Gadadhar was given to spiritual moods as was evidenced on at least three occasions in his boyhood days. Once while crossing a paddy-field he witnessed a flight of white cranes against the backdrop of a darkening norwester sky. Instantly, the artist in him was overwhelmed by the beauteous contrast of colours and he fell unconscious on the field. The puffed rice tucked in a corner of his dhoti scattered all over as the spirit of the boy soared, a skylark in the limpid spaces of the Infinite. When he came to his outer consciousness, he seemed to manifest no physical debility or psychological aberration. After initial apprehensions thus, his parents were comforted by his manifestly good health.
On another occasion a play on Bhagavan Shiva was to be enacted when the person playing the role of Shiva fell ill. Gadai being a good actor, he was summoned to act as substitute to avoid the scenario of the play falling through. However, when he took to the stage in Shiva's attire and had to deliver the dialogues, he became so absorbed in the thought of Shiva that he stood transfixed as a statue in a profusion of tears, oblivious of his surroundings. When all efforts to recall him to a state of normalcy failed, the play was called off. The night passed in the state of ecstasy but Gadai was the same bonny child as before the following morning. This time also his parents were alarmed but on seeing him sunny again as before their fears were gradually assuaged.
A third ecstasy the boy Gadadhar experienced en route to Anur, a neighbouring village famous for the shrine of Vishalakshi Devi. Gadai accompanied the village maidens who doted on him, the daughters of Dharmadas Laha, the village landlord. But before the party could reach Anur, Gadai was possessed by the spirit of Vishalakshi Devi, so to say, and his companions in awe, considering their pilgrimage fulfilled perhaps, reverently retraced their steps back to Kamarpukur.
No comments:
Post a Comment