Eyewitness Account

Subject:  Eyewitness Account
Date: Fri, 06 May 2011 13:29:47 +0530 (IST)
From: narayan panda
To: AM-GLOBAL

Baba

                         == EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT ==

Namaskar,
I vividly recall an event from Sambalpur DMS October 1979.

Note: As may of you probably remember, Baba did not grant DMC because of the poor performance & output with regards to organisational activities in the Sambalpur Diocese. As we all know changing a program from DMC to DMS means that there will not be varabhaya mudra. Needless to say, the margiis were very concerned by the fact that they had lost the opportunity for DMC. They requested but in His loving liila Baba remained strict on the point that the requisite work had not been completed. Even then, Baba graced all with His presence and granted a different type of blessing.

Herein then are multiple stories:
(A) How by Baba's grace I met up with margiis and attended Baba's darshan that day;
(B) How in His grand liila, Baba decided which language to deliver His divine discourse;
(C) How Baba graciously accepted guru puja but would not give His varabhaya mudra;
(D) How Publications Dept totally ruined the printed Hindi edition of the discourse by translating it from Bengali rather then keeping the original Hindi "as is".


                                        SURPRISE MEETING

First I shall recount my story of how I got to be with Baba at the DMS program.

The year was 1979. Just after the puja holidays, I was returning from my hometown to my engineering college nearby Sambalpur via Rourkela. In Jharsuguda I had to change trains. Much to my surprise, there in the station, I saw about 50 margiis from my hometown. My joy knew no bounds to see them. They then informed me they had come to attend the Sambalpur program.

Since that area was familiar to me, I led my margii brothers and sisters to the place: Katurba Na'rii Samiti Hall in the Khetrajpur, Sambalpur. Once there, by Baba's grace, I also attended Baba's grand darshan.


                         BABA: WHICH LANGUAGE SHOULD I SPEAK?

On the last night of DMS, before delivering His discourse, Baba inquired in English: "In which language should I deliver My discourse?"

Upon hearing this all the margiis present began putting forth their requests:

“Baba! Odiya”.

“Baba! Sambalpuri”.

”Baba! Chattisgarhi”.

 In this way so many language requests were made.

Then Beloved Baba turned to Professor Lokanath Pradhan who was sitting on dais near Him and asked, "What do you say?".

Shrii Pradhan replied, “Baba, since most of the margiis here are Hindi speaking please deliver the discourse in Hindi.”

Immediately Baba said, "No, No, they are not Hindi speaking, but Hindi understanding. So I would like to speak in Hindi."

And indeed, on that glorious day, Baba graciously gave His discourse in Hindi and all present on that occasion enjoyed it immensely.

Baba concluded His discourse by saying: "Kalyanamastu".

And that was to be the end of the program since it was only DMS and not DMC.


   BABA ACCEPTS GURU PUJA BUT VARABHAYA MUDRA NOT GIVEN

All the margiis present were anxiously watching Baba's divine Self with baited breath. Baba turned to PA Dada and said, "Let's go".

PA Dada replied, "Yes".

Then Baba started to adjust His position on the dais as if He was getting ready to rise up from His seat.

Note: As you the reader may be aware, wherever Baba would hold DMS / DMC, the system was that the local bhukti pradhan (BP) would respectfully ask Baba if the margiis could do Guru Puja. If Baba accepts, then it will be DMC. In which case guru puja is done and Baba showers all with His divine varabhaya mudra blessing. But that did not happen on this occasion. Baba accepted guru puja but did not give varabhaya mudra. See below how the scene unfolded.

On this particular occasion at Sambalpur, the BP had been next to PA Dada. When the BP saw that Baba was getting ready to rise up from dais, then the BP, with tears in his eyes and folded hands, softly pleaded by with this appeal: "Baba".

Baba replied, "Hmm".

The BP humbly inquired, "Dharma maha cakra".

Baba paused.

The BP softly repeated, "Baba, dharma maha cakra".

Baba again paused.

The BP put forth his request yet again.

Baba then said to PA: "What does he say".

PA Dada kept quiet.

Baba sweetly said, "Why DMC, already general darshan was done."

Baba gently said to the BP: "The quota was not fulfilled."

With folded hands the BP pleaded in Oriya, "Baba, the quota will be fulfilled - dharma maha cakra - Baba guru puja".

Baba listened.

Then PA gave one Dada the order to start guru puja.

That Dada then started guru puja, and all the margiis followed in call and response style.

After the three rounds of guru puja and the pranam mantra, Baba gave His divine blessing in Sanskrit - "Sarve'tra sukhinah bhavantu..." - then He repeated it in English - "Let everybody be happy...".

Ba'ba' then got down from the dais without giving varabhaya mudra.

Everyone exclaimed: "Ba'ba', vara'bhay mu'dra'." Prof. Pradhan - the bhukti pradhan - also requested.

But Ba'ba' did not acquiesce to their pleas and instead declared it as DMS because of poor performance by the bhukti. After standing up, Baba graced all by giving blessing by showing the palm of His right hand. Then He left the hall.

As Baba graciously made His exit, everyone present start chanting the Jai slogan in Oriya.


                                  WHAT WRONG HAPPENED

Now see the injustice that has been done.

The above discourse which Baba beautifully delivered at the Sambalpur DMS on 20 Oct 1979 in Hindi has been wrongly published. Instead of merely transcribing Baba's original Hindi discourse (i.e. Hindi audio to Hindi written), they translated the original Hindi audio into Bengali and then retranslated the Bengali back to Hindi. By this concocted manner, the printed Hindi edition of the discourse was wrongly published.

Due to this faulty process of taking the original Hindi and translating it into Bengali and then retranslating it into Hindi, the printed Hindi words do not match what Baba spoke that day in Hindi. Those printed words are a misrepresentation of His DMS discourse.

For everyone's awareness, the printed Hindi discourse is titled, Veda Tatha' Tantra, and appears in Subhasita Samgraha-13, chapter 6.


                                     THE MEANING BECOMES LOST

It is well documented by researchers all over the world that whenever an original discourse or speech is translated into another language, then a distinct percentage of the meaning of the discourse is lost.

And indeed through translation after translation, the original speech gets distorted. This has been demonstrated and proven by numerous studies conducted by universities and privately funded foundations all over the globe. The department of linguistics, communiations, and literature etc have done extensive research about this. Please refer to the human resource development work done at various research institutions.


                                     WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE

Of course the entire solution to this problem is quite simple. Baba delivered the discourse in Hindi. Just transcribe that word for word. That means write down in Hindi what Baba originally spoke in Hindi. That is all. There is no need for any translation. Once done, then the printed Hindi version will be totally authentic. It will be a perfect representation of Baba's original spoken discourse.

Tragically, those in our Publications Dept do not do like this. Due to orders from certain higher authorities, they translate the original Hindi into Bangla and then retranslate it back to Hindi. Why do they do this? They do this out of their linguisitic sentiment to show Bengali as being top. It is the dogma of Bangalisation. And by this misguided manner they totally ruin Baba's holy discourses. That is the end result of their shenanigans.

Best is to simply transcribe what Baba spoke as is. That means when Baba spoke in Hindi then that discourse should first be transcribed and printed in Hindi; when Baba spoke in English then that discourse should first be transcribed and printed in English. And indeed this approach should be taken with all the discourses. Then the authenticity and sanctity of the discourse will be properly maintained.


                                        MY PERSONAL REQUEST

I personally request the brothers & sisters in our organisation who are at the helm of affairs for Publication Department to restore Baba' 's discourses in the original language as it was given. And it is the duty of every Ananda Margii to ensure this is done.

Baba says, "The scriptures containing spiritual injunctions must be totally flawless." (NSS, Disc: 14)

Brotherly yours,
Na'ra'yan'a Panda


Note 1:                       IMPORTANT LETTER FOR REVIEW

           http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2011/04/unpleasant-truth.html


                                             PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Toma'r a'sa'-ja'oya' hoy na' kabhu, prabhu ekatha' jeneo na' ja'ni..."  P.S. 274

Purport:

Baba, by Your grace You always remain with me & with everyone eternally; that is why it is said that Your arrival and departure never happens. I am aware about this eternal truth, but even then I do not know and I remain forgetful. I know this but also I do not know.  

Baba, Your arrival and Your farewell are not possible because You are eternally present. This is so mysterious that I know and even then I do not know. I have difficulty comprehending it. O' Baba, sometimes I think You are near and sometimes I think You are far. That is all my misunderstanding.  

Baba, You have created this world in such a way that when anything is flourishing or blooming that very time the seed of destruction is hidden within. In due course everything perishes; nothing lasts forever. This type of divine play is going on in this cosmic cycle, eternally.  

On the one side with Your two eyes You saturate everyone with Your love, and on the other side from Your third eye the flame of fire is coming which burns everything. In this creation of Yours, the sweetness of effulgence is always accompanied by the black shadow of death which falls gradually. In this entire divine play You are the black shadow and You are also the sweet effulgence; You are everything. Baba, You are Love Personified.

Baba, Your arrival and farewell never happens because You are omnipresent...

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                     Do Not Quarrel

Baba says, "'Stop, stop'-- 'do not quarrel'-- 'there is no use of fighting'-- 'peace, peace'-- uttering all these good words will not do; it will stop no one. Peace may come for the time being, but it will not be permanent; like an-ash covered spark, unrest will again flair up. If human beings want to save themselves from this catastrophe, the only way is to march forwards towards a single goal." (PNS-14, p.12)

Note: By seeing the negative condition of our present-day organisation, some simple margiis just propagate the idea that 'stop, stop, do not quarrel' etc. But that is not going to work. Everyone should understand this thing. This group fight is going on because they forgot the one unit goal that Baba is everything. And that spirituality is the top-most. Until those spiritual values will not be accepted, and neo-humanism will not be followed, then this group fight will not come to an end. Rather for unity, one single Goal is needed. But these groupist leaders are giving lip service to that but in their heart they do not believe Baba. That is why since the beginning they have distorted Baba's teachings for their own selfish gain. So they do not believe in Baba in real sense. So one should know their hypocrisy. Those who lost the Goal-- they are quarreling amongst themselves.
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