SYED Rezaul Karim
Kolkata, West Bengal
Part 1: Fugitive in the Ganges.
Winter. The cold has intensified over the past few days. The entire month of Magh is still ahead. Three days remain until the end of the month of Poush. In the meantime, many pilgrims have submerged themselves in the Ganges. The naked ascetics arrived ten days ago. Pilgrims are gradually arriving at the Ganges from various parts of the country in hopes of acquiring merit. The local police station, doctors, and fire brigade have already started their work. Shopkeepers are preparing their shops for the fair. One by one, the fairgrounds are being adorned for the Ganges Sagar Fair.
Everything in life cannot be washed away by the Ganges. Hence the rush of so many people. A gathering of hundreds of thousands of people. Some come to sell, some come to buy, some come to enjoy, some come to accumulate merit, while others come to commit sins.
Travel to the Ganges Sagar has become much easier now. There is train service for pilgrims from Shyamnagar. Direct road transportation is available from esplanade and other places. As a result, people from various parts of India are reaching the Ganges Sagar in a short time. But a few decades ago, this was not the case. Because there were no good railways, no roads, and no air routes back then. So to go from one place to another, one had to walk, ride a horse, or travel by boat. Hence the Ganges Sagar was considered inaccessible to many people. To reach there, one had to prepare for many days in advance. Some died on the way, while others returned home happily after bathing in the Ganges. Hence the proverbial saying was spread everywhere, 'All pilgrimages except the Ganges Sagar are repeated.'
The expanse of the Ganges Sagar surrounded by temples. Its perimeter is about one or two kilometers. Large roads have been constructed from all four sides, meeting at the temple ground. Small huts have been built on the left side of the temple for the naked ascetics. In the front, the vast Ganges River stretches out. Only water and water. Nothing else is visible beyond. The waves of the river slowly engulf the vast sandy land. On the day of Poush Sankranti, early in the morning, pilgrims rise, bathe in the Ganges, pay their respects to the sun, and offer prayers at the temple. The temple is known as Kapil Muni's temple. The place is known as Kapil Muni's ashram. But the question remains, who is this Kapil Muni?
According to legend, Kapila Muni was the son of the sage Kardama and the maiden Devahuti. After his birth, Sage Kardama went to the forest for penance. Growing up, Kapila Muni learned the practice of deep meditation. He sat in meditation by the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean.
In ancient times, there was a famous king named Sagara from the dynasty of Harishchandra, who ruled in Ayodhya. He had two wives, Keshini and Sumati. Under the valorous rule of King Sagara, peace and prosperity prevailed throughout the kingdom. However, the king was not content because he was childless. In hopes of obtaining a child, he left the throne and went to the forest with his two wives to meditate. Pleased with their meditation, Lord Shiva granted them a boon that if they had children, they would simultaneously have sons. Hearing this, King Sagara was overjoyed.
In due course, Queen Keshini gave birth to a son. But Queen Sumati gave birth to a pitcher. Seeing this, King Sagara was greatly disappointed. He decided to throw away the pitcher. At that moment, he heard a divine voice saying, "O King! Do not throw it away. Place it in the middle of the pot of ghee. They will become your sons."
Following Lord Shiva's command, King Sagara placed the pitcher in the middle of the pot of ghee. Indeed, from the embryo inside that pitcher, sixty thousand sons were born. As those sons grew older, they became as powerful as demons. Their tyranny towards ordinary people increased, leading to widespread suffering.
One day, they collectively went to Brahma seeking relief, pleading, "Lord, save us. Protect us. The sixty thousand sons of King Sagara are subjecting us to relentless tyranny and injustice. They are punishing us without any wrongdoing."
Brahma thought for a moment with closed eyes. Then, assuring them, he said, "Soon, they will receive the punishment they deserve."
However, there was no specific indication of when they would receive this punishment. Without waiting for uncertainty to pass, they continued their actions without any change in behavior. However, King Sagara was very proud of his sixty thousand disobedient sons. He thought it was the perfect time to conquer all the kingdoms. But that wasn't possible in just a day or two. However, it could be possible through an Ashwamedha sacrifice. Thinking this, he promptly arranged for the Ashwamedha sacrifice. He wrote a challenge on the horse's forehead, declaring that if the horse was captured, they would have to fight against the king. They must accept defeat and surrender.
Upon receiving the king's command, the sons went behind the horse. King Sagara waited anxiously for the return of the horse from its journey across the country. When the horse returned, they would perform a sacrifice using the horse's meat to gain Indra's favor.
Indra became extremely fearful and distressed upon seeing the arrangement for this sacrifice by King Sagara. He pondered upon the situation. If King Sagara were to become an emperor ruling over the entire heavens, what would become of them? Thus, he devised a plan and took the horse of the sacrifice and tied it near the hermitage of Kapila Muni.
Suddenly, from nowhere, the horse of the sacrifice disappeared. Sagara's sixty thousand sons, filled with intense worry, searched for it and learned that it had gone to the netherworld. They eventually reached the netherworld by digging through the earth. Upon seeing the horse tied near Kapila Muni's hermitage, they became furious. Assuming that Kapila Muni had stolen the horse, they began to hurl insults and even contemplated violence. They didn't hesitate to think twice about attacking him.
Kapila Muni, with eyes filled with anger, observed them. In a burst of fury, Sagara's sixty thousand sons were reduced to ashes.
News of the sons turning to ashes reached King Sagara a bit late. Upon hearing everything, King Sagara sent his grandson Anshuman to Sagar Island. When Anshuman reached Kapila Muni's hermitage and humbly requested for his blessings, Kapila Muni, pleased with his sincere prayers, granted him two boons.
Anshuman first requested to retrieve the sacrificial horse. Secondly, he requested the liberation of his ancestors. Smiling gently, Kapila Muni returned the horse and said, "Complete the Ashwamedha sacrifice. However, the time for the liberation of your ancestors has not yet come. They will be liberated by Ganga, satisfied with Shiva's appeasement, who will descend from heaven carrying her holy waters. With the touch of her sacred waters, they will attain salvation and journey to Vaikuntha."
Filled with relief upon hearing Kapila Muni's words, Anshuman returned with the horse for the completion of the Ashwamedha sacrifice. After the grand ceremony, Anshuman handed over the kingdom to the sage's care and chose to live as a forest-dweller. After Anshuman's death, his son Dilip became the king, followed by his grandson Bhagiratha. Bhagiratha, after handing over the reins of the kingdom to his minister, retired to the Himalayas for penance. After a thousand years of penance, Ganga Devi was pleased. Upon hearing the reason for his penance, she said, "I am ready to accompany you to both the mortal world and the netherworld. But who will hold me?"
Shiva alone can bear it all, so hearing this, Ganga Devi told Bhagirath to go to Kailash. Bhagirath pleased Shiva with his penance. Shiva assured him. Ganga arrived as desired. On Shiva's locks, Ganga descended. Ganga said, "I have come to die for you. Lead me to Kapil Muni's hermitage."
Bhagirath, transcending all obstacles, brought the purifying Ganges to Kapil Muni's hermitage. With the touch of Ganga's holy waters, all of King Sagara's sons found liberation. Thus, to this day, devout people believe that on certain days, immersing in the holy waters of the Ganges will cleanse all sins and transgressions from life. They become sanctified, and thus, people from various corners of the earth flock to the Ganges, forming a grand congregation, a great pilgrimage site.
The straight road from Kapil Muni's temple leading directly to the riverbank merges with a vast area, where stands tall the shop of Govind Agarwal. Govind Agarwal is a well-known merchant of Gaddiyahat. His cloth business spans the entire state. There are several industries for producing garments like sarees, lungis, and shawls. He doesn't miss the fair of the Ganges. However, for the past ten years, he has returned home with the fair. Yet, he has been coming to the fair with his shop. Over the years, his shop has become a staple at the fair.
As per usual, Govind brought along twenty-five people with him. Everyone was busy setting up the shop, cooking, and so forth. Govind observed everything. At such a time, a thought came to him — "Does Mother Ganges prevail?" This thought astonished Govind. Who is coming to his shop at this time? As he was working, he glanced outside. Standing in front of the shop, there was a Sadhu Maharaj. With matted hair on his head, a long saffron robe, a thick beard on his face, and a shawl covering his feet, the Sadhu had a rosary of Rudraksha beads around his neck and a small clay pot in one hand. A blanket was draped over his shoulder, and on his back, he carried a small bundle.
Upon seeing the Sadhu, Govind felt immense respect. He believed deeply in the blessings of the Sadhus. If they wished, they could do anything. If the father blesses by laying his hand on the head, then one could reap abundant benefits from this fair. This was his belief. Govind quickly came out of the shop and greeted the Sadhu with respect. With folded hands, he said, "Please come inside, revered Baba! Have some water."
The Sadhu entered the shop with great satisfaction. Govind quickly took a towel from the drawer, cleaned it, and handed it to the Sadhu. The Sadhu sat down. Govind then took some money from the cashbox and gave it to the employee, saying, "Bring some food for the revered Sadhu."
The employee went to bring the food.
Govind asked, "Babaji! Where do you reside?"
Hearing the question, the Sadhu was surprised. Why this sudden question? Had Govind recognized him and stopped coming? Did his arrival convey the news to someone else? On the way, the Sadhu had noticed that pictures of his son had been posted at various places by the police. If caught, he would receive a hefty reward. But one thing was certain. It was his son's age and transformation that no one would recognize him easily. To understand the correct situation, Sadhu Babaji cleansed Govind — "Is there a place for the bat? The ayah is asking."
Gobind said, "It's nothing like that, sir! People in our Rajasthan tend to adopt a bit more of a saintly lifestyle. So, I was thinking, are you from Rajasthan? But just by looking at your face, it seems like you're Bengali."
At that moment, Gobind's employee, carrying a tray, arrived with snacks. Gobind quickly set the table, arranged the food, and offered it to Sadhu Babaji. Sadhu Babaji was pleasantly surprised and started eating the food. Gokul, observing the scene intently, kept his eyes fixed on the surroundings. Suddenly, Sadhu Babaji's gaze shifted towards the shop in front. There, too, posters had been put up by Raut Sahab's people.
Sadhu Babaji had never seen Raut Sahab or Anuj Verma directly. Nor had he ever had a direct encounter with CID's D.S.P. Alok Mitra. However, he had seen their photos in various newspapers. He had been following their activities closely. Who knows what traps they might have set here as well? Sadhu Babaji thought deeply. However, his attention was still on those posters.
"On that poster, is there anything written about the bandit?" Gobind asked eagerly.
"There's something written about a notorious Pandit named Polatak. It seems like they've been searching for Batu for the last twenty-five years. During these twenty-five years, he has committed numerous robberies, looted extensively, and committed many murders. Has he come to the Ganga Sagar fair to carry out his robberies? To steal from the temple, loot the treasure. The police administration has come to know about it. They have also announced a big reward for him. Anyone who catches the bandit Polatak will receive a cash prize of one lakh rupees from the government. They will also publish their photos in newspapers if they wish. The government will arrange a special reward for one such task. Besides the photo, there's also a way mentioned to identify the bandit. There's a big scar on his forehead."
Hearing Gobind's words, Sadhu Babaji's face turned pale. Gobind knew a lot about the bandit Polatak. If there were any doubts, there was no escape. He would be arrested by the police team jumping on him like a swarm of hornets. There would be no way out of that trap. He had to escape from here now. So, leaving the food untouched, Sadhu Babaji got up.
Seeing him rise, Gobind said, "Babaji! Where are you going after standing up like that? Have a little to eat."
Sadhu Babaji didn't pay attention to Gobind's pleas. Smiling, he said, "No, Bata, my stomach is already full."
At a time like that, Gobind said, "Now, where will you go, Babaji? It's getting dark. It's quite cold as well. Rather, you stay here. I'll make all the arrangements. You won't face any inconvenience." (Gradually)