Narrator:
Gurudev, pranam (respectful greetings).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, child.
Narrator:
Gurudev, some time ago you shared some of your memories of this cremation ground. In your long spiritual life at this Rajapur Mahashamshan, you must have many stories. You only shared four last time. Your viewers and those of us here arenât satisfied with just those four. We request you to share a few more of your experiences.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Once, I was sitting here when a funeral procession arrived. A prominent man from a nearby village had passed away. A group of kirtan singers (devotional singers) came along. After the cremation was over, a dispute broke out among them. One group said, "We won't bathe. we didnât touch the body, so weâre going home." The other group insisted, "Youâve come to a cremation ground; you canât go home without bathing."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The argument grew heated, with shouting and clashing of cymbals. I was sitting here doing my work. One of them came to me and asked, "Whatâs going on? Why are you all fighting?" They explained the situation. One group said they hadn't touched the body, while the other group insisted on the tradition of bathing after visiting a cremation ground. I was caught in the middle. Finally, I told them, "You all have been chanting the holy name of Hari (God). What need is there for a physical bath? By chanting 'Hari Nama,' you have already bathed in his holy name."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The seven or eight people there were stunned. They said they had never heard such a thing before. They were so relieved and happy that they touched my feet in respect, saying they had never heard such wisdom in their lives. They were convinced that since they had chanted 'Hari Nama,' they had already been purified.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Thereâs another story about a girl who had taken initiation (diksha) from me. One day, she came and said she wanted to visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. I told her to go, no problem. She asked me to look after things while she was away. She was taking two elderly people with her. She had firm faith that I was in constant 'telephonic' contact with the Lord (Baba) and that if I said something here, Baba would manifest there. I told her not to worry and that I would inform Baba.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
On her return journey, she was at the station, getting ready to board the train. She had helped the two elderly people onto the train and then went to buy some biscuits. She was a bit far from the train when it started moving. She tried to board the moving train and was hanging from the door, in danger of falling under the wheels.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
At that very moment, I was here at the cremation ground. I felt a sudden, intense urge and started shouting, "Get up! Get up! What are you doing? Get up!" and brandishing my stick. The people here thought I had gone mad or was angry with someone. They didn't understand what was happening. I was frantically shouting and running around. Then, after a few minutes, I saw that she had successfully boarded the train.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
About seven or eight minutes later, she called me, breathless and trembling. She said, "Father, I almost died today!" I told her I knew. Then the people here realized why I had been shouting and brandishing my stick. This is one of those memories that stays with me.
Narrator:
Gurudev, weâd also like to knowâmany people have askedâin all your years here, have you ever seen any ghosts or spirits?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I haven't seen "ghosts" in the way people usually imagine, but I have had many frightening experiences. Iâve even run away from the cremation ground many times. My companion here, Khokon Shet, has been with me for 30 years. He has seen and experienced many things too. He used to pick me up on his bicycle from my prayer room in the middle of a dense bamboo forest. I had set up a place for Maa (the Goddess) there, thinking no one would find me. Khokon's job was to pick me up at 8:00 PM every night after I finished my rituals and take me back to the cremation ground.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
One night, he arrived and heard me loudly chanting hymns and performing rituals. He didn't want to disturb me, so he decided to wait and went to a nearby tea stall. When he got there, he saw me sitting and drinking tea! He was shocked and said, "I just heard you chanting in the forest, and here you are!"
Devotee:
Yes, his voice was very loud. I was standing right in front of the door, and I could hear him clearly. I thought, "I shouldn't disturb him while he's praying," so I went for a cup of tea. When I saw him at the stall, I was completely baffled.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He was so surprised. He said, "I came to pick you up and thought you were still praying!" There are many such incidents that are hard to explain. Sometimes, people see the ritual fire pit (hom kunda) burning and hear the sound of chanting when no one is there. I might be asleep at home, but people tell me they saw me here performing rituals. Whether itâs true or not, I can't say, but many have witnessed it.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There's another story about a girl born with three eyesâone on her forehead. I saw her myself. Her father, Kripa Babu, was a devotee who had prayed to Maa for a child. When she was born, she had three eyes. She lived for only a few days. When she was brought here for cremation, we all saw her three eyes. It was a remarkable sight. I believe Maa herself had manifested in that child for those few days.
Narrator:
Gurudev, what you're describing sounds like a powerful spiritual presence. Even when you're not there, your presence is felt.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
You have to "awaken" the cremation ground. Every day, one of my disciples circumambulates the area, chanting and calling out to Maa Tara and Lord Baman. This is how we keep the spirit of the place alive. At night, many people come here to perform various rituals. Now that thereâs electricity and fewer traditional wooden pyres, some of that has changed, but the spiritual energy remains.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
People tell me they see another version of me here. I tell them they must have been hallucinating, but thereâs a sense of a dual presence. The soul that I have created here is restless; it wants to be here. Whether I'm sleeping or doing something else, my spirit is drawn to this place. People see the fire and hear the chanting. This has happened many times.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Even the great sage Sri Aurobindo, when he was in Alipore Jail, was said to have a divine light around him. That cell is still kept locked, and no prisoners are kept there, but many have seen that light. A cremation ground has its own power. We keep it awake. I've been told I shouldn't sleep; if I sleep, the shamshan sleeps, and if the shamshan sleeps, society sleeps. So, we are always vigilant, even if our physical bodies are resting. Our souls are active. Lord Baman also comes here every night at midnight. He is a part of the spiritual fabric of this place. He dances and calls out "Tara! Tara!" Those with a pure soul can hear him. I have experienced this myself.
Narrator:
Gurudev, why is it necessary to keep the shamshan "awake"?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The shamshan is a place of dissolution. The five elementsâearth, water, air, fire, and etherâthat make up our bodies are returned to their source here. As the poet Ramprasad said, what we accumulate in life is eventually consumed by these five elements. At the end of life, the body is either burned or buried to prevent pollution and return it to the earth.
Devotee:
Gurudev, I remember another incident. About 20 years ago, when I was bringing you here for your rituals, something happened at my house.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, I remember. I had gone to Khokon's house to perform a ritual. As soon as I stepped onto the porch, I felt a sudden, powerful shock, like an electric bolt. I collapsed and was in great pain. Khokon called a doctor, who thought it was just gas from an empty stomach and gave me some medicine. But I knew it was something else. I told Khokon to take me to the cremation ground immediately. I said a "spell" (ban) had been cast on me. We went to the shamshan at midnight. I performed rituals for several hours to counteract the spell. I told Khokon that whoever had cast this spell would suffer a great loss by morning. And that's exactly what happened. The next morning, we heard that a prize cow belonging to the person who had cast the spell had died.
Narrator:
Gurudev, youâve shared so many incredible stories.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There are so many more. Over 40 years, I've seen things that are truly beyond belief. There was a man who came to me once with a set of keys and a list of instructions. He told me he was going to commit suicide and asked me to give the keys to his family when they came looking for him. He was desperate. I jokingly told him, "If you're going to do it, do it in front of the Delhi-Kalka Mail!" I told him Iâd handle everything. Four days later, he was back, standing at my door with his head bowed. I asked him, "Weren't you supposed to be dead? Couldn't you find the Delhi-Kalka Mail?"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He said, "I couldn't do it. Every time I thought about it, I saw your face." He had forgotten about his wife and family, but he couldn't get my face out of his mind. I returned his keys and the money he had left. Today, he is very successful and wealthy. He still comes to see me and shares a smoke with me. I'm very happy for him.
Narrator:
Gurudev, we know you have a wealth of memories. We look forward to hearing more in the future. Pranam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I'll share what I can. There are many such stories. Pranam, child.