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| Bijoy Krishna Goswami |
(from "Shree Shree Bijoykrishna - His divine life and sermons"):
One day his Brahmo friend Gobindababu told him about the famous saint Raghuvardas of Akashganga hill. Babaji belonged to the Ramayat sect. By virtue of his austere spiritual practice he had achieved Mahaveerji's grace. Akashganga hill was lacking in water. On Raghuvardasji's prayers, Mahaveerji had asked him to hit a spot with a stick to get a waterfall there. According to Mahaveerji's order water started emerging from a boulder automatically from the spot. Tigers, bears and snakes of the jungle used to roam around Babaji but due to the influence of the non-violent Babaji's tapasya no one incurred any harm, even ferocious animals used to forget their violent nature. Taking his friend Shashibhusan along, one day Bijoykrishna went to the Akashganga hill to have Babaji's darshan.
As soon as he saw Babaji, Bijoykrishna fell at his feet and said, "I am ignorant, give me some advice. Tell me the way to attain bhakti." Seeing Bijoykrishna's extreme eagerness Babaji was very happy and said, "Calm down, settle down! I have never seen such a strong urge for dharma in anybody. If you do not attain dharma then who else will? You will certainly attain dharma." Consoling him like this Babaji asked him to engage in spiritual practice while staying on the hill. Babaji was a loving person. He used to serve sadhus, guests and others with great respect and love. According to Babaji's instructions, Bijoykrishna started staying there. Raghuvardasji handed over his own hut for Bijoykrishna to stay. Following an extreme sense of renunciation Bijoykrishna took on saffron garb at that time. He developed a friendship with a brahmachari staying on that hill. One day as Bijoykrishna was sitting with the brahmachariji, some shepherds came at that time and said to him that an old powerful sannyasi had come to the peak of the hill from somewhere. On hearing the news of the mahatmaji's arrival, Bijoykrishna took some fruits with him and along with the brahmachariji he went to the peak of the hill. Seeing the divine form of an old mahatma sitting there Bijoykrishna was greatly attracted to him. After bowing down to him he had to come down after a little while on mahatmaji's instruction.
Bijoykrishna could not sleep throughout the night. He kept thinking of the placid face of the mahatma. As soon as it was dawn, he went to the mahatma with intense eagerness. On seeing Bijoykrishna, the mahatma called him saying, "Come my son!" On hearing the mahatmaji's sweet voice Bijoykrishna fell at his feet crying. The mahatmaji affectionately lifted Bijoykrishna onto his lap and gave him deeksha. Instantly on getting deeksha Bijoykrishna felt as if a special power was penetrating his body. After giving him the deeksha mantra, the mahatmaji explained to him the method of the sadhan. As Bijoykrishna bowed down at the mahatmaji's feet after getting deeksha in order to offer pranam, he fell down unconscious at that very moment. Thus Bijoykrishna was blessed by getting deeksha in the month of August in 1883 A.D. It may be mentioned that it is here that Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also got deeksha from Ishwarpuriji Maharaj.
On not finding Bijoykrishna in the morning, brahmachariji, while searching for him along with Raghuvardas Babaji, came to the peak of the hill and found him lying on a stone slab in a state of trance. Raghubardasji was astonished on seeing a particular type of glow emitting from his body at that time. Raghubardasji somehow brought Bijoykrishna to the ashram with brahmachariji's help. Inspite of trying a lot, his external consciousness did not return. To protect Bijoykrishna's body, Raghuvardasji kept his body in a cave. A snake crawled onto Bijoykrishna's body one day when he was in this state but it did not do anything. Raghuvardasji was a very affectionate mahatma. He took great care of Bijoykrishna's body during this time. Bijoykrishna got back his external senses after eleven days.
As soon as he was conscious, he asked, "Where is Gurudev? Tell me!" Like a father, Raghuvardasji tried to keep Bijoykrishna calm by giving him food and bathing him at this time. But Bijoykrishna's mind became extremely eager to have Gurudev's darshan. In search of his Gurudev, he kept wandering about for a few days on different hills there but could not get his Guruji's darshan anywhere. Because of the separation from his Guru one day, Bijoykrishna resolved to commit suicide by jumping from the peak of the Brahmayoni hill. As he was about to jump off the peak of the Brahmayoni hill, suddenly his Guruji manifested and held his hand. Consoling him Guruji said to him, "Do not worry, you will attain everything in due time. Engage in spiritual practice for now." Crying Bijoykrishna submitted to his Guruji, "Take me along with you. I cannot stay without you. I shall not return to samsar now. I shall stay with you and serve you."
Hearing Bijoykrishna's words Guruji said with a smile that he stayed in Manasarovar. This lake is situated on a peak of the Kailash mountain. Generally, the place where people go is the Mansarovar lake which is situated in Tibet. There is a huge difference between the two places. Manasarovar is an extremely inaccessible place. Only yogis who can withstand the vagaries of cold and heat are able to go there. Bijoykrishna asked about his identity. Disclosing his own identity Guruji said that his name was Swami Brahmananda Paramhamsa. He was born in a brahmin family in Punjab. He had taken sannyas during the sepoy mutiny and pursued spiritual practice being in the fold of the Nanak pantha. Later he did spiritual practice according to the Vedic method. Bijoykrishna asked him, 'How have you come here from Manasarovar?" Guruji said, "Seeing your intense yearning I had come here to give you deeksha. Yogis can travel anywhere they want to by dissolving the five elements of the body with the five elements, with the help of the power of consciousness. Attracting the five elements with the help of their willpower they can again form the gross body. My gross body is like this." Lastly, he said to Bijoykrishna, "It will never be possible for you to stay with me. You will have to distribute the power that I have given you among all men and women afflicted by tritaap (spiritual, material and supernatural afflictions). You are an acharya offspring of the Adwaita family. You alone will have to undertake this task. Delivering sermons alone will not help in removing the misery of dharma. You will have to give them power-infused deeksha. You will be able to see me whenever you want to. Engage in spiritual practice for now. You will become siddha (accomplished) in due time. Your wish will be fulfilled." Consoling him like this his Guruji Paramhamsaji went away.
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