The Inspirer

The news of mahasamadhi of Most Revered Gitanandaji reached me the morning of 14

th
March
when I opened my laptop to check my emails. Bowing to him mentally I re!read the news.
Immediately my mind was occ"pied with nostalgia a#o"t my #rief joyf"l association with this holy
monk.
$idely known as %jaapak sadh"% he was a verita#le inspirer in o"r spirit"al life. The very first time I
met him in Bel"r Math at the start of my Training &entre session he lovingly en'"ired a#o"t my
stay at (anp"r. )e was once working as *ssistant +ecretary in the (anp"r ashrama. I told him that
the shrine in that ashram was e,ceedingly #ea"tif"l. )e then went on telling me how he wo"ld love
to do his sadhana in that shrine where he fo"nd Master %living%. -"e to perhaps %(anp"r connect%
there was no #ar even if I go and sit at his office j"st to e,change a few loving words. )e was one
of the *ssistant +ecretaries then. I was a#le to go to his room too whenever I was pleased to. In
those o"t of office ho"rs I had fo"nd him in his room sitting straight doing japa with his mala in
his hand. The screech of the door opening wo"ld make him realise that someone was in and slowly
as if he was awakened he wo"ld so welcomingly invite me to take my seat. There was not a single
time I fo"nd any e,pression of .yo" fellow dist"r#ed me/0
Two times in my association I had seen his tears flowing down his cheeks. The first time I was
st"nned at his sheddding tears. I innocently en'"ired of him whether he was finding any physical
discomfort. )e affirmed no and said that the discomfort was that he co"ld not do %eno"gh% japa0
The second time was a memora#le travel with him in the same car from 1amshedp"r to Ranchi
+anatori"m. I sho"ld mention here that he was once the )ead of Ranchi +anatori"m and my #eing
)ead there somehow #ro"ght me closer to him as I wo"ld always convey the pranams of the old
employees especially of the tri#al ones for whom he had great love. In the car of co"rse his
+ecretary was also present. *s I knew that Revered Maharaj was fond of stories of +hri Ram I
picked "p the s"#ject of his then recently released Bengali #ook on +hri Ram. I did read it and I
co"ld start the disc"ssion on the relationship that +hri )an"man had with +hri Ram. *nd in a
childish way I asked him whether he knew that once +hri Ram was a#o"t to %kill% his greatest
devotee +hri )an"man.
I co"ld see his face on the front small mirror of the car changing '"ickly pensive. .Tell me tell me/
he '"ickly responded with perhaps some sort of ang"ish. )e e,claimed how +hri Ram co"ld even
think of annihilating his own servant!devotee +hri )an"man0 It was impossi#le0 &ontin"ing the
story I #"ilt "p the clima, scene when +hri Ram had str"ng the #rahmashtra onto his #ow and that
he was j"st ready to aim on his %dearest% target tears swelled in Revered Maharaj%s eyes and he co"ld
not stop so##ing0 )is +ecreatry and self were j"st ama2ed at the emotional involvement of Revered
Maharaj had while listening to the story where he co"ld not %accept% the fact that +hri Ram wo"ld
kill +hri )an"man. 3f co"rse the story as "s"al had a happy ending with +hri )an"man #eing
em#raced #y his 4ord +hri Ram. )e was greatly relieved at the t"rn of the events in that story and
he was m"ch appreciative of this wonderf"l legend.
3ne more thing that to"ched my heart a#o"t him was his loving nat"re towards tri#als. *t Ranchi
+anatori"m he wo"ld sit on a #ench kept o"tside in the entrance verandah and wo"ld contin"e in his
japa in spite of the c"shoned sofa set kept apart for the %5ice!6resident% in the lo"nge. If pointed o"t
#y any monk he wo"ld assert that he was happy to sit in a #ench. Then '"ickly he wo"ld ask that
monk whether he was keen in %his% happiness0 The monk had no other option #"t to allow his own
way.
Besides the treatment facilities for the TB patients the +anatori"m had #y then e,panded into many
types of r"ral development activities wherein the tri#al 7 old men and women and also children 7
getting direct #enefits. I took him to some of the near#y villages where he was e,tremely happy to
see those old people whom he knew personally. )e was charmed at the welfare meas"res that go
directly to the service of the poor. )e enco"raged all of "s to perform these welfare activities
thinking that Master and Mother are #eing served. Indeed he was always an inpirer to the monks
and #rahmacharins.