Swami Adhbhudhanandha  - Sri Latu Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Latu Maharaj!

Chapter – 6

There was an unexpected event that took place in Ramachandra Dutt’s house.  They used to send fruits and sweets to Dhakshineshwar to offer Thakurji.  On that day there was no one to take the offerings to Thakurji.  Little Rakthuram said “ Kindly give it to me, I will take it to Thakurji. I have been to Paramahamsa’s shrine once.”  That day he arrived at Dhakshineshwar with all the fruits and sweets around twelve in the afternoon.  He saw Thakurji from the distance, he offered humble Pranams to Thakurji, and they together arrived in his chamber.  That day Rakthuram could witness the afternoon Harathi Dharshan of Ma Kali, he felt extremely happy.  After Harathi Dharshan, they used to bring offerings to Thakurji in his chamber.  Thakurji advised Latu to take the offerings of Lord Vishnu. He was very considerate of Latu who was not used to the Bengali cuisine that is why he asked to consume offerings of Lord Vishnu.  Rakthuram said “I can eat whatever you give, I will not eat anything other the one you give.”  Thakurji burst into laughter and said “ This boy is too smart. He wants to get a share from me.” After consuming a meal, he stayed with Thakurji in the chamber until in the evening, seeing he is not leaving Thakurji asked “It is going to be evening, don’t you want to go back? Do you have money to go back?” Rakthu put his hands inside the pocket and took the coin out.  After coming back from Dhakshineshwar there were huge changes that took place in Rakthuram, previously he used to finish work at ease, but now a day’s his work became sluggish, and it has created unpleasantness in the Dutt family.   Ramchandra Dutt was worried about the boy little Rakthuram.  One day Dutt Sahib said to Thakurji “Now a day’s Latu behaving differently, he is not working properly, he sits eyes closed in a corner of the house and his eyes overflow with tears, he will not even answer to anyone’s call, if we ask the reason for tears, he won’t answer.  Seeing his strange behavior, my wife is very much concerned about this child.”  Thakurji said “It happens to people when they visit here. It is nothing,  his heart wants to be here.  Whenever time permits send him here.” 

Swami Adhbhudhanandha  - Sri Latu Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Latu Maharaj!

Chapter – 5

One day Rakthuram asked Babuji “ Babu, I want to visit Dhakshineshwar with you.” He was so surprised to hear that from little boy Rakthuram, he happily took Rakthuram with him to Dhakshineshwar.  Dutt Sahib and Rakthuram arrived in Dhakshineshwar, unfortunately, Thakurji was not in his chamber.  So he advised Rakthuram to stay in the Veranda and went in search of Thakurji.  After some time, both arrived together in the patio, suddenly Thakurji looked at the small boy standing on the Veranda. Thakurji asked “ Ram, did you bring this child with you? I can see divine symbols in this small boy.” They continued the conversation and went inside the chamber, Rakthuram understood this was the holy man he wanted to meet in all his life.  He went inside the chamber of Thakurji and prostrated before him, he stood there with folded hands.  Thakurji was giving lectures “people who have blessed with the divinity would attain supreme wisdom and knowledge in their birth.  They remain unchallenging like a rock that faces the blow of big waves but does not move away from its place and stands firm.” saying so Thakurji touched Rakthuram.  Soon he felt some divine powers entering through his body and disappeared instantly,  Rakthuram’s eyes were overflowing with tears, Ramchandra Dutt and Thakurji were watching the child, it continued for an hour or so.  Ramchandra Dutt asked, “How long he will continue crying like this?” Thakurji touched Rakthuram affectionately, soon he regained his normalcy.  Thakurji advised Ramchandra Dutt to send Rakthuram frequently to Dhakshineshwar, he said to Rakthuram “I have informed your Master,  come here often.”

Swami Adhbhudhanandha  - Sri Latu Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Latu Maharaj!

Chapter – 4

Ramachandra Dutt  was a staunch devotee and disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, he regularly visits Dhakshineshwar during weekends and stays in the shrine.  Every Saturday he meets Thakurji and listens to his lectures, after coming back from Dhakshineshwar he could not stop all those memories of lectures of Thkurji, so he used to share those nectars like lectures of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa with all his friends who attend in his home.  Rakthuram used to hear all those inspiring lectures of Thakurji while passing through the chamber of Dutt Sahib, he was mesmerized and felt a divine pull to listen to more and more lectures of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.  Soon the innocent child Rakthuram drawn towards the nectar-like lectures of Thakurji, he used to contemplate upon Thakurji and sincerely desired to meet Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once in a lifetime. He asks himself ‘Do I get his Dharshan at least once?'  he keeps contemplating upon the lectures of Thakurji with tears overflowing, he wipes off tears and keeps thinking of Thakurji in leisure hours.  Gradually, people of the Dutt family noticed the little Rakthuram’s devotion to Thakurji growing too fast.  Mrs, Dutt thought he must have been missing his uncle and mother, now a day’s his uncle does not make a visit to enquire about him,  Mrs. Dutt consoled little Rakthuram who could not control his yearning to meet Thakurji, and listening to his speeches, he thought of going to Dhakshineshwar several times, but he had no courage to go alone, he was completely new to this city.  He was too busy with the work at home, he could not share his feelings with Babuji or Ma, but he knows for sure that Babuji conducts a trip to Dhakshineshwar every week to meet Thakurji. 

Swami Adhbhudhanandha  - Sri Latu Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Latu Maharaj!

Chapter – 3

Dutt family used to call Rakthuram as Laltu, later Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa named him Letu and Latu.  After initiating to Sanyasa he was addressed as Swami Adhbudhanandha as he was completely mysterious in his behavior and conversation.  During leisure hours in the Dutt house, he used to practice wrestling in the backyard.  One day a friend of Ramchandra Dutt said that children who are practicing wrestling should not be appointed as a servant at home, Ramchandra Dutt got irritated and said “ You do not know about the health and fitness, with the practicing of wrestling the children will not be drawn towards sensual pleasures, they remain fit and capable to protect themselves from dangers,” but his friend said, “ But his behavior is too strange.” Ramchandra Dutt annoyed and said “ You want to employ a servant who is feeble and weak as you so that you need not feed them with good food.  They are servants, not animals or dogs or cats. You are ready to feed dogs but not humans.  It is not the right attitude to differentiate owner and servant.”  Another friend of Dutt Sahib brought a complaint about Rakthuram who gets vegetables from the market at a reasonable price, he assumed Rakthuram pilfering pennies while buying vegetables for home.  One day he approached little Rakthuram and said, “ Hey boy, are you stealing money out of the vegetable purchase.” Rakthuram was infuriated at the insult of this man, he could not tolerate the blame, he said “ Babu/Master, listen to me carefully, I am a servant certainly, but not a thief or ungrateful, now onwards don’t dare to talk to me like this, If so you will receive impolite answer from me.”  The man cannot control his anger after hearing from after all a servant; he immediately reported this incident to Ramchandra Dutt.  Dutt Sahib said, “ I know him very well, he is illiterate, but he is not a thief, whenever he requires anything to buy for himself, he will ask his mother.” This remark about a servant is very rare in those days, the friend of Dutt Sahib got stunned.

Swami Adhbhudhanandha  - Sri Latu Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Latu Maharaj!

Chapter – 2

Rakthuram and his uncle arrived in Kolkata in search of a livelihood.  He was very much concerned about the little boy Rakthuram who was studious to understand the reason for the loss of his uncle’s land and house.  He felt deeply depressed leaving his favorite village, he had many thoughts crossing over his little brain and had no heart to leave his village or childhood mates, wrestling ground, playground of Kabadi, beautiful atmosphere of the village, ponds, rivers, streams, greens,  and shrine.  The beautiful sites of the village were often poped on in his mind, leaving him in utter despair.  After arriving in Kolkata, his uncle was anxious about little Rakthuram, usually, people will work in the city pulling Riksha or working in rich personalities houses.  His uncle was confident that he can survive anywhere in the city, but he was deeply worried about the little boy Rakthuram.  One day he met his village man Phoolchand, he was working in a wealthy man Ramchandra Dutt’s house.  Phoolchand understood the miserable situation of Rakthuram’s uncle and promised to keep Rakthuram in a rich man’s house to work.  He informed, “ Rakthu should work hard, he should please the owners, otherwise my job will be in trouble.” His uncle said, “ Do not worry, Rakthuram is a sincere and honest child, he will work hard.”  Soon Rakthuram got to work in the house of Ramchandra Dutt, his duties were buying vegetables at reasonable rate from the market, he should pick and drop the children of Dutt Sahib to school, or take them out for fun trip, assisting Dutt Sahib with his personal work like bringing water and taking care of his needs, he should work at the order of wife of Dutt Sahib.   He very well got adjusted with the new work and the people in the Dutt family, with his hard work and sincerity he gained the love from this family.  He used to call Dutta Sahib as Babuji and his wife as Ma, and the children as brother and sister, he easily mingled with the Dutt family.   

Swami Adhbhudhanandha  - Sri Latu Maharaj

Pranams at the lotus feet of Latu Maharaj!

Chapter – 1

Baba Rakthuram was born in a small village Chapra, in Bihar.  He was born in a very poor family, his parents worked in the agricultural field of villagers, they find it very difficult to meet the necessities of the family; they had to keep working so hard with their poor health.  Those days’ wages were very low; this couple had no land or means of living.  Rakthuram became an orphan at the age of five; his parents were passed away due to ill health.  Therefore Rakthuram lived a dull life, no one to shower love and affection from an early year of childhood.  There was his maternal uncle who lived in the same village, he had no children, he adopted Rakthuram.  His uncle had a little piece of agricultural land, he was far better off than Rakthuram’s father.  During this period Rakthuram used to take up small jobs of the villagers, but God had some other plans for him.  Eventually, his uncle had lost the small piece of land owned due to debt and became penniless.  People of these parts usually conduct the search for a job in big cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, or Ahembadabad. 

There was an interesting story behind the name Rakthuram, once his mother with her infant rushed to the Temple of Lord Rama in her village, her only child was afflicted with small-pox, the condition of the child became critical, and she had intense faith on Lord Rama that he will save her child. She cried in front of the idol of Lord Rama “ Hey Bhagavan, kindly save my child, I have no one other than this child, kindly protect my child from this illness.  I shall visit your shrine on a daily basis.”  Shortly her prayers were answered, the child was saved from the critical condition, in this way he was blessed with the new life by the grace of Lord Ramachandra, therefore this child was named as Rakthuram who was protected by Lord Rama.

Sri Anandamayi Ma

Pranams at the lotus feet of Sri Anandamayi Ma!

Paramahamsa Yogananda in his famous book ‘Autobiography of  Yogi’  describes his meeting with the Yogini Ma Anandamayi.  It was in the year 1959, after spending fifteen years in America working on self-realization program, Paramahamsa Yogananda returned to India for a visit to his preceptor Sri Yuktheshwar Maharaj.  During this visit, his niece Amiya Bose informed him about the great Yogini of India Smt. Nirmaladevi who was famously known as Sri Anandamayi Ma, who had achieved greatest heights in spirituality, her fame was spread across India and people flee from different cities to meet this great Yogini.  Sri Yogananda was made up his mind to visit this Yogini before leaving to America, he was read an article about her spiritual achievements published long ago, and it added his curiosity to meet her.  Amiya Bose said “ I have met her during her visit to a small village in Jamshedpur, one of the devotees requested Ma to visit his home, where his relative was seriously ill on his death bed, Ma visited this devotee’s home, she touched his forehead with her tiny limb, soon the patient recovered from the intense pain, gradually got out from the deadly illness.  

Once Ma was residing in the home of a devotee in Bhavanipur, Sri Yogananda and his companion from America Mr.Wright, went to meet her from his home in Kolkatta.  As they reached near the home in Bhavanipur, they saw a crowd of nearly a hundred people surrounded by Ma, she was elegantly standing in a vehicle that has an open roof and waving her hands at her devotees, she was preparing to leave the city.  Soon Paramahamsa and his friend got out of the vehicle and walked towards her, seeing them approaching, Ma Anandamayi got out of her car and gracefully walked towards Paramahamsa, and asked: “Pithaji,/she used to address all her male devotees in this way,  you have arrived at last.” She enthusiastically put her hands on his shoulder and rested her head on his shoulder like a child, Mr.Wright was surprised to see the welcome of this Yogini, he was known that it was Yogananda’s first meeting with Ma Anandamayi, they were talking like known for several years.  She was moved to a state of transcendental,  she always considered herself as the soul which is inseparable from the supreme soul, she never treated herself as an ordinary woman, she received Yogananda with great enthusiasm, she took him  in her hand to his vehicle and seated on the back seat, her eyes were half closed transfixed in the Bramham,  her devotees were exclaimed “ Hail to Mother  of  the Universe” .   

Later, Yoganandaji stated that he had seen many Yogis who had achieved the greatest status in spirituality, but he has never seen a Yogini who had a supreme state like Ma Anandamayi.   Her most beautiful face was soaked in extreme bliss, her long and curly black hairs were kept untied.  Her forehead was adorned in vermilion and sandal paste which was covered on the third eye, she has tiny limbs, small face and tiny feet, fragile limbs that were contradictory to her achievements in spirituality.   Anandamayi Ma was in a transcendental state, Yoganandji asked a few questions about Ma to her attendants, they said she had taken several trips throughout India, she has several thousand disciples all over India and from abroad too, she has brought many reforms for the welfare of the society and its people, though she was born in the Bhramin family, she was never differentiated people by their religion.  She was always taken care of by a group of attendants who attend her every simple need.   These attendants perform the duty of a Mother to her, she has never bothered about her health or meal, these attendants feed her on time so that her physical body remains fit and avoid deterioration.  She never bothered to have meals or comment about it, she consumes meals if anyone feeds her, she never knows the taste of meals, it was consumed for the sake of keeping her attendants cheerful.   She undertakes deep spiritual practices and remains in a transcendental state for several days, without a breath or a meal or blinking of eyes.  She has many disciples; Sri Bholanath is one of the disciples and her husband as well.    He has undertaken a vow of silence for several years now, he had long and thin stature, strong shoulders, thick beard, long hairs, and effulgent face.   He was standing among the disciples with folded hands and great devotion.   Yoganandaji said “ Ma, I am delaying your trip “ she got out of her trans and  said, “Pithaji, I am meeting you after several Yugas,  therefore please do not leave immediately, where are you staying in Kolkatta?” Yoganandji replied “ I am living in Kolkatta and sometimes in Ranchi. I will be returning to America soon.”  She was surprised to hear from Yoganandji, who said: “ Ma, people of America would be very happy to meet you, they highly honor you, will you join us to America”.  Ma said, “ If you wish, I would make it.” The female attendants were horrified at this thought, they expressed their helplessness without Ma in their vicinity, moreover, Ma cannot travel alone without her attendants, she will be accompanied by her attendants wherever she goes.  Yoganandji understood that his desire to take her to America will not work, therefore he left the plan. Yoganandji said “ Ma, kindly visit our Ashram in Ranchi with all your disciples.  You are a divine child; therefore you would love to be in the company of the children in our Ashram in Ranchi. ” she revealed her willingness to visit Ranchi anytime.  

As promised, the Ranchi school was beautifully decorated to welcome the great Yogini’s visit, children were extremely happy on this occasion.  Children in the Ashram impatiently waits for the festivities; during this period they need not study, hours and hours of music, and enjoy a sumptuous meal.  As soon as Ma entered the Ashram, children raised their voices “Hail to Mother, Hail to Ma Anandamayi” it continued for some time, she was welcomed with the divine music, percussions, sounds of Conch, flowers, etc..  She was blissfully moving in the school ground which has rich sunlight, she was taken to the main building of the Ashram, she has beautiful smile resembles child, she took a seat next to Yoganandji, she treats everyone comfortable, but she will be in her own world, always immersed in the bliss.  Yoganandji asked about her life, she said with a smile and humility “ Pithaji, knows everything about me, why should I repeat it,” she spread her hands and gestured it as nothing.  She continued “ I have never been aware of this body, I was ‘that’ before entering into this world, when I was a child  I was ‘that’, I was grown up to a young maiden I remained ‘that’, when I was taken birth in the family decided to conduct marriage to this body, I have remained ‘that’, Pithaji, I shall remain the same while I am before you.  I will remain the same whatever may come till the end of this birth.” After saying so, she has entered in a transcendental state.  She remained motionless like a statue, she has already traveled to her world of supreme bliss, and her black beautiful eyes remained lifeless.  This type of transcendental state is achievable only to the supreme Yogis when they separate their emotions from the physical body, at that moment the body resembles a lifeless idol.  Ma and Yoganandji continued to be in a trans-state for an hour, after that she returned to her normal state, Yoganandji requested “ Ma, kindly make a visit to the garden, my friend Mr.Wright will take some pictures of us.”  She sincerely followed Yoganandji, several pictures were taken.  It was the time of lunch Ma took a seat on her woolen blanket with her attendant, she was feeding her, she was swallowing like a child whatever placed on her mouth, it was obvious that she was not aware of the differences of vegetable or sweets.  In the evening she and her attendants prepared to leave the Ashram, she walked through the path of rose petals, moved elegantly waving her hands at the children.  The children were in supreme joy.   Ma has abandoned all those worldly affairs and surrendered completely to the supreme soul and attained union with the bliss.  Ordinary people like us forgets to show the gratitude to the creator and engross in the worldly matters, we remain unnoticed the greatness and mercy of Lord the moment we arrive on this Earth, many engage in various spiritual activities, not with  sincerity, merely to show off their capabilities, though it is not superior, at least it may take away a few minutes of  the concentration of the performer while engaging these type of activities.