śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ
18th Caitra, Saturday—1334
[March 31, 1928]
What Else Shall I Say?
Look, wise and brave soul! I am well, but as time goes on, every once in a while there is a thought that upheaves my mind, and then I am at a loss of what to do. There was a time when I thought I would finish my studies here and then go to England, become some sort of big shot and come back. This was my one and only goal of my life for a time, but brother! Are you seeing in the newspapers the state of schools and colleges? It terrifies me to see it and hear about it. And once in a while, the tales of olden times come to mind. For once, think about what kind of system they had then. In those times, no one but brāhmaṇas, who were acquainted with brahma, would teach students. The brāhmaṇas performed their own sacred fire sacrifices (yajana), officiated the sacrifices of others (yājana), studied the Vedic scriptures (adhyayana), taught those scriptures (adhyāpana), gave in charity (dāna), and received charity (pratigraha). These were the six ways they maintained their livelihoods. They were all endowed with the virtues of tranquility, fortitude, etc. Before commencing their studies, students would have to accept the upavīta [sacred thread]. If they wanted to study, they had to follow a strict vow of brahmacarya in a disciplined manner. Service to guru is what constitutes brahmacarya. The gurus’ love for their students was even greater than the love they had for their children, and students also had genuine faith in their gurus. Far from accepting any sort of financial remuneration from students as standard practice, if anyone did that sort of thing, they would be ridiculed in society as a hired teacher, no better than a slave. Take a moment to really consider the state of schools and colleges today. Students should be so impressed with the personal conduct of their teachers that they are speechless, but those days are far behind us. Everything has changed and we are seeing the results unfold. What they are teaching today leaves us speechless. Dharma was once the life and soul of Hindus, but now those same Hindus are taking their cues from barbarians and saying Hinduism is a tradition from a barbaric age. They ought to have understood that people whose dharma was born just a few days ago cannot understand dharma properly. Does that mean we are supposed to mingle with them? The funny but sad thing is that these people are the ones teaching our sons and daughers. The foundation of our country’s development is in their hands. Do we really expect to be educated by them and be able to help our countrymen? Brothers! Am I supposed say this is the fruit of education? It is far better to stay a fool than be educated like this. There was a time when Hindus were worshipful for the greatest of demigods. We see in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the brāhmaṇas are worshipful for even Bhagavān. Aho! How amazing it is that there was a time when Bhārata was the heralded ideal of the whole world but today a new group of people comes and calls those same Hindus of Bhārata barbarians. Alas, how Kali plays. Those who don’t even know who their ancestors are have become highly knowledgeable, the leaders of educated society, and our teachers. Did you hear what happened the other day? Apparently one of the Indian teachers used a stick to smash and remove a śiva-liṅga his servants were worshipping. That really shows how devoted to dharma that teacher is. This kind of education is not even among the inhabitants of Western countries. You know what this is? This is dilution. It’s definitely not something authentic and pure. That day the teachers had a meeting. They have meetings and conferences all the time, but the sad thing is the meeting was not about real education, not about how the teachers and students can develop proper character, not about how the main foundation of all auspiciousness, varṇāśrama-dharma, can be established, not about how the students can reap physical, mental, and spiritual auspicious by the true observance of brahmacarya. No, the discussion was about the conditions of teachers’ salaries, their holiday provident fund, etc. I am not saying that is all inappropriate, but the main purpose of the educational department should be to talk about real education, and these other things can be discussed secondarily. That is the issue. This group of uncivilized people may be presented as civilized, but they can’t understand these principles of dharma. The fact that certain Hindus and inhabitants of Bhārata are following these kinds of people is a matter of great sadness and just goes to show how truly barbaric they have become.
Student Life
If we examine the lives of students in bygone times and the lives of students nowadays, we can understand that there has been some upheaval in the teaching of knowledge in this age. In ancient times, students would take permission from their parents and take up residence in the home of their guru, where they would relinquish frivolous chitchat, etc., and purify themselves through devout service to guru, thus leading the life of a student in a way that would prepare a firm foundation for their future.
But now what we see happening is that students can’t find role models who have good character, who are devoted to living ethical and religious lives. Having good role models is what inspires students to live a pure, saintly life. Without that, we eventually end up losing our character, our valor and courage, and we fall in with the wrong crowd. The reason for this is that not one of our four āśramas is being upheld properly. Just as a house without a foundation will not last long, without the foundation of brahmacarya, gārhasthya family life is not going to be stable for long. That gṛhastha life just becomes a collection of indulgences with each passing day. It turns into fuel for licentiousness. If the elements we have in our families are not helping us develop in dharma, they become objects of indulgence. Before declaring war, you have all your weapons ready, all the soldiers are in their uniforms and are equipped. Then they come to the field of battle. Similarly, if we want to step into our future, it is imperative to have a very solid preparatory life, which takes the form of brahmacarya. If we want to set our lives as students on the right track, first we need the right role model. Where are we supposed to find a radiant role model for life?
Śrīman Mahāprabhu taught the principles of daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma. In that same vein, in the Parāvidyā-pīṭha in Prācīna Navadvīpa Śrī Māyāpura’s Śrī Caitanya Maṭha, all manner of āśrama-appropriate instruction is being offered whereby the lost dignity of the Rūpānugas can be reignited, their ancient glory reawakened. Therefore, students! If you really truly want your life to be devoted to truth and dharma, full of courage, true power and forgiveness—refulgent with all virtues—then stop cultivating aparā-vidyā and become engaged in the service of the Sarasvatī of bhaktisiddhānta [the conclusions of pure devotion]. That brahma-vidyā [the knowledge of divinity] only exists in a parāvidyā-pīṭha [a center for spiritual learning], in devotion to Hari itself. O friends, don’t let your brahmacarya life, your student life, which is the staircase to progress, go to waste. Serve the Parāvidya-pīṭha and achieve the wellbeing of your soul.
Simplicity
If you want to grow crops on a piece of land that has not been cultivated in a long time, you have to properly uproot all the unwanted plants that are draining the nutrients of that land. Until you pull up or cut out the roots of those plants from the field, the land won’t really be cleared at all. It may look cleared for a few days, but then it will grow back just the way it was. The field of our hearts is similar. Anyābhilāṣitā (desires to enjoy objects that are unrelated to Kṛṣṇa) and the kleśa, or miseries, wrought by karma and jñāna (activities and knowledge that are devoid of any connection to Bhagavān) are like so many unwanted plants. They have taken root and made the field completely unsuitable for sowing the seed of bhakti. It is imperative to properly remove the roots of those kleśa-vṛkṣa [misery trees] from the field. Otherwise, you might sow the seed of bhakti, but it will not sprout. The scriptures have outlined the process of uprooting these kleśa-vṛkṣa as follows:
Kleśas are of three types: pāpa, pāpa-bīja, and avidyā. Pātaka, mahāpātaka, atipātaka, etc., are varieties of ‘pāpa‘ [sin]. The desire to engage in these sins is called ‘pāpa–bīja‘ [seed of sin], and where these ‘pāpa-bīja‘ or desires for sin arise from, that aversion to Kṛṣṇa or forgetfulness of one’s svarūpa is the root of pāpa-bīja and is called avidyā. Pāpa can be dispelled by prāyaścitta [atonement, penance], but as long as the desire to engage in sin remains, then one will again perpetrate sinful acts. Therefore, until the root of pāpa-vāsanā [the desire to engage in sin], which is avidyā, or aversion to Kṛṣṇa, is not uprooted, the sufferings of the jīvas is not about to be dispelled. The only way to dispatch that avidyā of aversion to Kṛṣṇa is to cultivate parāvidyā, or kṛṣṇa-bhakti; devotion to Kṛṣṇa is kleśa-ghnī [it removes all miseries]. Cultivation of such śuddha-bhakti [pure devotion] is only possible in the association of pure devotees. Though initially it doesn’t look like there is any external difference between the kṛṣṇānuśīlana of non-devotees and that of devotees, later on it becomes more than apparent. All the the endeavours of non-devotees are full of artificiality. In the name of serving Bhagavān, they have the ignoble procilivity of trying to enjoy Bhagavān. Meanwhile, all the efforts the devotees make are genuine. Besides serving Bhagavān for Bhagavān’s own pleasure, they have not a drop of desire for their own happiness. Though the wicked may cunningly don the garb of saints, how long will they be able to keep their perverse nature hidden? All their deceit is revealed in their actions. We witnessed one such incident in a remote village in Jessore district. A wicked ferryman killed one of his relatives, who was also his business partner, out of greed. Though he tried to conceal his crime from the villagers and police, by the will of God, a certain vile look had come over his face; anyone who looked at him could tell, “This guy is guilty of murder.” Even blissfully ignorant little children took one look at him and started crying and saying, “He’s killed someone!” The police could not collect any solid evidence against him, so they had to let him go, but the way he changed was awful. We always saw him visibly full of profound regret. This transformation of his became proof of what he had done. Thus, however much a person may try to conceal his deceit, one day or another, it will come to light. Only by wholly relinquishing the association of deceitful people and cultivating pure devotion in the company of sincere, purehearted devotees will the root of aversion to Kṛṣṇa, or avidyā, be destroyed and then the seed of bhakti in the heart of the jīva will sprout and gradually pierce through the Virajā, Brahma-loka, Paravyoma and ascend the desire-tree of Kṛṣṇa’s feet in Goloka Vṛndāvana.
Finding Peace
As long as the currents of man’s thought do not flow toward the ocean of bhagavad-bhakti-rasa, there is no scarcity or complaint in the human world that will be assuaged. Addressing one scarcity will only create another. A massive uproar has risen throughout the whole world: “Where is peace? Where is peace?” People all over the world seem to be running hither and thither like madmen. But what is that peace aimed at? Where is the reservoir of peace? If the goal of that peace is not the shade of the drops of water emanating from the lotus feet of the abode of peace, Jagannātha Śrī Hari, which are more soothing than millions of moons—if obtaining the service of Śrī Hari’s lotus feet is not the focus of that peace, then it is not peace, but rather fearsome unrest—intolerable torment only. Dear brothers, inhabitants of the world, we living entities of infinitesimal power do not have the capacity to check the all-devouring blaze that is burning upon the breast of the world from the conflicts occuring between various countries, races, communities, and individual human beings. That devastating blaze will only be extinguished if the ocean of Śrī Bhagavān’s mercy rises up in merciful precipitation, forming rainclouds of compassion and kindly showers down on us. Otherwise, everything will be burnt to ashes.
The living entity can never gain any advantage by moving independently and not putting spiritual value front and center. It is but the rambling of a madman to say, “First I will address the scarcities afflicting this region and the next, and then, later, I will engage in worship of Bhagavān.” The main lacking afflicting all nations is aversion to God. How is it possible to mitigate other lackings while keeping that lacking unfulfilled. It is never possible.
saṁsāra nirvāha kari’ jābo āmi vṛndāvana
| ṛṇa-traya śodhibāre karitechi suyatana
|| e āśāya nāhi prayojana | emana durāśā
vaśe jābe prāṇa avaśeṣe nā haibe dīna-
bandhu-caraṇa-sevana ||
“I will see to my worldly affairs first and then go to Vṛndāvana. I am striving diligently to fulfill the types of debt every man incurs [to his teachers, forefathers, and the gods]. There is no point in maintaining this amibition. Driven by this ambition, you will end up dying and will not have served the feet of the friend of the fallen.”
Our Condition
Every day in the newspapers we get news of fearsome famine in some places, elsewhere terrible fires, other places the wrath of cholera, smallpox, plague, and other epidemics, elsewhere terrible robberies, other places horrifying, animalistic atrocities committed against women, etc. Some people are trying to address these issues with the aid government figures or on their own. However, what will happen in the course of trying to rectify things? These miseries of today are not new. These have been going on since time immemorial, and till this day, no one has been able to fix them, nor will they. Why have we fallen into such inconvenience? And why are we enduring these difficulties since time immemorial? Who has cast us into this ocean of sorrows? What crime did we commit to earn us having to suffer since time without beginning? Is it not the duty of each of us to think about this at least once? Are we going to simply seek out the pleasure of the senses as animals do? Are we not going to clue into another, higher caliber of happiness? Come, friends! Let us all come together to properly investigate all these issues and try to assuage all the miseries afflicting us and all our friends forever. The constitutional dharma, or nature, of every living entity is to alleviate suffering and obtain bliss. The cultivation of various scriptures, some economically focused and others spiritually oriented, and all the efforts for development based on science have been geared towards this purpose. However, all these efforts yield only some temporary physical and mental pleasure but are not capable of really dispelling suffering. Yet we have become so intoxicated with these fleeting pleasures that we do not pay any heed to the total alleviation of all suffering. That is Māyā. That which keeps us trapped in momentary pleasures is referred to as Māyā by learned paṇḍitas. This is Māyā alone is the root of all suffering. This Māyā has two functions: āvaraṇātmikā [covering function] and vikṣepātmika [agitating function]. These functions have tempted us with fleeting pleasures, keeping our true identities covered. They are not allowing us to know who we are. For once really think about who we are, what our nature is. You will be able to see that we are not just some unconscious substance like inert matter; we have the power of will, we have the power to experience things. There are others like us and they have the same nature. Where we do not see this nature, we know those things are not the same as us. Those are inert or unconscious. Though we are conscious entities, for some reason we have become attached to inert objects and forgotten our identities, thinking ourselves to be material objects subject to birth and death. As a result of this, sometimes we are being tormented by material deficiencies, sometimes anguished by pain and lamentation, other times pining for the glance of beautiful women and engaging in lowly acts, sometimes living in mansions and thinking ourselves the kings of kings, other times inflicting violence on others like us and thinking ourselves very valiant, sometimes reading a few books or writing a few of them as we hanker for prestige. And though all these countless forms of suffering do not actually exist in our eternal conscious identity, we are having to endure them at present. Though we know that our attachment to mundane objects for the fleeting pleasure they offer is the root of our all misery, we are failing to give them up. The only way to gain deliverance from this condition is to give up our attachment to mundane objects and fix our love and attachment upon Bhagavān. The essence of all scriptures, Gītā, says:
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
| mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te ||
Brothers! We have come upon this Earth for only a few days and, like a traveller trying to build a house in a hotel that he is staying at for just the night, we are trying so hard to make this world a totally happy place, but we are failing to comprehend in the slightest that whether it be today or two days from now, sooner or later, we will not have any more connection to this world. Aho! What wondrous power Māyā has! That is why the authors of scripture have told us, “O souls! You have been wandering through many species of life as animals, birds, insects, worms, etc. Now finally you have attained birth as a human. This birth is rare for even demigods. Do not waste it just enjoying sense pleasure. Every living entity seeks prosperity in one way or another, but only human birth facilitates the pursuit of spiritual goals. Therefore do not waste this invaluable life in simply cultivating mundane matters. Know that attachment to the mundane is the root of all misery and give it up. Otherwise, there is no other way to gain deliverance from the clutches of misery.
Questions and Answers
Question: What is the proof that what the womanizing (yoṣit-saṅgī) bābājīs of poor character say is false?
Answer: The one possessor of all power and active agent in all universes and realms is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Everyone else is His potency (kārṣṇa-śakti) and is endowed with a relationship of inconceivable oneness and difference with Him. As they are śakti, they are also known as prakṛti,or yoṣā. Bhagavān is the one unequalled person. His śakti, or yoṣā, is infinite. Since every yoṣā has a connection with Bhagavān, then the duty of every yoṣā is to be free from desires for their own pleasure and serve Kṛṣṇa out of love for Him. These yoṣā, or śakti, are of three types: (1) antaraṅgā, or cit-śakti, which produces the spiritual world; (2) bahiraṅgā, or māyā-śakti, which produces the illusory universes; and (3) taṭasthā, or jīva-śakti, which manifests the multitudes of jīvas. The cit-śakti is always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, and Māyā is always averse to Kṛṣṇa. The jīva is situated in between these two and can be influenced by either of these śaktis. When the jīva looks towards Kṛṣṇa, then he gains the strength of cit-śakti and becomes engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service. When he looks towards Māyā, then he becomes averse to Kṛṣṇa and becomes bound in the web of Māyā. This condition of the jīva is called taṭasthā-avasthā [marginal situation]. Though there is not a scent of Māyā in the jīva’s constitutional make-up, because he is very minute and lacking spiritual power, he becomes overpowered by Māyā and thus has the capacity to forget the service of Kṛṣṇa. There are three types of these marginally situated jīvas: (1) nitya-baddha [eternally conditioned]; (2) baddha-mukta, or sādhana-siddha [those once bound but now liberated through sādhana]; and (3) nitya-mukta, or nitya-siddha [eternally liberated or perfected]. The eternally embondaged jīva has been eternally averse to Kṛṣṇa. The baddha-mukta jīva, though averse to Kṛṣṇa since time immemorial, has regained his focus on Kṛṣṇa by the grace of sādhu and guru. And the eternally liberated jīva has always been focused on Kṛṣṇa’s service. Though the jīva-yoṣās can be compelled by Māyā because of their minuteness, since the jīvas’ true identity has no connection with Māyā, their real nature cannot be anything but the inclination to serve Kṛṣṇa. In other words, service is their natural condition or healthy state, whereas aversion to Kṛṣṇa is their unnatural condition or unhealthy state. It is only in their unnatural condition that the jīvas lose the conception of “I am Kṛṣṇa’s yoṣā, or an energy to be enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is my master.” That is when they develop an enjoying mentality toward Kṛṣṇa and all that belongs to Him. It is this enjoying mentality that philosophers have dubbed ‘yoṣit-saṅga‘. Therefore, knowing that a yoṣit-saṅgī is fully engrossed in prakṛti, one can never accept their words as reliable. Yoṣit-saṅga happens in gross and subtle ways. In a gross form, it manifests as having affairs with the wives of other men, and in a subtle form, it manifests as the inclination to enjoy all kṛṣṇetara-viṣaya, or sense objects separate from Kṛṣṇa. Someone might say there is no such thing as sense objects that are separate from Kṛṣṇa—”What else is there in this world besides Kṛṣṇa? Therefore, He is meant to be enjoyed by me.” This is simply perverted intelligence, an attitude of wanting to enjoy Kṛṣṇa and His energy. Therefore, we see that the more a person is averse to the service of Kṛṣṇa, the more he is a yoṣit-saṅgī. In the state of aversion to Kṛṣṇa, the jīva thinks his body and mind, which are composed of the inferior energy, are instead the superior, spiritual energy and therefore he thinks they are his soul, or self. He thinks that all the temporary objects related to his body and mind are eternally his belongings. The delusion that is compared to mistaking a snake to be a rope or a rope to be a snake is what destroys the jīva’s self. The attempts at serving Kṛṣṇa conducted by persons who seek to destroy the soul and subscribe to a bogus aśrauta-patha [“unheard” path of conjecture and misconception] are like the tricks of a magician; such efforts are simply deceit. Following such deceit can never lead to auspiciousness. Those who are deceitful are bereft of the vision they need to see the reality of things, so how can they show anyone else the path? They are going to fall into the pit of hell and rot there, and those who follow them will meet with the same fate. Therefore, only the words of those who have attained their natural condition, or become established in the service of Kṛṣṇa, can be accepted as reliable. The servants of Kṛṣṇa follow the śrauta-patha [the path of authentically sourced knowledge descending unchanged in disciplic succession]. Their destination is Goloka Vaikuṇṭha. The destination of those who follow them is the same. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, “satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā maunaṁ buddhiḥ śrīr hrīr yaśaḥ kṣamā| śamo damo bhagaś ceti
yat-saṅgād yāti saṅkṣayam || teṣv aśānteṣu mūḍheṣu khaṇḍitātmasv asādhuṣu saṅgaṁ na kuryāc chocyeṣu
yoṣit-krīḍā-mṛgeṣu ca || (Bhā. 3|31|33–34) – In other words, those who are like playthings in the hands of women are not saints; they are agitated and foolish, they identify with the body, and are truly pitiable. The company of such yoṣit-saṅgī rogues destroys all one’s truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, silence, interest in the supreme goal of life, and one’s shyness, dignity, tolerance, control of the mind, control of the senses, and fortune.
A yoṣit-saṅgī may have the outer garb of a paramahaṁsa, but because he is in the clutches of perversion in the material energy, all of his words are just ramblings. His words can never be of the same caliber as those of the mahājanas who follow the Vedas, which are the crest-jewels of self-evident, authoritative proof. If one were to equate those two, then one would mistake truth for falsity. One would be guilty of transgressing the path of the mahājanas. Let the yoṣit-saṅgī bābājīs produce evidence and pretend to demonstrate reality. Whatever they produce is conjured from their own minds. It comes from mano-dharma, the way of the mind. Therefore, it will be accepted by those established in the way of the soul. Let those of similar mentally guided proclivities derive delight from that. That does not affect anything for us. ‘Aprākṛta vastu nahe prākṛta gocara – A supramundane substance is never accessible to the mundane.’! That which is adhokṣaja [beyond the purview of the senses] will never be revealed by the efforts of the materialistically minded bābājīs even over the span of eons. Bhagavān only appears along with His name, form, qualities, pastimes, associates and holy abode in the śuddha-sattva, or pure existence, of the jīva. The supramundane spiritual abode can never be accessible to the inert mind of bābājīs who are attached to what is inert. All the bābājīs’ arguments are liable to be completely splintered apart by those who can perceive the soul.
Sent Letter
Baṅgīya-sāhitya-pariṣada Mandira,
243|1, Upper Circular Road,
Calcutta,
Baṅgābda 1334, Date: 14th of Caitra
To honorable Śrīyukta Nadīya Prakāśa editor,
My humble request,
I will be delighted if you publish the following description of awards and medals in an upcoming issue of your newsletter. That is all.
Your obedient servant,
Śrī Amūlyacaraṇa Vidyābhuṣaṇa,
Editor |
Time-extension for
Medals and Awards
The following medals and awards will be assigned by the Baṅgīya-sāhitya-pariṣat during the current Bengali year of 1334 for articles written on the belowmentioned topics.
Medals
(1) Hemacandra Gold Medal—Female characters by Poet Hemacandra. (2) Haraprasāda Gold Medal—Rāḍha in the Hindu kingdoms. (3) Taralāsundarī Gold Medal—A history of what the Baṅgīya-sāhitya-pariṣat has done in the past twenty-five years to foster Bengali language and literature. (4) Rāmagopāla Silver Medal—A critique of the poem ‘Eyā’. (5) Akṣaya Kumāra Baḍāla Silver Medal (ka)—The speciality of ‘Kanakāñjali’. (6) Akṣaya Kumāra Baḍāla Silver Medal (kha)—Female characters in the poetry of Akṣaya Kumāra Baḍāla. (7) Jñāna-śaraṇa Cakravartī Silver Medal—Michael’s meters. (8) Sureśacandra Samājapati Silver Medal—The current of monthly literature critique.
Awards
(1) Ācārya Rāmendra-sundara Trivedī Memorial Award (100)—Description of the epics and tales of the Śatapatha, Gopatha, and Tāṇḍya Brāhmaṇas and a critical review of them. (2) Gaganacandra Award (50)—Historical truths of Skanda Purāṇa.
Nota bene—It is imperative that the articles contain proper research and reasoning. Only six topics are assigned for female writers. Other articles can be written in general. Articles are due by the 15th of Vaiśākha, 1334 (28 April, 1928) to the below signatory.
Śrī Amūlyacaraṇa Vidyābhūṣaṇa,
Editor
Baṅgābda 1334, 14th Caitra,
Baṅgīya-sāhitya-pariṣad Mandira
243|1, Upper Circular Road,
Calcutta
Nānā Kathā
A light railway train leaves from Navadvīpa Ghāṭa at 3 p.m. for Kṛṣṇa-nagara. The day before yesterday a cow was killed near Āmaghāṭā due to the carelessness of the driver. This news has deeply pained all Hindus. This sort of sudden accident is ominous.
This past 27th of March, the municipal election of Khushtia was finished. Two doctors, two lawyers, two attorneys, and four businessmen have been elected.
This past 25th of March, in the afternoon, there was a meeting in Howrah Field of the Howrah municipal nightsoil-collectors and streetsweepers! 2000 people attended the meeting. Śivapura resident Śrīyukta Āgamanātha Datta was the chairman and Śrīyukta Jīvana Kṛṣṇa Māitrī, Mr. Phillip Spratt, Mr. Muzaffar Ahmed and the president of the Howrah Methar Saṅgha, Śrīyukta Śacīnandana Caṭṭopādhyāya were speakers. Proposals pertaining to a raise to 15 taka for every methara [nightsoil collector] wage, affordable housing, stopping bribery, and holiday provision were accepted in the meeting. They have decided that if the municipality does not fulfill all these terms of theirs, they will launch a strike.
This past 26th of March, at the Kāśīdhāma Townhall, many distinguished scholars and sannyāsīs met and have decided that, “After consideration of present times and Hindu society, it appears to be best to relinquish untouchability laws. The previous system needs to be changed.” Is the relinquishment of untouchability to be achieved simply by eating together with cobblers, streetsweepers, and cremators? Or is there some sort of scientific mystery being uncovered? We think that only if every living entity is introduced to the cycle of Vaiṣṇavism, then this relinquishment of untouchability will be achieved automatically.
This past 13th of March, Monday, renowned teacher and author Gaṅgādhara Bandyopādhyāya left this world at the age of 82 on the banks of the Gaṅgā. Though educated in the Western system, he maintained proper ācāra till the final day of his life.
Scottish Church College opened on the 28th of March after a week-long holiday. This was the date class examinations were to be commenced. Only 32 students came to take the test. Of them, 26 students were requested by other students outside the college not to take the test and returned home. 6 students disregarded their fellow students’ requests and entered the college. About 200 students have applied to receive transfer certificates.
Last Wednesday, the 28th of March, in the afternoon, there was a fearsome riot near the Loco Shed in connection with the Liluah strike and police were compelled to shower vollies of bullets. As a result, 2 people were killed and 5 injured. Because of the carelessness of the rioters, many people were injured and worse. The injured have been sent to hospital. The magistrate has adopted great caution so that no such disturbance occurs in the future. Police and soldiers have been posted in different locations. But the strike is still going on.
Raghunātha Śarmā of the “Vartamāna” Press situated in Kanpur has been charged with possession of a bomb according to Section 5 of the Explosives Law. Last Wednesday, the hearing of this case concluded. Members of the jury have unanimously acquitted the accused. But the Judge Saheb disagreed with the jury and has therefore sent the case on to the Allahabad High Court.
On the afternoon of this 29th of March (at No. 41 Ramatanu Bose 2nd Lane) Chairman of the Baṅgīya Rāṣṭrīya Samiti [Bengal Provincial Congress Committeee?], Śrīyukta Subhash Candra Bose, has inaugurated the Swadeshi Melā in the courtyard of the Simla Vyāyām Samiti in Maniktala Spar [?]. The melā will continue till this upcoming 13th of April. Entrance fee is 1 anna. For the convenience of ladies, arrangements have been made for their special days.
This Wednesday, the 28th of March, the postmaster of the Nagarbari Post Office, Bābu Sureshchandra Gupta, has been arrested in Nagarbari on charges of stealing 10 taka half-notes from a wired letter. He has been granted bail.
The parents and guardians of the Hindu students at City College have convened a huge assembly at Albert Hall. The following five proposals have been accepted unanimously in the meeting:
1 | Since the administration of City College is posing obstacles to Hindu students in their observance of their religion, the guardian of every Hindu student is requested to remove their child from the aforementioned college.
2 | Since the college administration has objected in many ways to granting transfer certificates to the students, this assembly should vehemently oppose them in this regard.
3 | This assembly is conveying a request to the syndicate to form a sub-committee to investigate Śrīmān Heramba Kumāra Mukhopādhyāya and Śrīmān Vṛndāvana-candra Sāhā.
4 | This assembly is conveying pleas to the various other colleges in Calcutta to give the students of City College places in their institutions with adequate facilities and conveniences.
5 | This assembly will make arrangements to advocate for a boycott of City College by students from Calcutta and surrounding areas.
Sabdār Jamādāra and another five people have been charged with killing a man named Jaripa. The jury decided they were guilty and the Bākhara-gañja Session Judge sentenced them to 5 years imprisonment with forced labour. Upon appeal against this sentence, the judges have accepted the appeal.
This past 26th of March, the Krakatoa volcano erupted three times. People experienced 37 earthquakes.
Terrible outbreaks of cholera and smallpox have shown up all over the Gopalganj subdivision. The outbreaks of both sicknesses are extreme in Katoyali-pāḍā.
In China, during the week spanning from the 15th of March to the 21st, 56 communists were killed.
This past 26th of March, in the night, bombs were cast into the homes of Yukta-rājya politicians Senator Denim and Judge Swanson, inflicting extreme damage on their homes.
The Phenī subdivision magistrate has sent a man from there named Abdul Gani to Calcutta’s Tropical School for treatment of a jackal bite at the government’s expanse.
At the request of the Chattogram Port Trust, survey work of the Karṇaphulī river and surrounding areas has begun with the aid of an airplane.
4 Hindus were charged with killing a Muslim Fakir in Nagpur during the most recent Hindu–Muslim riot there and sentenced to death. Upon appeal for their lives to the government, they have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Andamans instead.
Doctor Beśānta wants to transform his ‘New India‘ magazine into a daily newsletter. The first issue of the daily Patrikā will be published on this upcoming 10th of April.
Rai Bahadur Badrīnātha Goenka, Rai Bahadur Ramdeo Ḍokāni have been replaced with members of the Calcutta Improvement Trust.
Last Wednesday, almost 5000 workers at the Rishra Wellington Jute Mill stopped worked and peacefully went on strike.
The Mymensingh Regional Hindu Sammilana will be convened on the 21st and 22nd of April instead of the 13th and 14th of April.
Unfailing Home Remedies
(Continued from previous issues)
(Shingles and Skin Diseases)
(16)
Application of tulasī leaves and salt or sonāla leaves and salt will alleviate shingles [or tinea or ringworm].
(17)
Grinding the roots of kalkasunda or dadraj leaves and applying will eradicate shingles.
(Eye Disease)
(18)
If the eyes are swollen, reddish, painful, watery, or burning, then every night at bedtime, apply a drop of slightly heated pure ghee to the eyes and go to sleep. If the eyelids are very stiff and have been so for many days, first wash the eyes with rose water or fresh coconut water, then apply the drop of warm ghee to the eyes and go to sleep, and in the morning, splash the eyes vigourously with cold water and plunge your closed eyes in water.
(19)
Place a live snail from the marshes on a clean stone plate somewhere the dust won’t get to it and place it in the sun. The heat of the sun will draw the mucin out of the snail and deposit it in the water. All manner of eye afflictions are alleviated by applying a few drops of this water to the eyes.
Macular Degeneration
(20)
Just after sunset, go to a water body and put one drop of the juice of a small onion in each eye and immediately close the eyes and immerse in the water. Repeat this process every day three times in a row. The disease will be cured in less than three days if it is not severe. If it has not been long, it will be cured in a day.
Acidic Reflux
(21)
Powder parboiled rice and put it in a thick cloth along with powdered tea leaves. Mix ¼ annas weight of rice powder and the same of tea leaves and take ½ tola when experiencing reflux.