শ্রী শ্রী ঠাকুরের জীবনী ও বানী (সপ্তম পরিচ্ছেদ)
সংগ্রহ ও সম্পাদনা- লক্ষ্মণ ভাণ্ডারী

যুগ পুরুষোত্তম শ্রী শ্রী ঠাকুর অনুকূল চন্দ্র
শ্রীশ্রীঠাকুর অনুকূল চন্দ্রের জীবনী

শ্রী শ্রী ঠাকুর অনুকুলচন্দ্র
জন্ম তাং: বাংলা ১২৯৫ সনের ৩০ ভাদ্র।(১৮৮৮ খ্রিষ্টাব্দ)

(Continued from the previous publication of 6th part)
Anukul Chandra got his primary education from local Pabna Institution. He then got nominated for matriculation examination from Mahendra Nath School, Naiyhati in district ‘24 Pragana’. At that time one of his classmates came crying to Anukul, as the former could not pay his examination fee. Friend Anukul offered the money with him for his fee to the friend. That was the end of school stint for Anukul.

At the age of 17 in the Bengali year 1313, on 24th day of Shrabana, parents got Anukul married to Sarasibala, aged 11, daughter of Ramgopal Bhattacharya of Dhopadaha village, residing in Pabna town. Sarasibala Devi was an ideal lady of the house. She was wholly dedicated to her husband and had high regards to others in the family. Her qualities like devotion, service, compassion, act of charity and togetherness are legendary and stand out as examples to all homemakers. In course of time, she gave birth to two sons, namely, Amarendra Nath, Bibek Ranjan and two daughters, namely, Sadhana Devi and Santwana Devi. With passage of time, some women pledged their life at the service of Anukul Chandra, when he was over fifty years. Some of them submitted their desire at mother Manamohini Devi to have the holy privilege of becoming consort of Anukul Chandra. Very reluctantly mother Manamohini Devi persuaded son Anukul to accept these women as wives. Prominent amongst them was Sarbamangala Devi, younger sister of Sarasibala Devi. Sarbamangala Devi gave birth to two sons; the eldest one succumbed to infant mortality and the younger son Pracheta Ranjan is still there. Anuka Devi was born to Parulbala Devi, Sri Sri Thakur’s wife from different varna.

Sometime after the marriage with Sarasibala Devi, Anukul Chandra took admission in National Medical School, Kolkata. At that time, he had to go through harsh poverty. It was hard for him to maintain himself at Kolkata with the paltry amount received from mother Manamohini Devi. He had to share space with the coolies in the coal warehouse of Yogen Bhattacharya on the grey street for quite some time. On many days he went without food; had to appease his hunger by drinking water from the roadside taps and slept on the footpath. Passing through hardships and enduring the hard realities, he completed his medical study. One of his teachers in medical college Dr. Sashi Bhusan Mitra observed the divine expressions of the student and later accepted him as Guru.

Anukul Chandra then returned to his village Himayetpur and started practicing medicine. Very soon he became a popular doctor. Words about his perceptive ability to diagnose disease, loving way of dealing with patient, unerring medicine prescription and his sheer feelings and help to the people spread around widely. Even the so called incurable diseases were cured by Anukul’s treatment. That made people to believe that there was some supernatural power with Anukul Chandra. Patients started pouring in to Himayetpur from far flung areas.

Anukul Chandra however could not keep himself confined to medical practice alone for longtime. He realized that a man can hardly be nourished to health without treating his mind. The root cause of all suffering lies in man’s obsession with complexes. Therefore, man can attain health and peace only when he is free from the pull of complexes. Keeping that in mind, Anukul Chandra mobilized some of his friends and followers and organized massive kirtans.

The age of kirtan in Anukul Chandra’s life was actually the phase of revelation of the divinity that he brought down on to the earth as incarnate. That was the phase when Anukul Chandra brought the entire society and environment into a spell of divine consciousness. Amongst his kirtan associates were Kishori Mohan Das, Ananta Nath Ray, Durganath Sanyal, Nafar Ghosh, Kokan, Bune and others. Some more entrants to the kirtan brigade were Satish Chandra Goswami, from the family lineage of Prabhupada Adaitya and Sushil Chandra Basu, who later years became prominent devotees. The mass kirtan that was staged at that time presented an unusual spectacle of mass devotion, leading to a stage of euphoria and trance. Anukul Chandra was the leader; the trigger in the ambience. He displayed a persona that was exceptionally charming, brilliant and attractive. He bore the image of divine in human form; a godly expression, a natural spark of brilliance with magnetic attraction. From that time onwards, Anukul was addressed as Sri Sri Thakur. People came to view God incarnate in him.

In the midst of kirtan, at the height of mass hysteria, Sri Sri Thakur used to lapse into state of suspended animation (samaadhi). At times his body temperature soared high to the level of cinder; and at other times the temperature would collapse to the level of ice. With ceased heart beat, his body would lie flat; at times would undergo series of mudra (yogic acrobatics), all without effort and in quick succession. Jets of blood would spray out of the pores of his skin. With symptoms of lifelessness, the body would radiate a glow and the mouth would go uttering words, sounds, voices, of known and unknown bytes seamlessly. The portions which people could understand appeared to be messages from high state of consciousness, some responses to unexpressed thoughts in the minds of people who surrounded. There were also some outpourings; discordant, disjointed yet powerful and rhythmic. After few days of this type of events, at the behest of Brundaban Adhikari, a wise man in Pabna town, parts of messages in Bengali, English and Sanskrit were noted down by devotees. Those noting have been compiled and published as ‘Holy Book’.

In Bengali year 1316, being requested by Atul Chandra Bhattacharya, Sri Sri Thakur penned down a charter of advices in one night. Those have been published in the form a pocketbook named ‘Satyanusaran’.

Let us think, behold and bowdown at His feet and follow Him with hearty adherence, allegiance and active service, installing Him in the throne of existential uphold and propitious immortal nectar of life.
stay with me always. Keep beside you.
Joyguru!

শ্রী শ্রী ঠাকুরের সত্যানুসরণ গ্রন্থ থেকে পাঠ

যার উপর যা’কিছু সব দাঁড়িয়ে আছে তাই ধর্ম, আর তিনিই পরম পুরুষ। ধর্ম কখনও বহু হয় না ধর্ম একই আর তার কোন প্রকার নেই। মত বহু হতে পারে, এমনিকি যত মানুষ তত মত হতে পারে কিন্তু তাই বলে ধর্ম বহু হতে পারে না।

হিন্দু ধর্ম, মুসলমান ধর্ম, খৃষ্টান ধর্ম, বৌদ্ধ ধর্ম ইত্যাদি কথা আমার মতে ভুল, বরং ও সবগুলি মত।

কোন মতের সঙ্গে কোন মতের প্রকৃত পক্ষে কোন বিরোধ নেই, ভাবের বিভিন্নতা, রকমফের একটাকেই নানপ্রকারে একরকম অনুভব!
সব মতই সাধনা বিস্তারের জন্য, তবে তা নানা প্রকারে হতে পারে; আর যতটুকু বিস্তারে যা হয় তাই অনুভূতি, জ্ঞান। তাই ধর্ম অনুভূতির উপর।

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যদি ভাল চাও তো জ্ঞানাভিমান ত্যাগ ছাড়, সবারই কথা শোন; আর যা তোমার হৃদয়ের বিস্তারের সাহায্য করে তাই কর। জ্ঞানাভিমান জ্ঞানের যত অন্তরায় আর কোন রিপু তত নয়। যদি শিক্ষা দিতে চাও তবে কখনও শিক্ষক হতে চেও না। আমি শিক্ষক, এই অহংকারই কাউকে শিখতে দেয় না। অহংকে যত দূরে রাখবে তোমার জ্ঞানের বা দর্শনের পাল্লা তত বিস্তার হবে।
অহংটা যখনই মিলিয়ে যায়, জীব তখনই সর্বগুন সম্পন্ন নির্গুন হয়।

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যদি পরীক্ষক সেজে অহংকার নিয়ে সদগুরু কিংবা প্রেমী সাধুগুরুকে পরীক্ষা করতে যাও তবে তুমি তাতে দেখবে তোমাকেই দেখবে ঠকে আসবে। সদগুরুকে পরীক্ষা করতে হলে তার নিকট সংকীর্ণ-সংস্কার বিহীন হয়ে ভাল-বাসার হৃদয় নিয়ে, দীন এবং যতদুর সম্ভব নিরহংকার হয়ে যেতে পারলে তাঁর দয়ায় সন্তুষ্ট হওয়া যেতে পারে।

তাকে অহং-এর কষ্টিপাথরে কষা যায় না, কিন্তু তিনি প্রকৃত দীনতা রূপে ভেড়ার শিঙে খন্ডবিখন্ড হন।

হীরক যেমন কয়লা প্রভৃতি আবর্জ্জনায় থাকে, উত্তমরূপে পরিষ্কার না করলে তা জ্যোতি বেরোয় না, তিনি তো তেমনি সংসারে অতি সাধারণ জীবের মত থাকেন, কেবল প্রেমের প্রক্ষালনেই তাঁর দীপ্তিতে জগৎ উদ্ভাসিত হয়। প্রেমীই তাঁকে ধরতে পারে। প্রেমীর সঙ্গ কর, তিনি আপনিই প্রকট হবেন।

অহংকারীকে অহংকারী পরীক্ষা করতে পারে। গলিত-অহংকে কি-করে সে জানতে পারবে? তার কাছে একটা কিম্ভুতকিমাকার-যেমন অজমূর্খের কাছে মহাপন্ডিত।

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