In Katha Upanishada Yama suggests Nachiketa: “Uttisthata, jagrata, prapya warannibodhat…(Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn…….” Swami Vivekananda the great disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa too sermonised: “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached …. Don’t be thwarted by anything.”
Cut to Sevapeeth Matri Mandir in Kolkata to chance upon an unpretentious Sadhu — unfussy, approachable and easy to fathom — asking his disciples to “arise, awake and pursue your goal till it is achieved.”
True, Swami Bedananda combines all symptoms of a sadhu prescribed by Srimad Bhagvatam, which says: “The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are
sublime.”
Sublime indeed. Because many of your internal churnings are easy accessible by the Swami who asks you to take care of a specific relative without being formally told that one is under the weather. No wonder why Kolkata’s who’s who make a beeline for his darshan: From stars to netas, to the intelligentsia. But he would never mend the interiors of his ashram — hardly a 10x10 nondescript enclosure where he enjoys a joint household with Goddess Kali, lord Vishnu, Shiva.
“There are many such anecdotes about him,” says a disciple while the Swami remains blasé about his yogic dexterity, forever engaging himself in service of the poor, downtrodden and ignored.
His spiritual accomplishments apart, the Swami through his Mission distributes wheelchairs, clothing, health drinks, books and scholarships to the underprivileged children and differently-abled persons. “We also encourage post-death donation of organs,” says a disciple adding “every year we organise a special programme on the Mahalaya day” or the day that signifies the beginning of the 10-day Durga Puja.
And yet the Mission gets no aid from the Government or any private organisation. “Those who visit this place only come to find solace of earth. And it is their love that sees us through,” says another disciple. However a detached Swami says “it all depends upon the wishes of the Mother. She wants things to happen and so they happen. We all are her children sitting on her lap and see things happening.”