Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya

(Ashram student:) “What was the nature of your relationship with Mother? When did she ask you to attend upon her? Did you have any correspondence with her?

(Pranab:) My relation with Mother was that of a mother and child, of a guru and shishya, of a leader and follower and that of a true friend.
         She gradually took me into her fold after she saw me for the first time in 1942. From 15th August 1947, she gave me the permission to see her whenever I wanted. The responsibility of attending on her came about slowly.
         As I was almost always with her, I did not need any correspondence. I have perhaps a few letters written to me by her.”

(Ashram student:) “What was your role in her work? Can you enlighten us on the reference that she makes about a fight in the subtle world where you were the only one who did not desert her?

(Pranab:) Like all her children I felt that I had to do my inner and outer work properly and I have tried to execute my responsibility as well as I could.
         When her body rested she would often go out of her body and fight with adverse forces in the subtle world. Somebody was needed to take care of her body at that time. She told me that she had full confidence in me and that I was doing my work all right.
         I do not remember about the incident mentioned in the question.”

(Pranab:) “When I was about seven years old, father took us to Calcutta, his place of work. He was a member of the Y.M.C.A. In Bhowanipur. Every evening, after work, he would go to the Y.M.C.A. And take me along. In those days at the Y.M.C.A., there was the possibility of playing basketball, table tennis, boxing and exercises. I was greatly attracted to boxing.
         I wanted to learn boxing. My father made the arrangements after taking permission from the Y.M.C.A. administration.
         My first coach was a South Indian boxer. I don't remember his name now. He began teaching me with a lot of interest even though I was only seven. But then, quite unexpectedly, he had to leave Calcutta because of some work.
         ... Then one day, a good-looking young man named Sri Madhusudan Majumdar turned up at the Y.M.C.A. He had been to America for his studies. After his studies he also learnt boxing there and then came back. After he joined the Y.M.C.A. The boxing coaching resumed in full swing. I became his student.
         I learnt from him for some time, but then father got too busy with his work to be able to go to the Y.M.C.A. And my boxing classes too came to an end there.
         When I was fourteen, I passed out from the Anandamayi School to join the Ballygunj Jagatbandhu Institution. The sports teacher there was the famous boxer and athlete of the time Sri Jagatkant Sheel. His club was situated on Wellington Square and was called S.O.P.C. (School of Physical Culture).
         ... A couple of Jagat-babu's students used to come to assist him in coaching. One of them was Sri Biren Chandra. … He was quite well-known in the boxing circles of the time. The period was 1934-36. In his weight-category he was the All Bengal Champion and the Civil Military Champion. He also took part in categories above his own and almost always won on knockout. … In the Civil Military Championship Sri Biren Chandra knocked out eight British soldiers successively in order to win the Championship!
         One day, when he came to teach boxing in our School and saw my enthusiasm for it, he told me: “If you want to really learn it well, then join my club.”
         ... In a short time I progressed a lot and I became quite a good boxer. My punching power increased tremendously and my self-confidence was very high. I began thinking that I was capable of taking on any good boxer.”

(Pranab:) “[My family's] contact with the Ashram began in 1934. It is from then that we started receiving news from the Ashram, books and letters, Sri Aurobindo's and Mother's messages, etc.
         Once during this period, we went from Calcutta to Berhampore. On entering the Chandi-mandapa (an altar to Mother Chandi) I noticed that in place of Mother Kali's statue photographs of Mother and Sri Aurobindo had been placed. I was furious when I saw this. How was this possible? To keep Mother's and Sri Aurobindo's photographs in Mother Kali's place? They may be great yogis, advanced souls, spiritually realised, but still... I was really angry. However, I kept mum. The elders of the family had done this so I repressed my own feelings.
         A few days later, I realised to my astonishment that quite unknowingly I myself had begun following their path. A strange change had taken place deep within my being almost imperceptibly. It happened all by itself. And then I realised how right everything was. This is exactly how it ought to be.”

(Pranab:) “Besides learning boxing in Biren-da's club, I also learnt to do freehand exercises, weight-training, wrestling, asanas, folk dances, volleyball, drills, parades, etc. Biren-da used to always encourage me a lot and taught me everything with a lot of care. Soon I became his favourite student.
         Along with physical development, Biren-da taught me how to build an ideal character and love the country. This is what gave a new direction to my life. At the age of 14-15 I resolved that the ordinary life was not for me and that I would consecrate my life for some greater purpose.
         Biren-da taught me that to have a beautiful, strong body and to be a champion boxer was not the be-all and end-all of life. We needed to prepare the youth of the country into a an honest, hard-working and self-sacrificing brigade. That was the only way to take the country forward, to make the country great. It is this goal that has always guided me and has brought me where I am today. All my life and even today I have been engaged in this work of building the youth. Incidentally, Biren-da joined the Ashram one month after I did in May 1945 and started working with me.”

(Pranab:) “I passed my Matriculation in 1939. Maths was one subject I could not get to like but my father wanted me to take up Science in college. And so, for my father's sake and despite my unwillingness, I joined college to study science. The consequences were terrible. I lost one year and then joined the Art department of the Berhampore College. That was in 1940.
         As I began my studies in college, I also managed to set up a little gymnasium. I called it “Vivekananda Vyayam Samiti” and strove to develop my body as well as my character. And with whatever knowledge I had then, I began my work of preparing young boys. Between 1940 and 1945 I managed through my hard work to give the club its moorings. A lot of fine boys came out of this club an succeeded in different fields of life to show their skill and abilities.”

(Pranab:) “We formed our Berhampore club with the ideal of moulding true men. Our youthful minds were convinced that only a straightforward, dutiful, skilled and selfless people could build a true society and country. If the youth of the land became healthy, strong in character, generous and patriotic then the country could become great. Keeping this ideal in mind we tried our best against all odds and in all sincerity to make our club really big.
         During floods or other natural calamities we would organize relief camps. Our boys were often called up by people to work as volunteers during festivals. … We set up a library, where there were discussions on various topics, some used to write articles that were read there. We even started a hand-written journal. Thus our club became famous all over Berhampore. Young people came from faraway places to join our club for exercising...
         I was struck with the thought that if everything continued in this direction among the youth in the entire country, we would become important and powerful. We would build up a great strength. But what were we going to do with this strength? In what way could we utilise this strength in society and in life? We were all young in age and immature and if we were not able to channelise the strength in the right lines towards the right goal then the consequences might not be happy. We used to have these thoughts: What is the aim of life? Its goal? What brings the highest fulfilment to man? What is the ideal society? And we often discussed them with our local politicians of various parties. But their words and ideas never satisfied us. We thought their ideas and ideals were all somewhat incomplete, uncertain and unclear.”

(Pranab:) “I first came to Ashram in 1942, during the April Darshan. I was only nineteen then. Ranju, Gora and Sunil were my companions and we were put up at the Chettiar House.
         ... All my traveling-clothes had become very dirty on the train to Pondicherry. I did not know where the laundry was nor did I know the local language to ask. What was I to do? In the end I made a bundle of all my dirty clothes and got out. I went to the Ashram and sat down on the staircase in front of the cashier's room. ...
         A little later, Nolini-da came and stood in front of me like a saviour. He asked: “What are you sitting here for?” And this simple question was warm with affection.
         I said: “I have to get these dirty clothes washed. But I don't know anything here. I was just sitting here wondering what to do.”
         “You needn't worry.” With that one sentence he took all my worries away. He called someone and said: “Will you please take him to the Ashram Laundry?”
         I used to feel like asking a lot of questions about the Ashram. But I would see Nolini-da busy all the time. Considering it improper to disturb him I asked: “I would like to know more about the Ashram. Who should I go to?”
         “You needn't go to anybody,” he promptly replied, “come to me, I'll tell you everything.”
         “But you're so busy all the time,” I said hesitatingly.
         With the same warm affectionate voice he said: “Don't worry about that. I'll find some time. You come.”
         Then suddenly one day I saw a little notice at the Ashram Gate: Pranab to see Nolini.
         I went to see him. He lovingly asked me to sit and offered me a tinful of crisps. And then he began calling me every Friday and Saturday and would warmly offer me plenty of sweets.
         And in this way, enveloped by his affection and love, I have had the chance to hear and understand a lot of things from him. His words did not just leave an indelible impression on my mind but infused my heart as well with immense force.
         One day I said to Nolini-da: “For the short time I'm here I'd like to work somewhere. Give me a type of work that needs a lot of physical effort.”
         “Very good,” he laughed, “You can go and work in the Laundry, then. You will have to wash Ashramites' clothes.”
         And so I began working in the Laundry.
         During that time I used to experience a strange sort of ardour within me. As if something were trying to express itself, as if I was seeking something but could not touch it, I was looking for something but could not find.
         One day I told Nolini-da about this state and asked him: “Can you tell me what it is that I want?”
         “You want to remain absorbed in a state of permanent contentment,” he answered and in that brief reply cleared my mind completely.
         That was the first time I came to know consciously what my inner being longed for.”

(Pranab:) “I had just arrived in the Ashram, I was very young then and one day I remember telling Mother: “Mother, you and Sri Aurobindo are good friends, aren't you?” I had meant someone ‘close’ by ‘friend’.
         Mother did not answer. What she thought of it she alone knew.
         Later in the afternoon at an opportune moment Mother showed me the book The Mother by Sri Aurobindo and said: “Do you know this book? It was written by Sri Aurobindo about me. Sri Aurobindo calls me ‘Mother’. You must read this book with me.”
         After that for a number of days she read The Mother to me. We used to have our midday meal together and after the meal Mother would read the book to me.
         Then later she finally read her Prayers and Meditations, Words of Long Ago and other books as well. As this reading went on in the afternoons, one by one many came to join us. A good number started coming. Then Mother shifted it to the hall in front of the room where Sri Aurobindo's darshan was held, just above the Meditation Hall, so that there was enough space for all to sit.
         There was a lot of pushing and shoving as everyone wanted to sit close to Mother. So, instructed by Mother, Udar got some paper slips prepared with each one's name and he would keep these slips at the fixed places. Udar used to play a very active role in these sittings which lasted for quite some time.”

(Pranab:) “Mother used to say it was not enough to have a knowledge of one or two things of beauty, one had to acquire everything of beauty from all sides and learn to recognise it as well.
         I used to do some bodybuilding. I also wrote a little. Literature and poetry appealed to me. After hearing Mother I thought I ought to try some of the other arts as well.
         Taking up singing at that age was not possible but I thought I could learn instrumental music instead. I might not have been able to draw but I could always learn photography.
         So I told Mother, “I'd like to learn photography, isn't that an art as well?”
         Mother said: “Photography is an art if the photographer is an artist.”
         Saying this she gave me a very old Kodak box-camera and said: “Start with this.”
         With that old broken camera I took a number of snaps and showed them to Mother. She was pleased with my effort and began to explain to me the finer points of the art of photography, perspective, angle of vision, range and composition. She taught me the need of accepting some elements and discarding others, depending on the angle that is chosen. These lessons from Mother continued for many days.
         A few days later Mother asked Venkatesh to buy a rather expensive medium-sized camera for me. I have taken many shots with it.
         Later Mother bought me a much more expensive camera, a Zeiss Super Ikonta. In those days taking photos of Mother was not permitted. But I took her picture in the Playground while she was taking a class and she did not object.
         Mother herself arranged vases with flowers and asked me to photograph them.
         On the Ashtami, Dasami, Lakshmi Puja and Kali Puja days Mother used to give special blessings. I took photos of Mother on these occasions. Mother had consented to these photos being taken only because of Dr. Sanyal's enthusiasm.
         However, Mother told me very clearly the photos that could be printed and shown to people and those that could not. I followed Mother's directions very faithfully.”

(Pranab:) “Chimanbhai started photography in the Ashram. I used to learn photography from Vidyavrata, Venkatesh, Chimanbhai and others. I set up a small dark-room and ordered an enlarger. One day Mother eagerly came there to see how enlargements were made.
         We did not have any elaborate arrangement in our dark-room. Working for six or seven hours a day in the dark and closed room we used to get soaked with perspiration as if we had had baths. We did not have the means to air-condition our dark-room and neither could the Ashram be asked to do it.
         Once me made an intelligent contraption: we fitted a flash to my Leica and in this way we turned it into a copying device. Many projection slides were made with it and several people took those slides and offered us money. With that money we slowly modernised our dark-room.
         To this day we develop all the photos of Mother and Sri Aurobindo ourselves. I started it and now Vishwajit and a couple of boys work on it. This brings in some money to the Ashram. But what is more, the devotees of Mother and Sri Aurobindo can have their photos. The photos are sold from the Sales Department of the Ashram.”

(Pranab:) “One day Mother told me: “I'll make a pencil sketch of you.” In those days, after lunch, Mother used to rest for some time in her chair. And I used to take a short nap resting my head on one side of the cushion on which Mother used to stretch her feet.
         Mother said: “I'll make a sketch of you at noon after lunch when you rest.”
         And so one day, as usual, Mother sat on her chair to rest and I lay down to take my nap. Mother made two or three rough sketches. Then one day on a large piece of paper Mother did the final sketch. Before finishing Mother told me: “Now you can open your eyes.” After the picture was finished, Mother got a copy made for me.”

(Pranab:) “Mother saw me in one of my previous births in a vision. It was in ancient Greece. I was playing marbles by the Acropolis on the street.”

(Pranab:) “In 1947, during the month of August, some riots occurred in Pondicherry. After this, I started staying in Mother's room.”

(Pranab:) “Mother started teaching me occultism in 1947-48. When Mother had finished all her work round one-thirty or two at night, my occultism class would begin.
         First Mother taught me to concentrate with her on the heart-centre. Then with her help I learnt to go out of the body. After all sorts of experiences outside I returned into the body with Mother's help. This was the first lesson.
         Mother would always repeat that these things should never be done without a guru. Even when one goes out of the body the soul keeps a contact with it. If that connection breaks for some reason, the soul would not be able to get back into the body. And the body would then die. The guru keeps that contact strong and watches over the body's safety.
         Once I had a very strange experience. I had come out of my body and was wandering in the vital world. All of a sudden I saw that a huge, camel-like creature was crushing me with its body. Its body was covered with soft thorns. It was trying to crush me with those thorns. It was quite painful. I started calling Mother. Mother answered: “There, everything is all right.” Saying this she brought me back into the body. She then explained to me that I had seen a vital being. But it can do us no harm because we can get back into the body at once. During this experience I was not frightened at all at any moment.
         This sort of occult education went on for some time. During this period I used to do physical exercises for over two-and-a-half to three hours in the morning. And then in addition I had other strenuous jobs as well. At night I used to feel very sleepy indeed.
         One day I told Mother: “Can't you just pass on your occult power into me without going through all this trouble? If in a specific situation I need your help I'll call you and you will help me. Can't something like this be possible?” Mother replied: “Yes, that can be done too.” So I said: “Then Mother do that. I can't keep awake at night. I feel very sleepy.”
         And so ended my classes of occultism.”

(Pranab:) “One, on my birthday (October 18th, 1949), Mother organised a little ceremony during lunch. She got a glass of red grape-juice prepared. Then she took a sip from it and passed it on to Ravindra-ji, Mona, Gauri and Udar to do the same. Then she gave the glass to me. She wrote down something on a piece of paper and signed it and then she asked Ravindra-ji, Mona, Gauri and Urdar to sign below her signature and gave it to me. Here is what she had written:

“Pranab,

You are our joy of every day,

Our hope of today,

Our victory of tomorrow.

Be yourself and all will be well.

Let this wine of immortality be the wine of your complete victory.” ”

(Pranab:) “Mother used to return from the Playground at night and preside over a collective meditation in the Ashram. After the meditation she would go and serve Sri Aurobindo dinner and then retire to her own room. There Mother used to have dinner with me. Then she rested. And I would come away to my place in the morning.
         It was the same routine on the 4th of December in 1950. Mother finished her work in the Playground and went to the Ashram. I too went home for a shower and then returned to the Ashram. I did not attend the collective meditation. During the meditation I would take a quick nap in one corner of her room. On that day too I was resting like that.
         Late in the night Mother woke me up. She said: “Everything is finished. Now you must stand by my side.” Then she took me to Sri Aurobindo's room. There I saw Sri Aurobindo's body lying on the bed. She asked me if I wanted to take photographs. I declined. So she asked me to go and get the other Ashram photographers so that they could take the photographs.
         I went out to go and fetch Venkatesh, Vidyavrata and Chiman-bhai. They got busy with their work. Mother watched them take photographs for a while and then she went to her own room to sit. I remained by her side. Her words ‘Now you must stay by my side’ were ringing within me and I wanted my obedience to be total. I did not have any other special thoughts. Very simply, I remained by her side day and night. When she went in for her bath I too would rush home during that interval to finish mine and get back to her room to wait for her to come out.
         In the meantime, the work of constructing the Samadhi on Mother's instructions was completed. She had asked two chambers to be built one above the other.
         It was decided to place Sri Aurobindo's body in the Samadhi in the evening of December 9th. This was done. From 5th December when Sri Aurobindo left his body until 9th December when he was put into the Samadhi, I did not leave Mother even for a minute. Mother told me a few days later: “You did the right thing. If you hadn't stayed on by my side, I would have left my body.” ”

(Mother to Pranab, 1958:) “My beloved child,
         You are for me the living and perfectly representative symbol of the physical life ready for the transformation and wanting that transformation consciously. In all the plenitude of the Supreme Presence I say to you: “I love you.”
         – Mother”

(Pranab:) “When Mother was physically in our midst, many people used to send all sorts of letters to her through me. I used to also receive a lot of letters from outside. After reading out the letters to Mother and receiving her answer and Blessings, I would reply to them. Even after Mother's physical withdrawal, all those people who were used to communicating with Mother through me, continue to do so today. I try and send their prayer towards Mother and send them her Blessings. In due course many new disciples and devotees have begun writing to me and their number is continually rising. Replying to these letters has become a major work for me.”

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