ananda math

7/30/2019 Ananda Math

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Prologue

There was this extensive forest of tropical trees, predominantly Sal. Thetreetops and leaves enmeshed to form an impregnable canopy which eventhe rays of the sun failed to fully penetrate. This ocean of foliage extendedfor miles into the distant horizon, the green canopy swaying like mightyocean waves in the breeze. The ground below was dark. Even the middaysun managed to spread only an eerie, shadowy ambiance in which humansseldom dared to tread. Apart from the continuous rustling of the leaves andthe occasional noises emanating from the forest animals and the birds, therewas complete silence.

But now it was the dead of the night. The middays shadowy forest floor wasnow totally dark. It was as if the entire universe was wrapped up in absolutedarkness. Even the billions of animals, birds, insects and organisms thatinhabited the forest were all silent. One could almost feel the deafeningsilence in a way never possible in the normal noise-filled world!

In that unending forest, in that infinite darkness of the night, theunprecedented cover of silence was suddenly breached by a human voice:Will not my wishes come true? It said. The words sank into the depths ofsilence almost instantaneously as the silence rushed back to restore thebreach. A human voicein this forest... in the middle of the night? It wouldhave appeared totally illusionary had it not been for the fact that it onceagain disturbed the silence and asked Will not my wishes come true?Upon repeating the question for the third time, a second voice was heard:What are you willing to sacrifice? My entire life replied the first voice.But life is insignificant, anyone can sacrifice life. Then what else can Ioffer? Devotion, came the reply.

PART 1

Chapter 1

The heat in the village of Padachinna was extremely intense that day in the

summer of 1769. The village was crowded - with rows of shops in the bazaar,rows of thatched stalls at the weekly market, hundreds of mud houses in thelanes and by lanes, interspersed with big and small mansions. But thecrowded village was somehow not crowded with people! Not a soul was insight. Life had come to a standstill. The shopkeepers had downed theirshutters, nowhere to be seen. It was the day of the weekly market, but not atrader was in sight. Normally on a weekly market day the beggars had a fieldday, but not a beggar was visible. The weaver had abandoned his loom and


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lay cringing in one corner of his house. The trader sat in his mansion with achild languishing on his lap. The charitable had forsaken charity, the teacherhad forsaken teaching and even the children had apparently forsaken crying out of fright! The roads and house-fronts were devoid of people, the villagelake devoid of bathers, even the treetops were devoid of chirping birds. The

only animals that were active were the scavenging dogs and foxes at thevillage cemetery.

A large white-washed mansion, with expansive pillared balconies, stood outlike an ice capped mountain peak. Like all other houses, this one was alsobarred and bolted, apparently deserted. Silence and darkness reignedsupreme inside the shuttered mansion. However, in one of the interior roomssat a man and his wife, wondering what to do.

The harvests in the year 1767 had been poor. This resulted in hardships forthe people the next year, more so because there was no respite in tax

collections by the state. The effect of poor harvests and over jealous taxcollections was that most villagers were reduced to having just one meal aday. The 1768 monsoons began promisingly, leading people to believe thatthe gods were once again showering their blessings on them. The fields rangout with the songs of the cow-gazers. The farmers wives had already begunpestering their husbands for silverware in anticipation of good times ahead.However the optimism dried up abruptly as the rains in the later part of themonsoon season once again failed. It was as if the gods were angered by theuntimely revelry of the village folk! The rains dried up completely, thestanding crops withered in the fields. Whatever little escaped the vagaries ofnature and the wrath of the gods, was snared up by the government to feed

its troops. The villagers were back to square one. They went back to scrapingone meal a day. Very soon they were reduced to one meal every alternateday. Whatever little was harvested that winter was inadequate in the face ofthis massive food scarcity. To make matters worse, the collector of staterevenues, Mohammed Reza Khan thought it was the right time to increasetaxes by 10 percent. Bengal was reduced to misery, desperation anddestitution.

Poor village folk resorted to begging, as long as there were people who couldgive alms. Then when alms and dole-outs dried up, they resorted to fasting.This led to weakness and disease. They sold off their cattle and oxen and

then their plows. They were forced to eat the seedlings saved for the nextplanting season. They sold off their belongings, clothes and even houses andproperty. Desperation forced them to sell off their children, their wivesfinally there hardly remained anyone who could buy what was up for sale!Lack of food forced people to eat whatever they could lay their hands onleaves of trees, grass, weeds. The poorest of the poor started eating dogs,cats, rats. Some started fleeing their villages, but died on the way or out ofhunger in unknown places. Those that stayed-put continued their existence,


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oscillating between life and death, surviving on inhuman food andlanguishing in disease and finally dying. Before long, epidemics broke out,especially small pox. House after house was ravished by the scourge. No onedared to reach out, to give water to the diseased and provide a healingtouch. There was no one to treat the ailing, no one even to cremate the

dead. Bodies lay rotting in the huts as well as in the mansions.

Mahendra Singha, the man we saw earlier sitting in the huge mansion withhis wife, was one of the richer men of Padachinna village. But given the direconditions that prevailed, there was very little difference between rich andpoor. All suffered equally. His huge mansion was virtually empty. All hisrelatives, servants and maids had either died or run away in search ofsurvival elsewhere. Only his wife, Kalyani and their baby daughter were withhim. Kalyani jolted out of her stupor and went out to the cowshed to milk thecows. She boiled the milk, fed her daughter milk and the cows fodder andthen returned to her husband. How long can we sustain? asked Mahendra.

Not much longer, though I will manage for as long as I can. Then you leavefor the city with the girl replied Kalyani.

Mahendra: If going to the city is what you suggest, then why do we need towait? Why dont we all leave right away? The debate continued for sometime. Finally Kalyani concluded: We may be able to survive in cities likeMurshidabad, Kashimbazar or Kolkata. The most important thing is that wemust leave this place.

Mahendra: But what about this mansion. All that was built over generationswill fall into the hands of thugs and looters. All the more reason why we

should leave right away observed Kalyani, how will the two of us ward offthe looters when they do come? Lets leave right away and save our lives.What good are the riches if we do not survive?

Mahendra: Will you be able to walk? We do not have the luxury of ourbullock carts any more. Kalyani: Yes, dont worry, I will walk. Even if I dieon the way, at least my husband and daughter will survive, she thought.

The next morning the two of them got ready for the journey. They carefullylocked and barred their mansion and let loose the cows. They took somemoney with them and started in the direction of the Calcutta. On second

thoughts, Mahendra also carried a gun and enough ammunition to tackle thethugs that frequented the highways. Observing this, Kalyani, clutching herdaughter Sukumari exclaimed: Oh! That reminds me of the weapon that Ineed to carry! Saying this she once again entered the mansion and cameback clutching something. And what weapon is that asked Mahendra insurprise. Kalyani held up a small vial of poison. She had already preparedherself for the worst!


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It was the peak of summer. The merciless sun had scorched the earth. Thehot air blazed. The sky was like a copper sheet. The earth below their feetfelt like a bed of smoldering coal. Kalyani was feeling the effect of the heat.Resting from time to time in the inadequate shade of withered trees anddrinking muddy water from almost-dried-up streams; she managed to drag

herself with great difficulty. Mahendra carried the girl, fanning her from timeto time to give her some respite from the heat. Finally, finding a patch ofgreenery, they all decided to rest a while. Mahendra was amazed at theresilience of Kalyani. He dipped his shirt at a nearby pool of water andsqueezed the cool water over all of them. This refreshed Kalyani, but sherealized that hunger and thirst had overpowered all of them and they neededto reach somewhere where food was available. They continued their walkthrough the blistering heat of the afternoon and just before dusk were ableto reach a roadside inn. Mahendra felt elated. Finally he would be able togive much needed rest, food and something cool to drink to his family. Onreaching the inn however, he realized that it was absolutely deserted, not a

soul was in sight! The rooms were all empty. After hesitating for a while,Mahendra selected a room and asked Kalyani and the girl to relax. He wentout and yelled to see if anyone was around. When no one answered, he toldKalyani to muster the courage to stay alone, while he went out in search ofmilk specially to feed the little girl weakened from thirst and hunger.

Chapter 2

Mahendra walked away into the sunset in search of milk. Kalyani, alone withthe small girl in the semi-darkness felt ill at ease as she paced the large,empty room. Silence prevailed, occasionally punctured by the wails of far-

away dogs and foxes. She began to feel she had made a bad mistake inallowing Mahendra to go. Instinctively, she reached out to shut the windowsand lock up all the doors. But the doors and windows were only gaping holes.None had any shutters, let alone latches or locks! Even before this realizationhad fully sunk in, she sensed a shadowy apparition appear in the frontdoorway. It was the shape of a man in the darkness, but she was not sure ifit was actually a human being! Extremely thin and dark, almost nakedsomething very scary. Kalyani frozeher heart in her mouth. The creatureraised a skin-and-bone hand and silently signaled something to someone.Soon another apparition appeared silently alongside the first. Then a third.Very soon a stream of apparitions assembled in front of the gaping doorway

and started entering the room towards Kalyani. The eerie, shadowyatmosphere felt like the midnight cemetery to Kalyani. The apparitionssurrounded Kalyani and her daughter and carried them away, across theroad, across the fields into a dense patch of forest some distance away.

Meanwhile, Mahendra returned with the milk. He entered the inn to see thatthere was no one in the room where he had left Kalyani and the girl. All wasdark now, and very quiet. Soon, the shrill voice of Mahendra echoed along


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the empty, dark highwayfirst, calling out the name of his daughterandfinally the name of his wife.

Chapter 3

The forest into which the apparition-like thugs carried Kalyani and the kidwas beautiful. Only, in that darkness and the terrible situation, there was noone to appreciate that beauty. Although the famine had ravaged the cropsand devastated the lives of the people, the forests still had their share ofsoothing greenery, beautiful flowers and fruits that radiated a pleasantaroma even in that dark evening. Into this setting the thugs depositedKalyani and her daughter and then sat in a circle around them. A debatearose as to what they should do with these two creatures. Kalyani hadalready been dispossessed of whatever jewelry she was wearing. Someamongst the thugs were discussing ways and means of sharing out the loot.Once the sharing was settled, one of them asked: What are we going to do

with gold and silver now? I am willing to barter my share of the riches for ahandful of rice. The whole day I have eaten nothing but few wild leaves Iam dying of hunger. This sparked off a mini revolt with the clamor of Giveus rice, give us rice, we are dying of hunger. What good are pieces of goldand silver? Their leader tried to quell the mutiny, but no one seemed to bein the mood for reason. Gradually the chaos increased and finally gave wayto slander contests and fist fights. The excited thugs began to hit the leaderwith the pieces of jewelry. This incited the leader, lost his cool and startedhitting back. The rank and file retaliated with vengeance. The leader, whowas already weak and emaciated by hunger, could not withstand theonslaught and fell down and soon lay dead. Seeing this, one amongst the

starved, exhausted, excited, hallucinating thugs exclaimed: We have beenforced to eat dogs, foxes and god-knows-what to keep hunger at bay. Let usgo one step further and eat the meat of this rascal today! The excitablecrowd shouted out Hail Mother Kali! Let us be cannibals today! Letting goof all inhibitions, the apparition-like group of thugs began to laugh, clap anddance. Some amongst the group began preparations to roast their deadleader by lighting up a fire and adding dry leaves, twigs and branches to getthe flames to the desired levels. Soon the flames leapt high enough to revealthe shapes of the trees surrounding the clearing. The fire was by now quitestrong and one of the thugs began dragging their dead leader by the legsinto the flames. Seeing this, someone shouted out: Hang on, wait! If human

flesh is what is going to fill our stomachs today, then why do we chew on thewithered skin and bones of this old hag? Why not sink our teeth into somejuicy young flesh? Still others were impatient: We dont care whose flesh itis. Get us anythingfast. By now they shifted their gaze to the spot wherethey had dumped Kalyani and her daughter. It was vacantneither mother,nor daughter was to be seen! Taking advantage of the chaos, Kalyani hadmeanwhile scampered into the dense forest, clutching the girl in here


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bosom. The apparitions, growling like wild beasts spread out into the forestto retrieve their prey.

Chapter 4

The depth of the forest into which Kalyani had escaped was dark. She did notknow where she was stumbling along. With great difficulty, Kalyani managedto penetrate deeper and deeper into the woods. The little girl, stung andscratched by the thorns from the bushed and creepers, could not help cryingout in pain. The thugs, hearing these cries smelt blood and chased excitedly.Terrified, Kalyani kept stumbling ahead as fast as she could. Soon the moonappeared in the sky, removing the blanket of darkness and drenching theforest with its silvery light. Kalyani despaired, her hopes of escape dimmedin this sudden burst of light that began to expose the secrets of the forest.But the moon continued its ascent across the sky, oblivious of the dangers towhich it was exposing Kalyani. The girl kept on howling with fear. Kalyani

sensed the thugs closing in on her. The end was near she felt. She gave uptrying to escape. She sat on a thorn-free patch of soft grass under a hugetree, clasped her daughter on her lap and began praying: Where art Thou, OLord? Thee, whom I pray to every day, Thee, before whom I bow every day,Thee, who gave me the strength to venture into this forest, where art Thou?In that moment of utter fear and helplessness, in that moment of extremesurrender to the Lord, in that moment of unbearable hunger and thirst shegradually entered into a stupor and heard a heavenly voice somewhere,singing in praise of the Lord Krishna. She sensed, as if in a trance, that agreat Sanyasin had descended from the heavens and was moving across theland, singing the praise of the Lord Krishna, just as she had been made to

believe, since her childhood days. Gradually, she came back to her sensesand opened her eyes. In the shadowy moonlight she actually saw thatheavenly image, that great Sanyasin, standing right in front of her! Kalyaniwanted to bow her head at the feet of the Sanyasin, but in trying to do so,she lost her consciousness completely and lay still on the grass.

Chapter 5

In that forest on a large tract of land amidst the ruins of ancient stonestructures stood a Math (Hindu monastery). Archeologists would probablypoint out that originally it was a Buddhist Vihara (monastery), which was

later converted to a Hindu Math. The buildings were double storied, housinga variety of temples with a huge Nat mandir at the forefront. The entirecomplex was enclosed within high walls and huge trees in a way that it wasdifficult to spot the Math even from relative proximity. The buildings weredamaged and broken in a number of places, but upon close scrutiny onewould observe that repair work had been carried out in the recent past. Itcould easily be concluded that this Math, in the depth of the impregnableforest, was inhabited by human beings.


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In a room within this Math, Kalyani gradually regained consciousness andsaw the heavenly sanyasina sanyasin, she now realized, sitting in front ofher. She continued to stare at him in bewilderment. The Sanyasin looked ather and said: Mother, this is an abode for the Gods, do not feel scared or

hesitant here. Drink some milk and then we will talk. Kalyani wasdumbfounded, but gradually regained composure. She bent forward, bowedand touched the feet of the great man. He blessed her and fetched anearthen milk pot and heated the contents over the fire. He carried the hotmilk over to Kalyani and said: Mother, have some of the milk, give some toyour daughter and then we will talk. Kalyani was glad to feed the little girl.Dont worry about anything, stay here until I come back, said the Sanyasinand went out of the room. Upon returning after some time, he observed thatKalyani had meanwhile fed her daughter a little, but had not touched any ofthe milk herself. Mother, I am going out again he said, unless you drinkthe milk, I will not re-enter. The Sanyasin was about to exit the room once

again when Kalyani faced him with folded hands: Do not order me to drinkthe milk, I will not be able to do so, she said. Tell me what your problem is.You are like a daughter to me. Wont you tell me? he probed. When Ipicked you up unconscious in the forest, you appeared extremely hungry andthirsty. Unless you eat, how will you survive? Kalyani then replied, her voicetearful: You are like a God to me, I will tell youmy husband is also hungry.Unless I see him or unless I know that he has had something to eat, I will notbe able to touch the food. The Sanyasin asked: Where is your husband? Idont know replied Kalyani and proceeded to tell him the entire story. Soyou are the wife of Mahendra concluded the Sanyasin finally. Drink themilk and I promise I will get you news about him he said. Is there some

drinking water here asked Kalyani. The Sanyasin fetched the water pot andpoured out some water into the cupped hands of Kalyani. She asked him tobless the water, which he did. She then drank the water with full devotionand said: What I just drank was like food from the heavens, so please do notask me to drink any milk. The Sanyasin finally relented and told her: Youstay here in the abode of the Gods without any fear. I will go out in search ofyour husband.

Chapter 6

It was pretty late in the night and the moon was overhead. The not-yet-full

moon had cast an insufficient, shadowy light over a vast field on the outskirtsof the forest. It was impossible to make out the contours of this vastness.Though not quite visible, the highway going to Murshidabad and Kolkatatraversed this huge field. On one side of this road was a smallish hill. Theleaves on trees on top of this hillock reflected the shimmering moonlight.

The Sanyasin made his was to the top of this hill and stood silently, listeningintently. It was difficult to say what he hoped to hear in that vast silence,


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apart from the rustling of the trees. His concentrated listening howeverseemed to pay off and he moved in the direction of a particularly densepatch and saw rows upon rows of human forms seated silently in thedarkness. A closer look revealed that these were all young men, some twohundred in number, armed to the teeth. The Sanyasin went in their midst but

said nothing. Instead, he began to move slowly amongst the rows, standingin front of each man for a brief moment and then moving on to the next. Hewas looking for someone specific. Finally, he stood in front of a face andbriefly touched his shoulder. The man rose silently and followed the Sanyasinsome distance away. The newly identified man was a well built, strappingyoung man, sporting a luxurious growth of moustache. Overall, he lookedawesome. He too was clothed in the saffron robes of a sanyasin one whohas forsaken the worldly life to devote himself selflessly in the service of theLord Krishna. Fragrant sandalwood paste adorned his forehead and arms.

The Sanyasin, let us introduce his name nowSatyananda, finally asked him

in a subdued tone: Bhabananda, do you have any news about MahendraSingha? Bhabananda began his reply Mahendra deserted his house thismorning with his wife and daughter. On the way at the inn...... Yes, I knowall that and also what happened at the inn, Satyananda interrupted, butwho were these people? Basically village farmers who have taken tolooting out of sheer desperation. Come to think of it, who is not a thug thesedays? Even we have resorted to looting rice going to the governmenttreasury, to make offerings to the Lord and fill the stomachs of Hisfollowers, replied Bhabananda. Satyananda smiled and ignoredBhabanandas wry sarcasm. He said, I have rescued Mahindras wife anddaughter from the farmer-thugs and rehabilitated them at the Math. Now I

entrust you with the task of finding Mahendra and reuniting him with hisfamily. In your absence, Jibananda can take charge of operations here.Satyananda moved on and Bhabananda prepared to carry out hisinstructions.

Chapter 7

After having searched for his wife and daughter and cried himself hoarse,shouting out their names all over the area, Mahendra was at his wits end. Hesat exhausted and wondered what he could possibly do next. Finally,deciding to proceed to the city to seek help, he started along the highway,

forlorn, in the darkness of the night. Soon he came across a convoy ofbullock carts, escorted by a posse of soldiers and guards.

The British were not yet the official rulers of Bengal in 1769. However, sincethe Battle of Plassey in 1757, they were the de facto rulers. They collectedtax and propped up the puppet regime of Mir Zafar. Mir Zafar had earneduniversal condemnation and hatred for betraying Shiraj-ud-Dowla in theBattle of Plassey, thereby ensuring victory for a small band of British soldiers


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under Robert Clive. So, while the British merrily collected tax and Mir Zafarled a drugged existence in his golden cage, the common people of Bengalcontinued to suffer, their misery and tears touching neither the British norMir Zafar. In all areas where the British collected tax, they appointed over-zealous Collectors, who ensured that they met their collection targets, never

mind the condition of the local people. After collection, the booty wastransferred to the East India Company coffers in Kolkata through bullock cartconvoys. Given the impoverished condition of the countryside and the bandsof thugs that ravaged anything at sight, these convoys moved with heavilyarmed soldiers and guards, like the one that Mahendra had just accosted.

Seeing the approaching convoy, and to avoid any sort of confrontation,Mahendra decided to step out of the road into the adjoining forest to let itpass. One of the guards however spotted Mahendra receding into the forestand took him for a thug. There goes a thug he shouted out excitedly. Thefact that Mahendra was carrying his gun, lent credibility to the thug theory.

The guard leapt out and was upon Mahendras throat in a jiffy. Bloodythug he shouted, landing a few blows on Mahendras face and snatching hisgun. Mahendra fought back, punching the guard and pushing him away. Hiswas however, overpowered by a reinforcement of three or four guards, whomade him captive and took him to their Commanding Officer, declaring thathe had killed one of their colleagues. The British CO, riding on horsebackbehind the convoy, smoking a pipe in an inebriated condition, did not want tobe disturbed with such petty matters at that hour. Catch the bloody fellowand have him married! he said not making much sense. The guards, notquite sure how to execute that particularly tricky order, decided to tie upMahendra and dump him in one of the carts for the time being, expecting

their CO to come out of his blissful state of mind and pronounce a morelogical and implementable order. Mahendra, on his part, realizing the futilityof struggle, lay motionless in the moving cart, resigned to extreme grief,wondering if he had any motivation left to continue living.

Chapter 8

Meanwhile Bhabananda, mildly humming a tune in the praise of the Lord,was proceeding in the direction of that infamous inn where Mahendrasmisfortune had been enacted earlier that evening. On the way, as luckwould have it, he came across the convoy in which Mahendra was now a

captive. Like Mahendra, he also stepped aside to let it pass. The guards,after the Mahendra-episode, were already jittery and apprehensive of lurkingdangers. Now seeing Bhabananda they were convinced that not one, but aseries of thugs had plotted against them. They pounced upon him shoutingYou are also a bloody thug. Unperturbed, Bhabananda countered: Canyou not see that I am a sanyasin?


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Guard: A whole lot of so-called sanyasins resort to thugging these days.Saying this he and his colleagues proceeded to rough up Bhabananda anddragged him up to the convoy. Bhabanandas eyes flared up at thistreatment, but he remained calm externally. With utmost humility he askedthe Guard Sir, what orders do you have for me? The Guard warmed up to

Bhabanandas apparent show of meekness and relaxed. Carry one of theseloads on your head and come with us, he ordered. Saying this, he dumped abundle on Bhabanandas head. Another Guard, observing this episodeadvised Dont trust the fellow, he might escape. Why dont we tie him upalso and dump him with his fellow thug? Bhabananda now realized therewas one more prisoner in the convoy and was more than willing to sacrificehis freedom to get to know this prisoner more closely. He therefore meeklysurrendered to the tying-up activity that followed and allowed him to bedumped alongside the other captive whom he intuitively recognized asMahendra!

Having dealt with the two prisoners, the Guards relaxed once again andcontinued on their dreary journey, bantering and chattering amongstthemselves. The rhythmic creaking and squeaking of the wooden wheels ofthe carts measured the progress of the convoy as it moved through the nightalong the forlorn highway. Sensing the return to normalcy, Bhabanandastirred and whispered to his fellow prisoner Mahendra Singha, I know youand I am here to help you. Dont worry about who I am. Just do as I say.Place your hands on the carts wheel in a way that the ropes tying yourhands rub against the wheel. Mahendra followed the instructionmechanically. Very soon the ropes snapped and Mahendra was partially free.Then under instructions from Bhabananda, he similarly freed the shackles

tying his feet. Bhabananda followed suit and very soon both prisoners layquietly in the cart, free of their shackles.

By now, the convoy had reached the spot where the highway snaked aroundthe small hill on top of which Satyananda had met Bhabananda. In the hazecreated by the moonlight, the Guards saw the silhouette of a man atop arock by the side of the road. Yet another thug, shouted out a Guard, Letsget him also. One of the Guards ran to capture the latest in the series ofthugs, who remained motionless atop the rock. He did not resist even whilethe Guard captured him and presented him to his colleagues. A senior Guardplaced a heavy load on the captors head, who accepted the same silently

without protest. The convoy, after this brief flurry of activity, moved on.

Suddenly, a pistol shot shattered the silence of the night. The shot hadpierced the head of the senior guard and he fell dead. The thug shot him!cursed one of the Guards and grasped the latest captive, who had by thendropped his heavy load. He took fresh aim and shot dead the guard nearesthim. As if on cue, the air was filled with shouts of Vande Mataram, as twohundred armed sanyasins descended upon the convoy. The startled Guards,


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paralyzed into inaction, awaited some sort of command from their CO. Theorder came. The British Officer, riding on horseback, was jolted out of hisinebriated bliss. He ordered his men to cordon off the convoy and take upposition ready to fire. However, the subsequent order to fire never came, assomeone had crept up from behind, unsheathed his sword and swiftly

beheaded the CO. The focus now shifted to this man, who was now standingatop one of the carts, brandishing the sword, urging the attackers to kill theguards. He was none other than Bhabananda!

The Guards, witnessing the sudden reversal of fortunes following the demiseof their Officer, fell into disarray. The two-hundred-strong thug force, nowsensing a window of opportunity, fell upon the convoy, killing at will andlooting at random. The remaining Guards, realizing all was lost, dissolvedinto the nearby forests, running for dear life.

The man, who was seen atop the rock, now approached Bhabananda. As

they embraced each other Bhabananda said, Brother Jibananda, yourrenunciation has been vindicated! So has yours, replied Jibananda, as heproceeded to remove the booty to its appointed place, leaving Bhabanandastanding alone. Mahendra emerged from the mayhem, shaken butunharmed.

Chapter 9

Mahendra had been intrigued by the sudden turn of events. Initially he hadjumped out of the wagon to join the marauding forces, which he perceived asnatural allies. He had even opened his account by killing a Guard. Soon,

however, he got the feeling that this was just a group of thugs that hadattacked the convoy, solely for the purpose of killing and looting. So hedecided to distance himself from their activities and stood afar, justwatching. Now, as he approached Bhabananda, he asked Who are you?Why do you want to know? countered Bhabananda.Mah: You have helped me survive. I am indebted to youBhaba: But your actions did not match your sentiments. All this while, wewere fighting and you were trying to slime away from the scene instead ofhelping us. You well-fed landlord types are good only in your words. When itcomes to walking the talk, you prove to be absolute cowards!Mahendra could not take it any more. Unable to control his hatred he said,

What you just did was evil, an act of blatant thuggery.Bhaba: Maybe, but then we just did you a massive favor and haveintentions of doing more for you.Mah: Yes, you have indeed helped me. But what else can you do for me?Besides, I dont really like the idea of being helped by thugs.Bhaba: Whether you like being helped by us or not is entirely up to you. Butin case you have a desire to see your wife and daughter, you might want tofollow me.


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Mahendra stopped in his tracks! Bhabananda said nothing more, but startedwalking. Although Mahendra wondered whether he was jumping out of thefrying pan into the fire, he followed Bhabananda. He had no choice!

Chapter 10

In that moonlight-bathed night, the two walked silently. Bhabananda lead theway, Mahendra followed, still in grief and humiliation, but somehow relievedand suspenseful of what lay in store.

Surprisingly, as they walked, Bhabananda seemed to transform. No more didhe look like the cold and calculating, brutal and ruthless thug leader whowrecked havoc in the ranks of the Guards. No more did he display the prideand arrogance with which he had admonished Mahendra after the skirmish.It was as if the mellow moonlight had drenched the man with a humane andromantic disposition. It was as if a turbulent sea had suddenly calmed down

into the serenity of gently rolling waves. Bhabanandas transformationresulted in a mellow infectious smile and a desire to engage Mahendra ingood-natured banter, replaced the earlier pride and haughtiness. However,Mahendra was in no mood for light banter and kept aloof. Finally, giving upthe idea of engaging Mahendra in talk, Bhabananda started singing..

Vande MataramSujalang, Suphalang, Malayaja Sheetalam,Shashya Shaymalam, Mataram

Praise the Mother (who provides us)

Clean water, abundant produce and the cool breeze,And the verdant crops.. Oh! Mother

Mahendra was bewildered. He did not understand the song well. Who is thisMother you are singing aboutwho provides the clean waters, the produce,the breeze and the verdant crops etc.? He asked. Bhabananda did not replybut kept singing

Shining full-moon-lit skiesThe flower-studded beauty of the boughs,With enchanting smile and sweetness of words

Our happiness-providing, blessings-giving Mother

Mahendra: True, what you sing is a very poetic description of our land, Iunderstand that. But where is this Mother concept coming from? Bhaba: We are sanyasins. We have forsaken family life. To us, our land isour Mother. We derive sustenance, solace and motivation from our land-Mother. Beyond that, we do not have any other mother, father, wife, son,


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house or property. All we have is the clean water, cool breeze, all providingverdant Motherland.Mahendra was now beginning to appreciate Bhabanandas concept. Whydont you sing again, he implored. Bhabananda continued singing theremaining verses of his Vande Mataram in praise of the Mother. Mahendra

was astonished at how the thug Bhabananda as now crying with emotion,his words choking as he continued to sing his mesmerizing song. Hetherefore ventured to ask once again, Who are you? We are theChildren, replied Bhabananda.Mah: What children? Whos children?Bhaba: The Children of our Mother, our God.Mah: That sounds great! But you appear to be children who rob and loot atwill. Is that how you express love and devotion for your Mother and God?Bhaba: We do not rob and loot at willMah: But thats exactly what you did sometime agoBhaba: Do you call that looting? Whom did we loot anyway?

Mah: The government, what you looted was the tax meant for thegovernment coffersBhaba: And what do you think the government is supposed to do with thetax they collect?Mah: Whatever. Its their share of the revenues from the landBhaba: A government that does not govern has no right to any share ofrevenuesMah: One of these days, you will all get wiped out by the governmentforcesBhaba: We have seen a lot of these so called governments forces. Eventoday we encountered and took care of one suchdidnt we?

Mah: You are yet to face their full might. I am sure you will, one of thesedaysBhaba: Yes may be you are rightbut so what? We all die once, dont we?Mah: But whats the point in dying like thislike a dog on the highway?Bhaba: Mahendra Singha! I thought you were made of different stuff. Butyou are proving me wrong. See, I consider the snake that crawls on its bellyas the lowest form of life. But even the snake shapes up for a challengewhen trampled upon. How can you people be so patient that nothingprovokes you! Magadh, Mithila, Kashi, Kanchi, Delhi, Kashmir or where onearth have people been reduced to eating grass, weeds, dogs, cats and evendead human bodies like here? In which land have people become so panicky

that they do not know where to hide their wealth or how to protect theirwives and daughters? Kings and governments are supposed to providesafety and security to their subjects. The Muslim rulers of Bengal who arenow in power do not provide any governance, safety or security. We arelosing the faith, the religion of our forefathers. Having completely lost ourself respect, we are now at danger of losing our lives and very soon ourentire race stands to be decimated. Unless we fight back to remove these


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worthless, debauched rulers, we can never hope to regain our morality, ourreligion and our self beliefMah: How will you remove them?Bhaba: By forceMah: And you children hope to be your Mothers savior all by yourselves?

You will just slap them and they will run away?Bhabananda sang out: If seven crore voices fill the airand twice thosenumbers of arms rise in unisonimagine the power! And we still feel ourMother is powerless?Mah: Thats a great vision, but in reality I find you are virtually alone in yourstruggleBhaba: But didnt you just see two hundred of us crushing the soldiers?Mah: Are all of them also Children like you?Bhaba: Yes they areMah: How many are there in all?Bhaba: There are thousands now and the numbers are gradually increasing

Mah: OK, lets assume the numbers will swell to ten, or even twentythousand. Will that be enough to unseat the Muslim administration?Bhaba: How many British soldiers were there at Plassey?Mah: Are you trying to compare the British soldiers with your rag-tag bandof Bengali thugs?Bhaba: Why not? Bodily strength may no more be the deciding factor inwar. Do you think a stronger man can fire a cannonball a greater distancethan a weaker man?Mah: Then why is there a difference between a British soldier and a Muslimsoldier?Bhaba: It is in the attitude. The British will not quit even if he is half dead.

The Muslim will want to retire, looking for a glass of sherbet at the slightestopportunity. The British are a determined lot. Also, they are strategic in theirapproach. They calculate exactly where the shots from the cannon mightland and then plan their warfare accordingly. The Muslims generally followthe herd mentality and will panic and scatter away when shots are fired atthem.Mah: So does your force have the right attitude and the strategiccapabilities?Bhaba: Not yet, but such qualities do not fall from trees, they need to bedeveloped and nurtured through intense practiceMah: Do you practice?

Bhaba: Dont you see we are sanyasins? Our sacrifice and renunciation ofworldly possessions and sentiments help us in our training. We are focusedand will accomplish our mission. In fact, after completing our mission, we willgo back to a regular domestic life, to our families, our loved onesMah: And now that you have temporarily sacrificed your family lives, dontyou remember your loved ones? Dont you get distracted by those thoughts?Are you not tempted to go back?


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Bhaba: Well, to tell you the truth, how can one really forget? How can oneforsake the love of their beloved? If anyone says that he has been able tototally stamp out such thoughtsthen either he is lying, or he never hadthose feelings in the first place. However, we try to suppress those thoughts,feelings and memories, to honor our vows as Children. Will you join us?

Mah: Unless I am united with my family, I really can not say anythingBhaba: Come then! Let me take you to your wife and daughter

The two continued their trek. Bhabananda resumed Vande Mataram.Mahendra was not bad at singing and so joined in. Soon he realized he wasgetting emotionally carried away and tears welled up. He asked BhabanandaIs there a way I can join you, without having to sacrifice my ties with mywife and daughter?Bhaba: There is no way of dedicating yourself to the cause without firstforsaking your family. We do however ensure the safety and security of yourfamily in your absence, wherever they choose to live

Mah: I will not join you then.

Chapter 11

The gloomy dark cover of the night had lifted. The forest was now bathedgloriously in the morning sun and the chirping birds rendered a cheerfultouch. In that first morning flush of happiness, in the rejuvenated forest, inall its tranquility stood the Ananda Math- truly, the sanctum of happiness.Sanyasin Satyananda sat in lotus position in front of the Lord, transfixed inhis morning prayers. Near him sat Jibananda. Suddenly Bhabananda andMahendra burst into the room. Satyananda ignored the intrusion and

continued with his prayers in silence. None of the others dared to break histrance. Finally, when he ended his prayers, the others touched his feet inrespect. Satyananda motioned to Bhabananda and the two exited the room.What transpired between the two is not known, but upon return, the saintlyman commiserated with Mahendra for all the miseries that had befallen sincethe time events conspired to separate Mahendra from his family the previousevening. Let the Lord, in his immense kindness, be thanked, he exclaimed,after describing the circumstances under which he had rescued his wife anddaughter. Let me direct you to where your wife and daughter are nowresting, he finally concluded.

Mahendra followed Satyananda through the Math. While brilliant sunshinedazzled outside, the high-ceilinged halls of the Math were still drowsily dark,as if suffering from the nights hangover. When his eyes finally adjusted tothe darkness, Mahendra discerned in front of him the huge form of a four-armed image of the Lord Vishnu.Satyananda: Do you see what stands in front of you? Yes, repliedMahendra but who is that sitting on the lap of the Lord Vishnu?


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Mother replied Satyananda, and added we are all his sons. But who isshe? Mahendra persisted.Satyananda: You will get the answer in due course. But for now just chantVande Mataram and let us proceed. In the next hall, Mahendra accostedGoddess Jagatdhatri, resplendent in all glory and asked And what is the

significance here?Satyananda: Jagatdhatri represents the Mother as she wasthe allconquering, all powerful, supremely beautiful protector of the earth, whopossessed the aura of the morning sun. Bow down and pray to her.Mahendra did as he was told and then followed Satyananda further into thelabyrinthine innards of the Math.

They had now reached an underground chamber illuminated by a faint lightcoming from somewhere. In that faint light Mahendra saw a fearsome statueof the goddess Kali.Satyananda: Seethis is what the Mother is today. Mahendra stood there,

slightly overawed. Mother is today in the image of Kalithe one who reignsover the dead of the cemeteryfor today the whole world is like a cemetery.The bountiful riches of the earth that had bejeweled Mother Jagatdhatri havenow been traded for the necklace of human skulls that you see Goddess Kaliis burdened with! Satyananda had become emotional and tears welled up inhis eyes. Mahendra asked Why does Kali wield weapons in her hand? Wethe sons of Mother have just started empowering her Vande Mataram!replied Satyananda. Vande Mataram! chanted Mahendra and followedSatyananda once again.

Bright sunlight hit them at the end of the tunnel. The chirping of the forest

birds once again filled the air. A grand marble temple stood in the courtyard,with the ten-armed statue of the Goddess Durga, the conqueror of evil!Satyananda bowed before Durga and said this finally, is the image ofMother as she will be, ten empowered arms spreading in all directions, evilforces firmly under control at her feet. On her right stands Laxmi, the imageof prosperity and wellbeing and on her left Saraswati, embodying learningand the muses. Also around are Kartik, the very source of strength andvirility and Ganesh, the wise one who is an enabler, an implementer,ensuring what begins is completed with full success.

Come let us pray said Satyananda and both of them approached Durga

with folded hands. After a few minutes in prayer, Mahendra, overwhelmed bythe occasion asked Satyananda, when will this image of the Mother be areality? The day, all Her sons shout out Mother! in one voice, repliedSatyananda.

Suddenly reality struck Mahendra where is my wife and daughter?Oh...lets go replied Satyananda.Mah: I want to see them just once, before I bid them farewell


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Sanyasin: Why will you bid them farewell?Mah: I want to be a part of your movementSanyasin: Where will you send them?Mahendra wondered There is no one in my house and in this great faminethere is nowhere to go

Sanyasin: Go out the same way that you came inside and at the entranceyou will meet your family. You wife has still not eaten anything. There isfood, so ask her to eat and then decide what you will do. None of us will beavailable for the time being, but we will meet sometime, depending on whatyou decide to do. Saying so, Satyananda suddenly exited. Mahendrafollowed the instructions and was able to spot at a distance his wife anddaughter.

Meanwhile Satyananda, using one of the various passages of the Math,entered into an underground chamber. Jibananda and Bhabananda werealready inside, counting coins and stacking them neatly. This room was full

of gold, silver, copper coins and all other types of jems, stones and riches.The spoils of the last nights adventure were now being added to the stacks.Upon entering, Satyananda exclaimed, Jibananda, I think Mahendra will joinus! And if that happens, his ancestral wealth will be at the disposal of ourMother! But do not accept him unless he is fully committed to the cause withall his body, mind, words and deeds. Meanwhile however, take turns toalways keep Mahendra and his family under surveillance, to ensure that noharm comes their wayfor while slaying of the evil is our religion, so is theprotection of the innocent.

Chapter 12

After quite an ordeal, Mahendra was finally reunited with his family. Kalyani,wept uncontrollably. Mahendra also burst out crying. Finally, to regaincomposure, Kalyani diverted their attention to the food that was arranged forthem. There was milk and a lot of fruits and vegetables that grew wild in thedeep forest, which was by and large out of the reach of the famishedpopulation of the towns and villages. Mahendra and then Kalyani were ableto satisfy their hunger and there was enough milk for the little girl as well.Having satisfied their thirst and hunger, the family fell into deep slumber.

Upon waking up from their well deserved slumber, reality sank in. Where

would they now go they wondered? We fled home thinking it was not safethere. But now it seems the outside world is even worse! Why then dont wego back home? Offered Kalyani. Mahendra was also in a similar frame ofmind. He planned to go back home, put Kalyani and the daughter under thecare of someone and then get back to the Math and immerse himself inservice of the Mother. He therefore quickly agreed to Kalyanis proposal ofgoing back home for now. Husband and wife then readied themselves for the


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journey, picked up their daughter and their belongings and set out towardstheir village of Padachhinha.

Going back was however, easier said than done. They had completely losttheir bearings in that dense forest. Mahendra however reasoned that their

first task was to reach the edge of the forest. Once out of the forest, surelythey could ask around to reach the road leading to their village. But the verytask of navigating their way though the forest proved to be futile. After somewondering around, they realized that they were back where they hadstarted! A member of the Math, hitherto unknown to them, stood smiling.What are you smiling about? asked Mahendra. How did you enter thisforest in the first place quipped the newcomer. Thats none of yourbusiness retorted Mahendra, visibly irritated. Then go out the same wayyou came in, came the prompt reply. Stop smilingand why dont youshow us the way? Yes, I have been asked to show you the way outoutsiders are not expected to know the way in and out of this forest. Follow

me, said the man. Are you also a member of this Math? InquiredMahendra and what is your name? Mahendra extended his question onseeing the man nod in the affirmative. My name is Dheerananda Goswamisaid the man and began leading the way. Finally, he led them to the highwayskirting the edge of the forest and then disappeared back into the thicknessof the forest.

The road began winding along the edge of the forest. A small stream ran bythe road, rendered invisible by the trees and the dense vegetation. Only thegurgling noise of the water gave away the secret. Together with the chirpingbirds, the cascading water created a melody that was too inviting for Kalyani.

She selected a spot under a tree just next to the flowing water and beckonedto her husband to join her. When Mahendra sat next to her, she dragged herdaughter on to her lap and held her husband by the hand and sat in absolutequietness for a while. Finally she remarked The danger that we had landedourselves in is now over, why then do you still look so dejected? I have lostmy self confidence. I am not sure what to do, said Mahendra. He thenproceeded to relate all that had happened to him since the time they wereseparated the previous afternoon. Kalyani also related her horror stories.Despite my insecure situation, I did fall asleep in the early hours of themorning and I had a dream, she continued. I dreamt that I was in a placeof indescribable beauty, where there was no landonly a sublime, pure light,

like the one that sometimes breaks through thick clouds, bathing everythingin its glory. A place where no man existed, only illuminations. No soundexcept the distant echoes of symphony, no smell except the fragrance of thefreshest blooms. There, above all, in full view, sat someone supremesomeone whose brilliance outshone everything else. Blinded by the radiance,I could just about make out the form of a very beautiful, but frail lady,standing in front of the Supreme Being, talking to Himthis is the woman I


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felt the frail lady saying, pointing towards me She is the one who ispreventing Mahendra from coming into my fold.The revelation, as narrated by Kalyani jolted Mahendra into silence. Only thesounds, sights and the smells of the forest prevailedthe birds chirpedoverhead and the stream rippled beneath. Somewhere in the distance large

palm fronds moved noisily in the breeze. Wafts of breeze tossed around thescents of the wild flowers. The stream sparkled at random spots where raysof the sun were able to penetrate the dense leafy canopy of the forest. Inthe distance the blue contours of a faraway mountain range was visible.

Finally, Kalyani broke the mesmerizing silence. What are you thinking, shequeried. Wondering what to do, replied Mahendra, dreams are but afigment of our imagination that grows and feeds in our minds.anyway, letsgo home he concluded. Go where your conscience tells you to go saidKalyani, placing the young girl on his lap. And what about you? shot backMahendra. Kalyani closed her eyes and replied, I want to go where my inner

voice beacons! And where is that, and how do you plan to reach there?questioned Mahendra startled. Kalyani held up her vial of poison that shehad been carrying all though this travail. I thought this was the solution, butthen. Her voice trailed off into silent thought. Mahendra stared at her,expecting her to complete the sentence. When that did not happen in awhile, he asked but then what? Well, I thought the solution lay in thissmall vialbut on second thoughts, I dont think I can bear to leave the twoof you. No, I dont want to die concluded Kalyani, letting the vial slip fromher grasp. The two then continued to wonder what lay ahead of them, wherethey would go from there.

Meanwhile, Sukumari, the little girl playing nearby, grasped the vial of poisonthat lay on the grass! Like any inquisitive child she opened the vial and asmall pellet of poison trickled out into her palm, which she instantly placedinside her mouth without the least bit of hesitation! From the corner of hereye Kalyani caught this last bit of action. She lunged forward, trying to pryopen the small girls jaws to retrieve the poison pill. The girl initially resisted,thinking this was a part of some game, but then relaxed her jaws, perhapshaving tasted the bitter pill! The pill spilt out of her mouth and tumbled ontothe grass beneath. The mother rushed to the stream, fetched some water inher cupped hands and poured it into her daughters mouth. Do you thinksome of the poison might have entered her system? Wailed Kalyani,

addressing her husband. Where love is strong, the worst usually comes tomind. Mahendra held the pill in his hand and examined it closely. I think shedid swallow a part of it, he concluded. The girl, by now unnerved by thesudden panic all around, began to cry and then finally being drained ofenergy, lay listless.

Kalyani lost hope, felt desperate. Taking the pill from Mahendra, she poppedit into her mouth and said,What the Gods want, can not be resisted. Saying


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so, she swallowed the pill and fell to the ground! Why did you do thatyelled Mahendra, but it was too late. Perhaps this was the best way outsaid Kalyani in a feeble voice. Why should an insignificant being like mecome in the way, between God and your service to Him? See, when Idithered in following Gods message, He punished me by taking away my

daughter. If I waver any further, something will happen to you

Mahendra burst out crying. I could have kept you safely somewhere for thetime being. Then after completing our mission, we could have lived a life ofhappiness together again: he said. Kalyani! You are my strength. How can Iever feel motivated to achieve anything without the silent strength that Iderive from you? Who am I without you?

Kalyani: Where could you have possibly taken me? My parents, relatives,friends.none of them are around. The famine has consumed them all.Besides, where is the road, where is the house, the food, the source of

sustenance? Its good that I am dying. Now I know for sure where I am going.Bless me, so that I can go to that place of my dreamswhere I will wait foryouindeed, we will reunite and be happy!

Mahendra continued to cry inconsolably as Kalyani continuedin a lovingvoice, devoid of any tension or angst See, who can defy Gods will. Youwanted to deposit me at a safe placeso this is Gods solution. Meanwhile,you go ahead; fulfill Gods work with all your body, mind and soul. Then onceyou are done, join me. We will rejoice together, where there is no pain, nosorrow

Meanwhile the little girl had recovered. Traces of the poison, that might haveentered her system was definitely not life threatening. Mahendra placed thechild on Kalyanis lap and embraced both of them in a deep hug, cryingprofusely all the while. Kalyani was by now in the throes of delirium. Life wasslowly seeping out of her body. Somewhere in the forest a deep butmelodious voice could be heardsinging in praise of the Lord. Kalyani faintlyheard the voiceas if the Gods were welcoming her into their own domain.Kalyani started singing in unison. It was a most inspiring combination thedeep melodious voice of the forest and Kalyanis soulful rendition! Mahendraforgot his sadness. He felt uplifted. He joined the chorus in a rapturous stateof mind. Finally, the voice of the forest fell silent. Kalyanis voice also died

down. Her body went limp and her eyes closed. Mahendra realized thatKalyani had travelled to some other world, with the Lords praise on her lips.He burst out, his voice echoing in the forestas if trying desperately to stillmaintain contact with Kalyani in some faraway world. In his frenzy, he didnot realize that a figure had crept up to him and was now embracing him,singing the same Lords tune. The two continued to sing as the birds and theforest sounds fell silent, as if in awe. The new comer, Satyananda, sat downon the forest floor, consoling Mahendra.


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Chapter 13

Meanwhile, the Capital was abuzz with the news of Sanyasins, who werelooting the government convoys bringing cash from various parts of the

State. Troops were deployed to hunt them down. However, the fact was thatin the famine-ravaged areas, there were hardly any sanyasins left.Sanyasins, who normally survived on food donated by the local community,did not stand a chance when the community itself was ravished! Most ofthem had therefore departed to far-away places like Kashi and Prayag insearch of sustenance. Only the sanyasins of the Order of the Santaans1-the Children, operating out of Ananda Math, deep inside the forest,remained. They assumed and discarded the garb of sanyasins at will.Therefore the troops, when they reached the area in search of sanyasinswere baffled. Finding no sanyasin, they unnecessarily tortured the famishedlocal people, smashing and breaking their houses and meager belongings.

Satyananda, being the head of the Order, never discarded his sanyasin-garb.As he and Mahendra sat that night in the dark forest by the still body ofKalyani, the soldiers, looking for sanyasins, chanced upon them. One of themgrasped Satyananda by the throat. Another fell upon Mahendra. Yet anotherwas about to pounce upon Kalyani, but realizing that the body was that of alifeless woman, let her go. The small girl was also similarly spared. They thendragged away Satyananda and Mahendra, leaving behind the body of Kalyaniand the small girl, unprotected, in that huge dark forest.

Initially, driven by his recent grief and overwhelmed by frenzy, Mahendra

was numb to this latest misadventure. He did not offer any resistance to hiscapture. However, gradually realization dawned. The thought of Kalyanisbody and his still alive daughter, now at the mercy of wild animals of theforest, broke his stupor. He jerked his two hands free with ferocity. A struggleensued with his captors, but the numerical superiority of the soldiers led tohis almost immediate recapture and a fresh round of tying up. Finally,physically and mentally decimated, Mahendra accused Satyananda, lying incaptivity besides himwith a bit of help from you, we might have been ableof overpower these goons. We do not have the strength to physically takethem on now, replied Satyananda. We will utilize a far greater strength atthe right time. For now, let us see where they take us. The mighty Lord will

protect us. The two of them continued with the group in captivity, for thetime being giving up all attempts of breaking free.

After a while Satyananda asked the Guards I have the habit of chantingthe Lords name. Do you have any problems with that? The Guards feltSatyananda was a docile, aged man of God and quite harmless. You can

1 Santaan literally means child. This Order of sanyasins calling themselves Santaans, the

Children of Mother Earth


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chant, we will not object said one of the Guards. You appear to be arespectable gentleman and most probably you will be let off by themagistrate. This other guy, however, has trouble written all over him thescoundrel will probably be hanged. Satyananda started singing outloud...Deep inside the forest, on the bank of the stream lies a lady, with

Sukumari by the sideetc. His booming voice reverberated throughout theforest

Upon reaching the city sometime the next day, they were presented to themagistrates office. The magistrate remanded them to custody and orderedfor official proceedings to take place. When that would happen however, wasdebatable, since there was a dearth of judges. The prison where they werelodged had a terrible reputation most of those that entered it never cameout.

Chapter 14

That night, inside the dungeon Satyananda started chanted the Lords nameand said Its a happy day for us as we are in prison. Why dont you join mein the chant? Mahendra chanted feebly. Why do you sound so feeble?asked Satyananda. In any case, continued Satyananda, since you wereplanning to dedicate yourself to the service of the Lord, you could not havestayed with your family. Not staying with them is one thing and seeingthem die before my own eyes is another, countered Mahendra. Thestrength which was propelling me to serve the Lord, seems to have desertedme with the loss of my wife and daughter. You will regain your strengthonce you are officially ordained, said Satyananda. I am not interested in

your sermons at the moment do not tell me all this, when my wife anddaughter are on the verge of being devoured by wolves and dogs in theforest, said Mahendra, irritated. Be assured on that count, saidSatyananda. Our colleagues would have completed Kalyanis last rites bynow and you daughter must have been taken good care of. How the hellwould you know all that? You have been with me all along, without any linesof communication with the outside world countered Mahendra sarcastically.

Satyananda: Our diksha2, meditation and service to the Lord give us greatpowers. You will get news about your family and we will be freed fromcaptivity before the night is over. Sensing utter disbelief on the part of

Mahendra, Satyananda continuedOK, lets see if things work out. Sayingso he walked up to the bars of the cell, said something to some one outside,came back and announced, Mahendra, you will be released right now! Loand behold, the cell door cranked open and a Prison Guard entered. Who isMahendra Singha? the Guard called out loud. Mahendra responded and wasimmediately allowed to leave. Your release has been orderedyou may go

2 Diksha: In Hinduism, diksha is the ritual of initiation into the worship of some deity by a

guru (diksha guru) of a religious sect or group, who bestows mantra(s) of initiation


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he said. Mahendra could not believe his ears! He walked out fearfully andtentatively onto the streets outside the prison, expecting at every step thatsomeone will pounce upon him. To his surprise, no such thing happened.

Back at the prison cell, the guard who had set Mahendra free now addressed

Satyananda, Maharaj, he said, why dont you also leave? I have comeespecially for you.Are you Dheerendra Gosain? asked Satyananda.Yes, I am replied Dheerananda, in Guards uniform.Satya: How on earth did you manage to get here?Dheera: Bhabananda sent me here. Upon reaching the city and being toldthat you are being held in this prison, I came here and took care of thegentleman guarding your cell. He is now lying somewhere in a druggedcondition. I had a tough time squeezing myself into his uniform.Satya: Thats good! You may now make your escape into the city. I willcontinue here.

Suddenly Mahendra appeared back on the scene! Why are you back?asked Satyananda.Mah: You are a great person, definitely capable of taking care of yourself,but I did not feel it proper to leave you alone here.Satya: Ok, great! Stay with me then. Both of us will leave later tonight!

Chapter 15

The previous night, a lot of people in the forest had heard Satyanandassong. Jibananda was one of them. He understood the meaning of the song.He figured out two immediate tasks. One was to rescue Satyananda from the

Guards and the other was to take care of the woman and child indicated inSatyanandas song. While rescuing Satyananda was critical, he felt thewoman and child needed attention first. Jibananda set out along the streamand soon came across the dead woman and the child. Although Jibanandahad never been introduced to Mahendras wife and daughter before, heguessed as much. At least the daughter is alive, he thought. She must betaken care of, before she ends up being torn apart by wild animals.Bhabananda must be somewhere around, and can take care of the last ritesof the woman, he figured. Thinking along these lines, Jibananda picked upthe small girl. Carrying the girl with him, Jibananda traversed the forest andreached the other edge where Bhairabipur, a small village was located. The

locals called it Bharuipur. Bharuipur was home to a handful of simple folks.There was no large village nearby. Dense forests encircled Bharuipur, whichwas however a beautiful little settlement. Verdant grasslands, orchards ofjackfruit and mango abounded. A large lake, with clear water adorned thecenter of the village. Various species of water birds alighted on the lakewater. The treetops surrounding the lake also buzzed with avian activity. Thesmall houses of Bharuipur were neatly laid out, each with its slice of kitchengarden, cows in the manger and fruit trees in the backyard. The famine had


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not spared Bharuipur, but perhaps with a lesser severity. The surroundingforests sustained the village even at the worst of times, with its abundanceof wild fruits, water, animals and other produce.

Jibananda walked towards an isolated house within a mango orchard. The

four-roomed small house was surrounded by a mud wall that encompassed acow in the cow-shed, a goat tied to a bamboo pole, a peacock that prancedabout the compound, a mynah and a parrot chattering away incessantly. (Amonkey was also a part of the family but was allowed to escape since theywere not able to feed it any more!) The house boasted a granary, a lemontree, a few bushes of fragrant flowers (which did not blossom that year) andspinning wheels in the rooms. Not many people, however appeared to live inthe house, which now Jibananda entered carrying the small child. Hestepped into a room and started playing with the spinning wheel, whichmade a creaky noise signifying long disuse. The child, who had been sobbingall along after her separation from her dead mother, started wailing out loud.

Hearing the commotion a young lady, no more than seventeen or eighteencame out from the other room. It was quite apparent from her initialreactions that she was Jibanandas younger sister. And who is this sweetlittle girl? Is she your child? Did you get married again? she asked excitedly.Jibananda planted the child on her sisters lap and ordered her to get milk.The child stopped crying. Perhaps after all the harshness she hadexperienced over the couple of days, she finally felt secure and comfortablein the warm bosom of this beautiful young lady. Nimi, for that was howJibananda addressed her, proceeded with great tenderness to feed the childwarm milk. Dada3, she asked, whose child is this? Can I keep her with

me? What will you do with her? asked Jibananda. I will feed her, takecare of her she replied, with tears streaming across her cheeks. She wipedaway the tears, smiled and continued feeding the child.Jiba: You will have children of your own why this one?Nimi: Maybe, but I want to keep this oneJiba: Ok, take good care of her. I will come to see her from time to time.Remember she comes from an affluent family of good caste. I will leave nowNimi: What do you mean? Will you not have lunch?Jiba: I am already eating your head off with all the trouble that I havedeposited on your lap. Now you want me to eat lunch! Ok let me havesome rice then, before I leave

Nimi spread out lunch neatly. She served rice, boiled lentils, curry cookedfrom wild forest fruits, fish from the village lake and finally milk.Who will say that a famine is sweeping across the land? Jibanandaobserved. Is this village spared from the wrath?Nimi: Not reallybut we did get some rains, which helped us harvest somepaddy. Besides, there are just the two of us in our family.

3 Dada, meaning elder brother in Bengali is how a younger sister normally addresses her

elder brother


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Jiba: And where is your husband? I dont see himNimi: Oh! he went out to distribute rice to the needy in the village.Jibananda was having a hearty meal in quite a while. He ate to his heartscontent, little realizing that Nimi had cooked just for two people and he hadalready devoured more than one persons share. Most likely Nimi would go

without lunch.Nimi: Will you eat some more?Jiba: What else do you have?Nimi: Wait! there is a ripe jackfruit; I will get it for you

In no time the whole jackfruit disappeared and while Jibananda smacked hislips in satisfaction, Nimi finally smiled and said Dada thats it. Now there isnothing else left for me to offer you!Jibananda seemed least concerned and said ok, next time!

While replenishing his glass of water, Nimi asked Jibananda, with great

trepidation, Will you promise me something? Now what? Shot backJibananda. After examining the ground closely for quite a while she blurtedout Will I call your wife for a moment, careful to keep her eyes firmly onthe ground, scared to face Jibananda. Jibananda froze midway in his post-lunch activities and admonished her sisterYou little monkey, who gaveyou the right to ask such impertinent questions? Nimi however, persisted inher wrangling. Bring me that little girl, I will not stay here any more saidJibananda proceeding purposefully towards the door. Nimi obstructed his wayand repeated her request again. I will not let you go, without seeing yourwife she continued with all her persuasive skills. You will have to kill mebefore I let you out of the house, she finally concluded out of desperation.

Do you know how many people I have killed? Jibananda countered. Ifstaying away from your wife and killing people is what gives you great pride,I am ashamed of being your sister. Besides, I am of the same bloodifrequired I can also kill. Jibananda sensed that things were getting prettyserious. He therefore acquiesced. OK do what you want. But let this be thelast time you make such audacious requests.

Nimi shot out of the house and ran towards a nearby hut. Inside sat a lady, incrumpled apparel and unkempt hair. Nimi burst into the house and shoutedexcitedly Hey hurry, hurry! Why hurry, for what? answered the ladyDid your husband beat you do you want me to get oil to rub your wounds

with? Yes, get the hair oil, said Nimi and proceeded to rub the oil into theladys scalp and quickly braid her hair. Where is that silk sari of yours? Shequeried next. The ladys apparent distressed mental state had not yet totallyblunted her appetite for fun! Nor could her state of dishevelment completelyhide her youth and beauty. Now bemused at Nimis lunacy, she got out thesari, wondering how far Nimi would prolong her madness. Now what? Thelady looked towards Nimi. You will wear the sari, said Nimi. Dada is here,he wants to see you. Why do I have to wear this sari to meet him? I can go


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just like this. Saying this, the lady proceeded towards Nimis house withNimi in tow. Nimi felt happyshe was successful in her mission, sari or nosari! On reaching her house Nimi pushed the lady through the door,slammed it shut from outside and waited at her own door steps.

Chapter 16

This lady was probably around twenty five, but looked no older than Nimi. Inspite of her miserable attire, she radiated freshness as she entered Nimishouse. It was as if all the buds of a flowering plant had suddenly burst openrevealing the brilliance of a thousand flowers blooming all at once!

At first, upon entering the room, she was not able to locate her husband.Then she spotted him in the courtyard, beneath a mango tree. There weretears in his eyes. She proceeded towards Jibananda and held his hands. OnlyGod knows, that the tears that welled up inside her would have swept

Jibananda off his feet. But she held her tears back with great control. Dontcry, she said, I know you are crying for me, but believe me, I am happy theway I am.Jibananda wiped off his tears and said Shanti, why are you dressed somiserably? You dont have to live like thisyou have enough.Shanti: Its all your money. I dont know how to use all that. When youaccept me back into your life once again, then it will all be there for you tospend.Jiba: Accept you back...when did I ever reject you?Shanti: Not rejection, but you have purposefully stopped loving me in orderto fulfill your mission. I am looking forward to the time when your mission is

accomplished and you will be back with me once again ... Jibananda embraced his wife, resting his head on her shoulders in silence fora while. Finally he let out a long sigh and said out loud I wish I did not makethe mistake of meeting you!Shanti: Why did you do it then? You have broken your vowJiba: I am not bothered so much about the vow. In any case, there are waysto atone for broken vows. But now that I have met you, I dont know how Iwill ever get myself to break away from you. On one hand, there is the entireworld: family life, money, and all the comforts and pleasures of the materialworld and even my mission, my work, my vow, everything and on the otherhand there is you, only you. I am at a loss to understand which side is

heavier. What am I fighting for? When I see the misery I have created foryou, I feel its all in vain. I dont want to leave you like this and go back...At length Shanti spoke. Shame on youyou are a brave warrior. Mygreatest pride and happiness is in knowing that I am the wife of a bravewarrior. Do not deprive me of that happiness. Even if you do not love me, Ican withstand. So go back to claim your rightful glory in the great work thatyou have vowed to do. But tell me something I assume the punishment for


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one violation is the same for multiple violations? If so, please promise methat you will not subject yourself to any punishment, before meeting me onemore time.

Jibananda laughed and said, Rest assured, I will not die without meeting you

again! I am not in a hurry to die. And besides, this was a very hurriedmeeting. I will find time to have a more leisurely visit to see you to myhearts content. But promise me that you will get rid of your miserable attireand go live in a more dignified manner.Shanti: Where will you go now?Jiba: I will go in search of Satyananda. I understand he left for the city inrather difficult circumstances. If I do not see him in the Math, I may be forcedto go to the city in search of him.Chapter 17

Bhabananda was at the Math, singing songs in praise of the Lord.Gyanananda, a promising young disciple appeared, looking very perturbed.Whats the matter? Inquired Bhabananda.Gyan: All of us wearing robes are being rounded up by the muslimgovernment goons. We have all been forced to shed our robes. Onlysanyasin Satyananda has not abandoned his attire and it seems he washeaded for the city. I am worried what might happen to him.Bhaba: If you ask me, there is no government that can capture him.Besides, I am told that Dheerananda is on his trail. Anyway, let me make atrip to the city to see whats up. You take care of the Math.

Bhabananda retreated to an inner chamber. When he re-emerged, he hadtransformed himself into a young aristocrat of Moghul descent! He hadtraded his saffron robes for the regal dress that sat very well on his broad,manly young frame. He then armed himself and proceeded to a secludedspot in the forest which served as the Maths stable. Here he selected a finehorse and sped off thought the forest towards the city.

Very soon, however, he chanced upon a young lady lying lifeless by theflowing spring. An empty vial lay nearby. Bhabananda felt extremelyperturbed. Although he had heard of Mahendra and his family, he had notseen them. Nor was he aware of the fact that Mahendra was with

Satyananda. Further, since the young girl was not around, he had no reasonto suspect that this lifeless lady could indeed be the wife of Mahendra.However, the sight of a beautiful young lady, who had apparently poisonedherself, was cause for great concern to Bhabananda. He alighted from hishorse and examined the lady intently, searching for any signs of life. Theremay be still some chance he finally concluded. Maybe I can still try to saveher, but whats the point? He thought for a while and then entered the forestto extract some herbs. These he crushed with his bare hands and converted


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to paste. He then administered some of the paste inside the mouth of thelifeless Kalyani. He rubbed the paste on the body as well. He repeated thisprocess for some time, periodically placing his palm close to Kalyanis nose,as if trying to detect signs of faint breathing. At first the exercise seemedfutile. However, after prolonged efforts, he did detect faint breathing! He felt

her pulse and detected definite signs of life. Finally, like the faint rays ofdawn that gradually brightens into early morning, Kalyani revived! Sheopened her eyes. Seeing his efforts succeed, Bhabananda hoisted her on thehorse and rode off along with her towards the city.

Chapter 18

The news of Satyananda and Mahendras capture and imprisonment in theCity prisons had spread amongst the Math community. Thousands of

Santaans had begun to assemble in the forest, near the Math. They were allarmed to the teeth. Gyanananda addressed them from the gate of the Math,sword in hand. We have been waiting since long for the day when we canrid ourselves of the inglorious influence of these marauders and bring sanityand purity to our lands. That day, my friends, has arrived. Our venerableguru, who has pledged his life in the service of the Lord, vowed to protect allof us and our families, who we consider as incarnation of the Lord himself, istoday in custody, imprisoned in the prisons of the Muslim governmentagents. He brandished his sword and challenged Have our swords beenblunted? he raised his fist and ridiculed Has the strength in our armsdrained out? He slapped his breast and shouted Have we lost courage?

Let us call out loud the name of the Lord, he who has defeated the demonsand tormentors of the past and rendered our lives safe. He, who isundefeatable in war and from whose strength we derive our strength. Let usswing into action, with His name in our lips. With His blessings andmotivation derived from the chanting His name, we can overcome anyobstacle that is thrown our way.

At this, the forest reverberated with the thousands of accumulated voiceschanting the name of the Lord. Tens of thousands of swords and shieldsclanged in anticipations, and millions of drums and cymbals beat out thewar-cry which rumbled like a series of deep rolling thunders across the dense

forest. Such was the fury that the birds left their nests and boughs and flewhigh above in the sky, screeching in fright and disarray, adding to theimmense cacophony.

Gradually, this excited, armed mass moved towards the city and on reachingthe outskirts, completely surrounded the city. They then entered the city,taking its residents by total surprise, plundering, killing and destroying atwill. The city guards and security services were totally taken by surprise and


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did not know how to retaliate. The Santaans proceeded to the prison, brokedown the place, rescued Satyananda and Mahendra and carried them ontheir shoulders through the streets dancing and singing. They then startedattacking houses and property belonging to the Muslims, looting, plunderingand setting fire. Finally, Satyananda stepped in to prevent further carnage

and was able to convince his disciples to retreat to the forests.

In response to this sudden show of rebellion, the government authoritiesformed a special Pargana Sepoy squad. Not only was this squad armedwith guns, but were also equipped with canons. The Santaaans, armed withmere swords and spears proved too inferior and for the time being the gunsand canons were able to silence the sanyasin mutiny, which hadspontaneously flared up, ignited by manmade as well as natural hardshipsand sufferings. The superior firepower of the Pargana Sepoys broke up therebellion and scattered the sanyasins, whose top leadership retreated to theAnanda Math to lick their wounds and search for answers.

PART 2

Chapter 1

Shanti had lost her mother when she was still very young. This fact was oneof the major determinants of her character. Her father was a scholarlyacademician. There were no female influences in young Shantis life. Sheaccompanied her father to the village school, where the students were allmale. She used to listen to her father teaching them and later play along

with the boys.

The first manifestation of this upbringing was the fact that she starteddressing like boys. Her lifestyle replicated that of the boys at the school andshe copied them in all their boyish activities.

The second manifestation was that she began to learn whatever was taughtto the boys. Without knowing grammar, she actually began to memorize thetext books. Her father saw her tremendous ability at memorizing, and sodecided that she might as well learn the grammar and receive a completeeducation. Given the opportunity, this she did with great relish andaccomplishment. Along with grammar, she accomplished a lot in literature aswell. But then, all hell broke loose her father died! Shanti became shelterless.

The school broke up, the boys went home. All the boys liked Shanti. One ofthem took the helpless girl home. We already know this person by the nameof Jibananda, although at that time he was not called Jibananda, a name he


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had assumed after his diksha. Anyway, for the sake of convenience, we willcontinue to call him Jibananda.

Jibanandas parents were perplexed. Who would take care of this orphanedgirl? They wondered. Jibananda was adamant. He would marry the girl, he

said. Those days marriage took place quite early in life and so the teenagedJibananda married the much younger Shanti. The parents were relieved thata solution was found.

However a peculiar problem presented itself after this marriage. Shanti, asshe was wont to do, continued to dress like a boy, refused to keep her hairlike a proper lady and refused to amend her ways to suit that of a marriedwoman! She would rarely stay indoors and would play with the boys of thelocality, often venturing out into a deep forest that lay nearby, in search ofanimals, rare fruits and flowers. At first her in-laws reasoned with her, thenmildly reprimanded her and then finally resorted to beating her up and

locking her indoors. One day, finding the door somehow open, Shantiescaped from home and ran away into the deep forest.

Inside the forest, she gathered fruits and flowers, crushed them and thendyed her clothes in the saffron color of a sanyasins attire. Then she joinedone of the various groups of ambulant sanyasins that roamed all over Bengalat that time, surviving on alms. Sanyasins of that era need to be viewed inproper context. They were generally well educated, disciplined, possessedgreat physical and moral strength and were well conversant in the art ofwarfare. However, they were revolutionary in nature, opposed to the rule ofthe land and resorted to looting the government property at the slightest

opportunity. Also, they were especially keen in indoctrinating young boysand alluring them into their fold. They were thus also known by the nameboy-catchers, and enjoyed a special place in the psyche of rural Bengal,where mothers would scare their children to sleep, by threatening to handthem over to boy-catchers.

Shanti joined one such group as a boy-sanyasin. Initially they refused toaccept her, being a girl. But then, she impressed them by her intelligence,knowledge, sharpness of mind and the ability to get things done. Sheexercised with them, learnt to use weapons and became physically resilient.She travelled to various places, fought many a skirmish with them and

generally gathered a lot of real-life experience. She also becameindependent and street-smart. Gradually she developed physically into a full-grown lady, but sanyasins who were by and large a disciplined lot, did nottake advantage of her in any way.

One of sanyasins, being impressed by Shantis prowess in the Sanskritlanguage, began to teach her further. He delved into the Sanskrit epics andverses that described human relationships of love and lust in great details.


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Thanks to her unique upbringing thus far, words like embarrassment,shyness or coyness did not exist in Shantis dictionary. However, theseliterary works began to fill her up with a sense of woman-ness that wasabsent earlier. She began to appreciate the nuances of the man-womanrelationship. Although sanyasins were by and large a disciplined lot, not all

were above human weaknesses. This sanyasin, who had taken upon himselfto educate Shanti, observed her blossom, transforming from a raw tomboyinto a sensuous young beauty. He lost his sense of control and one day triedto overpower Shanti. However, Shanti, who was well trained in martial arts,we able to extricate herself from his clutches. She decided then that it wastime for her to part ways with the group.

Another word that had not yet appeared in Shantis dictionary was fear. Sheset out alone for home. After a long struggle with various odds, surviving onalms and wild fruits, she finally reached her husbands house. Her father inlaw had died meanwhile. Her mother-in-law was however alive and did not

let her set foot inside the house for fear of being ostracized by thecommunity. Jibananda was at home. He ran after Shanti and accosted herWhy did you leave us and where did you go? He inquired. Shanti narrated tohim all that had transpired. Jibananda believed what she said andsympathized.

It was at this point that the feeling of love seemed to dawn upon both ofthem. It was as if they had re-discovered themselves and their relationshipthat bound them together. Just wait for me here, Ill be back soon, saidJibananda and left. I am waiting for youplease do come back, imploredShanti.

Jibananda bid farewell to his mother and then proceeded to Bhairabipuralong with Shanti. Jibanandas younger sister Nimi had been recently marriedoff to someone there. Nimas husband had a small plot of land adjacent tohis house. He allowed Jibananda to build a hut there so that the two couldstay there comfortably. Those were happy and fulfilling days for Jibanandaand Shanti. Shanti completely shed her earlier rough and tumble and settleddown as a young bride, into a life of married contentment with her husband.

Happiness however, did not give them company for long. Jibananda was sooncaught up with Satyananda and his Santaans. He took diksha, left Shanti and

devoted himself to the cause. How Nimi was able to unite the two of them(albeit briefly) for the first time since that forced separation, has beendescribed in earlier chapters. After this brief flashback, let us now get alongwith the story from where we had left off.

Chapter 2


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After Jibanandas departure that day, Shanti sat for a while in Nimiscourtyard. Nimi joined her with the small girl in her lap. Shanti was crying nomore. She had already regained her composure and had a smile on her lips.Nimi said So at least you could meet him, trying to probe into her state ofmind. Shanti sat quietly. Nimi realized it was best to change topic and so said

Look, what a cute little kid. Where did you find her? Asked Shanti. Thisis dadas girl, dont you know? said Nimi, in jest. But Shanti was in no moodfor jest. I did not ask you about the father, who is the mother? Shecountered, irritated. Nimi, duly chastened, replied hurriedly I did not askhim who the mother was. Maybe he found the kid somewhere along the way.A lot of kids are abandoned in these days of famine. This one looked soadorable and cute, so I asked dada to leave her with me.

Shanti and Nimi then chatted for a long while, till Nimis husband returned.Shanti then returned to her hut.

Inside, she stood for a lo

ananda math

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