Interviewer:
Gurudev, pranam.
Gurudev:
Pranam, pranam.
Interviewer:
Today is a day of celebration—it's Mother's Puja (Kali Puja). We will come back to that topic later and show the live rituals then. But right now, we are doing a short episode with Gurudev and the lady sitting next to him. I will let Gurudev explain the rest; it's not really my place to say. Please, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Well, as you know, I have many spiritual "daughters." But this one has become my "Mother." She addresses me informally (using tui), and she has truly taken on the role of a mother to me. She told me, "You do not have a mother, so I am your mother now." At first, I was a bit taken aback because I do not usually tolerate anyone speaking about my mother, but then she insisted, "I am your mother." I thought, "Fine, if you want to be my mother, that's great." Since then, she calls me by the informal tui. I do not say anything; I accept everything she says because, after all, she is the "Mother." Everyone is a daughter, but the Mother is the ultimate one. So, that's how it has been going.
Gurudev:
She came by the other day as well, but she could not stay for the food because she had to leave. She called me again and said, "I'm coming. I did not realize you were unwell." So she's here today, and we will spend some time talking. I told her to come at 3:00 PM so she could catch me before I get busy. I will not be leaving before 11:00 PM. The Amavasya (New Moon) starts at 10:00 PM. After that, there are rituals—the Smashan (cremation ground) Puja, the Chita (funeral pyre) Puja—followed by the distribution of clothes. I have to give a small speech about everything, the creation of the universe and all that. So, whatever happened, happened; she's here now, and we will spend some time together.
Interviewer:
Now, I would like to ask her—how did you come to see Gurudev as a son? And if you could, please introduce yourself.
Tanushree Das:
I am Tanushree Das, a resident of Uttar Phansidewa, Durgapur, Andal. I used to see him through someone I know who is his disciple. When I first saw his photo, I thought, "Is he some kind of fraud?"
Gurudev:
(Laughs) A "cheating-baaz" (fraud)!
Tanushree Das:
No, no! That was just my first impression from the photo. But as I kept watching him, I started feeling a very strong maternal instinct toward him. I just felt he was like a son to me. Then I came to meet him once and told him, "I see you as my son. I'm going to address you informally as tui." Since then, we have talked, and I have visited a few times—maybe three or four times now.
Gurudev:
She's the Mother, so she has to come!
Interviewer:
Why did you suddenly see Gurudev as a son? I'm curious about that.
Tanushree Das:
I do not know if this is a good or bad thing about me, but I have a very strong maternal instinct. It's not just for him. Whether it's people, insects, animals, or even deities—when I see Bajrangbali (Hanuman), I feel like he is my son too. It's just something that happens to me; I do not know if it's a defect or what. That's how I felt about him.
Interviewer:
So, you feel that maternal essence within you, which is why you felt this way.
Gurudev:
The very first day she came, she said, "You are my son. I cannot address you formally with 'Aapni.' I will call you tui." I said, "Fine, if you are the Mother, you can call me whatever you like." My own mother was about her age when she passed away. Usually, I cannot stand people talking about my mother, but when she came searching for me and found me... it's a spiritual matter, I should not say more. But there is a truth here, a universal truth. Otherwise, why would she suddenly say this to me? People from all over the world—Canada, France, Japan, Germany—everyone addresses me with the utmost respect. No one even uses 'Tumi' (semi-formal), let alone 'Tui.' She is the only exception. From the very first day, she used 'Tui.' It feels good. It's an emotional thing, and it feels truly special because normally, no one would dare speak to me like that.
Interviewer:
I have noticed that too. Everyone calls you Grandfather, Uncle, or mostly 'Baba' (Father). I have never seen anyone look at you as a son.
Gurudev:
It is surprising. I have found a cause-and-effect relationship in this, but I will not explain it here. There's no need. But because of that connection, I allowed her to treat me as a son.
Gurudev:
Anyway, moving on to other things—it's 3:00 PM now, and the festival has begun. The formal prayers have not started yet, but they will soon. Once the Amavasya begins, everything will be in full swing. Will you be going upstairs for the main rituals?
Gurudev:
I do not really want to. I'm supposed to do the Mora Puja (rituals involving a corpse), but my health is not great. Every time I do it, I end up in the hospital. I have been hospitalized five times between Kali Puja and Durga Puja. My health is quite poor. Doing the Mora Puja involves intense energy, and it's not always a good thing for the body. However, Pradeep Babu and Sujoy are here. I told Pradeep Babu to handle the rituals upstairs. Sujoy is also very good at the prayers, so he will take care of it to avoid any trouble.
Gurudev:
Also, regarding the Homa (fire ritual)—we are not using Ghee this time. We are using Makham (butter/cream). We have brought kilos and kilos of butter for the fire. I told them not to use too much, but they have already brought about five kilos. I said we cannot use that much Ghee, so we will do the ritual with butter this time. We will do it once or twice, and that's enough for me. That's the plan for now. The rest is up to the Almighty.
Interviewer:
Well, we will end this episode here for now. Stay healthy and well, everyone. More videos are coming, and we will be live later today. Gurudev, pranam.
Gurudev:
Pranam, pranam.