Experience of Upananda and Narayan Ghosh

Priya Kumar was a government Auditor. Haranath used to call him as “Upananda Baba.” He accompanied Haranath to Puri. Several devotees also had come. There was festivity in the Ashram day and night. Upananda wanted to visit Lord Jagannath, only in the company of Haranath. However Haranath managed to go to visit Jagannath without the knowledge of Upananda for several days. Upananda had come on ten days leave. He had to leave Puri the next day. So he had no alternative but go to the temple alone to have darshan of Lord Jagannath. After mid-day meal when Haranath was taking a nap, Upananda came to the temple of Jagannath. There he was startled to see Haranath waiting at the entrance for him. Haranath said, “Hasten father, the temple doors will be closed soon. Let us have darshan of the Lord.” Holding his hand Haranath led him inside, straight to the jewelled altar where the idol of Jagannath stood. Haranath stood before Jagannath. Upananda stood behind Him. Suddenly Upananda noticed that Haranath was not seen. Thinking that He had left, he was about to turn back when he noticed Haranath at the same place before Lord Jagannath. It happened like this three times. Upananda became puzzled. Meanwhile the Bhog (offering food to the Deity) time approached. Haranath led Upananda out and again went out of sight. Upananda when he returned to the ashram found Haranath sleeping in the same position that he had found Him before leaving for the temple. Making enquiries in the ashram he came to know that Haranath had not left the ashram after meals. A little later when Haranath woke up, He enquired Upananda, “What father, have you seen the great Lord? Is not your leave ending tomorrow?”

Three days earlier N.C.Ghosh had a similar experience. He made a mid-day visit to the temple. There he was observing the architecture of the temple when Haranath suddenly came from behind and placing His hand on his shoulder said, “Brother, see how skillfully the Lord’s temple has been constructed, such that the holy temple does not cast a shadow.” Then holding his hand, He circumambulated the temple. N.C.Ghosh was so much absorbed in Haranath’s nectar-like words that he did not observe when He left his hand and went away. When he returned to the ashram, he noted that Haranath did not rise up from sleep after His food. He concluded that the event should have been his imagination. But after hearing from Upananda about his experience, he realized that his own experience was not an imagination and that Haranath was omnipresent.

****Photo Courtesy :
Upananda – Pritha Chakraborty (Great Grand Daughter of Upananda)
N.C. Ghosh – From his book “Wonderful leelas of Haragopal”

Collected the story from the book : “Haranath – The Deliverer of Mankind” by Sri Haragopal Sepuri (Chennai)