Veda-Vani or Revelations (Part 1)

I have been requested by many to add a short life-sketch of the great and noble saint whose Revelations have been collected here-as introduction; reasonable too. The initiates having trust in Him would naturally want to know a good deal about Him, particularly those whose contacts with Him have been few and far between. There are others, the general readers, who know next to nothing aboUt Him and might be curious. The need for a life-sketch cannot therefore be brushed aside. The going has been halting for a number of reasons: To quote from the preface to the contemplated "Life of Sri Sri Thakur" by my friend, the Late Prabhatchandra Chakravarty:- "An indomitable impulse is compelling me to bring to the light of common day the godly life of the great saint. I do however know that I am acting against His wishes - not the ghost of a doubt about it. As I had put trust in Him, it is transgression on my part; but I plead having been inspired by a devout wish to sing in praise of Sri Sri Thakur Ramchandra-the one sanctifying occupation in the eddy of endless pleasures, pains, frustrations and sins. A poor sinner, I have trespassed by writing His life against His wishes. May He in His infinite mercy and loving kindness forgive me." My own knowledge confirms this fact, that Sri Sri Thakur never wanted His life to be written and noised about. Moreover, I am wading beyond my depth, being wholly unfit for the task. I freely confess to being less bold than my friend. There are other difficulties too. In spite of considerable investigation I have not been able to get at most of the facts of the first half of His life. As I have been a student of History all my life, I am prone to this weakness. I would not put on record what I cannot be definite about. I shall therefore giNie my account in a few words, leaving the task of writing a complete life to abler persons in the future. The sacred life of Sri Sri Thakur falls, as it appears to me, roughly into three divisions. The first period extends from birth to His meeting with His spiritual Guide at Kamakhya; the second, from initiation to return home and habitual stay there till about 1907/8; the third, from 1907/8 to His passing away on the third day of the New Moon of Vaishakha, 1355 (B.S.). Sri Sri Thakur was born at Dingamanik, Faridpur (Dt.) in the month of Magha, 1266 (B.S.), Thursday the 10th of the New Moon with Rohini (Aldebaran) in the ascendant. His father late Radhamadhab Chakravarty was a real seeker, devoted to penance and divine recollectedness.

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