AkhandanandaBholanath DidimaGurupriya Didi Paramananda
HaribabaBhaijiGopinath Kaviraj
Br TanmayanandaSwami KeshavanandaNarayan-Swami
Swami Nirvanananda
Br Panuda
Panuda was born at Kolkata on 1st January 1925. His name was Kanakanshu Bose. Father Sri Sudhanshu Bose was a Diwan at state of Maharaja of Dinajpur. Formerly he was in service at Ceylon (Modem Sri Lanka). The childhood days of Panuda were spent at Ceylon. Mother Smt. Satindra Mohini Devi, who was known as Mashima in the Ashram, was a very religious-minded lady. Along with Panuda she also used to reside at the Ashram. In 1975 at the hospital of Shree Shree Ma Anandamayee she breathed her last and got shelter in the lotus feet of Shree Shree Ma forever.
Panuda had an elder brother Deeptanshu Bose, who died at an early age. Panuda was educated at Scottish Church College, Kolkata up to intermediate standard. Since his student life he was a versatile writer. He won many prizes in essay competitions. As a student once he met Sri Subhash Chandra Bose along with his colleagues and very earnestly pleaded him to deliver a speech in a college function and he succeeded. Panuda appeared in the B.A. examination at Dinajpur. There his father Sri Sudhansu Bose left for his heavenly abode in 1943. He got an M.A. Degree in History from Kolkata University. He was.a genius student of the University. The grandmother of Panuda Smt KadambiniBasu Roy was the sister of very respectable and patriot leader of Barishal
Shri Ashwini Kumar Dutta. Her youngest son Sri Kalachand Brahmachari joined the freedom fighters following the footsteps his maternal uncle. He went to jail many times on his own occord. He spent twenty-eight years of his life in the jail. He was imprisoned in the fort of Chunar for 10 years. In 1942 Sri Kalachand Brahmchari met Shree Shree Ma for the first time at Dhaca. Later on he met Ma at Vindhyachal and Varanasi too. Meeting Ma he felt so happy that he stayed away from serving the motherland and took shelter at the feet of Shree Shree Ma.
Once Panuda came to Varanasi along with his uncle. It was in 1944. Karapatriji was conducting a Yagna at Assi Ghat. Shree Shree Ma was invited and she went. There Panuda got a glimpse of Shree Shree Ma and he was deeply impressed. Folllowing the footsteps of his uncle he offered his whole life at the Lotus Feet of Shree Shree Ma forever. Then Kanyapeeth was running at a rented house at Debnathpura under the guidance of Sri Kalachand Brahmachari. Panuda also stayed there for sometime and served the Kanyapeeth by purchasing goods and vegetables from the market. Whatever
he did, he did it with the best of his ability. He was a Karmayogi by birth.
After 1947 l.C.S. examinations were stopped. Indian administrative Service, I.A.S. came into existence. Panuda desired to appear in the examination. But due to the inspiration of Shree Shree Ma he left the idea. On 6th February 1947, Panuda along with his mother came to Ashram to live here permanently. Since then he never looked back, and never went home. He didn’t keep any contact with his relatives. Only his nephew Sri Ramlalda was in touch with him. That also due to the fact Ramlalda was reborn by grace of Shree Shree Ma. The details can be found in the book of Gurupriya didi. Panuda stuck to the ideals of a true Brahmchari upto the end of his life.
At that time” Akhanda Savitri Yagna” was being conducted at Varanasi Ashram. Panuda got himself attached to the service as a helper. After the Yagna since 1949-1957 Panuda got himself involved in teaching the young Brahmcharis in Vidhyapeeth at Almora. He taught English. He inspired the boys to lead a
healthy life by taking part in the games with them and by taking care of them. There was a tree of Toon at Almora Ashram. Shree Shree Ma told that respectable Panuda and reverend Bhaiji had relations with that Toon tree.
Panuda told us a story or incident when he was at Vidyapeeth. It was 1955 Ma was at the Ashram of Patal Devi. All the child Brahmacharis were also there. One day at the dawn hearing the excited voice of a boy, Panuda scolded him and struck him on the cheek. Shree Shree Ma was lying in her room. Suddenly Panuda was called into her room. Going there he found Ma was lying on her right side. As soon as he entered the room Ma showed him her right cheek and said, “Look what happened. Someone striking me went out.” Bewildered Panuda saw that there were very clear five finger prints on the cheek of Ma. Panuda was struck dumb. It was beyond imagination. A few minutes ago he had struck the boy on his right cheek.
Since then he never beat anyone. Shree Shree.Anandamayee Sangha was established in 1950 at Varanasi Ashram. Panuda got attached with the Sangha on the very day of its establishment. During the month of June 1958 Panuda took over the charge of Sangha from Sri Kamal Brahmachari (Virajanandaji). He was appointed as the joint secretary and later on first helper of the secretary. After a slight change in the constitution of the Sangha he was upgraded as the General Secretary. Since January 1965-1972 he was the General Secretary of the Sangha. At present (at the time of his demise) he was the vice president.
The quarterly magazine “Ananda-Varta” of Sri Sri Anandamayee Sangh began to publish since 1952. Since its inception Panuda was attached with it for years. He edited the magazine under pseudo name of K. Bose. His writing ability was astonishing. He could write on any subject in a fine descriptive manner. He could write with ease in Hindi, Bengali and English. His hand writing was very beautiful. The publication of “Ma Anandamayee Amrit Varta” was the result of creative power. Throughout his life here remained the officiating Managing editor of Amrit Varta. He had tremendous capacity to work. To hand over the land for Anandamayee hospital to the Ashram was due to the efforts of Panuda. The construction of the hospital and later on to form the Charitable Society and to bring both of them under the constitution of Anandamayee Sangha and to give both of them the modern appearance is simply due to the tireless efforts of Panuda. It is an example of his dutifulness also. To achieve this, to go and meet the ministers of Government of India, to get the special invitees or influential people to agree to visit the Ashram and to present them before the image of Ma and influence them are the best examples of his devotion to Ma. A skilled and active person can recognize and select other dutiful persons.
Late Indira Gandhi had great respect for Gurupriya Didi and Panuda was the second. While coming to meet Ma she always asked for Brahmachariji. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated Mata Anandamayee Hospital at Varanasi in 1968 and Ma Anandamayee Puranic and Vedic study and research centre in 1981 in the presence of Ma. At the root of all these achievements was the presence of Ma and unflinching devotion of Panuda for Ma brought success and completion. Whether it was the construction of the Ashram of Ma at Kedarnath, or the Ashram at Jakhan at Dehradun or Vardhaman-Kunj at Vrindaban, Bangladesh or Agartala, Panuda had to manage every where. That is why Nitaida of the Ashram remarked “Panuda’s skill was unparallel there is no comparison of
his intelligence, true insight and capacity of administration. He had the ability to do all the jobs done by a trained I.A.S. An ex student of Vidyapeeth Sri Subhash Bhattchary remarked, “Panuda was all in all (Hindu men sindhu). Panuda was· very truthful intelligent and a scholar. He called and welcomed everyone and never disappointed or left anyone.”
Panuda did everything in a very disciplined manner. He liked discipline. Whether it is a Sadhu Bhandara or Kumari Pooja or ordinary Bhandara what and how items of food should be served Panuda used to tell. He conducted very gracefully and equally the annual function of Kanyapeeth or Sanskrit-Divas. Rajiv Sareen who visited Ashram since childhood opined that Panuda never did anything for himself all he did, he did was for the Sangha. After retiring-from the post of General Secretary he fully devoted himself to the daily service of Ma. All the travel plains of Shree Shree Ma were chalked out by Panuda. If anyone asked Ma, Ma always replied to consult Panuda. This unselfish service of Panuda is unparalled. He never cared for the position or prestige. Nobody saw Panuda seated in front of Ma. He always talked standing. One should leave pride before joining this path, he told to a devotee of Ma, “Listen once Gurupriyadidi told me that a faithful dog sits at the door of its master and always looks at him. In the same way offer everything you have at the feet of Ma and always be there.”
After Ma left for her eternal abode Panuda took over all the liabilities without any hesitation. Panuda used to arrange and manage everything at the Kumbha Mela at Prayag. In the Varanasi Ashram sitting in his room he took care of every activity whether pooja is done properly or Yagna is held in the Yagnashala. He was very alert that all the activities, pooja, installation of idols and other poojas were conducted with full rituals. Many scholars of Karmakand felt surprised at the knowledge of Panuda. His knowledge about medicine or others aspects of treatment was no less than a doctor. Panuda liked to do everything punctually. By nine O’clock in the morning he used to sit on the chair of his office at the hospital. We don’t need to consult the watch. Panuda’s departure for the hospital meant it was 9 o’clock. He took his lunch by 1 :30 PM. He used to open his door by 4 o’clock in the afternoon and seated on a chair began to work. His
memory was very sharp. Ma named Panuda Gambhirananda. He was serious and talked less, he was affectionate.
Today we are paying respect to that great soul. Above all these he was attached with Shree Shree Ma in his inner soul. That is why when the disciple of reverend Swami Chidanandji Maharaj asked him, “What is the aim of life?” Immediately Panuda replied “To know Himself and to attain Himself. ”
Karmayogi Panuda is resting at the feet of Shree Shree Ma forever after completing and finishing all his worldly duties. We pay homage to this passive and lonely Karmayogi.
From Br Geetadi’s article in Amrita Varta January 2012.