INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev, Pranam.
GURUDEV:
Pranam.
INTERVIEWER:
Today, for this Facebook Live, the first thing we would like to ask you about is this Rajpur Mahashasan (cremation ground). This has been the place of your spiritual practice (sadhana) for a long time. You have continued your spiritual work here through many obstacles and difficulties. You have seen how this place looked before and how it looks now. Please tell us something about this.
GURUDEV:
I have been in this cremation ground for 32 years. I have seen the era of the Congress party and the CPM party. During the CPM era, I tried many times to get a small place here. I have been performing Kali Puja here for 30 years—every year on the night of Mahalaya Amavasya. We never missed a year. Earlier, there was no fixed spot; we would do it here one year and there the next. During the CPM era, when I asked for a permanent spot, they would tell me to do it at my own risk and that they wouldn't take any responsibility.
GURUDEV:
Then came the era of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The room where I used to practice was very small, only about 6 feet by 6 feet. Sadhana could be done there, but not large rituals like Homa or Yagya. Most of the Yagyas I performed were under the open sky in this cremation ground. I had a desire to perform the Mahamrityunjaya Yagya here; it was a divine instruction.
GURUDEV:
About five years ago, after the TMC government came to power, I approached Dr. Pallab Das, the current municipality chairman. Before him, there was Indu Babu, who was also the chairman. Indu Babu gave me a written document stating the municipality's consent so that if the police or anyone else questioned me, I could show it. Later, when Dr. Pallab Das became chairman, I requested him for a place to perform the Mahamrityunjaya Yagya.
GURUDEV:
At first, he didn't say much. I also went to Sonali-di. We approached many people. Eventually, we built a small room here ourselves, which was initially made of polythene. Rainwater would leak through, but we continued our worship there. Gradually, we built the altar for the Mother. People knew about it, but no one objected. After the Mother was established, I told Dr. Pallab Das about my intent to start the Mahamrityunjaya Yagya, which would require the sacred fire to burn continuously for three years. He gave me the order to proceed.
GURUDEV:
I heard some comments that I was doing "business" with the cremation ground. Honestly, I never thought of doing business with God or this sacred ground, and I never have. It hurt me to hear that. My only wish was to establish the Mother here in this Rajpur Mahashasan. It's an old, traditional cremation ground. Many great Sadhakas have practiced here. Even Tarakhepa, a direct disciple of Bama Khepa, practiced here. I also wanted to practice here. I have seen it all—from the old wooden funeral pyres to the electric ones installed about 11 years ago.
GURUDEV:
Every year, we have a festival. I once invited our MLA, Jiban Mukhopadhyay. Initially, he refused, saying that the place wasn't good and that "bad things" happened there. But the following year, someone convinced him that I wasn't a bad person and that he should visit. When he came and saw everything, he admitted he had been misinformed. He praised our work in his speech and has visited every year since whenever invited.
GURUDEV:
Similarly, Dr. Pallab Das once asked if my Mrityunjaya Yagya was over. I told him one year was left. I told him that every cremation ground has a Kali temple, but unfortunately, this one didn't have a public one. There is one nearby, but it's private. This temple I've built is for the government; I will leave it to the government when I pass. It is a shelter for everyone. People who come to cremate their loved ones often seek shelter here during storms or heavy rain. My wish was to create a place where people could find some peace after the grief of a funeral. Seeing the Mother helps calm the mind.
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev, you have practiced here for a long time. You practiced even at night when there were only wooden pyres and the atmosphere was quite different and perhaps frightening. Could you share some of those experiences?
GURUDEV:
This is a 175-year-old cremation ground where millions have been cremated. When I first came, there were no lights, just one dim bulb. I used to practice sitting right on the funeral pyres. I would specifically look for the pyres of children or women whose husbands were still alive, as those are significant for certain practices.
GURUDEV:
There was an elderly gentleman named Badal Babu. He told me, "Shyamal-da, you are practicing here, but let me tell you something. There is someone here—a guardian of the cremation ground (Shashan-rakshak). If you ever encounter him, you must draw some of your own blood and offer it to the ground; otherwise, you won't survive. Always keep a sharp object, like a knife, with you."
GURUDEV:
He described the guardian as having a terrifying appearance. I have seen the evidence of these guardians. Sometimes people would come here late at night, around midnight, and run away in fear. They would hear a voice asking, "Why have you come here?" even when no one was around. The next day, they would tell me about it. I'd tell them they shouldn't have come without permission.
GURUDEV:
In my 32 years here, I have felt fear once or twice—times when I felt someone was about to throttle me or tell me to leave. I would be meditating on a pyre at 1:00 AM and suddenly feel an overwhelming presence. I have also heard the cries of children, though I initially thought it was just the owls. There are many white owls here that catch rats at night.
GURUDEV:
I remember an incident with a person named Sagar Babu. He came from Tarapith because it was flooded and wanted to perform a Yagya here. I agreed but told him not to perform any animal sacrifices. Later, I saw they had brought a large 'Sola' fish in a vessel. My agreement was that nothing should be killed. When I realized he intended to kill it, I "bound" the fire so it wouldn't light. They tried for a long time but couldn't light the pyre. Eventually, his disciple realized I had done something. Sagar Babu came to me and asked if I had blocked the fire. I told him he hadn't kept his word. Then he brought a child and his parents to me, saying the child was very ill and that the ritual with the fish was meant to save him. I felt pity for the child and went and lit the fire myself.
GURUDEV:
I have seen many things—people coming with 21 eggs to perform rituals at night, and then our boys would later boil and eat those eggs! I also knew a person named Naran Sadhu who practiced Karnapishachi sadhana. This requires staying within the cremation ground for 21 days without leaving, even for basic needs. He asked me to stay with him because, on the 21st day, a voice from the sky would ask for something—it could be human blood or animal blood—and I would have to manage it.
GURUDEV:
One night, a body was brought in. It was an elderly woman from a nursing home. In the old days, with wooden pyres, it took four hours to cremate a body. People would often drink alcohol while waiting. I saw Naran Sadhu do something horrific—he broke the skull of the burning body, collected the brain matter in a vessel, mixed it with alcohol, and drank it. I saw this with my own eyes.
INTERVIEWER:
Gurudev, what is the significance of Shab-sadhana (meditating on a corpse)?
GURUDEV:
It is a requirement for certain Sadhakas. To be one with the Mother (Kali or Tara), certain rituals are necessary. Great saints like Ramprasad, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, and Bamdev have all performed various forms of these practices. If someone is a Tantrik, they must perform Shab-sadhana. I have also performed it. Every year, we do a special puja for a dead body before it is cremated. These are specialized rituals that please the Mother. She tests the Sadhaka to see if they are afraid. These practices are between the Sadhaka and the divine; they have nothing to do with the outside world.
INTERVIEWER:
Finally, Gurudev, please tell us about your ashram, "Shantikunja."
GURUDEV:
When I established it after the Mahamrityunjaya Yagya, I felt a powerful vibration in the area. Many people told me it was a place of great peace and asked to sit here. Some stay all day. Based on their feedback, I decided to name it "Shantikunja—the Address of Peace." It's an appropriate name for a cremation ground because, as they say, "Peace comes after death."
GURUDEV:
I don't do business with God or this place. I continue my practices, many of which are internal and related to breath control. If I stop these practices, the power will diminish. I use this power for the well-being of people and to stay attuned to the universe. For instance, I can often sense when natural disasters like earthquakes or storms are coming, and I perform rituals to divert the danger. I only use my strength for good, never to harm anyone.
INTERVIEWER:
Pranam, Gurudev. Friends, you heard Gurudev's words. You can find this Live on our YouTube channel, "Guptasadhak Shamakshapa." We will announce the next Facebook Live soon. Pranam, Gurudev.
GURUDEV:
Pranam.