Narrator:
Crematorium Friend | What did Gurudev say? | by Shymakhyapa YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVsd-YVktzY
Narrator:
Here is the clean, well-formatted English transcript of the audio.
Devotee:
Dear viewers, today we are filming a new, short episode. First, let me pay my respects to Gurudev. Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Bless you.
Devotee:
Viewers, as you can see, there is someone sitting beside Gurudev today. I will provide a brief introduction, and Gurudev will explain the rest, as my knowledge is limited. He is a very old friend of Gurudev and has witnessed much of his spiritual journey.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
His name is Gopal Biswas.
Devotee:
Exactly. Now, I'll leave it to Gurudev and Gopal Babu to share their conversation.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I have known him for about 35 to 40 years. He used to manage the crematorium where I stayed for a long time. For 20 to 22 years, he ran that place. Later, he left, and our paths diverged for a while, but he has come to visit today. Gopal, why don't you share some old memories?
Gopal Biswas:
Well, where should I start? Back then, the crematorium looked very different. There was a temple for the Mother (Kali) and across from it was an office building. I used to stay there at night; there was a table, a chair, and a small bed. I spent my whole day there. This was around 1988 or 1992.
Gopal Biswas:
At that time, Gurudev was performing rituals in various places. He used to worship in a small hut located between two ponds on a property belonging to a family of fishermen. He stayed there for a long time, and his spiritual practice became very intense. Naturally, when a Sadhu (holy man) is sincere, people are drawn to him. This attraction eventually bothered the local political leaders of that time, and they pressured him to leave.
Gopal Biswas:
Gurudev decided he didn't want to get involved in politics or conflict, so he moved. He began looking for a new place. In the middle of the market, there was a four-story building owned by a gentleman named Mr. Bhandari. He offered Gurudev a room on the top floor to continue his worship.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That's right. I stayed there and performed rituals day and night.
Gopal Biswas:
There were days when he wouldn't even eat. A young boy from the market would occasionally bring him a cup of tea and a biscuit-that was often his only meal. Eventually, he left that place as well and became "homeless" in a sense. That's when he started coming to the crematorium more frequently.
Gopal Biswas:
I remember the first time I saw him at the crematorium. I have nearly 50 years of experience with crematoriums, including the one at Tarapith. I knew that some people who come to these places are fake and only cause trouble. One day, I saw a man in a black pair of trousers and a yellow shirt. He took off his sandals at the gate and walked toward the funeral pyre barefoot. I was skeptical. I called out to him, "Hey, what are you doing here?"
Gopal Biswas:
He told me he was going to the pyre. I said, "People don't go there for good reasons; why are you going?" He replied, "No, it's fine. I call upon 'Hari' (God) at home, and I come here to pray." He seemed like a simple, honest man. Over the next few days, we got to know each other, and a deep bond of friendship formed. We spent almost every day together.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There isn't a single spot in that crematorium where I haven't performed Kali Puja.
Gopal Biswas:
In those early days, because he wore trousers and shirts instead of traditional saffron robes, some people doubted him. They thought he was a "fake" sadhu. Some people even threw stones or discarded funeral flowers at him while he was meditating. He endured all of it in silence. Later, those same people became his most devoted followers.
Gopal Biswas:
Regarding the Kousiki Amavasya puja-it is a major event in Tarapith that attracts people from all over. Many people from this area used to travel there, but it was always so crowded. We decided to start a puja right here at our crematorium.
Gopal Biswas:
There is an interesting story about how the current temple was formed. When the crematorium was being renovated with electric furnaces, the authorities wanted to move the traditional pyres further back to make room for construction. They built a structure with an asbestos roof for the pyres. However, the neighboring residents complained because it was too close to their homes.
Gopal Biswas:
Construction stopped, but the structure remained. It became a dumping ground for trash. One year, before Kousiki Amavasya, we cleared out all the garbage, cleaned the area, and Gurudev started the puja under that very roof. Eventually, the idol of the Mother was permanently installed there.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Mother essentially chose and prepared her own place. It's a history many people don't know.
Devotee:
Gopal Babu, since you have been with Gurudev for so many years, is there any "miracle" or supernatural event you witnessed that felt divine?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Let me tell you one. Do you remember what happened at your brother's house?
Gopal Biswas:
Oh, yes.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
My brother's grandson was born premature-around seven or eight months. He had severe jaundice and his condition was critical. One day, while I was sitting down to eat, I got a phone call saying the baby had died. They asked me what to do.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I told them, "Don't do anything yet. Come to the crematorium immediately." I didn't finish my meal. I went and got a specific sacred root (Sekor). I told Gopal's family, "Touch this root to the child's head, and he will live."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The family was skeptical and even yelled at me, saying I was being delusional. I told them, "If you don't believe me, leave the crematorium. My Mother has told me he will live." And he did. That "baby" is now 22 years old and studying in college.
Gopal Biswas:
That happened right in front of my eyes. No one can deny it.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Gopal helped me immensely during my time at the crematorium. He used to get worried sometimes and tell me, "Don't do anything that gets me fired from my job!"
Devotee:
It's amazing to hear about the journey of how Shymal Bhattacharya became "Syama Khapa."
Gopal Biswas:
Actually, the name "Syama Khapa" was born in that small office room. Because he drank so much tea, I used to call him "Chaba-baba" (Tea-father). One day we were discussing names, and since his name was Shymal and he was a devotee of Syama (Kali), I said, "You are a bit of a 'Khapa' (crazy/intoxicated for God), so let's call you Syama Khapa." That was about 15 years ago.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Gopal is older than me now. It's hard for him to travel, but he insisted on coming today. It brings me great joy to sit with someone who was there from the very beginning.
Devotee:
Viewers, listening to this, I am reminded of a verse from the Rigveda: "The man before me is a being of light, immortal, and all-knowing." He is my Guru, and he is a Guru to us all. With Gurudev's blessings and the Mother's grace, we continue our journey. Stay healthy and well.
Devotee:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Bless you all.