Host:
Gurudev, on this late afternoon, I offer my pranams to you from Shantikunj. Today, we wish to learn from you about a great Mahapurush who attained siddhi (perfection) in four distinct spiritual paths. He was a highly elevated seeker—Swami Nigamananda Saraswati. Gurudev, please tell us something about him.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Speaking about such a great soul is beyond my capacity, yet I seek his blessings as I speak. It is our great fortune that such a saint was born in our land of Bengal. He was born on August 18, 1880, and passed away on November 29, 1935. He lived for a total of 55 years, and within those years, he displayed incredible spiritual play and power. Next to me is Somnath Kundu, a disciple who has had a direct connection with the Guru's grace.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Swami Nigamananda's father was Bhuvan Mohan Chattopadhyay and his mother was Manik Sundari. His wife's name was Sudhanshu Bala Devi. This was his family. As he grew up, he received his education in Meherpur, Bangladesh. Later, he studied surveying at the Ashanullah Institute in Dhaka. After finishing his studies, leaving his parents and wife at home, he went to Dinajpur to work as an accountant for the estate of Rani Rashmoni.
Somnath Kundu:
I first offer my pranams to my Gurudev, to Kaka-Guru, and to all the Dada-Gurus. Please forgive me if I make any mistakes. It is my great fortune that Thakur (Nigamananda) gave me darshan and initiated me.
Somnath Kundu:
While he was working at the office of Rani Rashmoni's estate, one evening—it was past 8:00 PM—he was working by the light of a lamp. Suddenly, he saw a shadow-form inside his office. He looked closely and realized the shadow was of his wife, Sudhanshu Bala Devi. He noticed her face looked extremely distressed. This deeply disturbed him. He immediately left his work and started for his village. As he reached near his house late that night, he saw the shadow-form of Sudhanshu Bala again. Upon entering the house, he learned that his wife was no more.
Somnath Kundu:
From that moment, his mind changed completely. He couldn't return to work. Driven by the grief of separation, he became obsessed with finding her soul. He travelled towards the North. Many saints there told him, "Your Guru is in Bengal. Go back to him; only he can show you the way."
Somnath Kundu:
He returned to Bengal and searched for a Mother-worshipper (Matri-sadhak), eventually reaching Bamananda Baba (the famous saint Bamdev). Bamdev looked at him and said, "I have been waiting for you." Nigamananda told him about his wife and his grief. Bamdev said, "I will arrange things so that you can talk to your wife every day." Bamdev initiated him into the Tara Mantra. Through this, Nigamananda was able to speak with his wife's spirit regularly.
Somnath Kundu:
However, after some time, Nigamananda felt unsatisfied. He told Bamdev, "My mind is still restless. Please show me the path of Matri-sadhana (worship of the Divine Mother)." During his practice, he once had a vision where he saw Mother Tara emerging from his own chest. When he told Bamdev about this, Bamdev scolded him, teaching him the deeper truth of the Mother's form.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Bamdev eventually sent him North again. One night, Nigamananda saw a brilliant light and a sannyasi appeared before him. Without saying a word, the saint wrote something on a leaf and left. Nigamananda tried everything to understand what was written but couldn't. He joined the Ishwar Darshan Samaj (Divine Vision Society) and learned certain techniques, including the use of planchettes to communicate with his wife, but he wanted a more direct realization.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
He was eventually told, "Go to Pushkar. The saint who gave you that mantra on the leaf is there." He travelled to Rajasthan and found Swami Sachchidananda Saraswati. He was stunned to see that this was the same saint from his vision. Sachchidananda initiated him into Brahma-tattva (the knowledge of the Absolute).
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
From there, he was sent to Sumeru Dasji Maharaj to learn the heights of Yoga. He stayed in a cave in Assam for a long time practicing Hatha Yoga and Laya Yoga. He attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi and mastered the secrets of birth and death.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Afterwards, he returned to Benaras. One night, Mother Annapurna appeared to him in a dream and said, "You are not yet complete. You have realized the Formless (Nirakara), but you must also realize the Form (Sakara)." Following her command, he sought a Yogini Guru and found Gauri Devi, who was said to be over 250 years old at the time. She initiated him into the path of Prem-Bhakti (Divine Love), focusing on Krishna and Radhika.
Host:
Gurudev, it is said he also visited the Kumbh Mela?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes. During the Kumbh Mela, all the Dandi Sannyasis and followers of Adi Shankaracharya were present. Nigamananda saw his Guru, Sachchidananda, sitting there. He walked past everyone, including the presiding Shankaracharya, to offer his pranams directly to his Guru. This angered the Dandi Sannyasis. They challenged him, saying, "The Jagadguru Shankaracharya is sitting here, and you bypassed him to bow to someone else?"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Nigamananda's response stunned everyone. He explained the depth of the Guru-tattva and argued that there is no difference between one's Guru and the Shankaracharya. After he analyzed the scriptures before 125 learned disciples, they were so impressed by his depth and realization that they conferred upon him the title of "Paramahamsa." It is said the Shankaracharya himself remarked, "Our boy has become a Paramahamsa."
Host:
Somnath, do you have any personal "miraculous" experiences related to Nigamananda?
Somnath Kundu:
My life is full of such events. I received diksha when I was in Class 1. I still remember the face of the one who initiated me—he had long, black, ribbon-like hair. Later, I searched everywhere in the Madanmohan temple, but no one knew who he was.
Somnath Kundu:
In 2016, while returning from Gujarat, I ended up on a "ghostly" train. I realized later that Thakur (Nigamananda) was there. When I reached Dadar station in Mumbai, the same mantra I use for worship was whispered into my ear.
Somnath Kundu:
Even when I was studying in Moscow, Russia, I had experiences. I was a student then, and I used to walk two kilometers from college to the hostel at night. I always felt someone walking behind me—someone wearing a long dhoti and a sacred thread. I could hear footsteps, but when I turned around, no one was there. The moment I entered the hostel, the presence would vanish.
Somnath Kundu:
Another incident happened in Mumbai. My wife and I were returning from the Siddhivinayak Temple after the night aarti. It was around 1:30 AM, and the highway was pitch dark and empty. We prayed to Gurudev and Ganpati, hoping for a vehicle to follow so we wouldn't be alone on the 50-kilometer stretch to New Bombay. Suddenly, a car with a New Bombay number plate sped past us. I followed it for half an hour. Near the Vashi bridge, the car slowed down. As we passed it, my wife looked over and screamed—there was no driver in that car! We sped away, and when we looked back, the car had vanished. I believe it was Thakur himself guiding us home.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Somnath is a highly educated man, yet he has these profound realizations. He practices his jap and meditation every night and holds the Guru in high regard. We are all seekers, and though we call ourselves "sadhaks," we are nothing compared to the dust of the feet of these great Mahapurushas.
Somnath Kundu:
In our tradition, we consider Bamdev Baba the 1st Purusha, Swami Nigamananda the 2nd, Durgaprasanna Paramahamsa the 3rd, and I consider our Kaka-Guru (the present Gurudev) as the 4th Purusha in this lineage.
Host:
Dear viewers, today we heard this wonderful discussion. Somnath, despite being a disciple of another branch, has come to our Gurudev because of this sacred lineage. We see a living example of spiritual tradition here. Thank you, Gurudev, for this enlightening afternoon. Pranams to you.