Devadas, Chapter 18

BY: SUN STAFF - 3.1 2025

After the death of his daughter Devadas could concentrate his mind on the worship of the Lord for a few years. These few years he spent with his family life with happiness. During this time his elder daughter-in-law had a baby boy. Devadas duly performed his grandson's name giving ceremony. He gave charity to the poor, the fallen, and the brahmanas according to his capacity. Seeing the face of the grandson Suhasini became very happy.

Devadas's heart was always joyful. Devadas is equiposed in both profit and loss therefore he never becomes restless. He carefully follows that which is based on the sastras and approved by the worldly etiquette. He was the example of humility and good behavior. People were so much attracted by his good qualities that they considered his good fortune as their good fortune and his danger as their danger. Gradually the time for the grain eating ceremony of his grandson arrived. Devadas kept his grandsons name Dvijadasa. During the grain eating ceremony he sumptuously fed many brahmanas, kayastas, and members of other caste. He gave charity to the poor, the fallen, and the brahmanas. In fact he did not hesitate to spend sufficient amount of money on the occasion of his grandson's grain eating ceremony. Everyone adequately praised his activities.

At this time the disease of cholera violently spread in Varanasi. Many people died from this disease. His uncle and aunt were attacked by this disease. On receiving the news of their illness Devadas immediately started for Varanasi with Jivadasa. Jivadasa and a few expert doctors of Varanasi began to treat them. But their diseased condition did not subside. One by one both of them withdrew their pastimes as human beings at the holy land of Varanasi. Devadas duly performed their funeral ceremony. Thereafter he shifted his mother and father-in-law to another house. After spending a few days with his Gurudev Devadas took his permission and returned to Calcutta.

In due course of time Devadas completed the activities of giving charity etc. In Calcutta on account of his uncles and aunts death at Kashi. He did not hesitate to spend enough money in this matter. After this incident a few months passed without any obstacles. Devadas, Gurudasa, and Jivadasa continued their work with full attention. No calamity what so ever has happened. Suddenly one day when Devadas was sitting in his house he received a letter from the post man. The letter was written by one of his friends at Kashi. In fact that friend was also his god brother. From the letter he came to know that his gurudev has left this world two days ago. He did not suffer from any disease before leaving his body. One morning he took his disciples of Varanasi and went to take darshana of Shri Shri Visvesvara deva. After taking darshana he sat down in the courtyard of the temple accompanied by his disciples. There he went into yogic samadhi. After a while his disciples came to know that their gurudev has left them and gone to the spiritual world.

At Kashi gurudev had many dear associates. The disciples began to cry loudly. Everyone was merged in great lamentation. The separation from gurudev was unbearable for the disciples. On receiving the news gurudevs daughter came there and looked at the face of gurudev without blinking her eyes for a long time then she said O Lord! May your desire be fulfilled. Thereafter she along with the disciples took the mortal body of gurudev to the Manikarnika-ghata of the Ganges. There they properly performed the after death activities.

Gurudev came from a rich brahmana family. He had one son and one daughter. The son died in his childhood and the daughter became a widow in her tender age. His wife became very aggrieved by the separation from her son and son-in-law. Thereafter she was afflicted with fever and remained bed ridden. After remaining in this condition for some time she lied down in the lap of peace giving death. A nephew of the gurudev looked after his wealth and assets. Gurudev took initiation from a perfected renunciate. He did not engage in any activity other than the cultivation of the Supreme Lord. As a result of cultivating the Supreme Lord without deviation he was invested with great power. He arranged to get twenty five rupees per month for him self and twenty five rupees for month for his daughter from his own assets and the rest he donated to his nephew. Thereafter he began to live in Kashi. Gurudev did not desire any thing from his disciples. Rather he felt great happiness by satisfying them with food etc. He spent very little money for his and his daughters maintenance. With rest of the money he helped the poor, the distressed and orphans. His daughter and Devadas could master all the process of his sadhana. Other disciples could not become equal to them in sadhana.

The form of Gurudev was brightly illustrated in the heart of Devadas. He always got darshana of his gurudev in his heart. Although his gurudev left his body but he could not leave the heart of Devadas. On that same day Devadas gave the news of gurudevs disappearance to Suhasini and Jivadasa and informed about this to Gurudasa and Jnanendranarayana through the letter. After hearing this news everyone was morose and afflicted with lamentation. But Devadas's mood was different. He did not loose his gurudev so there was no question of his lamentation and sorrow. In order to please gurudev Devadas sent five hundred rupees to gurudevs daughter. But since it was against the will of the gurudev to take money from his disciples she humbly and respectfully returned it. However the nephew of the gurudev sent the entire amount for his sraddha ceremony.

Gurudev had a few close friends in Kashi who were learned scholars. They had great faith in gurudev. ‘Gurudev had left his body at Kashi and attained immortality. One who does not possess the ghostly body there is no need for his sraddha. But you can give charity for his pleasures.' This is the injunction those learned scholars gave. Therefore according to the arrangements of those well-wishing learned scholars the sraddha ceremony of gurudev did not take place. But giving in charity, feeding the poor and satisfying the brahmanas by feeding them sumptuously were properly executed.

Regarding the sraddha of gurudev the opinion of Devadas and that of the daughter of the gurudev was one. Their desire and the arrangements of the learned scholars was ultimately same but the cause was different. Both of them considered gurudev as directly the Supreme Lord, not an ordinary human being. He was the personification of bliss, deliverer of the living entities and bestrew of peace so where is the question of his ghostly body. Where is the need for his sraddha? With the help of sadhana they have realized the great power and glories of their gurudev. ‘Gurudev is directly the Supreme Lord.' This faith and knowledge were deeply rooted in their hearts and it can not be uprooted.

Although gurudev has left his mortal body but he constantly enjoys his pastimes in the hearts of his dear devotees. In fact he has never left his devotees. His devotees are constantly seeing him. He is giving peace in the hearts of his devotees. Those devotees who are powerful by the strength of their sadhana can always speak with their gurudev directly. As his body is full of love so were his activities. He is the reservoir of bliss. These confidential devotees are forgetting themselves by being overwhelmed by his love. When the loving spiritual body of the gurudev was brightly present in the hearts of the devotees even after he left his mortal body then what is the need of his lamentation? What is need of sorrow? What is the need of grief? What is the need of sraddha?

[Editor's Note: Manuscript has been slightly edited, correcting what appear to be errors made during digitization, but leaving apparent errors in translation uncorrected.]