SWAMI NIRMALANANDA by SWAMI JAGADISWARANANDA
(Translated by Sugata Bose) ... 13
Advent : 23 December, 1863 ; Mahasamadhi : 26 April, 1938
(The life, lectures, conversations and letters of Swami Nirmalananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna)
Copyright : Sri Ramakrishna-Sarada Math, Baghbazar, Kolkata 700 003
Chapter 1 : Introduction ... 8
--------------------------
Mohendranatha Datta, the middle brother of Swami Vivekananda had this to say to Shree Rajagopala Naidu in 1911 :
''You are blessed in having Swami Nirmalananda amongst you. He who is moon-like among the stars, he is such a renunciate that he can give away even his loincloth to fulfil the need of another.''
In his book 'Mahapurush Shivananda Maharajer Anudhyan' (A Study of Mahapurush Shivananda Maharaj) Mohendranath Datta has given the following account between pages 123 and 126 :
''A few months after the establishment of the Baranagar Math, that is, within a year of its founding, Tulsi Maharaj (Swami Nirmalananda) arrived. He was then young, lean but of robust frame, exceedingly gentle in speech, ever cheerful and a tireless in labour. He became in a sense the right hand man of Shashi Maharaj. From washing utensils to drawing and fetching water from the pond, whatever work had to be done would find Tulsi Maharaj as its first volunteer. At night often he would make chapattis. This act of making chapattis was very delightful. Two or three men would make the flour dough and roll it out into thin round slices. One person used to be seated atop a kerosene can and would be making on an earthen oven one chapatti at a time and offer it hot to whoever would be seated for dinner then, all the while conversing on diverse subjects of an elevated kind. The making of chapattis and the gathering in at the kitchen of all would be quite a festive occasion. As they would work with their hands, so would they engage in spiritual conversations at the same time. It was truly an exhilarating experience. Whatever be the vegetable, warm chapati, salt and chilli, and this exalted discussion interspersed with plenty of humour and rolling laughter would make this chapatti session a daily diversion in delight amidst the overall rigours of impoverished living. In summation let it be affirmed that this severe austerity, starvation and sleeplessness were not construed by any of the inmates as causes of mental affliction or sadness of any sort. The current of life flowed in fun and frolic and in an ineffable bliss and grumpiness, gloominess and rough demeanour, none of these were there among the brothers at the Math. Amidst fun and frolic ran the deep undercurrent of severest, almost superhuman austerity. Laughter lightened the burden of such physical hardship and strenuous spiritual endeavour and everyone took their arduous spiritual striving in easy stride.
At the Alambazar Math both Shashi Maharaj and Tulsi Maharaj became as if the Abbots. These two looked after everything in the monastery. These few years were both years of hardship and years of bliss for Tusli Maharaj. This phase of life was for him in hindsight his sublimest level of human existence. He was engaged in strenuous spiritual practice on one hand and, whenever occasion allowed, academic study on the other. He was equally prompt in the discharge of his daily duties. Whenever the need arose he would clean up the rooms with a broom and fetch vegetables from the market in a sling-bag. Buying from an old lady of Alambazar a tikeh (?), he would bring on his shoulders the large wicker-basket back to the monastery. Again, on returning, he would promptly clean up all the utensils and instruments for cooking, although, even others would sometimes assist him in this work. His extraordinary feat of work still looms large in my vision.
There was a pond near the back-door of the interior apartment of the house. Holding on his shoulders a pitcher full of water and bearing another by his forearm, Tulsi Maharaj would walk across the whole of the ground floor, then climb the stairs and enter the open rooftop of the upper floor where he would wash the latrine on the southern side. I bow down to him. He used to fill up large earthen pots with water. Having lifted water continuously, he developed a mark on his left shoulder. And even amidst all this, he would work in the kitchen, cut vegetables and if the need arose, he would nurse patients as well. He never showed signs of irritation or tiredness but ever bore a smiling happy face. In truth, Tulsi Maharaj bled to his very last drop of blood in his labour of love for the Baranagar Math and the Alamabazar Math. And he was a principal helpmate in the act of organisation and integration of the Baranagar Math and the Alambazar Math. At this time while the spiritual austerity of the others pooled up strength for the Order, in a like manner the Order was much uplifted by the austerity and service of Tulsi Maharaj.
Photo : The 17 direct monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.
(Translated by Sugata Bose) ... 13
Advent : 23 December, 1863 ; Mahasamadhi : 26 April, 1938
(The life, lectures, conversations and letters of Swami Nirmalananda, direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna)
Copyright : Sri Ramakrishna-Sarada Math, Baghbazar, Kolkata 700 003
Chapter 1 : Introduction ... 8
--------------------------
Mohendranatha Datta, the middle brother of Swami Vivekananda had this to say to Shree Rajagopala Naidu in 1911 :
''You are blessed in having Swami Nirmalananda amongst you. He who is moon-like among the stars, he is such a renunciate that he can give away even his loincloth to fulfil the need of another.''
In his book 'Mahapurush Shivananda Maharajer Anudhyan' (A Study of Mahapurush Shivananda Maharaj) Mohendranath Datta has given the following account between pages 123 and 126 :
''A few months after the establishment of the Baranagar Math, that is, within a year of its founding, Tulsi Maharaj (Swami Nirmalananda) arrived. He was then young, lean but of robust frame, exceedingly gentle in speech, ever cheerful and a tireless in labour. He became in a sense the right hand man of Shashi Maharaj. From washing utensils to drawing and fetching water from the pond, whatever work had to be done would find Tulsi Maharaj as its first volunteer. At night often he would make chapattis. This act of making chapattis was very delightful. Two or three men would make the flour dough and roll it out into thin round slices. One person used to be seated atop a kerosene can and would be making on an earthen oven one chapatti at a time and offer it hot to whoever would be seated for dinner then, all the while conversing on diverse subjects of an elevated kind. The making of chapattis and the gathering in at the kitchen of all would be quite a festive occasion. As they would work with their hands, so would they engage in spiritual conversations at the same time. It was truly an exhilarating experience. Whatever be the vegetable, warm chapati, salt and chilli, and this exalted discussion interspersed with plenty of humour and rolling laughter would make this chapatti session a daily diversion in delight amidst the overall rigours of impoverished living. In summation let it be affirmed that this severe austerity, starvation and sleeplessness were not construed by any of the inmates as causes of mental affliction or sadness of any sort. The current of life flowed in fun and frolic and in an ineffable bliss and grumpiness, gloominess and rough demeanour, none of these were there among the brothers at the Math. Amidst fun and frolic ran the deep undercurrent of severest, almost superhuman austerity. Laughter lightened the burden of such physical hardship and strenuous spiritual endeavour and everyone took their arduous spiritual striving in easy stride.
At the Alambazar Math both Shashi Maharaj and Tulsi Maharaj became as if the Abbots. These two looked after everything in the monastery. These few years were both years of hardship and years of bliss for Tusli Maharaj. This phase of life was for him in hindsight his sublimest level of human existence. He was engaged in strenuous spiritual practice on one hand and, whenever occasion allowed, academic study on the other. He was equally prompt in the discharge of his daily duties. Whenever the need arose he would clean up the rooms with a broom and fetch vegetables from the market in a sling-bag. Buying from an old lady of Alambazar a tikeh (?), he would bring on his shoulders the large wicker-basket back to the monastery. Again, on returning, he would promptly clean up all the utensils and instruments for cooking, although, even others would sometimes assist him in this work. His extraordinary feat of work still looms large in my vision.
There was a pond near the back-door of the interior apartment of the house. Holding on his shoulders a pitcher full of water and bearing another by his forearm, Tulsi Maharaj would walk across the whole of the ground floor, then climb the stairs and enter the open rooftop of the upper floor where he would wash the latrine on the southern side. I bow down to him. He used to fill up large earthen pots with water. Having lifted water continuously, he developed a mark on his left shoulder. And even amidst all this, he would work in the kitchen, cut vegetables and if the need arose, he would nurse patients as well. He never showed signs of irritation or tiredness but ever bore a smiling happy face. In truth, Tulsi Maharaj bled to his very last drop of blood in his labour of love for the Baranagar Math and the Alamabazar Math. And he was a principal helpmate in the act of organisation and integration of the Baranagar Math and the Alambazar Math. At this time while the spiritual austerity of the others pooled up strength for the Order, in a like manner the Order was much uplifted by the austerity and service of Tulsi Maharaj.
Photo : The 17 direct monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.
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