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Stories and Quotes

Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti smiling among disciples, a boy and a bearded man beside him, mountains behind
You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars, guides you too.

His disciples called him Bábá. Here are the things they saw him do and heard him say, each told by someone who was there, and below them his own words.

Stories

  • Early years · Jamalpur

    The mattress in the washing water

    As a boy in Jamalpur, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar invited a classmate from an 'untouchable' caste into his room and sat him on his bed. After the boy left, his mother Abharani was angry that custom had been broken, and she washed the bedcover and pillowcase. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti watched in silence, then put the mattress and pillow in the water as well. If the boy's touch had polluted anything, he told her, it had polluted everything, himself included. Nobody was untouchable to him, he said, because everyone was a child of God. His mother could only answer that nobody in the world could convince him of anything.

    She then removed the bedcover and pillowcase and washed them. Prabhát Ranjan silently watched her without saying a word. Then he took the mattress and the pillow and also immersed them in water. "Bubu! What are you doing?" shouted Abharani. "Since he has polluted everything with his touch, then these are also polluted. So I am cleaning them as well," responded Prabhát Ranjan nonchalantly.

    — Ác. Pranavátmakánanda Avadhúta, Advent of a Mystery

  • How people came · 1939 · Calcutta

    The robber called by name

    In 1939 Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar was a student in Calcutta. One full-moon evening he sat alone at Kashi Mitra Ghat on the Ganges, where robbers gathered after dark. Kalicharan Banerjee, a notorious robber, crept up behind him with a knife. Without turning round, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti called him by name and said he had been waiting for him. Kalicharan lowered the knife and sat down, and Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti told him the story of his life. The robber bathed in the river and was initiated that night, and became the sádhaka Kalikánanda.

    But what was that? Someone called him by name. So distinctly, and so mild the voice. Kalicharan was stunned. He could not believe His own ears. He was puzzled; his steel nerves trembled. Who could it be?

    — Ác. Sarveshvaránanda Avadhúta, My Days With Bábá

  • He knew · 1979 · Rotterdam

    Now the boy says yes

    In 1979 a young volunteer traveled with Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar through Europe as a guard. In Rotterdam the crowded lodging put him in a thoroughly negative mood, which he told no one about. That evening he walked a few metres behind Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti in a large park. For about 45 minutes every thought he had was a 'no': no to Rotterdam, no to the lodging, no to the rest of the trip. At the end Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti quietly asked whether he liked the park that evening. He said yes.

    Then, just as He was passing in front of me, He said, as if talking aloud to Himself: "Ah, now the boy says yes." And He continued to His car.

    — Ac. Jyotirupananda Avt., Divine Love: European Experiences with Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

  • Compassion · Ranchi

    Book royalties for a crumbling school

    Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti set aside the royalties from his books for people in need. One day in Ranchi he read a newspaper notice from a school whose building was falling apart; many rooms could no longer be used, and it was asking for funds. The next morning, before his walk, he took his royalty money and had his driver take him to the school. The astonished principal received him. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti handed over an envelope he thought would cover the repairs and said he trusted the principal to use it well.

    The next morning Bábá took his royalty money with him, the money he received from the sales of his books, and asked his driver and security personnel to take him to that school before proceeding with his morning field walk. When Bábá entered the premises, the principal and staff were astonished to see him and his entourage.

    — Acharya Ramananda Avadhuta, Ashutosh Bábá: The Memoirs of Acharya Ramananda Avadhuta

  • The teacher · 1982 · Kolkata

    Never lie, not even to meet me

    In 1982 Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti ruled that workers who wished to see him privately must first organize five Prabhat Samgiita concerts. A worker from Manila had organized one, so he changed his report to claim five and was given an appointment. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti's first question was whether the five concerts had really taken place. The worker kept silent rather than lie to his face. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti rebuked him sharply and asked why he had lied; the worker said he only wanted to be near him. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti softened and told him never to lie for any reason, even to meet him: a renunciate's life must rest on truth.

    By this time, Bábá was in a much more relaxed mood, and the tone of His voice was less harsh. I was immensely relieved. He advised me that I should never again resort to lying for any reason, even to meet Him.

    — Ácárya Parameshvaránanda Avadhúta, Divine Experiences: An Autobiography

  • Humour · Jamálpur

    Surprising news, with a wink

    A new disciple scoffed when a friend claimed that Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti knew all the world's languages. The next day Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti's talk was on linguistics: he began with the Sanskrit letter ka and wrote words in Chinese, Latin, Hebrew and more. The friend smiled at the doubter, and Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti asked him why. When he explained, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti said this was surprising news to him; he had not been aware he knew every language, and thanked him for letting him know. Everyone laughed, and he laughed with them.

    "Bábá, yesterday I told Dasharath Babu that you knew all the languages of the world and he did not believe me." "Do I know all the languages of the world? That is surprising news to me. I was not aware of it. Thank you for letting me know," said Bábá with a wink. Everyone laughed, and Bábá joined in.

    — Ác. Pranavátmakánanda Avadhúta, Advent of a Mystery

  • The hard years · 1972 · Patna

    Water for the thirsty convicts

    One evening in 1972 in Bankipur jail, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti was walking alone between the cells while his disciples meditated. Convicts in a distant ward were calling out: they had been locked in after a hurried dinner with no water, and the guards ignored them. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti fetched the earthen jar and tumbler from his own cell and, despite their protests, gave each of them water with his own hand. He said nothing about it. When asked the next morning, he replied that it had only been his duty, and duty needs no announcement.

    Bábá stubbornly continued to persuade them. He cajoled them by saying that, contrary to their apprehensions, He would get pleasure if He could serve them. At last, Bábá gave them all water, one by one. Their thirst quenched, they gazed at Bábá, not knowing how to express their gratitude.

    — Ác. Sarveshvaránanda Avadhúta, My Days With Bábá

  • Across the world · 1979 · Switzerland

    On the road to Fiesch

    After landing in Geneva in 1979, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti set off by car for Fiesch with two Swiss disciples. He had been awake for thirty-three hours and asked to stop to meditate; a smoky café proved unsuitable, so he meditated in the car. Afterwards, finding that the Swiss knew little about their own valley, he described its irrigation, farming and animal care, explained why local cows lack the hump of Indian cattle, and talked about Swiss grape-growing.

    After His meditation, Bábá's mood became happy and alert. After asking the two Swiss brothers about this valley and finding they had little knowledge of the local area, Bábá began to tell them about the agriculture and farming. He explained in very much detail the irrigation systems used, the farming techniques and the particulars of local animal care.

    — Bodiishvara (ed. Ác. Subuddhyananda Avt.), Divine Love: European Experiences with Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

  • The scholar · 1983

    Naranja and the excited elephants

    In 1983 a monk brought Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti an orange seedling from Paraguay. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti asked its Spanish name, naranja, and where the word came from. None of the senior workers present knew; he joked that he had thought he was the only fool in the world but now had many friends. Then he explained: Sanskrit naga, elephant, and ranga, excitement, made nagaranga, because elephants rejoice at a tree full of oranges; through Urdu narangi it became Spanish naranja. He went on to link Spanish numbers and family words to Sanskrit.

    Then Bábá's mood softened and He began a long explanation. "The Saḿskrta word 'naga' means both 'elephant' and 'snake'. Here it means 'elephant'. Ranga in Saḿskrta means 'excitement'. When elephants see a green orange tree full with brightly-colored oranges, they become excited and go into jubilation. So oranges are called 'nagaranga' in Saḿskrta.

    — Dádá Haratmananda, Bábá's Love for South America

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Quotes

  • What is then the most precious thing in human life? It is devotion. If one has gotten devotion, one has gotten everything, and nothing remains unrealized.

  • Life is a spiritual sádhaná and the result of this sádhaná is to be offered at the altar of the Supreme.

  • Since the Supreme Father is with me, why should I be afraid of anyone? Why should I fear at all? There is no reason to be fearful. I have to move forward. Fearfulness is not my duty. Let the fear fear me, I will not fear.

  • You have no right to hate even a single living creature. The best you can do is only to serve.

  • Human society is one and indivisible, don’t try to divide it. Each and every individual should be looked upon as the manifestation of the Cosmic Entity.

  • Struggle is the essence of life. Yours should be a pauseless struggle against corruption, hypocrisy and animality.

  • Don’t compare life to a pool of muddy, stagnant water. Life resembles an ever-flowing spring.

  • Knowing oneself is the real knowledge; serving all with the ideation of Náráyańa, the real action, and the vow to please Parama Puruśa the real devotion.

  • You all know that Parama Puruśa is very close to you. He is so near that nothing can be nearer.

  • Morality is the foundation of Sádhaná (spiritual practice). It must, however, be remembered that morality or good conduct is not the culminating point of the spiritual march.

  • Do all your works unitedly. No work is hard for you, no work is difficult. Move forward easily and smilingly, solving all the problems of the world. Your victory is assured.

  • Remember that your service does not oblige the Supreme, rather you are obliged because you have such a chance to serve the Supreme in the form of living beings.

  • All the beings of this universe are the kith and kin of one another. No one is despicable. All are equally respectable and entitled to equal love and affection.

  • We must not forget, even for a single moment, that the entire animate world is a vast joint family. Nature has not assigned any portion of this property to any particular individual.

  • The most valuable treasures on the path of human progress are honesty, simplicity and spiritedness.

  • Book knowledge that cannot be utilized in life has no value.

  • The devotional sentiment is the highest and most valuable treasure of humanity.

  • The goal of sádhaná [spiritual practice] is the all-round elevation of human beings. Spiritual practices do not teach renunciation of the world, they teach only the proper utilization of the subtle and crude potentialities.

  • Everywhere you are with Parama Puruśa, and never in this universe, nowhere in this universe, are you alone. So you are never helpless.

  • If you want to please a mother, simply serve her children and the mother will be pleased.

  • Why should the love and affection of developed human minds be restricted to human beings only? Why should it not include all living beings, including plant life?

  • Social life must take morality as its starting point – it must take inspiration from morality.

  • As long as people sleep, their fortune also sleeps. When they awake and think to rise up, their fortune also begins to awaken. The moment they sit up, their fortune also rises; and as soon as they start moving, their fortune also advances.

  • In my opinion, real education means proper, adequate knowledge and the power of understanding. In other words, education should impart an awareness of who I am and what I ought to do.

  • Your only qualification is that you are the affectionate progeny of the Supreme Progenitor. You are His object of affection. Even if you forget Him He won’t forget you.

  • Persistent endeavour and practical cult are essential to reach the goal. Hence, in sádhaná one should remember two essential factors: constant awareness of one’s goal, and persistent endeavour to attain that goal.

  • Every jiiva, every living being, is the child of Immortality. You have been born in eternity and you are moving towards immortality. Therefore there is no need to be afraid, despondent, or sorry in any condition.

  • Forget whatever you were in the past, or whatever you did in the past, and from this auspicious moment on dedicate yourself to the service of humanity.

  • This love should include all plants, birds, animals etc., because everything has life, everything has feeling. We should think that others feel as I feel, and this feeling should include plants, animals and inanimate objects.

  • If one person rolls in affluence, in most cases others will be deprived of even their minimum requirements. The failure to recognize the needs of others is itself a disease.

  • You should live such a benevolent life and do such glorious deeds that when you leave this world, smiles will blossom on your face while the people mourn your departure with copious tears.

  • Educated are those who have learnt much, remembered much and made use of their learning in practical life.

  • To love Parama Puruśa and the creation is the only Dharma of spiritual aspirants.

  • The mind has infinite potentialities and controlling these infinite potentialities is sádhaná.

  • The Father’s love is for all, so nobody is helpless. Nobody is shelterless. And nobody’s future is sealed forever.

  • The entire human society is anxiously waiting for you, for your service. You will have to shoulder a great responsibility for the suffering humanity.

  • The universe does not consist only of humans; other animals, other creatures, other plants, also have the right to live.

  • With the very extinction of honesty, civilization too will not survive; the long sádhaná of the human race will go in vain, and all intellectual achievements will become meaningless.

  • It is the youth, and the youth only, who have the vigour to bring about the necessary change.

  • Modern, educated people must be liberated from all sources of dogma and petty isms. They should reject the worn out shackles of the past and welcome the new, crimson dawn with an open mind.

  • If you think that He is near, then He is not only near, He is more near. He is much closer than you can ever imagine.

  • Remember that victory does not come by itself. Victory has to be invited and welcomed with sweat, the warmth of the blood and the fiery flames of hard labour.

  • You have achieved the human frame. You must make it meaningful by your sádhaná, service and sacrifice.

  • Where animality ends, humanity begins, where humanity ends, divinity begins.

  • Where there is no logic, where there is no support of intellectuality, where there is no debate and free discussion, but there is only a severe imposition forcing people to accept something, there is dogma.

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