Pradip Da:
Gurudev, my respects to you.
Gurudev:
Blessings, my son, blessings.
Pradip Da:
Gurudev, we have noticed today that your heart seems very heavy. Your eyes are filled with tears. We do not quite understand why. In that regard, someone you consider like a son, Dr. Nilanjan Babu, is here with us. He would like to ask you a few questions about your current state.
Dr. Nilanjan Babu:
Gurudev, if you will allow me, I would like to ask you something. From what I understand, on the path of spiritual practice, one's mind must be very strong. But today, I'm seeing Gurudev with tears in his eyes. My question is, is Gurudev only our spiritual master, or is he also a compassionate father figure who, while performing spiritual practices for us before the Mother, also possesses those fatherly vulnerabilities and traits? I would like to hear from you, Gurudev—why are there tears in your eyes today?
Gurudev:
Look, Doctor, have you seen a coconut? The outer shell is very hard, but when you break it, it's soft and tender inside. The point is, I have a body made of flesh and blood. I was born with human emotions. I am a father to someone; it's a fact that I have given birth. I did not give birth to these disciples, but they came to me, and I grew fond of them.
Gurudev:
When Pagla Baba first came, he was like a madman. I actually thought he was insane, a bit of an eccentric. He had long, messy hair and told me he wanted to be initiated. A jeweler knows his gems. I recognized something in him, but I still called him Pagla Baba (Mad Father). There was a reason for that. You did not see him when he first arrived. I recognized his potential instantly.
Gurudev:
I told him, "My mood is not great today, come back tomorrow or the day after for initiation." I initiated him, and slowly, his qualities began to show. Although I call him Pagla Baba, there are many reasons for it; I have seen some of his eccentricities. Today, he left for Kamakhya. I tried to tell him not to go on foot, considering the state of the roads and the current situation in the country. But he would not listen. He said only one thing: "I will go. With your blessings, I will go. If I have your blessings, I will have no problems. Just give me your blessings."
Gurudev:
Well, that's what happened, and I could not say no. People have many desires, and if I stand in the way, nothing will come of it. So he's gone, and my heart is truly heavy. I have been crying since this morning. You will not see a smile on my face today. I have kept everything closed; my heart is just very sad. It's as if I have sent a son toward his end. Perhaps he will gain something, and as his Guru, I will receive whatever is meant for me.
Gurudev:
He's going to Kamakhya to perform austerities. He will not be back for five or six months. It will take him a month just to get there, and then he needs five months for his practice because he's studying the Dashamaha Vidya (the ten great wisdoms). He has to master each one through meditation, chanting, and rituals. That's why I'm so worried. He has never gone anywhere like this before, though I have explained everything to him, and he has understood it well.
Gurudev:
I later realized he's not just eccentric, he's very clever—clever in the sense that he knows a lot. I heard later at a tea shop that he had been visiting Tarapith for a long time. He had been performing rituals there for ages, but he never told me. I thought he had only gone to Tarapith with me. I later found out at the tea shop that everyone there knows Pagla Baba. So he had been going there for a long time, performing many rituals. He was slowly revealing himself, not all at once. When he first came, I did not know he was an engineer. I had no idea. I also did not know he had left everything behind for his spiritual path.
Gurudev:
The day before he left, he brought his wife and daughter to see me. It hurt even more to see them, knowing he would be gone for six months and there's a child involved. It's a concern. But one has to be a little firm; being firm is a powerful thing in our path. You have seen how they call Bamdev Baba "Khepa" (Mad). Bamdev Baba was not actually mad, but he would get angry with people very easily. That's why they called him Khepa Baba. Honestly, if you mention the name Bamdev Baba anywhere in India, people might not recognize it. But if you say "Khepa Baba," everyone knows the "Khepa Baba of Tarapith."
Gurudev:
He would get angry at the drop of a hat, but that does not mean he did not care for people. He looked after them and helped them, but he was just very temperamental. Sometimes he would even give someone a kick! That's not possible for me today; people's mentalities were different a hundred years ago. Now, it's different. But he would do it effortlessly. Many people would come with illnesses, like chest pains, and he would intuitively know. He would kick them right where the pain was, and later, they would be completely cured. There are many such examples of Bamdev Baba.
Gurudev:
I also sought blessings from him, asking him to teach me some of these supernatural things or tell me how to do them. He explained everything, and I follow his guidance. I do not want to go against Bamdev Baba's teachings. He is my spiritual master, my father. I respect him deeply. To this day, I have not done anything that would displease him. He has given me so much. I do not take money from people; if I did, I could have earned millions. But his instruction was: "You will work for people, but you cannot ask for money." I have kept that promise for a long time.
Gurudev:
Today, even on the road, when people were bowing to our Pagla Baba, he said only one thing: "My Guru has instructed me that I cannot accept money or bows." People are following him in droves. What I liked was that he stood by his word—that he would not take money or accept anyone's respects. He made that promise to me before he left, and he's kept it. What a Guru says must be followed. You cannot say one thing and do another. You have to understand the Guru's character and what he wants. In Pagla Baba's case, I saw that he was surrounded by people on the road, some wanting to give money, others wanting to bow, but he accepted neither. He said, "I have made a vow not to take money or respects on the road."
Dr. Nilanjan Babu:
So, Gurudev, what I understand and what I want to tell the viewers is that while Gurudev is guiding Pagla Baba on his spiritual path as a master, he is also deeply concerned for him in the role of a father. This shows that while he is our spiritual leader, for those who truly depend on him and see him as a Guru and a father, he is a loving and compassionate parent. That's my realization today.
Pradip Da:
That's very true, absolutely. There will be tears. Dr. Babu, let me tell you something. When I called you and told you that Gurudev was crying, you came running. Does that mean you also have that son-like feeling, a pull to be with your father?
Dr. Nilanjan Babu:
Honestly, yes, that's correct. Pradip Da, when you spoke to me this morning and said you saw tears in Gurudev's eyes, even though I could not come right away, I felt that if Pagla Baba is Gurudev's disciple and son, then I am also a son and a disciple. If one son has set out on a spiritual journey with Gurudev's permission, I should also spend some time with him as his son and disciple. Not to make up for anyone's absence, but simply because of that emotional need or desire to be with a father or a Guru. That's why I came here today.
Pradip Da:
Gurudev...
Gurudev:
Yes?
Pradip Da:
Pagla Baba is on his way, and we're trying to call him repeatedly, but he is not picking up. I do not know why.
Gurudev:
No, he told me he would answer calls after 9:00 PM. He said he would not pick up before then because while he's walking, he will get calls from many different places. He has a new number; he got a new SIM card yesterday and he has a phone with him. Still, he told me, "Gurudev, I will talk at night. From the morning, I will turn it off and I will not talk to anyone as long as I'm walking." That's what he told me. Now, you all want to know where he is; you will find out in due time. He will call at least once tonight.
Pradip Da:
Friends, you heard it. Even if Gurudev is a man of great spiritual depth, beyond that, he is a father. That is why there were tears in his eyes today. My respects to you, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Blessings.