STORIES OF SWAMI SRIYUKTESWARJI FROM HIS BIOGRAPHY

BY SRI J.C.BHATTACHARYA & PUBLISHED BY SRIGURUDHAM ASHRAM

1.0 Early life:

Sri Priyanath Karar (Shriyukteshwar” after sannyasa or renunciation) was born on May 10, (the last Friday in the Bengali month of Baishakh) 1855, at Srirampur (often written as Serampore) , Bengal. His father was “Kshetranath” and mother “Kadambini”. He was the only son of his parents. Kshetranath had some landed property and a business of his own. Both parents were honest and righteous. After reading for a short time in a pathshala ( a sort of a primary school), Priyanath entered a local High English school where, by means of his keen intelligence, he soon attracted the attention of his teachers. He was specially good at mathematics, in which subject he usually scored full marks. Even as a young man, Priyanath, with his all absorbing interest in studies, became a favourite with many of the distinguished persons of Serampore, particularly with the celebrated family of Goswamis. He loved to hear learned discussions on spiritual scriptures. …………….. Priyanath lost his father in boyhood. At a very tender age, therefore, he had to take care of the landed property as well as his father’s business. The business, however, was ruined after a time. Priyanath passed the Entrance Examination and came to be a student of the Serampore Christian Missionary College. During his college life he made a deep study of the Bible and was highly impressed by the life of Christ and the spiritual significance of his teachings. With his naturally inquisitive mind he was attracted to scientific studies, especially physiology and medical science. Once in the science class he was pestering the Professor with minute questions of physiology. The teacher was not much conversant with that branch of science. He, therefore, got irritated after a time and said, “First go to medical College, and then come to my class.” Priyanath accepted this rebuke at once, left off college and got himself admitted into the Medical College, Calcutta. There he pursued his studies in physiology for two years and left the medical college, too. He, however, never came back to Serampore College. His academic career thus ended abruptly with his leaving from the Medical College. But his knowledge about the human body helped him later in the path of Yoga. His mother wanted him to flourish in business but he had no taste for it. Only some money was lost and the business was wound up.

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After marriage Priyanath served as an Accountant of a firm for a short time. His intense thirst for knowledge led him to acquiring knowledge of Homeopathy and NATURE cure. He was attracted by the researches of the German scholar Dr. Kuhn on Nature Cure, and concluded that, except in special cases, non-vegetarian diet is generally harmful to human constitution. The efficacy of some of the religious rites in this respect was recognised by him. Sri Priyanath did not neglect the physical exercises wither. His body was well built……………….He had taste in music, and although he was not an expert musician, he had learnt some music and was a good hand at sitar. He used to recognise a high place for music in our system of education. ………………………. In his youth Priyanath was influenced by Pandit Ishwarchand Vidyasagar, who had united the best thoughts of the East and West in himself. For Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the great litterateur and writer of the great national song “Vande Mataram”, Priyanath had highest regard. He also came into a personal contact with Bankim. Fate had willed that {Priyanath’s family life would not last long. His wife lived only a few years after their marriage. His only offspring, a daughter, died soon after her marriage. The grand-daughter, his only link with family life, went to her husband’s house. Thus, as Sri Yukteswar himself used to say, the Lord had naturally made him a hermit. His intense thirst for knowledge once made him prepared for a world tour. But this could not be undertaken due to his daughter’s illness.

2.0 Entry into Life Spiritual.

The general cast of Priyanath’s mind was religious. He used to join the normal religious festivals of the Hindus and would sometimes take his mother to places of pilgrimages. But he was totally free from blind faith often associated with spiritual activities. Whenever he would hear of a Yogi or a Saint, he would try to come in contact with them. But he would often find that the miracles told about them were only half-truths or completely baseless. Even where the Saints were really elevated persons, the claims were often exaggerated. Once he heard about a famous yogi that he could remain seated in the air in a yogic posture every night. Priyanath was then a mere boy. In order to ascertain the truth of what he had heard, he hid himself under the yogi’s cot in the evening. At night, at his usual time of retirement, the yogi entered the room, bolted it from inside, and lay down in bed. But, even after a long time, the miracle spoken of did not happen. Priyanath lost his patience, and spoke out—“Why! Sir! You have not yet risen in the air?” And that brought about a frank laughter from the yogi and his people.

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Actually, the disciples, in order to heighten their Master’s character, often make exaggerated claims of their power. In his later life Priyanath would ask his disciples not to be deluded by the miracles, but make proper assessment of a sadhu by exercising the faculty of reason. …………………………………………………… It has been already said that Priyanath had access into the family of the Goswamis and several other aristocratic and cultured families of Serampore. He would often find them doing some spiritual practices within closed doors. On inquiry, he came to learn that they were disciples of Yogiraj Sri Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahasaya. He gradually felt an irresistible attraction for the Yogiraj whom he had never seen. He reached Kashidham (Varanasi or Benares), and after some difficulty, reached the presence of the Master. It was in the Bengali year 1290 (1883 AD) on the 5th day of the full-moon fortnight in the month of Asharh (June-July) that he was initiated by the Yogiraj into Kriya Yoga. After that he came back home to Serampore and kept himself engaged with rapt attention in the practices of Kriya Yoga. Gradually, he reached the Supreme Consciousness or “Kriyar Para avastha” within a rather short time and was always immersed in Divine Light and Bliss. Whenever there were any doubts regarding his spiritual experiences, he would write letters to Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya and would also meet his Guru at Benares sometimes. Priyanath had versatile genius, and whether before or after his initiation into Kriya, he would never miss an opportunity to see any great devotee, astronomer or philosopher who might come his way. But all kinds of knowledge became synthesized into one Transcendent Consciousness of the Illumination of Truth revealed before him by his great Guru, the Yogiraj. ……………..story of SSLM healing Ramu of Asiatic cholera with neem oil…… …………..story of SY’s own healing using his own will power and imagination or visualization……… ………………Knowledge of Languages: English, Sanskrit, Bengali, Hindi, French……. Scriptures: “Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita”, Bible, Islam and other religions, Hindu Darshanas (six systems of Hindu philosophy……….. He established a “Gita Sabha” (Gita Society) at Serampore with some enthusiasts and persons already initiated into Kriya Yoga. Priyanath would keep notes of the discussions conducted at this society and would sometimes write to his Gurudeva whenever intricate questions would crop up. Gradually, he started publishing the Gita with his own detailed enunciations, based on the commentary of the Yogiraj. He was thus able to publish upto the 9th Chapter of the Gita. After each part was printed, he would go to his Master and receive his blessings.

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[Now-a-days Sri Yukteswarji’s Gita has been published in one single volume. The last 9 chapters have just given the Sanskrit original with Bengali translation by the late Swami Satyananda Giriji Maharaj, an illustrious disciple of Sri Yukteswarji.] Priyanath had great knowledge of astronomy and astrology. He would very often meet scholars in astrology and would wither bring them to his own place or go over to them himself. ………. ……………Meeting Babaji……….message by Babaji to SSLM…predication of SSLM’s passing………….Babaji’s asking him to write the Holy Science………… [Since Babaji had called him “Swami”], Priyanath started using the title “Swami” with his name and wrote his name as “Priyanath Karar Swami”. Priyanath had once learnt French, because he wanted to visit an exhibition in Paris. He could not go to France due to his daughter’s illness. But he had utilise his knowledge of French (which he had learnt only within six months) in writing a treatise discussing the major principles in Christianity. He handed over the manuscript to a French missionary at Chandernagore who thought that it would upset the dogmatic faith of many of the missionaries. The missionary in question never gave back the manuscript which, he told Priyanath, was lost. Al l this had of course, had happened before Priyanath was asked to write a book by Babaji. ……………….The publisher of Kaibalyadarshanam, a disciple of Sri Priyanath, was Roy Atul Chandra Choudhary, the rich landlord of Bhandarhati residing at Kidderpore in Calcutta…………Swami Satyanandaji, after having a discussion with Sri Yukteswar, was convinced that some basic ideas in this book were similar to those expressed in the lost treatise written in French. ………..Completion of Holy Science……….meeting with Babaji……….again at SSLM’s place when he did not bow down to Babaji…………

3.0 As an Acharya:

First disciple: Sri Motilal Mukhopadhyay, a Brahmin working at Kidderpore………. It was through Sri Motilal Thakur….that many of his friends and fellow workers at Serampore and Kidderpore came in the holy contact of Sri Yukteswar and had their initiation in Kriya Yoga. “Kidderpore (i.e. the disciples from Kidderpore, the place of Sri Motilal’s employment) is my right hand” Sri Yukteswar used to say. The Master now wanted to start an organization which would bring about an atmosphere for the dissemination of spiritual knowledge. Accordingly, the “Satsanga Sabha” was established at his own house on Chaitra 9, 1309 Bengali

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year (March, 1900 AD). A working committee was formed of which Sri Yukteswar was the President, Sri Motilal Thakur was the Secretary, Sri Ganesh Chandra Pal the Treasurer, and Sri Durga Charan Basu the Accountant. After some six months, Sri Sri Giriji Maharaj (i.e. Swami Sriyukteswarji) proposed to have a press for the Ashrama which would publish different religious scriptures including the Gita. …………..Sri Durga Charan Basu advanced a loan of Rs. 500/-, and with subscriptions from other devotees a press was established. On Chaitra 9, 1307 Bengali era, the first annual function of the Satsanga Sabha was celebrated with great joy and solemnity. In the morning a big party of Nagarkirtan (travelling the entire town, chanting holy songs) traversed the streets of Serampore…………..At 5 pm a great religious conference was held, over which Sri Yukteswar himself presided. ….The Master had many arguments with celebrated astronomers present on the occasion regarding Dwapara Yuga and Kriya Yoga or Raja Yoga as its particular sadhana, and they were ultimately convinced. After the second Annual Function of the Satsanga Sabha was celebrated at Serampore, the Master went to Puri, where celebrations and meetings were held and an Ashram was established. The Ashram was named “Kararashram” as Shri Yukteswar’s name before he took sannyasa or formal renunciation was Shri Priyanath Karar. At Varanasi, too, there were functions of the Satsanga-Sabha. And in each of these places the special characteristics of the Dwapara Yuga and the sadhana necessary for this Age were elaborately discussed. Satsanga-Sabha centres were also established at Kidderpore and Calcutta. Apart from the Annual Function of the Sabha on the Mahavisva-Sankranti day (the 9th of Chaitra according to the new almanac founded by the Master), Shri Yukteswar also started the Uttarayana Sankranti Festival at Serampore in the Bengali month of Paus (December-January). Shortly after this, the Press was unfortunately wound up. Sri Sri Motilal Thakur Maharaj, after he became an Acharya or Preceptor, founded, at the Divine Command of Sri Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahasaya, an Ashram named Shrigurudham at Chatra, Serampore. Satsanga-Sabha, too, was later renamed “Yogoda Satsanga”, as it was an organization for disseminating Kriya Yoga. Sri Motilal Thakur, the first Secretary of the Satsanga Sabha, was always intimately associated with Yogoda Satsanga and named his Ashrama as “Shrigurudham (Yogoda Satsanga)”. This Ashram was blessed by Sri Sri Yukteswar Giriji Maharaj and he was often physically present here on festive occasions. It was again Sri Sri Motilal Thakur who first took his Gurudeva to many distant moffussil centres of Shrigurudham. It was at his earnest request that Shri Yukteswar went first to places like Ghatal, Khukhurdaha, and Goverdhanpur in the district of Midnapore, West Bengal. Communications to such places were very difficult at that time. And yet the gracious Master fulfilled the wishes of his dear disciple and inspired people with his great personality and wisdom wherever he went. ……………………

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(…………………….description of the work done by Sri Sri ParamahansaYogananda to spread the name of Swami Sriyukteswarji in the Autobiography of a Yogi etc………………..) It was Shrimat Swami Jnananandaji Maharaj, a saint of the “Shri Bharat Dharma Mahamandal” , who suggested formal renunciation to Shri Yukteswar—who was known as Shrimat Karar Swami at that time. Acting on his advice, he went to Buddhagaya and had formal Sannyasa from Shrimat Swami Krishnadayal Giriji Maharaj. As Shri Yukteswar would use the term “Shriyukta” (i.e. Mr.) white writing the name of any person, Shrimat Krishnadayalji gave him the name of Shri Yukteswar. After adopting the holy order, Shriyukteswar, inspired wit the idea of fundamental unity amidst the religious sects, established “Nikhil Bharatiya Sadhu-Mandal” (All India Society of Renunciates)” with Jagadguru Shrimat Madhusudana Tirthaswami as its Chairman. An executive committee of the Society, entitled “Sadhu Sabha” was formed and Shriyukteswar became its Chairman. The Office was at his own house at “Priyadham” from where a journal entitled “Sadhu-Sambad” (News of Sadhus) started being published. Shri Yukteswar was a many-sided genius. We have already referred to his “Holy-Science”, in which he stressed on the essential unity between Hinduism and Christianity. The “Sutras” composed in Sanskrit are intensely original. While writing the English portion he was helped by his two eminent lawyer disciples of Howrah—Shri Narayan Chandra Ganguly and Shri Nilanandh Chattopadhyay. The publisher Roy Atul Chandra Chowdhary, land-lord of Bhandarhati and Secretary of “Sadhu Sabha” was another eminent disciple of the Master.

4.0 The Great Departure: [Mahasamadhi]

………………In 1935 he said to his disciples that his duties were coming to an end. He asked them now to take charge of the spiritual mission initiated by him. Swami Yoganandaji was at that time extremely busy propagating Yoga in America. But the Master earnestly wished his return at least for once. He prophesied that after his departure the entire world would gradually come to accept his ideas on Philosophy, Astronomy and other spiritual truths. He also prophesied about the idependence of India, the great Second World War and human attempts at establishing peace all over the world after the great turmoil of the war. Yogananda felt the last call of his Master at the heart of his heart and reached India with many of his American disciples in August 1935. The Master and the disciple met at Serampore. The Master showered his blessings on his worthy spiritual son and declared him as the next President of the “Sadhu-Sabha”.

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In January 1936 Sri Sri Yoganandaji started for the great “Kumbha Mela” at Prayag (Allahabad). When Sri Yukteswarji heard of this, he heaved a deep sigh and lay down on his bed. The disciples who were present by his side took this as foreshadowing a great misfortune. Actually Yoganandaji was destined not to see his Master any more in his physical frame. On the full-moon day in the month of Magha (January-February) the Master arrived at the Khukhurdaha Centre in the Ghatal Sub-division in the disctrict of Midnapore. The local devotees received his grace more intensely this time. But in the midst of this joyful annual celebrations, Shriyukteswar told them that this would be his last participation in a meeting. After the festival the Master reached Puri. Disciples from far and near would every year join the celebrations at Puri at Mahavisva Sankranti in the month of Chaitra (March-April). But this year the Master, in a letter to Swami Satyanandaji, asked them to join him at Puri even before the “Dol-Purnima” (February-March). Yoganandaji was at the Kumbha Mela with his disciples. Through this letter he asked Yoganandaji also to come to him. Swami Satyanandaji was ill. He could not go to Puri. Swami Yoganandaji reached Calcutta just on the preceding day of Dol-Purnima. His friends and devotees kept him engaged on the holy occasion. That very day he had a message of his Guruji’s illness and started for Puri the next day. Meanwhile, Shri Yukteswar was mortally ill. But when his disciples at Puri wanted to inform his disciples in Calcutta regarding his illness, the Master asked them not to disturb anybody in the midst of their work. A few days later, when the Puri disciples insisted on sending telegrammes to Calcutta, he asked them to insert that such an illness had never overtaken him before. On receiving the message Atul Babu and a few devotees of Khidderpur reached Puri at once. His whole-time attendant Shri Narayan Giri and others were nursing him with all their hearts. Everybody waited for SwamiYogananda. But the will of God was otherwise. And thus pm the second day of the new moon in Falgun, the Master attained Mahasamadhi, in his lotus posture, fully concentrated in the Divine. Swami Yoganandaji was coming to Puri. On his way he saw the vision of his Guruji who had already left his mortal frame. However, he reached the Puri Ashrama and in a befitting manner the mortal remains of the Master were buried in the Ashrama Compound. Devotees all over India were stunned at the news. They would no more have the infallible guide before them. Henceforth they would have nothing more to fall back upon than the message of the Master and the memory of his great personality.