NARRATOR:
Salutations to Sri Sri Gupta Sadhak Shyama Khapa. Greetings. We begin our program from Shantipunja by offering our respects to Gurudev Gupta Sadhak Sri Sri Shyama Khapa. Let us all listen to Gurudev’s invaluable words.
INTERVIEWER:
My respects to you, Gurudev.
GURUDEV:
Blessings to you, my son.
INTERVIEWER:
Kazi Nazrul Islam is the pride of Bengalis. I would like to hear some of your thoughts regarding him.
GURUDEV:
Oh, I see. Well, before speaking about Kazi Nazrul Islam, many may not know that his original name was Dukhu Mia. Some used to call him "Tara Khapa," and some knew him by other names, but Dukhu Mia was his name. He was born on May 24, 1899, and passed away on August 29, 1976. His father was Kazi Fakir Ahmed, and his mother was Zaheda Khatun. That is the background.
GURUDEV:
I remember one day during the lockdown period, I was sitting here. A lady arrived; she was very beautiful, almost as if Goddess Lakshmi herself were present. She approached me, but did not touch me; she offered her respects with a Namaskar from a distance.
GURUDEV:
She asked, "Father, may I go inside to see the Mother [Goddess Kali]?"
GURUDEV:
I didn't know who she was at the time. I said, "Yes, of course, why not? Go ahead."
GURUDEV:
She seemed very cheerful and happy. She went inside to see the Goddess. I hadn't noticed at first that her husband was standing outside. I thought she had come alone. After a while, I saw a gentleman standing there. I called the lady and asked, "Is he your husband?"
GURUDEV:
She replied, "Yes, he is my husband."
GURUDEV:
I immediately stood up and called out to him. He was standing there, lost in thought. When I called him, he asked, "May I come inside?"
GURUDEV:
I said, "Yes, please come in. What is the problem?"
GURUDEV:
He entered, looking a bit hesitant. He said, "I have something to give you; will you accept it?"
GURUDEV:
I replied, "Why wouldn't I? I can accept anything you give me."
GURUDEV:
He went to his car and brought back this book. Look at this; it was published by the Government of India. After handing me the book, I asked him, "Who are you?"
GURUDEV:
He said, "I am his grandson—the grandson of Kazi Nazrul Islam."
GURUDEV:
I was completely stunned. I was beyond shocked. I said, "Please, please sit down! Why were you standing outside?"
GURUDEV:
He replied, "Well, we are Muslims, and you are a Brahmin. We weren't sure if you would accept us or this book."
GURUDEV:
I said, "What are you saying? He was a great devotee of Goddess Kali! Why wouldn't I accept his book?"
GURUDEV:
He gave me the book; it’s quite large and thick, containing his entire life history. I can show you some of the photos... look here. It has everything from his first home to his entire life story. Look at this history.
GURUDEV:
I told him, "It is my great fortune and the success of my life to meet you, the grandson of Kazi Nazrul Islam." I was so happy that I insisted he sit with me. The lady came out, offered her respects again, and the gentleman asked, "May I touch your feet?"
GURUDEV:
I said, "Of course, why not?"
GURUDEV:
He said, "But we are Muslims by birth."
GURUDEV:
I told him, "Don't even mention that. I have many Muslim disciples. I have initiated them. I don't believe in those distinctions."
GURUDEV:
He then said, "Can I talk to you for a bit?"
GURUDEV:
I said, "Of course."
GURUDEV:
He told me that his wife had seen me on YouTube and she would pester him every day, saying, "I want to go to him, I want to see him." At first, he was hesitant, wondering if I would let them in.
GURUDEV:
I saw that she was truly like Goddess Saraswati in her grace. I asked him his name. He said, "Arnab Kazi. My grandfather was Kazi Nazrul Islam."
GURUDEV:
I was so moved; you won't believe it. I felt so emotional knowing that his blood was standing before me. His wife's name is Arpita Kazi. They stayed for about two hours, sharing stories.
GURUDEV:
I said to him, "You should say something on YouTube. You are the grandson of such a great soul. My life feels fulfilled today." Truly, talking to him brought me so much joy. I could see the same lineage in them. My eyes were blessed, my life was successful because a descendant of such a man came to me. I was so moved I almost cried.
GURUDEV:
I asked them, "Would you like to have some of Mother's Prasad? We have the sacred food offering (Annobhog) ready. If you eat some, I will be very happy."
GURUDEV:
He said, "Yes, no problem at all. Give me the Annobhog, I will eat it."
GURUDEV:
So, he and his wife sat down and ate with great respect. They were so satisfied. He said, "Today I feel a great peace. My wife told me so many times to bring her here."
GURUDEV:
I asked why they were hesitant, and he repeated, "Well, I am a Muslim, and I heard you are a Brahmin son."
GURUDEV:
I said, "So what?"
GURUDEV:
They ate the Mother’s Prasad with great contentment. He mentioned something very significant: "My grandfather used to sit on the same seat to offer his Namaz and to perform Kali Puja. The seat was the same."
GURUDEV:
He told me many other things about his grandfather. He promised to come back one day and said, "I will cook some rice and bring it. Will you eat it?"
GURUDEV:
His wife also requested, "If I cook, will you eat it?"
GURUDEV:
I told them, "I will eat it, and my Mother [Goddess Kali] will eat it too. We will both eat food cooked by your hands."
GURUDEV:
They asked when they should come, and I said, "That is up to you. If you can, bring the food and we will all sit and eat together here."
GURUDEV:
They were so happy. Meeting the descendant of such a great man... the things he told me brought tears to my eyes.
GURUDEV:
He told me about Nazrul's life—how he first married Nargis in Daulatpur. Later, after she passed away, he went to Bangladesh, to a place called Brahmanbaria. He stayed at a Brahmin house there. He fell in love with a lady there named Pramila. He proposed to her, she accepted, and they spent their lives together. Many of you know he spent his final days in Kolkata, where he passed away.
GURUDEV:
I had the fortune of seeing him once toward the end of his life. He was in a silent, almost meditative state then. He would just stare, not speaking to anyone. He had become like a silent, inert object.
GURUDEV:
Such a great man, a great Sadhak (spiritual practitioner). Many Sadhaks have been born in this world, but a Muslim Sadhak who offered Namaz and worshipped Mother Kali from the same seat is a rare sight. I haven't seen anything like it. His grandson confirmed this to me.
GURUDEV:
I have immense respect for him, especially for the songs he wrote. They are songs that can ignite a fire in people—songs like "Chol Chol Chol, Urdho Gogone Baje Madol" (March, march, march, the drums reside in the high heavens) or "Durgomo Giri Kantaro Moru" (The impassable mountains, the wilderness, and the deserts). These songs are life-giving and invigorating.
GURUDEV:
Even though he was born Muslim, we Bengalis claim him as our own. He was known as "Tara Khapa" because of his intense devotion to Goddess Kali. I didn't know the full extent of his spiritual depth until I read this book.
GURUDEV:
He was also highly honored by the government and academic institutions. Calcutta University awarded him the Jagattarini Gold Medal. He was as well-versed in education as he was in his conduct. I was amazed by the behavior and manners of his grandson. I have met many people in my life, but this was special.
GURUDEV:
I also once met Gita Bhattacharya, who was of the 11th generation of Kamalakanta's lineage. I met her in a hospital, and after reading my books, she was very moved. She invited me to her house. She was 86 years old then. She gave me a prayer mat (Asana) and said, "Perform your worship sitting on this. I made this for you." I have her photo as well.
GURUDEV:
When you meet the descendants of such great people, you see that their character and behavior carry that legacy.
INTERVIEWER:
Friends, we have heard Gurudev’s valuable words regarding Kazi Nazrul Islam. Please subscribe to the Gupta Sadhak Shyama Khapa YouTube channel, like the videos, and leave your thoughts in the comments. My respects to you, Gurudev.
GURUDEV:
Blessings to you, my son.
NARRATOR:
You were listening to the words of Gurudev Gupta Sadhak Sri Sri Shyama Khapa. Let us know how you liked it. To hear Gurudev’s invaluable words regularly, please subscribe, like, share, and comment on the Shyama Khapa channel. To contact Gurudev, please send a WhatsApp message between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM with your name, location, and phone number. Gurudev will call you back as soon as possible. The WhatsApp number is 8080539595. With our respects to Gurudev and wishing you all his blessings and well-being, we conclude today’s program. Stay well, everyone. Namaskar.