Baba
Significance of this day
Namaskar,
After being poisoned, Baba took to fasting for 5 years, 4 months, and 1 day. He was poisoned on 12th February 1973. After being refused a judicial hearing, Baba began His fast in April 1973. And He did not break His fast until after His release from jail in early August 1978. This entire episode stands as the basis of our "Niilkantha Divas" - when the whole society was transformed, by His grace.
About the significance of this day
The important observance of Niilakantha Divas is held annually on Feb 12. This is a significant and important moment in our history. We should know why Baba is called as "Niilakantha". What is the meaning, and how did it happen. These are the questions addressed in this letter, as well as the grand mythological tale surrounding Lord Shiva.
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There is a reason behind the name, and why we call 12th February as a Niilakantha Divas. This was the day Baba was poisoned in jail. Niilakantha is a Sanskrit / Saḿskrta term. "Niila" means blue; "Kantha" means throat. The literal meaning of Niilakantha is Blue throat; and, the common meaning in everyday parlance is Lord Shiva. And divas means day. So the entire meaning of Niilakantha Divas is "blue throat day".
Day when Baba took the poison & saved the universe
A similar thing happened with Baba. We know that when Taraka Brahma descends on this earth as Mahasambhuti, it looks like He is human, but the truth is something else. Mahasambhuti is beyond all the shortcomings and limitations. Mahasambhuti is capable of doing anything He wishes.
So it is with Parama Purusa Baba. To save the society from the disastrous effect of deadly poison, in His divine liila He swallowed the poison. This was done to save humanity from the demonic and destructive forces. That is what happened symbolically in jail. AMPS was not yet banned, most of the WTs and margis were outside jail. Then Baba took upon Himself the trouble of the entire organization, nay the entire society.
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Not only the demon Indira Gandhi, but all demonic political groups like the communists were spreading their claws around the globe to ensnare the entire society in their hold. Just as serpents do. Communism was most ghastly in those days. Then those demonic leaders along with Indira Gandhi turned their full attention towards Shrii Shrii Anandamurti jii. And to eliminate Him they gave poison in the jail.
Baba graciously defused their negative plan
If Baba would not have borne the brunt of their attack, Indira Gandhi and communist Russia would have done more heinous crimes and killings - both to Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha and the general society. They would have wreaked even more havoc on this earth. Baba defused their negative plan. In that way, their nefarious intentions were neutralised: Everything was controlled and everyone was saved and Indira Gandhi was destroyed.
Those aware about Baba's divine play know if Baba would not have taken the poison, Indira Gandhi would have brought more disaster on the country. And communists would have ruined many more lives on this earth. And Indira Gandhi would have poisoned or killed many WTs and margis. But she could not do anything. Rather every one of us, those in jail, saw that Baba controlled the situation. He transformed thorns into flowers. He took all trouble upon Himself. He digested everything to save us.
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Those who look at it in a mundane manner think that Baba was poisoned in the jail, etc. And those with a more spiritual outlook see this as Baba's way of playing His divine liila. They know that by swallowing poison He saved Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha and the entire society from the deadly effect of various negative events.
They will be defeated and destroyed
Niilakantha Divas has another angle as well. Baba has not only given a spiritual philosophy but social teachings also: Prout and neo-humanism. While propagating Ananda Marga social philosophy, anti-social elements will try and obstruct your path. And if you persevere they will try to harass and kill you. This has always happened across human history in the struggle for dharma. Whenever good people have tried to do something meaningful they always faced staunch opposition. But no matter how mighty the opposition is they will be defeated and destroyed. And ultimately dharma will be victorious.
AM established on solid foundation of rationality & righteousness
Ananda Marga ideology guides us, "Suppose an evil force says, “I, the lord of a certain country, will destroy Ananda Marga from the very root.” A dhármika should maintain patience, should be patient. Because the day is soon to come when that evil force is going to be destroyed. Its weapon will serve as a boomerang for its own death. And this happened in the near past, as you all know." (1)
Ananda Marga philosophy states, "Those who misuse their faculties are also doomed to destruction. The misuse of one's qualities not only brings harm to the world, but it also exhausts one's own inherent strength. You have seen with your own eyes that in the past certain powerful persons thought, in their extreme vanity, that they could make or break anything. They perpetrated indescribable tortures and atrocities on Ananda Marga. But even in the face of such torments, Ananda Marga held its head high. There is no power in the universe, in the heaven or in the underworld, which can annihilate Ananda Marga, because Ananda Marga is established on the solid foundation of rationality and righteousness. If those wicked forces engage in fight with Ananda Marga, they will themselves be pulverized: they will be crushed like ants." (2)
Mythological story Niilakantha
There is one mythological story related with this term "Niilakantha". To save the society from the poisonous effect of deadly poison or "Kal Ku't'", Lord Shiva Himself swallowed that entire poison.
In that magical story, the churning of the mythological divine ocean was arranged. The ocean took the form of a bowl or mortar, as from 'mortar and pestle'. And in the ocean one big mountain was placed as a pestle to churn the ocean. And the mythological cobra, Shes' Na'g, was tied as a rope around the mountain. On one side of the mountain a party of demons was holding one end of the rope-like cobra. And on the other side of the mountain a party of devatas was holding the other end of the cobra. By this way they could move the mountain back and forth. These two parties used the mountain to churn the ocean. Then various things emerged from the ocean in the course of that churning. One thing that emerged from the ocean was the deadly poison "Kal Kut'".
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That poison was so deadly, if it had remained there, it would have spread all around and destroyed everything. To save the society, Lord Shiva swallowed all the poison.
Although we don't believe these mythological stories, there is one meaningful teaching behind this mythological tale. Namely, to save the society, Lord Shiva swallowed the poison and counteracted its negative effect. This is one great example: Serving the society even by swallowing poison. That is the great meaning of this mythological story.
Conclusion
The occasion of "Niila Kantha" term has deep meaning. Literally, "Niilakantha" means blue throat, and the 'blue throat' manifested because of swallowing the poison. And the Niilakantha was originally related with Lord Shiva. Then a similar event happened with Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji. That's why one of the names of Sadguru Baba Anandamurtiji is Niilakantha. On 12 February day, Baba became "Niilakantha": He swallowed the poison and saved the earth.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Prakash
Feed poor with sumptuous food
Niilakantha Divas also gives the message that if someone poisons you then follow the opposite approach. Feed Narayana / sadavrata with sumptuous food. So there are a variety of ways to win over the negative forces, but above all, never compromise with sin.
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~ In-depth study ~
Here is something related with the story about Lord Shiva. That lends also deeper understanding about what occurred with Baba.
Seeing the situation with the deadly poison, Lord Shiva took it upon Himself to swallow it. Otherwise, that very 'vish' (poison, or "Kal Ku't'") would have annihilated a huge portion of the population. So Lord Shiva saved the society by swallowing poison. He swallowed it and with His divine play, and the poison remained in Lord Shiva's throat permanently. And with its effect, the poison created a blue mark all around Lord Shiva's neck. His neck became blue permanently. Yet it did not affect Lord Shiva more than that. That's why one of the names of Lord Shiva is "Niilakantha" - Blue throat.
This was the greatness of Lord Shiva: He swallowed the deadly poison, with the sole purpose of saving the society from the disastrous effect of that deadly poison, "Kal Ku't'". Saving the society was His only motive - nothing else. For this reason, Baba has chosen the term "Niilakantha" and declared 12th February as "Niilakantha Divas". There is a literal meaning and an inner meaning. The literal meaning is blue throat day. The inner meaning is, 'The day of ingesting poison to save the humanity'.
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Here in the above story the swallowing of the poison means that the vanguards always face the onslaughts and wrath of demons. Yet in that fight, gradually the ideology of AM / dhramic teachings are established. And, in result, common innocent people are saved / benefited by following our AM way of life. That is the inner sense. In the general society we see this also in miniature form. When any kind of fight for justice occurs, then true vanguards have to face the atrocities, and in due course new ideas come into being and society advances. All are benefited / saved from old outdated unjust ideas.
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 6, Ten Wonts of Dharma
2. A Few Problems Solved - 4, Forward Movement Is the Essence of Life
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Prout philosophy states, “The exploited people are not even aware that they are being exploited. This is why it is easy to exploit them in the social sphere, then create inferiority complexes in their minds to keep them under prolonged administrative domination and perpetuate the exploitation. This is easily done by the cunning exploiters. And the tragedy is that the exploited mass do not try to understand – they cannot understand, and they even refuse to understand – that they are victims of exploitation. So this is more dangerous.”
“When the exploitation takes place in economic sphere directly, the people easily understand it, but when the exploitation is perpetrated in the socio-economic sphere or the psycho-economic sphere, the situation becomes complicated. In the case of exploitation is the socio-economic sphere, the people raise a little murmur against the social exploitation, but they fail to take note of the economic exploitation which is the final result of such socio-economic exploitation. And in the case of psychoeconomic exploitation, the people feel a little aggrieved because they are being suppressed from the psychic point of view, but they are not aware that the ultimate result is also economic exploitation.”
“As regards the psychic sphere, I can say this – there can be numerous modes of exploitation in the psychic sphere, and to comprehend all these, the people must be more educated and more intelligent.” (1)
Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 18, Various Forms of Exploitation
== Section: Important Teaching ==
Classic case of religious misunderstanding
Ananda Marga ideology states, "When the ancient people were faced with immense obstacles, they would perform sacrificial ceremonies for the propitiation of the gods, for they were not acquainted with the scientific methods to surmount those obstacles. They thought that there was no difference between the smoke produced by burning ghee in fire and the clouds in the sky. They were unaware that the former is composed of unburnt carbon-particles of ghee and the latter are basically a combination of hydrogen and oxygen which appears to be blackish under certain circumstances. Even today if people misuse ghee by burning it in a sacrificial fire, they certainly do it out of total ignorance." (1)
Reference
1. Ananda Marga Ideology & Way of Life - 8, Struggle and Progress
== Section 2: Links ==
Festival - Niilkantha Divas - 12 Feb 2024
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