Reminiscences of Swami Premananda

Swami Omkarananda

I first saw Swami Premananda in the year 1910. Jiten (Swami Vishuddhananda) was with me. That day we didn't have any conversation. Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda) and Budho Baba (Swami Advaitananda, who was the manager of the Math) were seated in the verandah on the ground floor of the Math building. Earlier they used to take tea there only. One gentleman came and asked Maharaj, `What should be done to realize God?' Baburam Maharaj asked with a gesture (of putting food in the mouth with the hand) whether there is enough to eat at home? That means, concern for food is terrible. It makes us forget everything else. The idea is, you shouldn't be an escapist.

Later, when I joined the monastery, I came into intimate contact with Baburam Maharaj. We knew the householder disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. I was very intimate with Master Mahasaya. In fact, I used to study in his school. But when I saw Sri Ramakrishna's monastic disciples, then I gained a new perspective. They were like flaming fire. Others appeared insignificant in comparison to them.

Baburam Maharaj had a great spirit of service. He was very particular that each and every visitor to the Math should get the prasad of Sri Ramakrishna (fruits or sweets offered to Sri Ramakrishna). Once a gentleman came to the Math and after paying obeisance at Sri Ramakrishna's shrine, went to the other temples. When he was coming down the steps of the shrine, the Brahmachari in charge of distributing prasad was busy on some other work, and could not give him prasad. The gentleman also did not know anything about this custom. Baburam Maharaj met him near Swami Vivekananda's temple and on enquiry learnt that he had not got prasad. He immediately took the gentleman with him to the Brahmachari and asked the latter to give him prasad. He said, `Couldn't you give a little prasad to this gentleman? What else can we give? Can't we give a bit of prasad to these people?' He spoke with such feeling that the Brahmachari felt ashamed and the gentleman marvelled at his love.

The point is, Baburam Maharaj's name was `Premananda'. True to his name, his love continually welled up for everyone. He used to befriend people through service in such a way that anyone who met him once would never be able to forget him. He did not make any disciples. Had he done so, many would have approached him for initiation without approaching others.

Once a C.I.D officer came to the Math. Those were the days of the `Swadeshi Movement'. Many people were being arrested. Police kept a close watch over the Math. The gentleman had come to gather information in this regard. It was summer. He was perspiring profusely, having walked all the way in the sun. As soon as Baburam Maharaj saw him, he started fanning him with a hand-fan. The gentleman was embarrassed and immediately said, `Maharaj, what are you doing? Please don't fan me.' Maharaj answered, `What is wrong in it, my boy? It is very hot. Get well in this breeze of the fan.' After some time, the gentleman said, `Maharaj, because of my service (in C.I.D department), I have come here for a very despicable work. I am a C.I.D officer. I want some information.'

Maharaj immediately replied, `Very Good. See everything. We are the disciples of Thakur. We won't hide anything. Thoroughly inspect the Math.' The gentleman, however, did not see anything. Many years later he said, `Unfortunately, I have met Baburam Maharaj only once, on that particular occasion. But I can never forget that wonderful love and service rendered by him.'

One afternoon, when everyone had had his meal, Baburam Maharaj saw that a group of devotees was coming by boat. Lest they return without prasad and lest the workers should feel annoyed, he quickly entered the kitchen and started lighting the oven himself. Seeing this, the workers told Maharaj, `Maha-raj, please get up. We shall cook.' Maharaj felt a little embarrassed and said, `My boys, I didn't want to trouble you again. Hence I was myself trying to cook a little khichadi.'

Baburam Maharaj's mind used to remain filled with the thought of Sri Ramakrishna. It appeared from his every action and movement that he was in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna. We saw Sri Ramakrishna only in the picture in the shrine. But from Baburam Maharaj's movements we felt as if Sri Rama-krishna was alive and was moving around. While he was engaged in work in the shrine, his movements used to be so respectful that one felt Sri Ramakrishna was just in front and therefore Maharaj was so careful and full of respect. His eyes and face would become red then. His complexion was very fair. The red hew on his face would match well and become one with his ochre dress. It would appear as if his face were glowing with the light within.

He had a great concern for everything in the Math. Once he asked us, `Tell me, how many cows are there in the Math, belonging to Sri Ramakrishna?' One said, `seven,' the other said, `nine'. But none could tell correctly. At this Maharaj said, `Look, one must keep full information about Sri Ramakrishna's belongings. You must know everything. Everything of the Math belongs to Sri Ramakrishna, won't you keep a watch?' He did not like that the money given by the devotees should be spent carelessly. He once asked a monk at Kashi to send him two stitched shirts. The monk stitched and sent four shirts. Seeing four shirts, Maharaj said, `What is this? Devotees give their hard-earned money for the service of Thakur and monks. Should it be misused? I need only two shirts. Why did you get four shirts stitched?'

Sri Ramakrishna also acted in a similar manner. When Master Mahasaya brought two clothes instead of one, he had said, `Take back one'.

Maharaj used to personally supervise all the activities of the Math. He would get up at 4 a.m. and meditate in the shrine. His face and eyes would get reddened then. His face would glow, as it were. After meditation he would inspect and decide how many fruits and which flowers should be plucked from Thakur's garden. Then he would inspect the cows in the cowshed. After this he would himself bring the vegetables and start dressing them. Other younger members also would join him. Every action was, for him, a spiritual practice and an act of worship. While dressing and cutting vegetables he used to say, `Cut the vegetables like this and while doing so, think, "I am sacrificing lust, anger, greed, etc."' What a lofty attitude!

I shall tell you an example of how he used to feel the presence of Sri Ramakrishna always. Once he told the Brahmacharins to trim the twigs of the rose plants so that they might flower better. We trimmed the plants and threw away the twigs. Maharaj came and noticed that a few thorny twigs and leaves were still lying there. He carefully picked them up and threw them away and minutely inspected the site and said, `Look, one must do Sri Ramakrishna's work very carefully. See, what you have done? Don't you know Sri Ramakrishna's feet are very delicate? He strolls in his garden. Tell me, how much pain Thakur would have had, had this thorn pricked his foot?' He spoke these words with such feeling that our eyes too became wet with tears. We come to understand how deeply these great saints used to feel the presence of God.

During the monsoon, rain water used to enter and accumulate in the southern verandah of the shrine room. So, Maharaj would instruct that it should be cleaned as often as water collected. Many would wonder what was the need to clean it so often? Once he explained, `Thakur strolls on this verandah. He will be inconvenienced if there is water.'

I have noticed that Baburam Maharaj greatly valued even the most insignificant object belonging to Thakur. He had made a rule that the same stick must be used to light the camphor during vesper service, by which the lamp has been lighted. Once the pujari, worshipper, threw away the stick and used another for lighting the camphor. Maharaj observed this and explained to him how stringently the objects belonging to Thakur should be used.

Initially Baburam Maharaj did not speak much. Later, in 1915-1916, he became inclined towards preaching and delivered some lectures. Swami Vivekananda had probably told him, `The responsibility of preaching in Bangladesh (East Bengal) is yours.' (Literally, `Bangladesh is for you'.) And indeed, it is difficult to describe in words the great spiritual upsurge which people felt when he went to East Bengal and preached there.

Even poor Muslims used to call him `Our Prophet'. A group of Muslims had also come upto Belur Math with him. He had lovingly fed them.

One day he had asked Sri Sri Maa (the Holy Mother), `Mother, what is this that is happening to me? Rajoguna is increasing; I have started delivering lectures! Why has this happened?' The Mother had replied, `Why are you afraid, my child? Thakur is with you.' When he asked the same question to Mahapurush Maharaj, he said, `This is after all Thakur's work. He is getting it done. Why do you worry?'