Anukulchandra Chakravarty – If you’re reading this article, then you probably have a strong desire to know all about Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra.
Let me tell you, you’re at the right place. Here we have shared all possible details about Sri Anukul Thakur, his life timeline, his philosophy, and his work for society.
Anukul Chandra Chakravarty
His Birth Place
Anukulchandra Chakravarty, popularly known as Sree Sree Anukul Thakur, was born in a remote riverain village called ‘Himaitpur’ in the Pabna district of North-Eastern Bengal, a province of undivided British India (now part of independent Bangladesh) on 14th September, in the year 1888 (Bhadra 30, 1295 of Bengali Calendar), in the household of the Chakravarties—a traditional Bengali family of Shandilya Gotra, Kanyakubja Brahmin.
The village—Himaitpur—represented the perfect picture of the stagnant, degenerated social life of Bengal or the Indian countryside of the period. Taking advantage of its remoteness that made it difficult for the administration to have a strong hold over the law and order, these villages became a happy hunting grounds for freebooters, goons, thieves, rapists, and all sorts of criminals.
In the backdrop of such a scenario, took place the birth of the first of the children of Sivachandra Chakravarty and Manomohini Devi. And the baby came out with such a glowing light that the boatmen on the nearby Padma thought the house caught fire and they rushed with buckets of water to put out the fire but soon realized they had been duped.
The boy was named Anukulchandra and he grew up normally in his native environment among his parents, younger siblings, and his childhood and boyhood friends but he also possessed some strange interests and skills. His interests were varied, and he had a keen sense of curiosity.
Anukulchandra’s Parents
His father Sivachandra was an honest, simple, straightforward, and pious man. He was an extremely kind-hearted man who always tried to reach out to the needy. His mother Manomohini Devi was a woman of great personality. After meeting her, Mahatma Gandhi remarked, ‘I have never seen such a masterful woman in my life.’
She was extremely devout from her childhood. When she was a little girl, she had the vision of a holy name and a saintly man who later, in real life, initiated her to that very holy name. The saintly man was no other than His Holiness Sree Sree Hujur Maharaj of the Radhasoami cult of Dayal Bag Satsang based in Agra.
Manomohini Devi prayed to her spiritual mentor for a son who possessed Godly traits. Her pleadings seem to have been genuinely heard. But how many could have predicted that this little boy would one day hold up the light of life for those who were frantically searching in the dark for any sign of light or hope and were falling down into darkness?
Anukul Thakur – Early Age
Anukulchandra began to exhibit evidence of his enigmatic, strange skills and inclinations as early as boyhood. Here are some interesting stories from his early age.
One day when he was very young his mother was about to visit a neighbour’s newborn baby. On knowing her intentions child Anukulchandra remarked that it was worthless to go as the baby is going to die soon. Manomohini Devi was shocked by little Anukul’s foreboding statement, and his words came true as the child did not live more than 18 days.
In another incident, a monk took shelter in Sivachandra’s home. Manomohini Devi once observed him serving Anukulchandra his own food first, before accepting the leftovers for himself. She was shocked and angry by what she saw, accusing the monk of harming and impurely treating the child, and she demanded that he leave right away. When leaving, the monk remarked, “Mother, now you are driving me out like this, but how many, I wonder, would you be able to drive away when countless will worship your son.”
One day, an Ayurvedic physician left some pills in the sun to dry that were made from the extracts of toxic herbs. The boy (Anukulchandra) ran over and grabbed a few, chewed them, and then swallowed them down into his stomach. The doctor was horrified and in complete panic because just one tablet may end someone’s life. However, neither did the boy become unwell nor did he exhibit any symptoms of any disease or abnormality.
There was an elderly man named Hemchandra in this village who had a beautiful garden of which he was very fond. Anukulchandra would often ransack the garden and spoil Hemchandra’s dear flowers for which he would complain to the boy’s mother who would beat Anukulchandra mercilessly but with not much effect. One day Anukulchandra told him that taking such pains for this earthly garden was useless. He should better get ready for the garden in heaven. Not long after this, Hemchandra’s earthly gardening did indeed come to an abrupt end as he began his journey toward the garden beyond.
Anukul Chanda – A Born Scientist
With his natural faculties of a deep sense of curiosity and a superb capacity for keen observation, he was able to understand concepts clearly and identify their basic origins.
He was blessed with a naturally curious and scientific mindset that would explore further into the root of problems. He had a keen understanding of the truth of things and a strong common sense even at a young age.
Pencils and inkpots were among the items that children of the village school needed to bring to school back then. While writing the pens had to be dipped again and again into the inkpot to write continuously. It was a boring and tiresome process no doubt. To get out of it Anukulchandra made a long hollow inside the country pen which he filled with ink that was to flow through the nib while writing.
But no ink came out, after thinking a while he made a little hole and ink started flowing immediately. And to control its flow he put a pin near its mouth. Thus this little boy created his own fountain pen, sitting in a remote corner of a backward village and with no apparent training in science. (Modern Fountain pen was invented in 1884 by Lewis Waterman)
Once while traveling with his father on a steamer boat, he closely watched the operation of the boat’s engine. On his journey back, he built a miniature engine out of tin that even started to run, but it was unable to sustain the pressure before the container collapsed.
He always wondered what made plants and trees unique from one another. He dug several plants one day and examined the roots before concluding that the seeds of the various plants make them unique.
He was able to get at the truth in various situations as a result of his own keen observations and reflections, and he also gained incredible common sense.
Thakur Anukul Chandra – Born to Lead
Due to the power and sweetness of his personality even at that young age, he also poses with innate leadership qualities and enjoyed an enviable command over the boys of his age. Without being aggressive, he gained his friends’ affection and respect through love, compassion for others, bravery, acute intelligence, and excellent mental skills. He was a natural leader. Some of his friends used to refer to him as “Rajabhai” (king brother), and one even called him “Prabhu” (lord).
Anukulchandra’s Love for his Mother
Anukulchandra had a profound love for his mother from a young age, which was one of his most amazing and remarkable traits. There was nothing that he couldn’t do to obey or keep his mother’s wishes.
Once, her mother became angry with him and ran behind him to catch, but was unable to do so because he was running far ahead of her. Boy Anukul abruptly turned around and saw his mother running, gasping and sweating. Her face flushed with stress and frustration.
He stopped running instantly and got a merciless beating from his mother, standing still he was trying to relieve her by wiping the sweat from her forehead and fanning her as she went on beating him. Later when his younger brother asked why he had remained standing there foolishly when he could comfortably run away, he replied that it was much easier for him to withstand a little beating than watch his mother suffering.
Anukul Chandra was extremely mother-centric, from his early life. His mother remained his guru throughout his life. Even when he grew up, this sentiment towards his mother remained strongly pulsating in him.
After his mother’s death, he had a mausoleum built in her memory. The loss of his mother dealt a severe psycho-physical blow to him. Even long after she was gone his eyes moistened while he reminisced about her. He would often say that whatever he did, he did from the sheer urge of making her happy.
Anukulchandra – His Education
Anukulchandra started his formal education at Himaitpur village elementary school in 1893. In 1898, he was admitted to Pabna Institute and studied there up to the eighth grade. He attended Raipur High School at Amirabad for a short period and then in Naihati High School in the 24 Parganas of West Bengal until 1905.
He did not however graduate from high school. Biographies mention an incident where Anukulchandra gave away his matriculation exam registration fees to a classmate, who he found crying as he was not able to afford the registration fees.
Later Anukulchandra was admitted to the National Medical School of Bow Bazar in Calcutta and he completed a diploma in Homeopathy.
In high school, Anukulchandra wrote several short plays, the first in 1905. He also wrote songs and poems which were later published in a book, Debjani-O-Anyanya. In 1910, Anukulchandra wrote some guiding instructions for one of his friends Atulchandra Bhattacharyya, which was later published in 1918 as a booklet called Satyanusaran (The Pursuit of Truth).
Anukulchandra – Marriage
At the age of 18 in the year 1906 (Bengali year 1313 on the 28th day of Shravana), Anukulchandra’s parents arranged for him to marry Sorashibala, aged 11, daughter of Ramgopal Bhattacharya of Dhopadaha village, residing in Pabna town.
Anukulchandra credited much of his success in life to his wife, mentioning that if he had been born as a woman, it would have been as his wife. Later he also married Sarbamangala, as his second wife. Biographers also mention his third wife which he gets married in his 50s.
Boroma: In those days his wife, reverentially referred to as Baroma, stood up as the very embodiment of support by her husband, presenting and establishing herself as the living ideal of every woman and girl.
The Magical Physician
After finishing medical school, Anukulchandra started practicing medicine in Himaitpur in 1912. He practiced as a physician for only 3 years. His reputation as a physician spread in the neighboring towns and villages due to reports of a miraculous curing ability. Anukulchandra reportedly paid for his patients’ medicine and provided financial help. Anukulchandra did not have a fixed rate for seeing patients and he accepted fruits and vegetables as payment for his services.
The medicine worked wonders at his hands. His insightful treatment in consort with inquisitive and loving service worked like magic. He could not breathe a sigh of relief until his patients felt better. He earned a lot of money in those days much of which was spent in buying medicines and as monetary help to his poor patients.
His name and fame spread like wildfire far and near. He became such an embodiment of relief that patients often felt better at the very sight of him. As he habitually searched deeper into the cause of the diseases, he discovered that at the bottom of man’s physical diseases lay a diseased mind, his passion-tainted habits, and his way of life. Without treating the roots, it was futile striving to cure the mere physical ailments.
Anukulchandra believed that ill health was not only physical but also mental and psychological. Accordingly, he placed considerable emphasis on the treatment of mental diseases as well.
The Beginning Of A New Era – Satsang
At the height of his success as a physician, Anukulchandra formed a kirtan group that attracted a whole host of people from all strata of society. There are reports that claim that many of the outcasts in the society like drug addicts, convicted killers, etc. came to his kirtan group and transformed into normal human beings.
Anukulchandra’s fame slowly turned from being just a ‘wonderful physician’ to a friend, a guide, and a shelter. And with this realization began another era. Already a number of young men accumulated around him attracted by a heavenly aura in his personality.
Anukulchandra at this time had started having formal devotees by the process of ‘Initiation’ (Bengali: দীক্ষা) in the ‘Holy Name’ that he had received from his own mother in his childhood. Ananta Maharaj, Kishori Mohan Das, and Satishchadra Goswami were his first three initiated devotees.
Anukulchandra’s social movement, called Satsang, was originally registered in Himaitpur. Later Satsang was registered as a society under Indian Societies Registration Act 1860, having its registered office at 57 Jatindra Mohan Avenue, Kolkata-57 and the main institution at Satsang Nagar, Deoghar, in the state of Jharkhand, India.
In the years between 1914 and 1919, Anukulchandra, while performing kirtan went into trance. It is said that during these episodes of trance, utterances would come out of his mouth. The people around him started recording those messages and 71 days of such messages were later published in a book called ‘Holy Book’ (Bangla পুন্যপুথি). The messages of these episodes have claims of his Providence.
During this period of trance, Anukulchandra’s fame as a divine personality spread all over Bengal. People from all over India started coming to see a glimpse of Anukulchandra. Many of them were repeat visitors and eventually moved to Himaitpur to stay with Anukulchandra.
As the followers grew and started living around him, in the year 1915, Anukulchandra’s mother gave a name to the movement as ‘Satsang‘.
Man Making Mission
At the end of 1919, at the height of his fame with kirtan and trance one evening Anukulchandra disappointed a mammoth crowd by not doing kirtan. Anukulchandra started his new mission called ‘labor of love’. With thousands of devotees living around him, Anukulchandra started his ‘man-making mission’ with three guiding principles of ‘Jajan’, ‘Jaajan’ and ‘Ishtavrity’.
Sree Sree Thakur ran from one village to another, from one house to another and wherever he went people poured in his presence round the clock seeking solutions to a wide variety of problems. A maddening thirst, that later turned into an addiction, for knowing more and more, got hold of the people.
And Sree Sree Thakur with his boundless love and energy satisfied their numerous and varied queries while enkindling their interest to delve deeper—goading them on to a life different and divine. As hundreds of men from all walks of life came to meet him and some even started living in his presence, a small neighborhood was slowly coming up around his abode.
Satsang – Role of His Mother
As the number of men determined to follow him with head and heart till the end of their lives increased rapidly around him, an organization came into being spontaneous. He did not formally establish or lay the foundation of Satsang ceremoniously. Satsang evolved normally, naturally, and spontaneously around the loving personality of Sree Sree Thakur. This movement’s name has been given by her mother Manomohini Devi.
In the early days of Satsang, Manomohini Devi played a very crucial role. Apart from being an inhabitant of the spiritual world with realizations and feelings typical of one advanced far in the path of God, she possessed a very strong yet motherly personality.
She would beg from door to door and with whatever she managed to collect she would prepare meals for the disciples of Sree Sree Thakur. With her affectionate nature, she would take care of them and look into their problems and soothe the extreme earthly difficulties and discomfort in which they passed those years.
Satsang was originally registered in Pabna in 1925 as a public charitable institution. Later Satsang was registered as a society under the Indian Societies Registration Act 1860, having its registered office at 57 Jatindra Mohan Avenue, Kolkata-57. After the Independence and partition of India, it was again registered in 1951 in the Indian Union under the Societies Registration Act for the main institution at Satsang Nagar, Deoghar, in the state of Jharkhand, India.
Read More: Satsang Ashram Deoghar, Jharkhand
Philanthropic Activities at Satsang
The philanthropic activities of Satsang multiplied and spread far within a few years. Sree Sree Thakur’s infinite interest in science seeped into those with a scientific bent of mind and pat came Vishya Bigyan Kendra (World Science Centre) where with a few simple apparatuses but great enthusiasm began research in various fields.
Then came up Satsang Chemical Works where manufacturing of medicines based on Sree Sree Thakur’s formulae began. Then Satsang Press, Satsang Publishing House and other establishments found the light of the day as the necessity arose.
The construction work for these establishments and other rooms for the purpose of habitation was carried out by the ashramites themselves including the women, starting from digging the soil to making bricks and doing masonry. And it was the women who ran the works of Satsang Press.
The Tapovan School began at the initiative of a handful of teachers the endeavor to achieve Sree Sree Thakur’s singularly fundamental concept of education. With very little infrastructure but the buoyant zeal of both teachers and pupils, the wheel of education rolled on.
And though many learned pundits could not quite digest Sree Sree Thakur’s views on education, students of Tapovan and Matrividyalay who included even adult illiterate women, mostly housewives, and mothers, passed the secondary entrance examination in just three years. Sree Sree Thakur’s own sons were the first students of the school.
Adieu, Motherland – Moving to Deoghar
On 2 September 1946, Anukulchandra, at the age of 58, went to Deoghar with few of his devotees and family members owing to poor health. Soon after he went to Deoghar, India gained independence from the British Empire but was also partitioned. The Himaitpur Satsang became part of what is now Bangladesh. He rebuilt the institution at Deoghar, Jharkhand.
But being a man with no attachment towards earthly objects he could leave the sprawling ashram worth crores in those days, forever. Only a very few things, mainly of domestic importance, could be taken along. But a huge train of followers, leaving virtually everything behind, preferred to follow him toward an uncertain future and an entirely new habitat.
There Sree Sree Thakur began again from scratch and laid foundations of the huge institution that one can see there today. Those who left their hearth and home and embarked upon a voyage of uncertainty were confident that they would not at least die in following their lord, come whatever else may.
Though Sree Sree Thakur’s desire to return one day to that riverain village where he was born and grew up never turned into reality, he always nurtured in his heart of hearts the craving to go back to that lush green beautiful Bengal village. Fond memories of Himaitpur, Pabna and its associations returned time and again to Sree Sree Thakur, in his remembrances and reminiscences.
Death and Legacy
After his death on 27 January 1969, his oldest son Amarendranath Chakravarty (21 November 1911 – 6 August 1995), known as Sree Sree Borda (Bengali: শ্রীশ্রীবড়দা), led the activities of Satsang as the Acharya (one who demonstrates the way through his practices). He was a key figure in the maintenance of the Satsang movement after Sree Sree Thakur’s demise in 1969. He was credited with the rapid expansion of Satsang followers and as well building of numerous Satsang centers in different parts of India.
After Borda’s mortal departure, his eldest son Sree Ashok Ranjan Chakravarty (Sree Sree Dada) in accordance with his expressed wish has become the chief helmsman of Satsang whose wonderful farsight and inspirational ability have helped spread the Holy Name of Sree Sree Thakur, his messages of life, being and becoming, to even the remotest part of India.
In December 2021, Acharya Deb Sri-Sri Dada (Sree Ashok Chakravarty) also left for heavenly adobe.
Thakur Anukulchandra- Philosophy and Teachings
Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra’s teachings and philosophy is based on the Being and Becoming of every living creature. According to him, Science and Dharma are not opposed to each other. Dharma is not a miracle but a science-based life formula.
According to him, "Dharma never becomes many. It is always one. There is no variety of it. Views may be many- even as many as there are people. In my opinion, to speak of Hindu Dharma, Christian Dharma, Mohammedan Dharma, Buddhist Dharma etc. is wrong; rather they are so many views"
- Dharma – “By Dharma, everyone can live and grow; The sect is not the same as Dharma though.” (translated from Anushruti)
- Dharma – “To know Dharma is to know the root cause of anything and to know that is wisdom”. (Satyanusaran)
- He has presented the way of life from scientific aspects without denying the wisdom of the prophets of the past.
- He believed that man is the only wealth, not money.
- Jajan – to elevate oneself by following a living ideal.
- Jaajan – to exalt others through active service.
- Ishtavrity – a daily love offering.
- Swastayani – five basic principles to achieve healthy, happy and long life.
- Sadachar – to accept and embrace everything existential.
- Convergence, not conversion
- In the foreword of the book Satyanusaran Anukulchandra writes “The degeneration of humanity began at that moment when the unseen God was made infinite and, ignoring the seers, the worship of their sayings began. Oh mankind! If you desire to invoke your good, forget sectarian conflict. Be regardful to all the past prophets. Be attached to your living master or God and take only those who love Him as your own. Because all the past prophets are consummated in the divine man of the present.” Anukulchandra did not accept anyone as his disciple if he or she wanted to change his or her faith. According to Ramesh Nagaraj Rao, Anukulchandra advocated that people of all faith could come together and strengthen communal harmony. Ray Hauserman, one of his American devotees, wrote a book Commitment to a Christian Renewal: Conversations with an Indian Sage which describes Anukulchandra’s convergence philosophy in the West.
People Influenced By Anukulchandra’s Philosophy
Chittaranjan Das, Krishna Prasanna Bhattacharya (assistant to Nobel Laureate Prof C.V.Raman), and Barin Ghosh have been initiated as disciples of Anukulchandra. Subhas Chandra Bose was also strongly influenced by Anukulchandra’s philosophy.
Anukut Thakur – Literatues and Books
Literature
Except for a few short plays, poems, and songs published as Debojani O Ananya, the only book directly written by Anukulchandra is Satyanusaran. His dictations in the form of rhymes have been compiled into multiple volumes of books by Satsang Publishing House, which was established by Anukulchandra. Many of his conversations and lectures have been recorded by appointed followers and have also been published.
Books
Books in Bengali (Original Work)
- Satyanusaran (Pursuit of Truth)
- Swasthya O Sadachar Sutra (Health & Hygiene)
- Yati Abhidharma (Upholding principles to be followed by a Saint)
- Debi-Sukta (On Women)
- Tapa-Bidhayana 2 Vol. (Rules of Spiritual Practices)
- Bidhi-Binyas (Application of Rules)
- Sad-Bidhayana (Rules of Embodiment of Truth)
- Nistha-Bidhayana (Rules of Adherence)
- Adarsha-Binayaka (Rules of Ideal)
- Bidhan-Binayaka (Existential Laws)
- Samaj-Sandipana (Guidance for society)
- Bikriti-Binayana (Adjustment of Adulteration)
- Bigyan-Bibhuti (Scientific Knowledge)
- Dhriti-Bidhayana 2 Volumes (Maintenance of Knowledge)
- Achar-Charjya 2 Volumes (Rules of Conduct)
- Alochana-Prasange 22 Volumes (Discussions)
- Nana-Prasange 4 volmes. (Conversation on various Subjects)
- Katha-Prasange 3 Volumes (Discourses)
- Islam-Prasange (About Islam)
- Punya-Punthi (Holy Book)
- Anushruti 7 volmes (Rhymes and poetry)
- Chalar-Saathi (Companion of Life)
- Pather-Kari (Gems for Life)
- Nareer-Neeti (Women’s Code)
- Seva-Bidhayana (Rules for Service)
- Neeti-Bidhayana (Moral Principles)
- Kriti-Bidhayana (Rules for Success)
- Shiksha-Bidhayana (Educational Principle)
- Darshan-Bidhayana (Philosophical Principle)
- Nareer Pathe (Women’s Guidance)
- Shaswati (Eternal Truths)
- Sambitee (Perfect Knowledge)
- Taanr-Chithi (Letter written by Anukulchandra)
- Amiya-Lipi (Solution of daily life problems)
- Ashish-Banee 2 Volumes (Blessings)
- Preeti-Binayak 2 Volumes (About Love)
- Jaji-Sukta (Principles of Jaajan)
- Charyya-Sukta (Habit)
- Bibaha-Bidhayana (Marriage)
- Sangya-Samiksha (Definition)
- Bibidha-Sukta (Rules)
- Arya-Pratimokshya (Aryan Culture)
- Deeprakshi (Conversations)
- Jeevan Dipti 3 Volumes (Enlightenment of Life)
- Arya-Kristi (Aryan Culture)
- Amiya Bani (Valuable Principles)
Books in English (Original Work)
- The Message 9 Volumes
- Magnadicta
- Lord’s Prayer
- Discourses
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