Mahapurush (The Holy Man) (মহাপুরুষ)

Birinchi Maharaj-ji!

Where are you coming from?

We're returning from Banaras.

Oh Kashi:

I haven't been there in a long time.

Your work was in Kashi.

It's too crowded.

How true, but still

I said at the very outset

you created a grand city, but will it remain as it is?

So many storms will blow over it; so many will come and go.

One day, Sankar came to me and said

"Even if you don't follow the philosophy of One God,

"don't you agree that Gautam caused a lot of destruction?"

"Don't you think some action should be taken about that?"

I said, "If you want to, then take action."

"If that's what will give you peace of mind, then do it"

"but remember one thing:"

"Someday someone will mess up your work as well."

"Someone will play football with your religion. Understand that well."

That lad had something in him

but he couldn't master the science of life.

That's why, at the age of 32

Wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up.

I can't have a moment of peace.

I have to wake this lad every day from his sleep.

- Baba - What happened?

My mind is at unrest, Baba.

What's your name?

My name's Gurupada Mitter, advocate.

Come here, child.

Touch his feet.

Sit.

This is my younger daughter, Baba.

Her name is Buchki... I mean, Neelima.

Her mother died last year.

Since then, Baba, there's been no peace.

I've visited Kashi and Vrindavan

but still I can't find the strength to go on.

- You can't find the strength? - No, Baba.

It's as if there's no pillar left for support.

Hold this.

Hold it.

Hold it tight.

What about that? Is there any unrest left?

Is there? Is there any sadness left?

Do you feel the spirit? Is there any emptiness left, any restriction left?

It's fate.

My God.

What happened?

Nitai Da?

If only I could find a good babaji

I'd leave everything and go with him.

Why?

You've lost interest in the world?

- The mind is at unrest, brother. - Check.

Life has sped by.

At home the wife keeps complaining.

At the office there's a new boss.

He's also... It's all rubbish.

Nothing feels good.

- If you know of any man like that, let me know. - There's no babaji in your fate, Nitai Da.

Your constant chatter has made me lose my knight.

You know, in spiritual matters, talking less is a primary condition.

This young man is an insurance agent

and to top it off, he can do hatha yoga.

So, why can't I find myself a babaji ?

My case is intellectual. You won't understand that.

It can only be understood by Paramadha Chatterjee.

Are you in the habit of chewing green chillies?

Oh Nitai Da

Yes?

A sage has come to Jagannath Ghat. Have you heard?

He's called Mirchai Baba.

People visiting him are being offered enchanted green chillies

and after eating them, all their illness is cured.

Will a radio Baba work? Swami Taritananda.

This Baba has two tives:

one negative, one positive.

He draws electricity from the sky and sparks it to people.

Really?

You go to him and you'll be cured of all disease:

Electrotherapy!

My disease is just one thing: lack of money.

Let him find a nice source of income for me and I'll accept that he's great.

He can do that too.

- He can? - Yes.

He'll take you to a place for a day, before the war in 1914.

Then?

You'll buy some iron.

Iron?

Yes, cheaply.

Then?

Then?

After that, you

Check.

What?

After 1914 what happens?

Mate in two moves, brother.

Say what happens after 1914?

After 1914, he brings you back to 1965.

- With the iron? - Yes, of course.

And then you sell the iron at the current rate.

The current rate?

The current rate.

Nibaran Da

- What? - Disaster!

Sit down.

300, 400, 500, 600, 700 rupees.

Speak thee not.

I've done it, brother. I've done it.

Narendrapur, five acres of land, three houses.

Now all I need do is find the babaji .

- Babaji again? - Chess is an intellectual game.

This kind of commotion doesn't go with it.

He's destroyed everything.

Buchki's having an induction.

- What? - Buchki's having a religious induction.

Some babaji has given her father an induction into the priesthood and now the daughter will get it too.

- Did you go to their place? - Yes. That's where I'm coming from.

So is this good news or bad?

Is getting an induction into the priesthood good news?

Why not? I'd get it too if I could find a good sage.

- Oh God. But I was going to propose to her. - So you propose

No, Nitai Da, you don't know the background to this story

and so you don't understand the reason for Satya's anxiety.

You need a little introduction.

This Buchki is Alipore, lawyer Gurupada Mitter's younger daughter.

Mr Mitter's wife, Soudamini, was Takdar Shashi Ghosh's daughter.

- Is that so? - Yes. She died a year or two ago.

I see.

I know them through my childhood friend from Bagbazar

the famous Professor Nuni.

Nuni's wife is Mr Mitter's eldest daughter, Nirupama.

Fine.

It was in Nirupama's house that Master Satya first met Lady Buchki.

It was love at first sight

and since then, he's been contemplating marriage.

Oh I see.

- Clear? - Clear.

So the point is, Master Satya has fallen in love with Lady Buchki

but Lady Buchki wants to receive religious induction.

Hence the matter's very serious.

Exactly.

Satya, carry on.

Fatik, get some tea.

They returned from Kashi yesterday.

I would have visited them yesterday straight away

but at the laundry, my damned pants weren't ready

so I had to wait a day.

So then, today at around 8:00 in the morning, I went to their place.

When I got there, I noticed that the place seemed strange.

The guards were all huddled together and talking.

The usual Radio Ceylon wasn't playing.

Everything seemed different.

Anyway, I entered the house and was going up the stairs

when someone called me from behind.

I turned and who did I see? Ganesh Mama.

Wait a minute. Who's Ganesh Mama?

Ganesh Mama's Mr Mitter's brother-in-law

Lady Buchki's uncle. Clear?

Clear. And then...

Buchki wasn't there?

She was, but there are things going on upstairs.

Buchki's father's receiving an induction into the priesthood.

The priesthood?

Why should the word "priesthood" make you grin like that?

Do you know, his guru is a great and learned man?

He's been around since the time the town of Kashi was constructed.

- Which Kashi? - Kashi Banaras, not Kashi Khukhu.

Oh God. Is he into some sort of black magic?

No, he's not but he's a real capitalist.

You're a hard-core communist. Now move along.

A communist?

Yes. I've heard you go out on the roads on protest marches.

Oh that!

You'd better leave today. Come and meet them some other day.

Your son-in-law's well, I hope?

Does he have a job? He was looking for one, wasn't he?

OK then.

- Hey. Listen. - You called me from behind?

Do you know of some job or what?

I do know of something but surely he must be trying elsewhere.

No, no. Nowadays nothing can happen without a little backing.

But Uncle, if it's all about backing, what about his self-respect?

You don't understand, Satyaranjan. Today and in this age, it's different, don't you know.

You just go up and see everyone briefly. Then come and give me the details.

- Yes. Then I'll go quickly - Yes, quickly.

You wait. I'll be just five minutes or so.

Hey, Buchki.

- Are you calling me? - What's the matter?

What is this induction and all about? Your house has completely changed.

- I'm having an induction too. - Buchki

- didn't you get my letter? - What letter?

- I wrote to you in Banaras. - Was that you?

A seven-line letter. Of that, two lines were from Shelley

two lines from Chandi Das and two lines of Shesher Kobita.