Atal Bihari Nandi

A Great Devotional Heart in the Play of Prabhu Haranath

By, V. Subba Rao

One of the foremost devotees of Haranath Prabhu was Atal Bihari Nandi who was accorded in the philosophy of Haranath Prabhu as high a place as was given to Adwaitacharya in that of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Haranath once told him, “you are my Adwaitacharya”, thus revealing indirectly his identity with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (see page 115 of part III of ‘The Letters of Pagal Haranath”).

Haranath did not forget even for a while that he was a house-holder though he was all the time hobnobbing with Sadhus, Mullahs, Fakirs and other such persons during his stay in Kashmir. Therefore, he set out to Sonamukhi in 1894 to be with his family. Siddha Kailaspati who was the Guru of the Maharaja of Kashmir happened to visit Sonamukhi when Haranath was five years old. He felt greatly happy to see Haranath again after nearly twenty years. Whenever they found some time, they would meet in the house of Haranath and discourse on matters relating to God. When his second daughter, Raimoti was born in 1895, Haranath took two months leave from His work and went to Sonamukhi. On the way he met Atal Bihari Nandi at the Hatras Railway Junction of the East India Railway. Their meeting was a remarkable event.

Atal babu was working as the Head booking-cleark at Hatras Junction, not far from Brindaban. On his way back Prabhu would have certainly got off at Hatras and would have visited Brindaban. For the Present Prabhu looked very tired and haggard with over grown beard and wearing dirty coat and trousers. He decided to spend the night on the Platform of the Station. He gave a discourse on Lord Krishna. The other Passengers gathered round him and listened to the discourse for hours. Initially Atal Babu felt that some stranger was creating a nuisance on the Platform and so was rude to him. But as he listened to the words of Prabhu, he felt greatly charmed and repented at his being angry with Prabhu. (See Page 65 of ‘Pagal Haranath—The Saviour and the Modern Mystic’ by Dr. U. C. Khambholja). He smiled at Atal benignly. The Lord kept engaged the waiting travelers in the divine flow of Krishna Katha from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. All heard him spell bound. Thus Atal babu was attracted towards him.

Haranath left for Brindaban and on his return journey alighted at Hatras Junction to change the train to go to Panagarh. Prabhu went to the ticket counter and demanded a ticket to be given for Panagarh. The clerk informed that for the next eight hours there was no train. But Haranath insisted saying that some train would come that would take him to Panagarh. The clerk felt annoyed thinking that it could only be a mad man who would behave thus, and left the counter. Atal babu who was inside the room heard the conversation and came out to see who the person was; who was demanding a ticket for Panagarh. On seeing Prabhu, Atal prostrated before him, took him inside and made him seated comfortably. There ensued a conversation between them filled with love. Prabhu talked about Atal’s wife and family and informed him of the circumstances the family was then passing through. He also told that Atal had suffered from malaria when he was in Delhi and that presently he was suffering from a colic problem. He advised him to chant Lord Krishna’s name every night before he went to bed and he would be cured without having to take any medicine. Totally overwhelmed by the words of Prabhu, from that moment, Atal surrendered himself at the feet of Prabhu and devoted his life to Prabhu’s service completely. He collected the letters written by Prabhu to his devotees and published them in a book form with the title “Pagal Haranath” thereby rendering phenomenal contribution to the Propagation of Haranath’s philosophy. With Prabhu’s grace he attained Goloka.

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Joy Sri Sri Kusum Haranath

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N.B. Collected from, Sri Haranatha Kathamritam by Vrudhula Subba Rao, Nagpur, 2012.