pin : 700014, Phone : 9831338884, e-mail :[email protected]

Date of Publication : 09-05-2016 (Akshaytritiya)

INDEX Sri Sri Guru Parampara . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Ashrams of Sri Kathiababa Charitable Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Life Sketch of Sri Chatur Chintamani Devacharyaji Nagaji Maharaj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Life Sketch of Sri 108 Swami Santa Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Life Sketch of Sri 108 Swami Dhananjay Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Dadaguruji on Weakness.................................................................................. Sri Manashdeep Dey 84

Intelligent Quotient, Emotional Quotient and Spiritual Quotient ......................... Dr.Manashi Borah 86

DharmenHinaPashuBhiSamana ....................................................................... Smt. Nandarani Choudhury 90

O MERCIFUL LORD, RELIEVER FROM WORLDLY WOES.................................. Smt Parvati Nandi (Dutta) 93

Aaahar…..Food for Physical and Spiritual Health ........................................... Bhargav 94

Religion and Spirituality .................................................................................... Dr. Bhanu P. Gogoi 97

Of Inherent Virtues of Morning Walk ….My Personal Experience ................... Shri Atanu Saikia 99

Ashram Sambad ................................................................................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

mailto:[email protected]



SRI SRI GURU PARAMPARA

1. His Holiness Sri Hansa Bhagwan

2. ,, Sri Sanakadi Bhagwan

3. ,, Sri Narad Bhagwan

4. ,, Sri Nimbarka Bhagwan

5. ,, Sri Srinibasacharya Maharaj

6. ,, Sri Biswacharyaji Maharaj

7. ,, Sri Purusottamacharyaji Maharaj

8. ,, Sri Bilasacharyaji Maharaj

9. ,, Sri Swarupacharyaji Maharaj

10. ,, Sri Madhavacharyaji Maharaj

11. ,, Sri Balabhadracharyaji Maharaj

12. ,, Sri Padmacharyaji Maharaj

13. ,, Sri Shyamacharyaji Maharaj

14. ,, Sri Gopalacharyaji Maharaj

15. ,, Sri Kripacharyaji Maharaj

16. ,, Sri Devacharyaji Maharaj

17. ,, Sri Sundar Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

18. ,, Sri Padmanava Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

19. ,, Sri Upendra Bhattancharyaji Maharaj

20. ,, Sri Ramchandra Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

21. ,, Sri Baman Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

22. ,, Sri Krishna Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

23. ,, Sri Padmakar Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

24. ,, Sri Sravan Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

25. ,, Sri Bhuri Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

26. ,, Sri Madhav Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

27. ,, Sri Shyam Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

28. ,, Sri Gopal Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

29. ,, Sri Balabhadra Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

30. ,, Sri Gopinath Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

31. ,, Sri Keshab Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

32. ,, Sri Gangal Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

33. ,, Sri Keshav Kashmiri Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

34. ,, Sri Shri Bhattacharyaji Maharaj

35. ,, Sri Harivyas Devacharyaji Maharaj

36. ,, Sri Swabhuram Devacharyaji Maharaj

37. ,, Sri Karnahar Devacharyaji Maharaj

38. ,, Sri Paramananda Devacharyaji Maharaj

39. ,, Sri Chatur Chintamani Devacharyaji (Nagaji) Maharaj

40. ,, Sri Mohan Devacharyaji Maharaj

41. ,, Sri Jagannath Devacharyaji Maharaj

42. ,, Sri Makhan Devacharyaji Maharaj

43. ,, Sri Hari Devacharyaji Maharaj

44. ,, Sri Mathura Devacharyaji Maharaj

45. ,, Sri Shyamal Dasji Maharaj

46. ,, Sri Hansa Dasji Maharaj

47. ,, Sri Hira Dasji Maharaj

48. ,, Sri Mohan Dasji Maharaj

49. ,, Sri Nena Dasji Majaraj

50. ,, Sri Indra Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj

51. ,, Sri Bajrang Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj

52. ,, Sri Gopal Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj

53. ,, Sri Dev Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj

54. ,, Sri Ram Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj Vrajavidehi(Vaishnav Chatuh Sampradaya Sri Mahanta)

55. ,, Sri Santa Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj Vrajavidehi(Vaishnav Chatuh Sampradaya Sri Mahanta)

56. ,, Sri Dhananjoy Dasji Kathia Baba Maharaj Vrajavidehi(Vaishnav Chatuh Sampradaya Sri Mahanta)

57. ,, Sri Rash Behari Dasji Kathia Babaji Maharaj Vrajavidehi(Vaishnav Chatuh Sampradaya Sri Mahanta)



Vijayatetaramtad viddhi pranipatenapariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jnanamjnaninas tattva-darsinah

"To quench your thirst for spiritual knowledge approach a spiritual master. Seek knowledge fromhim humbly and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you becausehe has comprehended the Truth." (Bhagavad Gita, 4:34)

A central element in Sanatan Hindu Dharma is the role of an accomplished guru or Spiritualmentor in guiding disciples from ignorance and darkness towards knowledge and light…The importanceof the Guru is well established by the fact that all Hindu traditions and cults have attributed the highestrespect to the position of a Guru. The great Vedantic text known as the Vedanta-Sara thus highlightsthe role of a guru in imparting spiritual guidance……..

janana-maranadi-samsaranala-santapto dipta-sira jala-rasim ivaupahara-panbm sotriyam brahma-nistham gurum upasrtya tam anusarati

“As a natural instinct… a person whose head is on fire runs to water. Similarly one who isengulfed in the flames of birth, death, old age, and disease must run to a genuine guru for deliverance.Such a guru must be fixed in the Absolute Truth and well-versed in the scriptures. One should approachhim with the attitude to make sacrifice of all that needs to be sacrificed and surrender to him as adisciple, ready to carry out his every instruction." (Vedanta-Sara, 11)

A seeker of the Eternal Truth must seek the same from one has a specialized knowledge of thedomain… who himself has grasped the truth is all its nuances and depth. In the present times the wordGuru is widely used even outside of the spiritual realm. For instance we have Management Gurus…Computer Gurus etc. Though a perfunctionary consideration would suggest that the term Guru signifiesany individual with specialized proficiency in a particular field of knowledge…. The Guru as enshrinedin religious traditions is vastly different from all other types of Gurus. The spiritual guru is specificallydesignated as a Sad-Guru or the teacher of Truth. It is the Sad-Guru, the harbinger of Eternal Truth,who serves as the underlying model of any and all other types of gurus. The fact that the Guru is thesole authority on spiritual matters is further suggested by the shloka quoted below

tasmad gurum prapadyetajijnasum sreyam uttamamsabde pare ca nisnatam

brahmany upasamasrayam

"Anyone seeking for an understanding of the Ultimate Truth must surrender unto a spiritualmaster, a guru. A guru has delved into the depths of the Vedas, is fixed in the Absolute Truth andpossesses knowledge of the Shastra, the revealed scriptures." (Bhagavata Purana, 11.3.21)

From the Editor’s Desk.......



The guru must be viewed as a reflection of the Supreme because he is the bearer of divineknowledge and the conveyer of the Eternal Truth. Any ignorant novice who perceives the Guru as amere mortal is foiled in his/her spiritual pursuits by his own folly. His attempts at grasping spiritualreality… His attempts at making progress in spiritual life - his Vedic studies and scriptural knowledge,his penances and austerities, and his worship of the deities–remain unproductive and futile. Vedic textshave time and again affirmed the worth and value of a Guru in the life of a disciple. To site an example,in the Padma Purana it is explained that:”gurus nara-matir yasya va naraki sam”. One who perceivesthe guru as an ordinary man is said to be steeped in ignorance. The shlokas cited amply and unequivocallymake the claim that Guru is central to spiritual pursuits of the seeker.

When a sincere seeker and an accomplished Sad-Guru finally do find each other, and engage inthe lofty process of spiritual exchange — the Guru bestowing his insight and instruction upon theardent seeker who absorbs the imparted knowledge with humility and submissiveness …we thenwitness the perfect conditions necessary for the celebration and realization of the Eternal Truth. If oneis an earnest seeker of truth … one ought to first seek a Sad –Guru and surrender his ego at the lotusfeet of his Guru and experience the unfolding of the truth that is revealed only to a few… chosenseekers. The Sad- Guru is the path, the propeller and the guiding light that ushers a disciple into therealm of light and felicity.

Glory be to our Sri Gurudev, who has entered into our lives like that spark of light … whosebrilliance drives away all ignorance and material affliction. May we be forever nestled in the lotus feetof our Gurudev… may we never fail to receive his grace……

Jai Gurudev.........................

Sri Narahari Das ShastriEditor



Ashrams of Sri Kathiababa Charitable TrustSri Kathiababa ka Sthan, Sridham Vrindaban

Head QuartersSri Kathiababa ka Sthan

Gurukul Road, Sridham Vrindaban, Mathura, U.P.Ph. : 0565 2442770

Branch Ashrams :

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramDevpura, Haridwar, UttaranchalPhone – 01334-226730

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramBaliapanda, Sipasurubali, Puri, OrissaPhone – 06752-230244

Sri Nimbarka Smriti SangrahalayaGopal Dham, 46/39 S.N. Banerjee RoadKolkata – 700014Phone: -+91-9831338884, 9804237538

Sri Nimbarka AshramBadhar Ghat Agartala, Ph. – 09436124615

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramVill-Daulatpur, PO:-Sendanga,Ashok Nagar, North 24 Parganas, W.B.Phone -+91- 9733658641

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa Milan MandirVill+PO: Manik Bazar,Bankura, Phone-:+91-9434185554

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramGhoghomali Bazaar, Siliguri,Phone: 9435037856

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa sevashramKailasahar, assam

Sri nimbarka sadhanashramMurabasti, lamding, Assam

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramTemple Road, Pandu, Guwahati-12, AssamPhone:-+91-9435042912

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramAshwini Dutta RoadTinsukia, Assam,Phone: - +91-9435037856

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa SevashramRukmini Nagar, PO - Dwarka,Opp. – Rukmini Mandir,Gujrat, Pin - 261335Phone : 09401352121

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa Sevashram(Under Construction)Bipin Paul Road, P.O. + Dist. : KarimganjAssam

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa Sevashram(Under Construction)Sudukattam Patty, Olaikaddu Road,P.O. - Rameswaram, Near Agni Tirtham,Dist. - Ramnathpuram, Tamilnadu,Pin - 263526, Phone : 09845959011

Sri Ramdas Kathiababa SmritimandirP.O. : Chameri, Vill. : Lona Chameri,P.S. : (Tahasil) Aajnala,Dist. - Amritsar, Punjab, Pin - 143103,Phone – 09873243950

Sri Dhananjoy Das Kathiababa Sevashram(Under Construction)11, Upendranath Mukherjee Road,P.O. : Dakshineswar,Kolkata-700076.Phone – +91-9874452658



Absorbed in meditative trance, Chatur Chintamani dasa with unyieldingaffection for Bhagwat-charan not only worshipped but also pleased

devotees like him with his quintessential Love for Lord.A native of Vrindavan, he moved around Vraja mandala- the whole and

bestowed great joy on everyone.To enroot the highest dharma of Bhakti deeply within, He served his

Guru lovingly.With your melodious voice you sang glories of Lord at various places

and enthralled devotees .Everyday Sants, Mahants and numerous other people adorn you with

laurels.Thus Sri Swami Chatura Nagaji would be completely engrossed in

the devotional service of the Lord.-Bhaktamaal

Chatur Chintamani Devacharyaji NagajiMaharaj

There lived a Sant in Braja-mandala whowas a Braja-dulha, a darling of Brijwasis. Aplayful charmer and also a God-Realised saintof distinction- he was Brijdhaam's very ownChatur Chintamani Nagaji Maharaj.Centuries have passed by, but the immortallegend of this beloved saint of Braja continuesto be enshrined within the hearts of theBrijwaasis as yet. The divine dust ofBrajadhaam still cherishes the holy trail ofSri Nagaji Maharaj. For years together NagajiMaharaj continued to add to themagnificence of the already majesticKingdom of God on Earth-the Braja dhaamand the sacred legacy he has passed on, stillcontinues. The tradition of undertaking brajaparikrama every year initiated by Sri NagajiMaharaj lives on till date. Thousands ofascetics and devout house holders undertakethis tough spiritual endeavour of wholeBrijamandal parikrama each year on foot.

Sri Sri Nagaji Maharaj was born in avillage called Paingaon, of Mathura districtin an affluent Gaud-Brahmin family. His

father's name was Sri Kishanlaalji. He wasnamed Chatura-the intelligent one, by hisparents. Chatura's village Paingaon wassituated in the sacred Brij mandal.

Brij mandal is nothing short of heavenon Earth. Lord of the Universe along withHis divine consort Radhika chose to gracethe holy land with their divine appearanceand their transcendental pastimes. Here inBrijdhaam they rule the heart of theBrajwaasis as Brajaraj and Brajeshwari, theKing and Queen of Brij mandal. Brijwaasissing Their glories, dance to Their tunes,worship Them, adore Them, feast on TheirPrasad, lose themselves by drinking the nectarof Their names. The worship and adorationof the duo of Yugal-Kishore is a way of lifein Brijdhaam. Like all simpleton Brijwaasis,loving the Yugal Kishore was somethingnatural in Chatura. Chatura's fatherKishanlalji was blessed with both materialand spiritual opulence by Laxmi - theGoddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity.Despite being born to opulence and luxury



he was indifferent to worldly pleasures sincehis childhood. Rather he would be absorbedin his own world of religious practices. Hewould listen to the glories of Lord from hisparents and Sadhu Sants that came to theirhouse. Everyday Kishanlaalji and his wifewould serve the ascetic at their home withloving care and humility. These holy menwould sing glories, hymns of Lord and fillthe household with an aura of purity.Sometimes they would mesmerize thehousehold by discussing the divine pastimesof Lord described in the Srimad Bhagwat,The Vishnu Puran, The Mahabharata,TheBhagwad Geeta. Seeing and listening tothem little Chatura would ponder upon theseand wonder.

"How would Shyamshundar look?”“Someone whose pastimes are so enchanting,how wonderful would that person be?” Eventhough we have never met... 'I feel him sodear to me. He is the only one - my divinecompanion!'

Right from his childhood, the aspirationof having Darshan- blessed sight of the Lordsomeday-motivated him. The environmentof devotion towards Lord at his householdwould further augment his inherent affectionfor the Lord. A forest full of Kadamb treescalled Kadamkhandi was situated nearChatura's village, this area was a secludedone, very rarely frequented by brijwaasis.Most of the time, Chatura escapingeveryone's eyes would go there and in thesilence of the forest would immerse himselfin the thoughts of Lord Krishna under aKadamb tree. Lost in the Lord'scontemplation He would very often forgetto have his meals on time...However Chaturawas very sincere and smart in his studies atHis pathshaala and would pick up his lessonsin no time. In his spare time he would studyholy scriptures and contemplate on them.Aware of their son's such apathy to worldly

affairs at such a young age his parents wouldbe unhappy and concerned. They would tryto pamper their son with more materialluxuries like good food and dresses to lurehim to the enjoyment of life. But theseinitiatives of his parents would be futile.Chatura would show no signs of interest inindulging in these riches. Besides a biggerworry would always haunt Chatura's parentsall the time! When Chatura was born, hisbirth chart predicted alpaayu- short life.Distressed, his parents would carry outrituals, chant mantras and also engageChatura in these spiritual activities, so asto revoke this yog of alpaayu-short life. Theywould take him to sadhu sants and try toseek ways to nullify this misfortune. But, noone could reassure his parents that thisaccident could be averted. They wouldforever be in anxiety. Chatura was well awareof this worry of his parents and would try tocalm them." Why do you worry so much,pray to Shyamshundar...and seek his mercy!"

Chatura, himself would be least worriedabout the prediction for he longed for aneverlasting companionship with Kanha thatsurpassed the boundaries of life and death.A long life wothout Kanha meant a life lostin vain to him. He had developed this littleinsight by contemplation on the holyscriptures and in the company of sadhu-sants, Chatura had realised that his celestialjourney towards the supreme address of theLord would never be possible without a Guru,the divine preceptor! So , he would pray tothe Lord everyday to reveal himself in hishuman personification as Guru!

The Lord of the universe, the mastercraftsman of our fates was smiling all thewhile, for He had already designed the holyroute to enlightenment for Chatura long ago.Time was just waiting anxiously to un-wrapthe transcendental events.

to be continued..................



“Just as a man discards his worn outclothes and puts on new garments,so also does the soul casts off its old bodyand embodies itself anew”.The Bhagavad Gita; Ch.-ll, SI.-22.

Before 1933 there was no suitable pro-vision for the stay of BabajiMaharaj or any-one else of the Sampradaya in Calcutta.Whenever they came, they used to stay inthe house of one disciple or the other. Inorder to overcome this inconvenience, thedisciples and devotees, fora long time, hadbeen searching for a suitable piece of landin Calcutta to construct an Ashram there. In1931, they were able to get their desiredland in Sibpur (Howrah). Immediately there-after, they started the construction works.They also unanimously decided that theAshram would be ceremonially opened on30th January 1933 and before that new im-ages of Sri Krishnaji, Sri Radhikaji and otherdeities should be brought from Jaipur forinstallation in the Ashram. On the fixed day,the new Ashram in Sibpur was ceremoniallyinaugurated. It was on this occasion thatthe book “Dvaita-AdvaitaSiddhanta”, writ-ten by BabajiMaharaj, was also formally re-leased. Actually, this book of BabajiMaharaj,has been universally accepted by theVaishnavas as a “magnum opus” for know-ing and understanding the Vaishnava phi-losophy in its real perspective.

Within one year of the construction ofSibpur Ashram, in July 1934, on the day ofRathajatra, another similar Ashram was cer-emonially inaugarated by BabajiMaharaj inSylhet amidst great public enthusiasm.

From July 1934, the days of

BabajiMaharaj was thus passing on verysmoothly through various philanthropic ac-tivities. But none around him could imaginethat the sailor had been sailing his boat veryfast to the terminus of his mortal journey.Practically, immediately after his return fromSylhet, there was a rapid deterioration of hishealth. The old disease of piles once againattacked him most virulently. His disciplesthen took him to various places like Itawa,Patna, Gaya, Shillong etc. for better treat-ment and early recovery. But all their effortswent in vain. Ultimately, he was taken toBhubaneshvar. It sounds unbelievable thathere also, in almost sinking condition ofhealth, he started the process for the con-struction of another new Ashram. Not onlythis. He also held long religious and philo-sophical talks with all his visitors, devoteesand disciples. If anybody inquired into hishealth, forthwith he would reply, “Barring alittle bodily weakness, I am keeping fine”.After a few days of stay at Bhubaneshvar,he became restless for Vrindaban. Everyonearound him now understood it clearly thatthe final momentsof his life had approachedc lose enough. Just two days before leavingthis worn out mortal body for good, whenhis close friend BrajalalSastri had come tosee him, BabajiMaharaj looked at him ear-nestly and said, “BrajalalBabu, the day onwhich I had renounced my household life,you helped me. Now again do please ar-range for my last journey to Sri Vrindaban. Iought to leave this worn-out body -1 havebeen feeling an irresistible attraction for myGuru-sthan. Please see that this worn-outbody of mine may reach the destination”.

Life Sketch of Sri 108 Swami Santa DasKathia Babaji Maharaj



The attending doctors and other im-portant persons in the house then hurriedlyheld a meeting. After marathon discussionabout the health condition of the patientand also in consideration of his last wish, itwas then decided that on 8th November1935; Babaji Maharaj would be taken backto Vrindaban.

On the appointed date, Babaji Maharajboarded a reserved second-class compart-ment of the Toofan Mail. Dr. Amulya RatanBasu, Kanhaiya Dasji, Yashadanandan Dasjiand few others also accompanied him.Meanwhile a mammoth crowd had gatheredat the Railway station to have a last look attheir most revered and beloved Gurudeva.Within a short time the Toofan Mail spedoff from the station leaving behind a hostof weeping crowd behind. The train wasrunning at a galloping speed...time was alsofleeing. In the evening BabajiMaharaj askedKanhaiyaDasji to arrange for his eveningprayer. Having done the prayer, he drank alittle water of Mother Ganga and fell asleepat about 7 p.m. It was his eternal sleep -quite unaware of all others and with fullconsciousness, the friend, philosopher andreligious guide of thousands of people, lefthis worn-out mortal body and went to theabode of eternal peace and joy.

The news of the demise of BabajiMaharaj, on way to Vrindaban, spread ev-erywhere like wild fire. On the next day,when the Toofan Mail had reached Howrastation, waves of weeping crowd soon gath-ered there to show their last respect to theirmost honoured Guruji. The dead body ofBabaji Maharaj was then taken to Vrindabanby a hired taxi. As soon as the taxi hadbrought home the “Warrior dead” toVrindaban Ashram, the waiting crowd was

thrown into an ocean of grief. It seemed asif the entire Ashram, with all its living be-ings, had become equally shocked at thedeath of their dear Master. The first wave ofgrief being over, the dead body of BabajiMaharaj, profusely garlanded and besmearedwith perfumes, was brought to the bank ofthe river Yamuna near the place of crema-tion of his own Guruji, in a decorated car.The disciples, monks, devotees and otherspresent in the burning ghat then performedall the necessary rituals amidst heart break-ing cries of sorrow and chanting of the nameof the Lord. The entire place wore a mourn-ing look. Slowly the dead body was put toflames. Soon it got mixed with its five pri-mary elements.

Thus ended the illustrious life of thegreat mystic saint Sri Sri 108 Swami SantaDas Kathia Babaji Maharaj.

Though Santa Dasji Maharajji is no morepresent with us in his bodily form, still hisideals and teachings will remain ever alive inthis world. His thoughts and ideals are notbound by time and space. These are everuniversal and beneficial not only to the menof today but also to those of the future. Hislife is a living instance of the immortal idealof the combination of Jnan (Knowledge) Vakti(Devotion) and Karma (Work) in human life.According to Babaji Maharaj this is the es-sence of the Bhagabad Philosophy.

In the troubled history of mankind, hislife will, therefore, remain standing as a LightHouse to help us, to guide us and to inspireus to track the paths traversed by the sages,monks and other spiritualists from time im-memorial for achieving union with the Su-preme Being.Jayatu Sri Sri Santa Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj(All Glories to Sri Sri Santa Das Kathia BabajiMaharaj)

The End



From the last print..................He wrote;

“At the time of my induction to thepost of the Mahanta, Baba himself assuredme that Sri SriThakurji and Sri Sri DadaGurujiMaharaj would always be helpingme.....Whatever tricks the opposite partymay try to play, all their activities are withinthe knowledge of Sri Sri Guruji Maharaj.....If I have any fault, surely I am liable to bepunished.” He also added, “it is all for suchevents that we get scope for intensivemeditations.....if we can believe that theLord Himself has been causing all theseevents and keeping this view in mind if wecan carry on our prayers earnestly, our lifewould be inundated with the blessings ofthe Lord above,”. The narrations in thisletter are enough to make us understandhow sportingly could BabajiMaharaj take thewhole incident without any malice againstany one.

During the pendency of the case, on19th Feb 1953, (Thursday night), verymysteriously the Vigrahas in the templecaught fire and got badly damaged.Everyone then present in the Ashram,including Babaji Maharaj, became verymuch shocked and apprehensive about thefuture of Vrindaban Ashram. Hearing thenews of the incident, Sri Ma Anandamayee(then living in the nearby Ashram of OriyaBaba), rushed to the spot and advisedBabaji Maharaj to replace the damagedimages by new ones as early as possible.Here it has to be added that on the previousnight (18th Feb), very suddenly Sri SriThakurji got himself manifested beforeSrima in a half burnt form and subsequentlywhen she had seen the burnt images on20th Feb, she too became extremelyworried about future disasters in the

Ashram. Meanwhile Rasikdasji also came tothe spot. In consultation with all who hadbeen then present in the Ashram, Srimadeclared that on Feb 26, 1953, newVigrahas from Jaipur would be installed inthe Ashram. About the damaged Vigraha itis to be remembered that it had beenoriginally installed in the Ashram by Sri SriRamdas Kathia Babaji Maharaj himself.After his death, Sri Santadas Kathia BabajiMaharaj got the right of worshipping theimage. In the same process, the charge ofworshipping the image was given toDhananjaydas Kathia Babaji Maharaj . Sonone should take the image merely as apiece of stone: Sri Sri Thakurji was verymuch present in it - it had been all alive.

The declaration of Sri Ma Ananda--mayee about the installation of the newVigraha on Feb 26, 1953, however, had tobe re-fixed on 5th March 1953, due tosome unavoidable circumstances. BabajiMaharaj also decided to leave the Ashramimmediately after the installation function.

Meanwhile for greater interest ofVrindaban Ashram in the context of theprevailing situation, (viz. the burning of theVigraha and filling of case by Rasikdasjietc),Sri Ma began to try heart and soul to effecta solution to the dead lock in the day to daymanagement and functions of the Ashram.Very soon she held a meeting with BabajiMaharaj and Rasikdasji and his party. In thatmeeting Babaji Maharaj made it sufficientlyclear that if Srima could work out anysolution, he would have no objection. Butalas! Rasikdasji was a hard nut-he insistedthat he might agree to withdraw his casesfrom Mathura Judge's Court and AllahabadHigh Court only after the completesurrender of BabajiMaharaj to the AshramCommittee. The obduracy of Rasikdasji

Life Sketch of Sri 108 Swami DhananjayDas Kathia Babaji Maharaj



made the situation all the more critical andconfusing. About this time, Rasikdasji evenmoved the Court to issue injunction uponthe holding of the said function in theAshram. The disciples and devotees,therefore, began to doubt whether theinstallation ceremony would at all be held ornot.

In such a suffocating situation, by thegrace of God almighty, just one day beforethe proposed installation function, inpresence of the lawyers and others in thejudge's Court Room, BabajiMaharaj wrotein his slate (because he was then observingthe vow of silence for indefinite period),

“I will renounceeverything of mine forthe sake of the installation function.”

Babaji Maharaj also made it clear to allthat he would not even take his personalmoney that he had got as “Guru Pranami”from his disciples. The sudden declarationof Babaji Maharaj made everyone present inthe court flabbergasted. In pin drop silence,when the judge had asked him, “Howwould you then maintain yourself?”.In hisslate, the great ascetic at once wrote in bigletters “BY BEGGING”. Even in such atouching situation, Rasikdasji, however,wanted to make the best of a bad bargainby asking his lawyer to know from BabajiMahraj when he (Babaji Maharaj) wouldleave the Ashram. Without leastperturbation, he took his slate again andwrote, “I'll leave the Ashram tomorrow afterthe installation is over.” All the persons inthe court room were dumb in honour andempathy for BabajiMaharaj.

As a matter of fact, though BabajiMaharaj was completely exhausted bothmentally and physically due to suddenchange of situation in the Ashram, still inorder to avoid future complications, on thenight before the installation, with raredetermination, he got himself ready for thetransfer of all accounts and otherdocuments with updated accounts of allmovable and immovable properties of the

Ashram and cash in hand etc. which werelegally necessary in this regard. On the nextday Sri Ma came to the Ashram at 7 a.m.and sent a man to bring Rasikdasji to theAshram for taking the charge of Mahantaiof Vrindaban Ashram. But Rasikdasji hadsome more cards in his sleeves to play. Hetold Sri Ma, “I can't take up thecharge.......Please ask the Mahanta to stayin the Ashram......he would manage theworks here.” This reply of Rasikdasji wastoo much irritating to Radha Mohan Ghose(the chief negotiator). In an angry mood heasked Rasikdasji to stop all such burlesquesand complete the process of taking over thecharges of the Ashram immediately. All thelegal formalities in this connection werethen soon completed in presence of Sri Ma,Radha Mahan Babu, Sudhir Babu and fewothers.

In the meantime it had been widelycirculated that Babaji Maharaj would leaveVrindaban for indefinite period just after theinstallation function in the Ashram. Beforedusk, the Ashram campus was practicallyturned into a human ocean with billowingsounds of lamentations. All tired andexhausted, when at about 8 p.m. after“Sandhyarati” (Evening arati and prayer),Babaji Maharaj had come out of theAshram, the entire crowd burst into tearswith loud cries of sorrow and distress. Atthe gate, Sri Ma took the hands of BabajiMaharajin her own gracious hands and toldhim in soft emotional voice, “Dear son,today you have surpassed your Guruji,behold him there in the firmament; he isblessing you with gleeful eyes”. Amidstheart piercing cries of the swelling crowd,only with the alms bowl in hand, the greatascetic left the Ashram and got into thewaiting “tanga” together with three of hismost intimate co-disciples, named ManoharDasji, Kanaiyadasji and Radhakrishnadasjiand started their journey to Mathura.

to be continued...............



Weakness is multifarious. It has manyfacets. It has many causes. One emotionthat breeds weakness is 'fear'. Fear - anemotion that governs our mind moreprominently than any other human emotion.Fear of failure, fear of loss, fear ofdefamation, fear of challenges, fear ofexistence and so on. It is this fear thatrestricts us from loving God…we are morefearful of the Almighty God, then having aloving relationship with Him. It is fear thatbreeds insecurities. We tend to be moreconcerned about our outer cleanliness whenentering a temple or visiting Sri Gurudev,then our inner cleanliness. Why? Because,it is the outer being that is exhibited to theworld and the world judges you based onyour appearance. Fear of being wrongly orinappropriately judged!As the saying goes,'Pehle Darshan Dhari; Phir Gun Bichaari'

'The world judges you first by the sightand later by your abilities'

Thus, the fear of making the rightimpression - 'How do I look to others?' Menof substance thus take advantage of this veryfact and deceive us by their ordinary looks.Even the Lord covers Himself with the veilof Maya. We know not when He visits us.Thus, we must give up this fear ofpresenting the right kind of picture to theworld and look for internal substance instead.This fear makes us weak. This is why all thegreat saints of Sanatana Dharma (EternalPath of Righteousness) have alwaysemphasized upon conquering weakness asthe first step towards spirituality. There are,but many prescribed methods for giving up

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

Dadaguruji on Weakness…Sri Manashdeep Dey

on weakness. Some of those prescribed pathsare of extreme effort, not thus prescribedfor householders. However, there exist pathsof moderate effort with great effect.Our revered Dadaguruji Maharaj, Sri Sri 108SwamiDhananjaydas Kathia Babaji Maharaaj,in one of His letters wrote the effect of beingweak and the method to overcome it. Letus first read through the letter and then wecan discuss upon the matter.

Om HariSri Vrindavan

19-04-57Supreme blessed!

Dear! I have received your letter dated25th January. Weakness is not good, itsexistence itself gets strong hold over the onepossessed. Being dependent on God, practiceliving like a warrior in this world; one mustnot be weak. Same principle applies also tothe workplace. Establishing God-consciousness within; act as if you are beinginstructed by God to act. Always bedependent on God and practice to livewithout fear or worry. There is no reason toworry or fear. I can see that your supremefear is of dying without being fed. Youmention this in almost every letter. If Godso wills that you die without food, even inthat case, you must die uttering the holyname of God, still you must not worry or befearful. Only then your dependency on Godis proven!

And if there exist such dependency, Godnever brings such an end. He alwayssafeguards the one who takes complete refuge



in Him. May goodness be with you etc.Well-wisher,

Sri Dhananjaydas(Translated from 'Sri Sri DhananjaydasPatramrita', Published by Nimbarka AshramParichalana Committee, Nimbarka Ashram,Mirjajangal, Sylhet-3100, Reprint 2015,Page no. 192-193)

Thus, from the excerpts of Dadaguruji'sletter, it becomes evident that being weakhas always been looked upon as a bane andone must overcome this attribute. And themeans to overcome this attribute isnecessarily not very tough. Absolutedependence on the Almighty, gives usthemental strength which we can tap on asand when required for performing our duties.

How does it work? The logic of thispractice is simple. Almighty God, as theattribute attached means one who is allpowerful. Creating a faith system on thisvery entity, gives us assurance on thesubconscious level that there is someonealways there to provide us with the necessarystrength for performing any and every task.Secondly, it prevents us from unnecessaryworry that leads to stress, a major life-styleproblem of the present times. Stress leadsto multifarious complications, therebydilapidating our normal functioning.

Let us take an example to understandthis in a better way. We have a girl, say A,who is out for some work and has notreturned late at night and the phone isswitched off. Typically one would lose his/her balance in worrying and imagining wildsituations. This leads to a stressful situationwhich is bad for both the family membersand the girl. The moment this girl wouldreturn, more emphasis would be placed uponhow much worried the family members wererather than asking her for the reason she

was late, and this would surely lead to achaotic situation. The girl, instead of payingheed to the words hurled upon her, wouldrevolt which may lead to complicatedsituations.

Instead of this, if one is dependent onthe Almighty, he /she would firstly not sufferfrom stress for he/she would have faith thatthe girl would return home safe. And, whenthe girl finally returns home, the peacefulenvironment would make her feel comfortableand she would recount easily as to why shewas late. Further, the guardians would be ina much better position to make the girlunderstand that staying out late at night isnot advisable. The girl in this situation willlisten and pay heed to the advices given toher.

Thus, one must resign himself/herselfto the will of Almighty God for his/her ownwelfare. And as assured by Sri Sri DadagurujiMaharaaj ji, once we take absolute refuge inAlmighty God without reservation, He willsurely take care of us. This has also beenproclaimed by Sri Krishna Himself in Geeta.He says in chapter 9, verse 22:

Ananyaashchintayanto Maam Ye JanaahParyupaasate |

Teshaam NityabhiyuktanaamYogakshemam Vahaamyaham || 22 ||

(With single-minded meditation, those whoare constantly engaged in my contemplation,I carry the burden of acquisition andpreservation of their needs)

Thus, getting rid of unnecessaryspeculations, one must place his/hercomplete faith in the Almighty God andsurrender absolutely to His will. Good willfollow and the best will be achieved, asassured by our revered Sri Sri DadagurujiMaharaaj ji.May enlightenment dawn upon all of us!



Intelligent Quotient, Emotional Quotient andSpiritual Quotient.The “Three Q's” and

their Relevance in Present CenturyDr.Manashi Borah

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

IQ(Intelligent Quotient), EQ (EmotionalQuotient) and SQ (Spiritual Quotient) arealtogether known as the “Three Q's”. IQ,EQ and SQ are those components ofindividual's intelligence which have a directrelation tothe all-round development ofpersonality and absolute happiness. IQ(Intelligence Quotient) was regarded as theonly and true measure of intelligencefromthe beginning. However, in the early 90'sanother aspect of intelligence, EQ (EmotionalQuotient) was discovered. Since it was foundthat individual's emotional state has a directrelation to the ability to use the IQ effectively,EQ was deemed higher than IQ. Veryrecently, researchers claimed to have foundthe ultimate state of human intelligence i.e.SQ (Spiritual Quotient).

IQ primarily solves logical problems andEQ helps us to manage emotionsappropriately.SQ is the ultimate intelligenceand it involves asking fundamental questionslike “Which work to do?” or “Why do I wantto do this work?” etc.Researchers now claimthat there is enough evidence to prove thata strong IQ and EQ are by themselvesinsufficient for success in our life's pursuits.A good SQ is important for effective use ofboth IQ and SQ.

In our highly competitive world in thispresent century, every one of us aspires toget ahead of the others and to excel in ourrespective fields. But in an effort to keep

pace with our competitors, we frequentlyhave to undergo a lot of stress. More oftenthan not, we crumble under the burden ofsuch pressures and are clueless about howto effectively cope with them. The secret ofcoping with the strains of daily life is tomanage our selves first. Only when we learnto manage our internal environmenteffectivelycan we hope to deal with ourexternal environment. And needless to say,to manage ourselves, it is essential tounderstand the components of our internalenvironment.

If we look into ourselves, we often seethat there are many internal conflicts withinus. We hear many voices telling us what isgood and bad, right and wrong etc.,whenever we are about to take any decisions,especially important ones. While one voicemay say, “Do it!” another may immediatelycounteract, “Don't do it!”One may wonderwhat these 'voices' really are. These 'voices'factually represent the various desires andurges we harbourwithin ourselves. Broadlyspeaking, these desires and urges can beclassified into three categories – the urgesof the body, urges of the mind and urges ofthe intellect.

The urges of the body are expressed ashunger, thirst, sleep, etc.Bodily urges cannotbe ignored and have a direct relation notonly to body but also to mind and intellect.Such urges can be broadly classified into four



categories- eating, sleeping, matinganddefending. Controlling bodily urges mainlyinvolves exercising control over these fourbodily activities. We need to exercise ourmental and intellectual faculty to control ourbodily urges. In that sense the mind and theintellect are superior to and capable ofcontrolling the body. When properlycontrolled by these two bosses, bodybecomes an excellent worker to fulfil ourhigher desires.

The mind is thefaculty within us and ispotentially superior to body. It has thecapacity to control the body. In an ill-managed scenario mind becomes controlledby body and this results in chaos. Besidesthis, mind expresses its urges from withinby seeking positive relationships. Supposeif a person shows affection, respect, loveand care, our mind would want us toassociate with and to relate with that person,and to enhance that relationship. Again, incontrast to it, if a person abuses, disrespectsand hates us, then mind wants us to moveaway from that person and rejects suchrelationships. Thus mind is directly dealingwith the emotions in our internalenvironment and mind is in turn controlledby the intellect.

Intellect is thefaculty within us which israrely recognized in our internal environment,because most of the time we are absorbedin meeting the demands of body and mind.When the needs of these two are fulfilled,the need of intellect is recognized. If a personhas all the needs of his body satisfied andhas good relationships, then he starts seekingknowledge. He seeks answer to questionslike: What is the purpose of this world? Whatis my role in this world? Thus the businessof intellect is to ask questions and seekanswers at various levels like family level,national level and world level etc. However,

at the highest level of development, intellectasks the meaning of life and strives to seekanswers to most fundamental questions aboutour existence.

The ill-management of the urges ofbody, mind and intellect can create havoc inour lives and can also create internal conflictbetween body, mind and intellect. Forexample, if a person is dominated by thebodily urges like hunger and s/he eats toomuch, s/he will definitely face the problemof obesity. Similarly, if by the overwhelminginfluence of mind, a person becomesengaged in illicit relationships and sensualpleasures, without caring for the rest of theworld; the person may soon lose her/hisdignity. Because, this craze will remain onlyas long as the chemicals generating theseemotions are active. When the chemicals arelost, then all the emotions are also LOST!Later on, this kind of relationship maybecome a burden upon someone's life.Therefore, we can understand the result ofan ill managed self.

We need to be very clear that whenunregulated, one of these faculties withinourselves will enjoy at the cost of others.So, there has to be effective self-management; which means regulation ofthese three, whereby we can attain the desiredobjective of absolute happiness in life. Thiscan be done only with the help ofSpiritualQuotient (SQ). So, we need to learn the artof the effective management of body andmind by accurate use of SQ.The study andimplementation of SQ is exactly like wateringthe root of the tree, and no separateendeavour is required to nurture IQ andEQ… just as the other parts of the tree likethe leaves and branches are automaticallynourished by watering the roots.

Now, the question that arises is howdo we improve our three Q's? Is it possible



to increase them? All of us have almost thesame IQ with small variations.Bell Curve Testproved the fact that 95% of the populationfall in the average IQ category and it isinherent in us by birth and is almost equal inmost of us.Some studies reveal that it mayalso depend on genetic, cultural, economicand other factors. But it has been proventhat IQ cannot be increased, being inherentfrom birth. Researchers found that only 6%of all the grey matter in the brain seems tobe related to IQ. We constantly exercise ourIQ through curriculum studies at educationalinstitutes, trainings at offices and many otheractivities. But truth is that we are alreadyover-nurturing it and hence have becomenarrow and single minded; losing theflexibility in our own natural way of thinking.We have left out the rest of our brain's greymatter, that is, nearly 94%, failing to realizeits importance.

The example of suicidal cases in highereducational institute like IIT's in India havecompelled us to think that improvement ofEQ and SQ is perhaps more important totoday's youth and present educationalsystem. Because the main cause of thesesuicidal cases in IIT's is failure in campusrecruitment, which led the students toinferiority complex and depression and madethem emotionally soweak thatit led themeventually to end their lives. Research doneby tracking over 160 high performingindividuals in a variety of industries and joblevels reveals that Emotional Intelligence wastwo times more important in contributingto excellence than intellect and expertisealone. Emotional Intelligence (EI), oftenmeasured as EQ, in simple words is “theability to monitor one's own and othersfeelings and emotions, to discriminate amongthem and to use this information to guideone's thinking and actions.” Emotions have

the potential to get in the way of our mostimportant business and personalrelationships. According to John Kotter ofHavard Business School: “Because of thefurious pace of change in business today,difficulty in managing relationships sabotagemore business than anything else-it is not aquestion of strategy that gets us into trouble;it a question of emotions!!”

It is a proven fact that: With a positive,optimistic attitude a person with an IQ of100 will earn more success than a negative,pessimistic individual with an IQ of 120.EQ enables us to become aware of differentemotions, analyze them, and above all, utilizethem to develop our overall personality andwork towards success. Once understood, wecan use EQ to make our lives better. Byusing our emotional quality we can improveour overall personality. We can use “90/10Principle” to improve our emotional quality.This principle simply is that “10% of life ismade up of what happens to you. 90% oflife is decided by how you react.” Themeaning is that we do not have control overthe 10% that is of “what happens to us”.But we have a control over the 90% that isof “our reaction to that happening”.Apositive or optimistic reaction can give uspositive result and a negative or pessimisticreaction can give us negative result.Therefore, we all must understand and usethe “90/10 Principle” to our advantage. It“CAN” change our life!!

The last and the most importantquotient, SQ, is the one that differentiatesus from animals. It is only humans who havebeen gifted to understand it, butunfortunately it has been discarded bymodern education system. Donah Zohar andIan Marshall are known as modern pioneersof SQ. According to them “SQ is theintelligence with which we ask fundamental



questions and with which we reframe ouranswers.” SQ has a direct relation to Godconsciousness. Religion helps us tounderstand and obey the laws of God. Aperson without religious principle and Godconsciousness is no better than animals. Itgives us knowledge about spirituality andincreases our spiritual ability. In higher stateof realization of spirituality it gives us Godrealization and makes us able to understandour relationship with God and discoveringourselves, finding cure to today's social illand lot more.

Now, we have understood the fact thathow important are the three Q's in our dailylife? I want to conclude with an example ofclimbing a ladder. Here, IQ enables us todecide the length of the ladder, its angle ofinclination, space between its steps etc. EQhelps us to overcome fear and get the “Yes!I can do it!” feeling. Using IQ and EQ canmanage to climb the wall. But many timeswe forget to ask the most fundamental andbasic questions like: “why should I climb thewall?” “Which wall should I climb?” “What

do I achieve by climbing the wall?”. SQ helpsus to ask these questions. Without sufficientSQ, even after achieving our goals and desires(here, climbing the wall!), we might have afeeling: “Oh no!! I have climbed the wrongwall!” This is exactly the situation that mostof us face in our lives today. Let's take theexample of IITians again; those whocommitted suicide were caught up in theweb of confusion of different kinds. Someclimbed the wrong wall (may be IIT was nottheir cup of tea), chose the wrong ladder(probably thought placement after the courseis all-in-all in life), and few don't know whatto do after climbing the wall. This clearlystresses the need for sharpening thedormant, latent SQ along with the IQ andEQ that has been so long neglected by us.Hence, improvement of three Q's altogetheris the dire need of present century.

*******************Acknowledgement:EbookIQ, EQ, SQ: SelfEmpowerment Series. Basic Foundation:Bangalore- 560 010.

If you dedicate yourself even your body at the sacred feet of Guru, you will achieve the fullbenignancy of God. You cannot realize the Omnipotent God without relinquishing your allpossessions. Happiness does not come through addiction to property, it comes only through therealization of the great (Bhuma).

Capitulation is the offering of everything you have. You have taken all those things from Him soyou have to bestow everything to Him. When you surrender completely with all your belongingsto Him, God will take the responsibility your bonafide welfare.

– Swami Rash Bihari Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj

Divya Vani



DharmenHinaPashuBhiSamanaOne Who Abandons the Path of Religious Righteousness is Equal to Animals

(Translation of excerpts taken from an article by VrajaVidehiMahanta and SriMahanta of AkhilBharatiyaVaishnavaChatuhSampradayaSri 108 Swami Rash

Behari Das KathiaBabajiMaharajji)Smt. Nandarani Choudhury

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

Aharnidrabhayamaithunancha-samanyametadpashubhirnaranam…

dharmohitesha'mdhikovisheso-dharmenhinapashubhisamana'

(A true human being ought to checkhis animal instincts concerning hunger, fear,sleep, and sensual desires. One whoovercomes these temptations and channelizesall energy towards the Almighty… towardsacquiring divine consciousness throughpristine love, service and sacrifice for universalgood… one who rises above one's ego andsurrenders his mind, intellect and aspirationsto the Almighty… realizes the essence ofthe human life. All others but remain as baseanimals.)

Our birth as humans is a rare blessingof the Almighty and therefore this life andexistence should be oriented towards gaininginsight into divinity… towards appeasementof the Almighty and attaining a higher orderof existence. As recounted by SantTulsidasji

Bade bhagya se manushtanupawa…Surdurlav sad granthangawa

(It is but the fortunate who are giftedwith a human existence…therefore allhumans ought to devote themselves tostudying the Holy Scriptures…i.e. to gainingknowledge about the Almighty)

The human plane is a point oftransition… from an animalistic existence toa human form and then on towards divinity.The human being(having transmigrated from

an animalistic stage of existence), has aninherent propensity for acquiring the divineheights. This is so because it is the humanbody which has a bio-psychological structureto enable it to experience intuitionally acraving for higher consciousness. Thehumansare gifted with consciousness andintellect which enables them to rein in theirbasic instincts, contrary to the animals wholack these higher faculties and are largelyguided by their unrestricted instincts for food,sleep and sensual pleasure.

jala-janava-laksanisthavaralaksa -vimsatikrmayorudra-sankhyakahpaksinamdasa-laksanam

trimsal-laksanipasavahcatur-laksanimanusah(None is destroyed after the annihilation

of the material form….but transmigrates toanother form…one of 8,400,000 forms.)

The Vishnu Purana informs us that thereare 900,000 species of life within the water(Jalajanava-laksani); 2,000,000 differentforms of life in the vegetable kingdom(Sthavaralaksa-vimsati); there are 110,000differentspecies of insects (krmayorudra-sankhyayah); there are 1,000,000 speciesof birds (paksinamdasa-laksanam); then3,000,000 types of four-legged animals(trimsal-laksanipasavah). Finally, are 400,000forms of human beings (catur-laksanimanusah). The Veda further states thatof all the human beings, most of them are



uncivilized as they have not been able toadequately gain control over their senses.

The human life is thus acquired after aprocess of transmigration from lower ordersof existence… therefore this life is not tobe wasted in material pursuit…ingratification of the senses. It isthis life thatneeds to be spent judiciously, in performinggood action, in nurturing good thoughts, inspiritual pursuits andin realizing the self.

ATMANAMVIDHI (KNOWYOURSELF AND BE

FREE)IS THE GREAT PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE

UPANISHAD. THIS IS A PROFOUND PHILOSOPHY

PRESENTED BY THE UPANISHAD, WHICH DIRECTS OUR

ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE SOURCE OF

LIBERATION IS EMBEDDED WITHIN US AND NOT OUTSIDE

OF US. WE NEED TO REALIZE THE INDESTRUCTIBLE

ATMAN THAT IS DEEP SEATED IN US. ATMAN IS OUR

CONSCIOUSNESS… THE CORE OF OUR EXISTence.A comprehension of the atman is howeveran arduous process…not as easy as it sounds.Atman is non material unlike the physicalbody… it is rather the fundamental principleof existence…one has to understand it byrising above the mind body complex.Therefore, the study of the atman is thestudy of the fundamental principle ofexistence. The atman philosophy is thefundamental philosophy. When that isknown, one would have known the secret ofall things. It is the vital spot of everyindividual, of everything and anything in theuniverse. This knowledge is notcommunicated by mere reading books in alibrary; it is possible to acquire it throughhard discipline and perseverance.

The Upanishad tells usshrinwantuvishweamritasyaputra (hear ... all you children of immortal bliss) - thisverse communicates that humans are notinherently sinful and can gain immortalitythrough their deeds. However, thisimmortality may only be achieved through

an insight into divine knowledge… the onlypath towards enlightenment. Human beingsmust disentangle themselves frommaterialistic engagements (samsara) to beable to realize the spark of divinity that isembedded within them.Nonetheless, one canknow himself/ herself only through sacrificingthe temptation of the senses of thematerialistic world. The highest sacrifice isthe offering of the self to the Absolute. Thegreatest sadhana or penance is the dissolutionof the self… a mergence with the Absolute,by denying the separate, and asserting theOne. The intent and purpose of this humanlife is to endeavour towards knowing theself…the fundamental principle of life andexistence… liberating the self from all sensualbondages and seeking a dissolution of thematerial self in infinite divinity

OM sarvebhavantusukhinahsarvesantuniraamayaah

sarvebhadraaNipashyantuma kashcidduhkhabhaagbhavetOM shaantihshaantihshaantih

(May all be happy…may all be blessed withhealth…may all view goodness…may nonesuffer the throes of pain.…..Peace be to all.)

May all be happy… because happinessis a state of mind…a reaction to the externalconditions of life.The basic state of the divineand therefore of all of us is that of sad-chit-ananda, that is to be aware and to be blissful.It is but our natural orientation to be happy.By exhibiting sorrow or grief we only reflectour ignorance…and influence of maya(illusion of the material world). Birth anddeath… loss and gain are norms of worldlyexistence. Only the ignorant let themselvesbe swayed by such happenings… the wiseand the realized remain happy in the face ofall travails.

May all be blessed with health…theSanskrit word for health is 'svastha' (sva-



stha = self-positioned). We are naturallydisposed to be healthy… ill health is aconsequence of bad lifestyle choices. Anexcessive indulgence in sensory temptationscauses damages to health. Therefore, let nonegive into the excesses of the worldly life...rather exercise restraint in eating, sleeping,working and sensual habits as guided by thesastrasand enjoy benefits of good health.May all view goodness… may the mind dwellon the positive rather than the negative. Mayall inculcate positive attitude… in this mortalworld evils and vices exist in plenty…however, may the mind seek out the goodin bad…the virtue in vice…the divine in theevil. This is not to suggest that no evil existsin the world…rather to emphasize that themind should be attuned to positivity toovercome and subdue all negativity in theexternal environment.

May none suffer the throes of pain….painmay be brought about in three ways. It maybe self- inflicted (adhyatmika), inflicted byothers (adhibautika) and caused by naturalforces (adhi-daivika). Joy and pain are partand parcel of human existence…none canevade sorrow. The point is to maintainequanimity in the face of pain, sorrow andloss. Happiness should not sway us off ourfeet ... pain should not break us down. Weas human beings should realize the highertruth inherent in the ups and downs of lifeand face all trials with firm faith in divinejustice.Peace be to all… an abidance of the abovementioned injunctions would lend strengthto the frail mortal in handling the vagariesof life….such a human would rise above allsorrow, pain and unrest and discover abidingpeace … everywhere …at any time.

As our knowledge is covered with Maya(illusion) we become proud and consider ourselves asmasters of all possessions.

– Swami Dhananjoy Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj

Do not expect gratitude after serving anyone. Conveying it to others or huffing after aidinganyone is very detrimental. Try to conceive that the Omnipotent God is the real supervisor; weare only the cat’s-paws of His hands.

You have to fix the number and time of japa(praying silently) the secret and sacred mantra givenby your Guru. Try to proliferate the time of recitation and meditation. Do not lessen it.

– Swami Rash Behari Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj

Divya Vani



O MERCIFUL LORD, RELIEVER FROMWORLDLY WOES..........

Smt Parvati Nandi (Dutta)

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

. O merciful lord, reliever from worldly woesProtector, you release the bindings of

Life and deathWith fearful hearts, we bow before you

O Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones

O merciful lord, the sun within our soulsO divine trinity, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswar all in one

Omnipotent the Vedas proclaim youO Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones

O merciful lord, the discipline master of our mindsO redeemer of sinful humanities

Your glories alike Gods in heavenO Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones

O merciful lord, awaken, set alightThe hidden divinity within us

Open our minds, arouse our heartsOur beings, unsettled, untethered

O Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones

O merciful lord, cleanser of our sensesGiver of peace and bliss

We atone our sins with your holy nameO Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones

O merciful lord, dispeller of our prideProtector of the destitute

Ourselves deprived of devotion, in frightO Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones

O merciful lord, your name, its divine gloryretrieves hell bound souls

Your charisma harnesses pure minds onlyO Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones.

O merciful lord, our Godly GuruHail to you

Destroyer of misconceptions of worldly illsMay our minds pivot only on your lotus feet

O Gurudev, bless us, the pitiable ones.



Aaahar…..Food for Physical andSpiritual Health

Bhargav

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

Food, cloth and shelter form the threebasic requirements of the civilized race ofHomo sapiens. The highest factor forconsideration, amongst these threerequirements, is food. All our activitiesrevolve around this basic need for sustenance- food. Had there been no need for foodintake, there would have been a sure cut inmany of the activities that we do. Many wouldhave been reduced to such state of inertia asnot to be able to revoke them back to normallife. Such is the importance and majesty offood. But in the race of life, we tend toforget the important implications that foodhas in our lives. From the perspective of abiochemist, the body is but an accumulationof many biologically active chemicals (as ondeath, the chemicals are still intact! But theyfail to function…thus the term 'biologicallyactive'! The chemicals are made to work ina certain way by this life principle stillunknown to the mankind) working in asynchrony. This is to be understood that thebuilding material has to be fool proof forbuilding an excellent architecture. Similarly,the food which forms the building blocks ofhuman body must be carefully chosen forformation of human body.

Having thus established the need tocarefully chose food material; let us look intothe various criterions of choice. Sri Krishna,in His teachings in Bhagavad Geeta, hasdivided food into three major categories,namely, the sattvika, the rajasika and thetamasika. Let us analyze His statements

from Bhagavad Geeta. Chapter 17, verses8. 9 and 10 …

ayuh-sattva-balarogya-sukha-priti-vivardhanahrasyahsnigdhahsthirahrdyaaharahsattvika-priyah ||8||

katv-amla-lavanaty-usna-tiksna-ruksa-vidahinahahararajasasyestaduhkha-sokamaya-pradah ||9||

yata-yamamgata-rasamputiparyusitamcayat |ucchistamapicamedhyambhojanamtamasa-priyam ||10||

That (food) which increases longevity–the overall life span, strength- a state ofimmunity to all diseases (physical, mental,material and spiritual), happiness - a senseof self-worth, and is juicy, palatable, sweetand builds up the body well is dear to men/women in mode-of-goodness (Sattvika). Thatwhich is too bitter, too sour, salty, extra-hot, pungent, and dry is dear to men /women in mode of passion (Rajasika); thatleads to sorrow, uneasiness, a state of un-wellness and a bent of mind towards sensualenjoyment.That food which is prepared threehours before being consumed (therebyallowing ample scope for agents of diseaseto settle and breed), that which loses itsnatural state, is stale, putrid, decomposedand unclean, is liked by men/women in modeof ignorance (Tamasika).

Thus, from these shlokas, it appearsthat food was actually divided not by theirsource (as not a single source is beingmentioned in either of the shlokas that defineand classify food into three differentcategories). The ancients were intelligent andinformed enough to understand and imbibethe fact that one biological entity can onlybe a sure source of food for another biological



entity. Thus, more emphasis was placedupon the result or effect that particular foodmaterial produced after being consumed bythe consumer. Now let us try to connect thelinks that each of the criterions refer to.

One of the major elements of food thatinduces goodness is thatit builds immunity.It has been established in medical sciencesthat seasonal fruits and exposure toenvironmental agents such as microbes etc.imparts immunity. Thus, stands the conceptof vaccination. The body is exposed toweaker varieties of infectious agents, therebymaking the adaptive immune system triggera series of steps whereby it establishesimmunity against the infectious agent infuture. Cooking kills the usually regardedsafeinherent micro biota of the food itemsand at some instances also leads to decreasein quality of the food. Hence, consumptionof raw plant materials is to be encouraged.Be it leaves, fruits, stems or seeds! Thus,there is a prevalent practice of fruit and otherplant material consumption amongsttravelers, monks, researchers and the kindwho need to work rigorously regularly. Thisconditions their body against the seasonalchanges and imparts immunity tothem.Immunity leads to a state of vitalityand vigor, thereby enabling the person earnhappiness, gain strength and increase self-worth.

From a spiritual perspective, it saves alot of time. It saves us the time that isrequired in acquiring food stuffs, cookingthem and preparing them. The time savedcan be well utilized in spiritual pursuits andcontemplation. This isprobably why thehermits and saints of yore established theirashrams in jungles, nearby flowing streamsand planted fruittrees in plenty to ensureample supply of food in every season.This,if I may suggest, was so that the basic

requirement for food would be met withouthaving to spend too much time on arrangingfor the same. This timecould be put intopursuit of higher goals. Since this categoryof food widens the scope of spiritual pursuit,it has been accepted as that of the highestorder.

The major element in the food thatarouses passion is taste. The emphasis ontaste is so high as to neglect the healthdamages caused thereby. Hence, the shlokacategorically mentions that this kind of foodleads one to a state of sorrow, and sensualenjoyment. In nature, we find plenty of suchexamples. To site one, we have the dronebee. Being fed with excess of honey, thebee is always engaged in sensual enjoymentwith the queen bee. It never works, butproduces progeny in excess. Similarly, aperson given to food that inducespassionwill be less fruitful; for he/she is moreengaged in satisfying his/her taste buds (orsenses).

As far as spiritual pursuit is concerned,it takes away a huge chunk of time from thetime chart of the person indulging in foodof the second category. For a certain dish orflavor, the person has to first plan, and thenprocure, prepare and finally garnish beforebeing consumed. There is a lot of time thatis being lost in this process. Thoughconsiderably lowered then food from themode of goodness, the scope for spiritualpursuit is not totally abolished byconsumption of such food. Thus thiscategory of food has been accepted as thatof the middle order.

The distinctive element in the food thatcauses ignorance is inertia; both in formationof such food products and procuration.Inertia is resistance to change. The food isrendered stale or putrid only when left as itis! In addition the consumer (in inertia) puts



in no effort to rectify the condition. Left-overs, wastes etc. constitute this categoryof food. Surely a storehouse of diseases andfilth, such food leads the consumer to a stateof absolute inertia.

Talking of spiritual pursuits, theseconsumers are always busy in search of stale,putrid eatables or eatables that need aconsiderable amount of processing to preventthem from sure decomposition. They notonly use up the time in hand in planning,procuring, preparing and garnishing; but alsoin extensive processing procedures, forexample, in production of liquor, processedmeat etc. Thus ample amount of time andeffort is lost to food processing, which couldotherwise have been wisely used for betterpurposes.

These are the three categories of fooddefined in BhagawadGeeta by Sri KrishnaVasudeva in His sermon to Arjuna in thebattlefield of Kurukshetra.

In our day to day life, we find that foodis broadly classified into two major categoriesof vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Letus now consider why preference is beingplaced upon vegetarian food by some?

We must first understand that thehuman mouth (the site of food intake) isbuilt in a manner of grinding and mashing.This is typical of herbivores, which need togrind the tough cellulose of the plantmaterial. Additionally, we have an intestinethat is 13-14 times the length of our torso.Why? This is to allow maximum digestionand intake. If we carefully look into theanatomy of the carnivores, we will see thattheir set of teeth is mostly that of tearingcanines. They are meant to tear up the fleshand eat. Furthermore, they have aconsiderably small length intestine to push

out the debris from the body soon.One mustbe aware that in general, the agents that areharmful to the plants usually do not bear adrastic effect on animals. But those that areinfectious to any animals are as wellinfectious to us humans; for by nature, weare animals. This again favors vegetarianism.

If we consider conducting a simpleexperiment as suggested by Gary Yourofsky,we can see the results ourselves. If we keepa new born human baby in a hall and place aplate of raw flesh and raw vegetables or fruits,the baby will surely go to fruits instead ofgore. It emphasizes the natural un-alteredtendency of our species towards vegetariandiet.

Furthermore, there is a process ofbioaccumulation of toxins at every trophiclevel in the food chain. Plants, being the baseline of the food chain and primary producers,have no bioaccumulation. Therefore they haveno accumulated toxins within them. Inaddition to this, as introduced by RaymondLindeman (1942), during the transfer ofenergy from organic food … from one trophiclevel to the next, only about 10% of theenergy from organic matter is stored as flesh.The remaining is lost during transfer, brokendown in respiration, or lost to incompletedigestion by higher trophic levels.

Thus we can all vividly see the logic andrationale in considering vegetarian diet forconsumption. Though it does not lead oneto immortality or God realization directly,but it surely pre-conditions the body andenables it to put in required effort forachieving the ultimate goals as celebrated inour scriptures. This is the reason why ourrevered Sri Gurudev emphasizes on vegetariandiet. Gurudev be with us…May enlighten-ment dawn upon us all…



Religion and SpiritualityDr. Bhanu P. Gogoi

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

“For those who wish to climb the moun-tain of spiritual awareness, the path is self-less work.For those who have attained thesummit of union with the Lord, the path isstillness and peace.”The Bhagavad Gita.

Spirituality is a term which has beenderived from a Latin word Spiritus, mean-ing breathe or life. It generally refers to theway of life of an individual. On the otherhand the word religion is also derived froma Latin word religio, which signifies a bondbetween humanity and greater than humanpower.People often correlate spirituality andreligion.

Spirituality is a broad terminologywhich covers worldwide philosophicalthoughts. It covers the whole World, Uni-verse and Spirits within the same. In realsense, spirituality is the supreme thoughtof an individual … of which religion is asmall part. From the spiritual point of view,religion is a sense or a belief that is found inevery individual. Most people sometimesmisunderstand the meaning of spiritualityand religion. But the two have different con-notations. Religion is a system of belief of ahigher, super human, unseen power thatcontrols all human beings, natural settingsand its surroundings and which is modu-lated by following certain rituals and proce-dures of worship. On the other hand,spiritualty is the reality of sense of one'sbeing, spirit or self-that is acquired by anindividual through experience. One has todevote time and energy for one's spiritualdevelopment. To be spiritual means to rise

above the temptation of the body and themind and to realise the final truth.At thesame time religious means to observe ritualsand rite followed throughdefined procedures.

Religion and spirituality are like twosides of a coin, which always stay togetherand cannot be ignored … one withouttheother is difficult to understand. Religionis one of the most powerful factors of asociety which regulates people – theirthoughts and behaviours, social systems andthe community as a whole. On the otherhand, spirituality is the sense of realizationof an individual in his or her inner feelings.Spirituality is a state of mind when one at-tains an understanding of oneself, one's sur-roundings, one failure and success… painand joy….loss and gain at a plane higherthan that of the worldly considerations.

Everything in this world undergoeschangein the course of time. Changes areinevitable with the process of constant evo-lution. Religion is also no exception… andhas undergone changes with the passage oftime and age. In earlier days, people werebasically animists and their worship wasmainly focused on natural settings, like tree,mountain, hills, river, thunder-storms, sky,water, rain, different animals and reptiles,etc. In those days peoplelived anomadic lifeand they continually changed their places insearch of food and shelter. In such situa-tions they sometimes faced natural calami-ties like thunder-storm, heavy rain, floodsand occasionally threat from some wild ani-mals. They believed that through worship-ing and pleasing these adverse forces and



entities they could turn their malevolence tobenevolence. Thus, the process of worshipand the beliefin a prescribed system consti-tute the core of religion. Religion conditionsone to surrender himself/herself to differentincarnations of the supreme power.

Spirituality neither has any definitemeaning nor any specific definition. It isnot bound by religious practices nor by be-liefs in religious tenets. Rather spirituality ofan individual is reflected in one's values, at-titude and empathy. In the present day situ-ation, the good things that are conductedby every individual fall under spirituality. Itis an endless journey towards the fulfilmentof human life. It reveals itself in terms ofbetter understanding towards others show-ing respect, gratitude and capacity of for-giving others.

Living a physically and mentally healthylifestyle leads towards spirituality. Everythingwe do from morning till night in one way orother is attached to our lifestyle. Try to be-

gin each day with meditation and connectwith the Supreme Beings to feel more con-centrated and grounded. This practice maybring about many changes in life such asfeeling less stressed, having more patienceand focusin life. The deeper onegoes towardsspiritual realizationthe more onegains clar-ity, vision and guidance where one had con-fusion, disappointment and lack of determi-nation. It also awakens our senses and arisesour intuitions. The faith in spirituality cananswer many unsolved questions and giveus the ability to see things beyond surface.

Spirituality gives us the vision of own-ing responsibility rather than blaming every-one and everything for what we donot have.It gives us the strength of examining ourthought process, to control our emotions,to monitor our behaviours and over all waysof relating to the world. It also gives us therealization that joy, happiness, fun and laugh-ter are integral parts of our life and are nec-essary aspects of our everyday reality.

Unfeigned love to God is very secret and intimate thing. It cannot be achieved by any endeav-our. Only by the blessings of Guru you can attain this heavenly devotion. There is nothingprecious than this ardor. The Gopies are its brightest examples.

As we have not the faith in the holy existence of God, we become apprehensive. If we have sucha feeling that the Omnipotent God always keeps watch on us, we have nothing to worry about.

Celestial love for God is expressed not by words, but by deeds. This cherubic love is felt at theheart of the devotees. They are identified by their behavior.

– Swami Rash Bihari Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj

Divya Vani



Of Inherent Virtues of Morning Walk …..My Personal Experience

Shri Atanu Saikia

Sri Nimbarka Jyoti

In today's stressful world one hardly hastime for physical activity. One would spendlong hours at the computer or in paper workand would neglect physical activities. Thishabit has brought about increase in stresslevels and ailments among the present gen-eration. Being physically active plays an es-sential role in ensuring health and well-be-ing, and there is a large body of researchinvestigating the benefits of exercise. Physi-cal activity benefits many parts of the body– the heart, skeletal muscles, bones, blood(for example, cholesterol levels), the immunesystem and the nervous system – and canreduce many of the risk factors for commonailments.Because of the many benefits forhealth of physical activity, recent analysishas suggested that reaching the recom-mended minimum level of physical activitycompared with no activity was found to leadto a reduction in mortality by 19 per cent –and this rises to 24 per cent if an hour a dayis spent in physical activity. In addition,there is a 31 per cent lower risk for mortal-ity in active individuals. This demonstratesa positive dose-response – in other words,that the benefits of physical activity increaseas the amount and intensity of the activityincreases. I have personally benefitted fromphysical activities, especially morning walk… of which I am a great advocate. Here Irecount my experience as a morning walker.

I am an occasional morning walker. Theroad I take for morning walk from my Ulubariresidence in Guwahati is the one that leads

one to Gandhi Mandap hilltop in SouthSarania. For morning walk this road has manytakers, maybe, because it is pollution-free,without much vehicular traffic and is sur-rounded by greenery where birds fly over-head and monkeys roam about. Both menand women … young and old walk by thisroad every morning. School and college go-ing students are seen jogging in groups whenthere is a holiday. Weight loss, immunityboost, keeping heart diseases at bay, soundsleep at night, controlling diabetes and bloodpressure are some of the numerous benefitsof morning walk. It has been scientificallyproven that three hours of brisk walking aweek (30 minutes a day) keeps risk of heartdiseases at bay.

People do act their age. Septuagenar-ians walk slowly in small groups of three orfour and talk mostly about the generation'sfall from grace and current developments onpolitical front. One thing common amongmost of them is their willpower for morningwalks… defying the chilling cold or heavyrains or hot summers. This speaks volumesof their determination for good health. Bar-ring couples, youngsters walk alone with earphones or listening to music in their mobilephones. While most of them are fond ofBollywood or western music, very few areinclined to classical songs. There are yet someothers who listen to Assamese songs. Middleaged women, as often as not, walk in groupsof four or five and talk mostly on their day-to-day life.



Different strokes for different folks.Bushwhacking, race walking, trekking andhiking, to name a few, are some of the modeof walking in the West where walking is muchorganized. Festivals on walking arealsoimportant events in the West. In suchcountries, urban planners take into accountpedestrian-friendly areas and roads whileplanning urban development. On the con-trary, in Indian cities people walk in parks,open fields and in roads with low traffic flow.Many in the urban areas here use the tread-mill in their homes or gyms as an alternativeto morning walk. Nowadays, the adminis-tration in India is also laying stress on theconcept of morning walk. In Guwahati, ply-ing of vehicles is restricted to one way from5 am to 7 am in some roads like Chandmariflyover, Dighalipukhuripar, Khanaparaetc.The road that leads one to RajBhawanin Kharguli, Guwahati from the VivekanandaKendra, Uzanbazar along the Brahmaputrais seen teeming with walkers of all ages bothin the morning and in the evening. The coldmorning breeze is something which most ofthis people cannot afford to lose.

Like everyone else, I also have mademany friends in the course of my morningwalk. One of the interesting characters whomI regularly meet during morning walks isSailen. An engineer by profession, Sailen isa top executive in a telecom company inGuwahati. Clad in a white kurta and pajamahe walks in the morning every day. Accord-ing to him, the white colour makes him feelfresh. An avid reader, he speaks to me aboutour life's aptitude, positive thinking and ofcourse on meditation. Sometimes he speaksabout the best seller which he has purchasedin one of his tours. He relaxes through medi-tation everyday in the hilltop and says thatthrough meditation he gets a new freshnessfor his days' work. He reads a lot of books

on Positive Thinking. As often as not, herefers to a book by Norman Vincent Peale,the Father of Positive Thinking. Sailenoncetold me that this author was a minister andwas famous for his lecture on Positive Think-ing. He started a radio programme calledthe Art of Living which lasted for 84 years.He was also a subject of a 1964 film – OneMan'sWay. Sailen also speaks on other fa-mous books on positive thinking, aptitudeand Swami Vivekanada's positive thinking.

There is a 75-year-old man who walksalone up the hilltop everyday. As I heardfrom Sailen, this gentleman's only son issettled abroad and here he lives alone withhis ageing wife. For him, this morning walkis a tonic. For an old and lonely couple goodhealth is too important to be without.Though he does not speak much to others,he greets everyone with a beautifulsmile.Then there is Nandini, an almost 50-year-old woman. She jogs for 5 to 6 kmslowly everyday. An introvert and intelligentwoman, as I heard from Sailen, Nandini wasa year senior to him in the Regional Engi-neering College while Sailen studied outsidethe Northeast. They know each other forquite a long time. Her parents, as Sailentold me, worked in senior positions in TeaIndustry unlike him who was born andbrought up in a remote rural area. Nandinihad her education mostly in boarding schoolsoutside our region in a reputed missionaryschool.Because of my closeness to Sailen,she talks with me as well whenever we meet.She runs up to Gandhi Mandap, takes a 10-minute break and then comes down. Sailentold me that she cracked the CombinedAdmission Test ( CAT) in early 1990's andwas in Singapore for many years after pass-ing out of a prestigious business school. Shecame back here with her husband becauseher parents have nobody to look after them.



She is their only child. Hardcore profession-als, she and her husband run a distributionnetwork in the Northeast. Looking like awoman in her late 30, Nandini stays in thesame housing society where her parents livenearby so that she can look after them. Iadmire her values and filial duty. How manyof us have the guts to walkway from a lucra-tive job in an MNC for filial obligation?Nandini has a good grip on the financialmarket. Many a time I had to seek her ad-vice on the trend of the market and financialplanning.

One day as I was walking down the hill-top, I heard someone calling me, “Dadakeneaase?” (How are you?). I stopped andfound it was Sailen. As we were talking, weheard a female voice from behind, “Dadabahut dinar murat” (after a long time). I hadnot seen Nandini for a long time. How can Iwhen I have not walked in the morning forthe last two/three months? I asked her ifshe was walking regularly in the morning.“For the last three days I wasn't here. I wasin Upper Assam and came back only yester-day evening,” Nandini said.

Even though I am tired, since I am go-ing to Mumbai today, I felt like jogging to-day. As I was looking at her smart phone,the latest model I-phone she said: “It's thenewest edition of smart phone.” AndSailenquoted the cost of the phone set at

overRs. 60,000. I had to let both of themknow that I was not asking for details of thesmart phone but was inquisitive about themelodious music playing in her handset. Itis one of the best music for morning walk.“It's an old number of 1980s Heart Breaker-Pat Benatar” she said, and continued herslow jogging smiling at us.

Sailen soon read out a quote from BarakObama: “If you are walking the right pathand if you are willing to keep walking, even-tually you will make progress.”

I think it is not applicable only to ourlives but also to our regular commitment toour health through morning walk. As I andSailen were walking slowly in the cold andfoggy weather, I got my inputs to write anarticle on morning walk, my interactions andexperiences in morning walk. Morning walknot only takes care of our health, but muchmore beyond that. If one is lucky enough tomeet persons like Sailen and Nandini, one isbound to be richer from within. From a longdistance, I saw Nandini jogging slowly – acommitment to her health and family.

“When I'm in turmoil, when I can'tthink, when I'm exhausted and afraid andfeeling very, very alone, I go for walks. It'sjust one of those things I do. I walk and Iwalk and sooner or later something comesto me, something to make me feel less likejumping off a building.” Jim Butcher, Storm Front

You have to prove your superiority by your deeds and not by upbraiding others.

– Swami Dhananjoy Das Kathia Babaji Maharaj

Divya Vani



At Shri Kathia Baba Ka Sthan, SridhamVrindavan all spiritual activities includingthe everyday ritualistic services, Sadhu-Seva, Gau-Seva, Bhandara, celebrationof all religious occasions and distributionof Prasad among devotees and charitableactivities such as Nar-Narayan Seva andVastra Daan etc. are being observed withdue dedication.

In the month of January, 2015 a weeklong programme comprising of SrimadBhagawat Katha, Gopal Mahayagya andSri Harinam Sankirtan had been organizedat the Samprdaya's ashram in Lumding,Assam under the able guidance of Sri Sri108 Swami Rash Behari Das KathiaBabaji Maharajji. Many devotees fromacross the region and the country partookof this blissful celebration.

The auspicious Tirobhav Tithi (deathanniversary) of Sri Sri 108 SwamiDhananjoy Das Kathia Babaji Maharajjiwas observed on 17 April, 2015(Chaturdasi Tithi) at Shri Kathia Baba KaSthan, Sridham Vrindavan amidst grandcelebrations.

Sri Guru Purnima Mahotsav was observedon 31 July, 2015 at Sri Swami DhananjayDas Kathia Baba Sadhanashram inGuwahati. A grand celebration wasorganized in which devotees from theregion and beyond participated with greatenthusiasm and joy.

Maha Kumbha Mela was held at Nasik(Maharashtra) in the banks of the sacredriver Godavari from August 25, 2015 -September 20, 2015. On this auspiciousoccasion Sadu- Seva (food, cloth andmedicine distribution among the ascetics)

was organized every day. Shahi Snan(ritualistic bath) was performed on threeauspicious dates in which throngs ofdevotees took part.

The Shubha Abhirbhav Mahamahotsav(birth anniversary) of Sri Sri 108 SwamiRash Behari Das Kathia Babaji Maharajjiwas observed on 1 January, 2016 atAsansol (West Bengal) amidst an array ofspiritual, charitable and culturalprogrammes. Devotees participated wholeheartedly in the programme and receivedthe boundless grace of Sri Gurudev.

On 22 February, 2016 (Purnima) theinaugural ceremony of Sri Ramdas KathiaBaba Smriti Mandir at Lonachameri,Amritsar (Punjab) was held in the benignpresence of Sri Sri 108 Swami RashBehari Das Kathia Babaji Maharajji. Severalspiritual, charitable and culturalprogrammes marked this joyouscelebration.

In the auspicious presence of Sri SriBabaji Maharaj a week long musicalrendition of the Upanishad by Smt. PallaviBasu Dutta –an erudite on the Vedas- wasorganized at Bhara Gram from March 1to 5, 2016. Srimad Bhagawad Katha bySri Nababrata Brahmacharya was alsoorganized along with Gopal Mahayagya.Cultural and spiritual activities were heldas a part of the event. The mass gatheringof disciples on the occasion augmentedits grandeur.

The inaugural ceremony ofSri SwamiDhananjoy Das Kathia Baba Sevashram,Siliguri was held on 23 March, 2016.Several spiritual, charitable and culturalprogrammes had been planned for the

ASHRAM SAMVAD



occasion. Thedevotees of the Sampradayaparticipated in this divine celebration withall enthusiasm.

In the month of April/May, 2016(Vaisakh) Purna Kumbha Mela will be heldat Ujjain in the banks of the holy riverSipra. Several spiritual activities andcharitable initiatives will be undertakenduring this auspicious occasion.Arrangements to accommodate the hugenumber of devotees who would participatein this holy celebration is underway. Forthe information of all, the dates ofritualistic bathing (sahisnan) are mentionedbelow:

First snan: April 22, 2016 (Friday)- Chaitra Purnima);

Second snan: May 9, 2016 (Monday)- Akshay Tritiya);

Third snan: 21 May, 2016 (Saturday)- Vaisakhi Purnima)

Sri Guru Purnima Mahotsav will be heldat Agartala (Durgabari) in the month ofJuly, 2016. The occasion spanning acrossa week, July 12, 2016 – July 19, 2016will be held with great enthusiasm andspiritual fervour by the disciples ofAgartala. It is expected that all devoteeswould grace the divine occasion.

The auspicious Avirbhav Tithi(birthanniversary) of our Gurudev, Sri Sri 108Swami Rash Behari Das Kathia BabajiMaharajji will be held at Hailakandi(Assam) from December 13, 2016 –December 20, 2016. In the benignpresence of Sri Sri Babaji Maharajji a hostof programmes, including SrimadBhagawad Katha, Sri Sri GopalMahayajya, Akhanda Harinaam Sankirtanwill be organized. It is hoped that youadd to the fervour of the occasion by yourgracious presence.

For the information of all, Dol PurnimaUtsav will be observed on March 12,2017 at Silchar amidst spiritualcelebratons.

On the request of some devotees ourrevered Gurudev Sri Sri 108 Swami RashBehari Das Kathia Babaji Maharajji haskindly conceded to undertake a tour toEuropean countries such as Italy, France,Germany, Switzerland, Greece, U.K etc.Those devotees who are interested inundertaking this tour with Sri Gurudevmay kindly contact our personnel at09874452658.

The devotees of Karimganj (Assam) haveprocured a huge plot of land with theintentto build a grand ashram of theSampradaya. By the grace of the Almightythe undertaking shall materialize in duetime.

In keeping with its venerated tradition alltime honoured spiritual services andpractices are being conducted in allashrams of the Sampradaya with duediligence.

Shri Kathia Baba Charitable Trust hasbeen lending support to Manav TirthaPrimary School at Kakdwip (West Bengal)for many years now. Every year teaching– learning aids are provided to the schoolwith the view to supporting the educationof rural children attending the school.

Shri Kathia Baba Charitable Trust hasremained committed in providing itscontinual support to Sri Rash Behari DasKathia Baba Madhyamik Siksha Kendra.Educational aids, e.g. books, uniforms andother supports are provided every year tothe school.

The construction of an Ashram of SriNimbarka Sampradaya at Dakshineshwaris underway and is steadily progressingtowards completion. For the information



of all the proposed ashram is located atDakshineshwar Mouza, therefore theaddress of the same is as follows:Sri Dhananjoydas Kathia Baba SadhanaAshram

11, U.N. Mukerjee RoadDakshineshwar, Kolkata-700 076

Any grievance related to the non-receiptof letters and publications being circulatedby the Ashram may kindly be directedto- Sri Kathia Baba Ka Sthan, GurukulRoad, PO: Vrindavan, Dist. Mathura,UP-281121.

Sri Kathia Baba ka Sthan, SridhamVrindavan publishes its trilingual (hindi,Bengali and English articles are published)magazine 'Nimbarka Jyoti' annually tospread the light of the Nimbarka ideologyamong all readers. Those interested inbecoming lifetime subscribers of the

magazine may kindly contact ourpersonnel at 0565-2442770.

Any donation towards ashramconstruction, Nitya Seva, charitableactivities andother services conductedunder the auspices of Sri Kathia BabaCharitable Trust may kindly be sent infavour of Sri 108 Swami Rash BehariDas Kathia Babaji Maharaj at the followingaddress:

Sri Kathia Baba Ka SthanGurukul Road, PO: Vrindavan,Dist. Mathura, UP- 281121.

Alternatively, the amount may be transferredthrough internet banking to the followingaccount:

Thakurjee Sri Sri Vrindaban BeharijeeA/C No. – 10684298672Branch Code: 2502, IFSC – SBIN0002502

SBI, Vrindavan

Saturday, October 08, 2016 3:08 PM

nimbarka-jyoti-2016.pdf - Kathia Baba Charitable Trust

Documents

Transcript of nimbarka-jyoti-2016.pdf - Kathia Baba Charitable Trust