Sipra's Diary.#3Down the memory lane with father(Empty now)

Sipra's Diary : My Father. (Vurkunda) Stories 1,2,3, 4 and "Next '> June 11/2022

                                          My father 

                                 Time that has crossed by......... 

My father was the first hero in my life: A man of very distinctive personality, both in appearance and in nature. He was a great connoisseur of not only academic life but also  all sorts of creativity like music sports and game  (for girls also) which  was  quite  time ahead for him . He was frequently transferred due to  his job  in Railway service ; so we  had opportunity to travel many new places and people .  He  a was joyful   person .His loud lough. created fountain  of joy and add  extra-flavor in life to any gathering or  festival.

His progressive attitude of western outlook along with blind faith in spirituality and  Hindu religion  blended together harmoniously made our family adorable in the neighborhood, in the town ,whether it was a small insignificant   place or commercially // politically significant town.

He had excellent capability of organizing. In his young age he was transferred to Vurkunda,  situated in Palamou district of Bihar. Palamou was famous for its scenic beauty: high hills, green forest, timber, farming of honey and country-liquor made of 'mou' fruit-plants along with wild animals like fox wolf and snakes; the native villagers were 'santals', mostly farmers and cattle owners.  

 There was neither  any school( even elementary) nor hospital nor grocery shop .But perhaps geographical strategy was discovered  as great prospectus; so  the railway station became important. My father stayed here for  only 1 year. He was the first to introduce there  not only picnic and cultural function; but the greatest festival of Bengal, Durga Puja, Kali puja along with  just  start-up -sports Club ,Book-Club with the small   railway stuffs. The Railway neighbors exchanged books and magazines (which came to be known book-club) among themselves. I was then about four years.I remember my father  used to play badminton (perhaps in winter)and  then telequate (Ring) from February /March for windy weather . My father arranged the badminton court ,bats,net , feather-cork, Ring. Great pleasure of me and my brother was to pick up the cork when it dropped on the ground.;So we waited  outside the court eagerly for dropped-cork . Every time  we  two counted who scored more to 'pick up'! we treasured  the discarded corks to play in our play time with two pieces  of hard-cover torn from the old and used  hand-writing copies  as bats.

In the summer evening this badminton group used to play cards(either Breeze or Twenty-nine) in the frontside  veranda   under open sky until the  call  for dinner came up.It was 1948/49.. They played  in the hurricane light ;because there was no electricity even in the railway station. I enjoyed the elders' playing because I could stay outside under the sky even after the late evening . 

But soon the fun of  evening game  was stopped Because a calf was taken by a tiger (or wolf) from our close neighborhood,- less than half mile away.  It happened repeatedly 2/3 times. The panic rosed  higher when one of the 2/3 years old kid from the group of playing kids was taken away by the tiger  in the early evening .We heard the noise of screaming mother along with the other women and men  and kids . 

My father with the railway stuff went with log and torch in hand on the spot where 8/9 families lived in huts with their goats ,cattle ,hen ,duck etc. My father took decision that  from next day  four people by turn would guard the neighbourhood   by beating tin and drum  to make the neighbor alert and the tiger afraid. Both. Also there was arrangement to burn  fire  surrounding the huts. All of them accepted the decision . No incidents happened during our   short time stay in that area after it. But we all   kids used to enter inside the house  from the play field before the darkness of the evening set in. Both front door and backdoor  were closed right at  the evening without fail.

 I don't remember whether my elder brothers had any study time at the evening . There were only two bedrooms with L-shaped long covered -veranda which included the kitchen at the end point .

From the kitchen window I loved to see how the green hills at day-time would  turn  dark black  but at the base there were lots of bright flame  like Dewali and occasionally the sound of  beating  tin and drum along the fade sound of tribal song with the flute . I longed strongly to go there . I asked ,

"Ma, will you take me to the hill? I wish to see the opposite side of the hill; I think they had some festival : drum ,flame , vocal music  and also flute."

Ma:   It is more than two miles.We cannot cross that  hill, it is quite high for the elderly also."

"Ma, who has done that fire works like  flame of  bright candles ?"

Ma: There are many small villages at the basement of the hill ; It is not festival at all.  The fire, noise of drum keep the tiger away .  when tiger comes within close  distance they give a stinky smell ; instantly they beat the tin loudly  to alert and awake the neighbors."

 . In the concrete walled back  courtyard  two/three  folding  cots  were spread where we lay after dinner  in the early night to enjoy cool air in summer .Only father's cot was covered with a white sheet and pillow, side pillow .I  shared the cot with father and learnt  a lot lessons orally from father . My elder brothers always avoided my father in fear.

After listening the  tiger's story in our neighborhood ,I could not shut my eyes for a moment .I kept my eyes surveying the wall of backyard. 

With choaked breathing and pounding heart remained thinking,

 "what should I do if a tiger comes by jumping over the wall?" I waited when my father would order,

  "hey all get up!, our body is enough cool now let us go inside ."I would breath sigh of relief."

But in the beginning I liked to observe the sky with moon and stars and floating clouds ,  mysterious shooting stars before the story of tiger haunted  me .    

(Continue)

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June 28/Tues/22.                 Story#( 2)

Few more stories flashed fresh in my mind about Vurkunda,--just as head comes nearer if the ear is pulled, likewise  one-story ignite  the  another bunches of creeper of the memory box.

My next  brother was  only two years younger than me. He was quite and gentle. We were engaged playing, eating singing  together without quarrel. My other two elder brothers (perhaps 7 to 9 years range)were enjoying la-sa-faire days as they didn't have to go school. It was perhaps hard for my mother to cope with their naughtiness when my father was on duty. My cousin sister was 14/15 while my own sister12. Oneday,  my mother was taking lunch along with two sisters, sitting on the wooden plank  on the floor (in  Japanese  style!). Two elder brothers were fighting in the veranda; My mother stood up to stop them ;but before  she uttered anything, one of the elder brother looked at my mother with frightened gazing eyes said ,"Ma, you have taken lot of rice today ;your belly is so big that seems to  burst now like balloon! "

"Ma:    " hmm. so listen to me; go inside the room to take a nap!"

The two quarreling brothers obeyed my mother, little anxiously . Ma and cousin sister began to giggle and giggle. I could not understand but noticed the belly of my mother first time. It appeared  scary for me, too.

The sky was black and cloudy It was month of August.We didn't go out to play in that afternoon, for the cloudy weather.  I remember my father came earlier  and again went outside  hastily &came back shortly.  I lay in  a cot with.....huddled with whom? .....don't remembered. I fell  into deep sleep along with streaming fade sound of  conversation from the other closed-door room; something unknown feeling streamed in my consciousness. Next day I woke up at early dawn; room was still half-dark; full of silence; a smoky smell of cowdung  cakes;  I came out in the backyard veranda(=porch)  through  the  half-closed door ; to my surprise I saw my father on the other corner of the veranda with bare body wearing a dhoti only. coming near to me he asked me to go to the neighbor's house to convey that you have a brother at 4:05 AM. I nodded my head .

I came out of the back door. It was muddy for the heavy rain at last night.There was the badminton court between the two houses.  I knocked the back door but nobody answered.Then I came to the court again .I did not feel good to  stand on muddy and wet grass with bare feet...silence all around ; suddenly a light sound and an old lady asked,"My god, you'r in so early ! have you got a  new brother or sister?

"brother."

"very good! I will be  present soon in your house."

Still then I had seen neither ma nor the baby brother; neither  joy nor sorrow; 

silence ; bare feet on the wet grass of muddy field, unseen  mother long time ..., a somber morning with heavy sky along  with empty  feeling are woven in my memory.

Now I am thinking had any doctor or nurse come?  who delivered the baby? Perhaps some neighbor and  local  midwife spent that night with my groaning mother ! 

My other younger brother did not sleep without my ma. He had whooping  cough. The baby brother of only 15 days got infection of whooping cough from  him. It was serious for new born babe .My courageous cousin sister, Renuka, whom we called Bordi, was a great help to my mother. My mother became very dependent on her. I remember very faintly this new brother, better to say, I remember  a photo of   him when he was only of 17 days,  as my eldest brother came from Sindhri  with a newly bought  box-camera (perhaps Kodak) and took his snap; he was then only of 17 days, quite healthy and large  bright eyes.

  

Ma passed  away 33 years back; even that cousin  sister also passed away two years back. But I have been so emotional in empathy for the plight of my mother of those days while memory takes me  up to the old page!

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                                   Story #(3)

My father was posted for short period to  'PATHARDIH'   small but very significant station before Vukunda.  IT was significant as the first Fertiliser company of India in collaboration of U.K was founded here.

I don't remember clearly much  memorable incidents  except one or two. 

My eldest brother,  (Shyamal Mazumdar ) got his first job at early age of 17.( in 1 July, 1946). He was also brilliant  and talented like my father. He was appointed as a trainee  in the the first Fertilizer Company of India in collaboration with UK.at Sindri, near Dhanbad.  The  the first British GM  interviewed and  appointed   my brother as a token of gratitude for my father's help in saving huge amount of money off the  company from 'demurrage' charge to Eastern Railway. So far I remember perhaps his  title was......  Mr....Frith.  Frith-Saheb was remarkably rewarded by his  company for saving money and prestige which was  in fact contribution of my father. Mr Frith insisted my father to offer ten thousand in cash which my father refused to take, out of honesty .Mr Frith was astonished to experience the honesty of a benign employee whose salary at that time was  perhaps Rs 80 to Rs.120 only.

Mr Frith said :  " Mr Mazumdar, I'm really feeling obliged and somewhat guilty; plea-se ask me something to offer you!"

 My father:  "I  knew the Railway laws very well; so I  fought and won the case  lawfully,  while  your  inexperienced lawyer failed . Now it is your term to claim from the Railway for causing harassment  to you,     ( if you wish!).

Mr. Frith:  "Oh thank you ;I don't need that ...to be  entrapped  by court-case again ! ...My 'reward' counts as  your 'due credit'! I will be happy if you allow me to share it with you!"

My father said, "Ok. My son will be coming next week for vacation since his  high-school exam is over ; he is  smart and brilliant ; I will be obliged if you train up him well to establish in future; it will be a great service to me !"

Mr Frith : " No problem; to build up the future career of your son is henceforward my responsibility, I promise ," said confidently. 

"Please send him to me as  soon as he comes".

Then embraced my father and left joyfully. 

My eldest brother, Shyamal, in fact , became like TA of Mr Frith during his training period and possessed the  immense power of second man  to that big  first Fertilizer Company. of India. He was only 17 .Mr Frith called him affectionately 'Babu'.He was impressed with the intelligence and smartness of my brother.  

He  arranged postal course in 'Sheffield  Engineering  College,UK,' for my brother. 

Mr Frith, very much British in spirit, became friendly with my father and  brother whom he loved as his own family member. He often expressed that it was beyond his imagination that he could meet such well mannered, fluent in spoken English people like my father or brother in this insignificant small corner of geographical map. ..........

Let me turn back to my father in Vurkunda.  

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     python snake:                                   #(4 )

In Vurkunda my father  had to be sometimes doctor , sometimes active role to  counsel and all type of entertainments. As my father was an enthusiastic person and very dependable and helpful ;People grew up belief  and trust on him . 

But the fact was my father was not a god  ;He had never any mystic power to enliven a dead person. He had a homeopathic box with medicines , first-aid box , few allopathy emergency medicine, and ointment for the emergency treatment of  the family members; but since there was neither health center nor. any doctor, so my father tried his level best to help them..................................

    It was summer season ; but one afternoon there was heavy storm and rain which continued till midnight .In 1948 in most places of India the lavatory (having pit- privy system ) was always situated in one corner of backside courtyard.

    My younger brother about 3 year  needed  going to lavatory . My sister with lantern stood near the door ;but my brother refused to sit ,complaining that there was some noisy whistling ghost  down the pit . Then my mother also insisted  as sister went  inside  impatiently ; but he was indignant and began to cry and committed in the nearby drain .

     Next day the sweeper came to move and clean the privy at about 9 Am, little late than usual time, for the bad weather . The was an outlet  of the Pit -privy outside for cleaning.  So there was no need to come inside . He drew the container   from the pit with a long Iron hooked stick and felt too heavy  to draw. he had to struggle hard to bring it outside to day light.  

Then he saw  a huge snake  coiling around that metalic  container  with raised head opening its jaw, as big as enough to swallow a  baby-goat ; Instead of  hissing  it made  an eerie   noisy sound .

 The sweeper jumped from the spot to run away screaming loudly, tearing the morning silence. Many people came outside their house  to  hear the screaming  a little crowd of  people gathered in the backside of our house ..2/3 excited people went to fetch my father for decision . As my father came the crowd looked courageous and confident. My father told to kill the snake and then to burn in fire . The snake was then drawn separated from embracing the container.  some local folk Said that it was a baby-python , perhaps new-born;   it was not poisonous ;   it swallowed wild animals ; For storm and rain it might have  come by mistake ; it should be   allowed  to  go back its own place of the mountain cave.  

But another group tried to kill with log and iron stick .I peeped through the crowd to  have a look ; I saw the huge body of the snake was almost like the stem of an eucalyptus plant but the head, too small in proportion to body;   colour  of its body was strawberry and designed big diamond shaped with a polka dot at the center  on its skin. Its body was strawberry  because  it was new-born ; later they     

became blackish. I still visualize the strawberry   glazed skin vividly ;There was no blood in spite of striking with log, stick; even it was not running except opening the jaw and making eerie  breathing sound ! It was thrown away far land after crushing the head ,but  not burnt ; after few hours the neighborhood kids reported the place had  no sign of snake ; perhaps it fled. to some safe place .

Then the ladies began to chat about  fearful stories during 'afternoon tea-time' about  snake   who might come back to take revenge; . ...that was the news of the day..........

Life was simple , but livelihood was quite hard.

There was no radio, no t.v., no theater;... life ran on different current, different throb,  from 'now'.

Sitting in a corner of the room in high-rise building of Lincoln center  in  New York with laptop, I'm  gasping  between  a 'nebulea of rushing memories' and 'typing with  snail-speed fingers' : most ideas are either fading or vanishing ! 

My mind as shadow was after Where and how are you Baba , Ma ?

                                                                                         ( Next)

 

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Sipra's Diary: " In Memory. Of. My Father "(About Name)

 

                                                        In Memory Of My Father

I was proud of the  name of my father :  his name was  Aniruddha  Majumdar .  Still now I feel the name is very much uncommon. .Lots of   memories  of  my parent  embrace me:from childhood to this late  adult. I will narrate some of them : Among them I will mention a story related to his name.

The last two years before retirement my father was almost bed -ridden  for acute pain of arthritis in both the legs; sometimes he used to even whimper out of pain .

Either ASM or porter used to bring lots of files from the office to my father for signature and spent time on discussions and  guidance  from my father.  My father retired as Station Superindent. It was summer vacation ; I  was  with my parent.  The postman came and asked my father to come and sign up registered mail . I told him "he is unable to get up ; Please give me so that he can sign up."

The postman hesitated to give me. 

"  see ,this is very important confidential   'registered'  mail."

" Don't worry .I will bring back the receipt for you soon."

I looked at the brown-colored long  envelope on which name and address was written by black ink. To my surprise ,  I noticed that in place of name it was written : " AmirRuddin Mazumdar.'After the signing I hand over the receipt to the waiting peon .Coming back to my father I asked him, ' Did you notice it was not  your name but a muslim-name  and still you signed?   Why ? I was then doing final year of B.A.  

Am I a daughter of muslim man?..................

Then observing my bewildered face, my father divulged the story,- quite interesting ! The first part of the story I heard more than hundred times but not the last mysterious part about   "Name." 

My father was not only first boy in study but also all -rounder in the class.  The name of his competitor  in  academic field was Kalikanando  Mitra .In the Final   School-Leaving Board Exam  (1926 )  Kalikanando  stood first in the district  by getting 530 whereas  my father  got 525 and became second;......  My father always lost himself  in the blackhole of memory ( perhaps me too! ),.......... lamenting ,"It is only for the 5 marks!" Coming to this far a deadly silence swooped over the story.

He was sad ; In addition  my grandfather scolded him harshly . He left home for Calcutta without  telling anybody and took admission in Scottish Church college . He performed  there so brilliant ................He stole   very soon the attention of the British principal ......a handsome. smart  jovial boy, fluent in spoken English, good  in games and excellent as musician,  . He got  full scholarship throughout the study period...... But I don't know where did he manage his   his accommodation.

{I am thinking now where did he stay ? ...perhaps with his eldest brother who was  student of MA (Mathsematics ) in the University of Calcutta !....Not sure !

After finishing the College course my father came to Howrah Station  cheerfully to go back his home after two years ! As he was  proceeding to get train ,he noticed excited crowd and long que in front of a  Office.   Out of curiosity he came in front  of the que  to ask   the  uniformed security man what was going ;but somebody from the que pushed him  forward to thrush   inside the room ;my father found himself in front of a 'SAHEB'(White British who was the interviewer ).

The British officer raised his head from a big red-covered registry copy and asked,"What's your name?"My father though puzzled in an unknown environment and encountering with huge -figured white officer with pure English accent, dusted off his hesitation and answered smartly,

-"Aniruddha Mazumdar ", sir.

"Show your mark-sheet".

      Luckily it was with him in his bag  .He promptly produced it. The officer 's facial expression became bright .

"What is your hobby?

-"Umm,... playing football,  solving crossword puzzle, and reading biographies of great men ."

"Quite interesting !" He surveyed my father from top to bottom.

  "O.K. You can go now ." 

Looking towards the other officer he ordered ,"  "Take   his name, register him."

The other two bewildered  officers , who  were  fumbling the pages of  huge copy, said,

"Sir, his name is nowhere in the  list of applicants. We searched thoroughly...........

The officer ordered in his baritone voice ",Write down his name in the first list, I say:  it is Amir Ruddin Mazumdar.........yes,  hurry up!

"  Call  the next ." 

My father heard the conversation while getting out of the room.  

He was sweating  partly in in nervousness and for  humid climate of  September. He hurried  to catch the train. As he reached near the wall of his  village home,  he could hear the bell   and  musical tone from the conch along with the  smoke and smell of  incense powder  in the air from our own ancestor's  home-temple; Sound of conch  indicates   the end of evening rituals ,distributing sweets as finishing touch .All members gathered  in the temple -yard in the evening . All the family members cheered to see my dad   in the temple yard  after   long 2years! Grandma  embraced  him emotionally and began to cry in joy ;  her soft   puffy palm rubbed  his head and face  several time; "What a sweet surprise to see you after such a long time !.It is an auspicious  full moon day ;...Within two weeks the great festival of Durgapuja !...you are grown up ,  look like a man !"he bowed down to god and then the priest before leaving the temple .

Then my  dad followed by  all family members along grandmother who announced  loudly,"see Ani has come back !"

Coming outside the temple he bowed down to all his elders . Grandfather ,too, blessed him warmly.  Cheers and joys overflowed the house . The  fragrance of "Seuly "(like jasmine) flowers in air reminded the festival of Durgapuja. My father enjoyed the warmth  of the family .

"But on that very week my father got the job-letter from the Eastern Railway to join next week in "Chandsi "which is now in Bangladesh.Then another wave of cheers in the family!My father was the third of six brothers ;but he was the first one to get prestigious governmental job in Railway .

My father saw his name as "Anir Ruddin" Mazumdar. in the job letter ! My father joined and continued his entire service   efficiently  up to retirement  with reputation as "Ani  Ruddin ." 

It stroke my mind why in all letters  my father was addressed as A.R. Mazumdar and never that super-elegant ultra-modern "Aniruddha"; but never needed to ask. Perhaps nobody knows uptil now  this history behind his name except me .

My ailing father told me on that day, "It seem to me some times that the job was offered to me as (surprisingly   without prior  applying,)  the  officer thought me Muslim,  though my interview was  also excellent.  The British  (on their  principle of  Divide &Rule policy )  preferred to employ a Muslim candidate than a Hindu.   It was hard  for him to correct once he joined as "Ani- Ruddin". He  tried  but found complicated.  

So my father had to leave home, missing to enjoy  the festival of Durgapuja.

My  grandfather  was happy and proud of his son now.  Before my father left , he  informed my father that he wanted to fix his marriage  in the month of November with a girl of some reputed  family from near by village named "JOFLAI. "

"The girl is calm & quite , father is  a doctor, very humble  and widower .  So you must come back in November ,i.e.after two months)"

My father was not happy at all ! He was not prepared to marry  then .  He was an ambitious boy. But he was obedient and carried out his father's wish.

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Sipra's Diary : story of "Maya"(File)

                                                Maya     by   Sipra Roy.   

I feel great joy to work with  volunteering  team  for food packaging in different  occasions; sometimes for festivals , sometimes  for victims of natural calamities  Once  I saw a lady volunteer with  her  name tag "Maya" while Was working in a food-packaging team .Then I asked her "Excuse me, are you Indian? The lady nodded  her head and reply "I'm Spanish." I said ,"sorry! I thought you to be  Indian by your  name;  Do you know what is the meaning of Maya in Spanish?"

-"No, Maya is my given name by my  'guru'!"

I was sure this Guru  must be some Indian!"

Guru-business with the  product of 'yoga',  'power yoga' 'kundalini yoga' dipped in the solution of spirituality is flourishing everywhere, specially  in America. I went "Sivananda   religious retreat" in Nyaardam of south India which  may be named as  novel spiritual entrepreneurship . There I met some young. engineers , lawyer ,priests, musicians (Tabolchi which means artist playing with Tabla, an   instrument for  rhythm). They joined the Ashrama  as  volunteers ;  through  conversation  I came to know that their dream is somehow to come USA. If they give free service  in this institute for  six months they might be sent to  Sivanando Institute situated in  Bahama, US. The easiest way to fulfill  the  dream  to get entry  in US for the ordinary  ambitious young, is to be enlisted  somehow in  some reputed spiritual institution of India; so I mentioned these retreats as spiritual entrepreneurship .

After one hour at the recess period the Spanish lady came to me. and asked smilingly, I 'll love to know the meaning  of my name which is given to me by Guru .

Though I know very well  about the theory of Maya as a student of Philosophy ,  but I am pathetically  poor  to reproduce  my knowledge in simple language  to be understandable to  some  foreigner .

Any way, I briefly answered, ' literally  Maya  means  illusion : that which is not true.But from the standpoint of  Non-dualistic Hindu Religion the term "Maya"is of great importance  with subtle meaning and multiple views ( of confusions!). 

Maya is the powerful force that creates cosmic illusions that the phenomenal world is real ;  it conceals the true character of spiritual Reality.. ..It is the projection or appearance of the phenomenal world .

...it is neither real nor unreal :

for me it is so enigmatic!  personally I think the ancient spiritual scientists faced a deadlock to prove Non-dualistic theory; then they  couldn't manage  how to meet the two ends tie up.  So  to solve it by introducing  a   more dubious term 'Maya', which is similar to swallow a stinky rodent by a snake who neither can vomit nor can swallow ! So to me, Maya still keep us  trapped  in the mystery of maya. 

It is easier for me to tell some story on Maya, heard from my mother.  They are funny as well as easy to realize the magic wand of Maya;  as "example is more powerful than precept" and to grasp the concept.

#Story of Maya:

......Once lord Brahma was curious to experience temporarily for 2/3 months   about the much dubious mystery of Maya . He himself  incarnated as a husband in a pig's family. But 3months was over ,Brahma didn't return.When he didn't return throughout the year ,the dieties in heaven became worried . They all went to Lord Shiva who was absorbed in meditation.  The deities began to pray and wait patiently .Nobody dared to interrupt Him.After 3 months Lord Shiva opened his eyes and saw the anxious  deities. He heard the story calmly and remained silent .Lord Indra. said,"If you permit me I can rescue  and bring back him in heaven which is in great chaos for this long absence."Indra exhibit his own weapon to prove his immense power!

Shiva took some ashes from his  earthen pot  of 'ganja'. and handed it to Narayana.

"If Brahma refuses  your  prayer to come back, then just throw this ash to him. He will get back his senses and responsibility!"

Then Narayana  accompanied by Narada and others came down to

 earth  in search of Brahma, the creator of this universe. The dieties found Brahma  wallowing  in a muddy pond with his pig family. He seemed to be in his pinnacle of bliss.

He exclaimed joyfully to see all  the devatas  standing around the pond 

   'what a pleasant surprise to see you all here !" 

Devatas with folded hands prayed :  We have to come here to take you back with us .It is more than one year you left  heaven which is in state of utter chaos . Please be ready to go back with us ."

  Brahma looked sad.All his joys evaporated.With broken voice He appealed,

"How can I do that ? How can I leave my beloved wife and these cute babies?" 

Brahma with full of  muds  in dirty body and so his wife and piglets began to grunt cheerfully around  Bramha.

All  the devatas were so  shocked and ashamed that they remained down headed and tongue tied.

Narada whispered  Narayana to remind of Shiva's . As  Narayana threw the   devine  ashes to Brahma , Brahhma  immediately became aware of his own  real self. The illusion of" Maya" dispersed away .

#Another fun story  about Maya :

Once Narada asked Lord Krishna ," O Krishna can you explain me what is Maya.  Why earthly people  love to stick and spin around it in spite of lots of sufferings?!"   

Krishna," Sure ! it is most surprising and intriguing story of life.

But before I start, please bring a glass of water.  I am thirsty." 

 Narada went briskly near a pond where he met a beautiful young lady. who was carrying two big pitchers full of water .Narada felt pity for the girl. It was hot summer.  

Narada: "  May I help you? So Narada carried the big pitchers to her cottage;The girl lived with her father. Father was so happy with this 

kind young man that he proposed him to marry her daughter.

Both were enchanted with each other. Narada  accepted  the proposal.  

After marrying they. began to live happily. They birthed three children in 12 years .Then one day a catastrophic storm accompanied by  heavy rain was sweeping over the village. Narada tried hard to save his children  and wife. Due to torrential flood  Narada lost his house along with loving  family in  the raging flood and storm. All were swept away  but somehow he was saved unconscious. 

 Out of traumatic grief and loss he became conscious  and remembered that he left  lord Krishna  waiting with thirst . He came to the same place where Krishna was still standing under the tree . Narada handed over the glass of water. with much apology, 

"  Sorry, I am little late for ....

Interrupting   him Krishna said ,"Is it little late ?... It is twelve years that I am waiting !" 

Narada noticed a naughty  and mysterious smile playing on the face  of Krishna who commented  humorously, "hope, it is clear to you now  what is meant by "Maya!"

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