ऊधमपुर, जम्मू कश्मीर
श्रीधाम वृंदावन
ब्रज की महिमा मण्डित भूमि पर प्राकृतिक सुषमा से शोभित और कल-कल निनाद करती हुई यमुना के तट पर बसे श्रीवृन्दावनधाम में पू. श्री चन्द्रसागर चक्रवर्ती (भैय्या जी) का जन्म हुआ है। सन् 1972 में अप्रैल की 15वीं का दिन बड़ी ही मंगलमय दिन था। वह दिन चक्रवर्ती परिवार के लिए माता गीता देवी एवम् पिता श्री रमनी चक्रवर्ती के लिए ‘नन्द घर आनन्द भयो' के समान ही मंगलमय दिन था। अत्यन्त साधारण ढंग से उनका बचपन श्रीधाम वृन्दावन के भक्तिमय वातावरण में आनन्दोल्लास के साथ बीता।
पूज्य भैय्या जी की माता जी उपासिका थीं। वह प्रतिदिन भागवत, रामायण व गीता का उच्च स्वर से पाठ किया करती थीं |तो श्री सागर भाई व माताजी थीं,जिसका प्रभाव बालक चन्द्रसागर पर जिसका प्रभाव बालक चन्द्रसागर पर पड़ा | चार भाई व् एक बहिन में पू. भैय्या जी सबसे बड़े हैं।
पूज्या माताजी भी प्रतिदिन निधिवन सेवा करने जाती थीं तो भैय्याजी उनके साथ प्रतिदिन दर्शन करने जाते थे। श्री सागर जी को भक्ति की प्रेरणा रासलीला से मिली। बचपन में अपनी पढ़ाई से जी चुराकर रासलीला देखने निकल जाते। कभी-कभी तो दण्डस्वरूप उन्हें रात को भूखा भी सोना पड़ता था, किन्तु किसी भी परिस्थिति में रासलीला देखना न भूलते । इनकी पूज्य माता जी प्रतिदिन घर में भागवत, रामायण, महाभारत आदि ग्रन्थों का पाठ करती थीं तो आस-पास की सभी मातायें कथा सुनने आया करती थीं, तब पू. भैय्या जी उनके मध्य बैठकर तन्मयता से भागवत श्रवण करते। इस प्रकार धीरे-धीरे भक्ति की ओर अग्रसर होते गये।
एक ओर विरासत के रूप में मिले भारतीय धर्म और चिन्तन तो दूसरी ओर आधुनिक जगत का वातावरण वृन्दावन में प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा प्राप्त करने के पश्चात् मथुरा बी.एस.ए. कॉलेज से एम.एस.सी. (गणित) की डिग्री हासिल की। तत्पश्चात् प्राइवेट अर्ध-शास्त्र की एम.ए. की शिक्षा प्राप्त की। वस्तुत: माता-पिता ने 7 वर्ष की अल्पायु में ही इनके हाथ में 'गीता' थमायी। 18 वर्ष की आयु तक इन्होंने स्कूली शिक्षा के साथ-साथ वेद-पुराणों, अष्टावक्र गीता, योग वशिष्ठ एवम् श्रीमद्भागवत महापुराण का अध्ययन करते रहे।
माता-पिता की तीव्र आकांक्षा को साकार करने के लिए जुट गये भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवा (IAS) की परीक्षा की तैयारी में IAS की Pre Exam के बाद जब वे Main Exam की तैयारी में जुटे थे तो 30 जुलाई 1995 की रात्रि को एक विचित्र घटना घटी जिसने सागरजी के जीवन को ही बदल दिया।
उस दिन रात्रि में बैठकर भागवत के प्रहलाद चरित्र को पढ़ते हुए वे सो गये। रात्रि में उन्होंने स्वप्न देखा कि ग्रहलाद जब असुर बालकों को उपदेश दे रहा था तो उन असुर बालकों में एक बालक सागरजी स्वयं है। उपदेश करते हुए प्रहलाद के असुर बालकों से कहा- " बड़े-बड़े आचार्य और ऋषि मुनि समाज को सुधार नहीं सके, तुम IAS बनकर समाज को कैसे सुधारोगे।" अतः तुम यही प्रयत्न करो में अपने जीवन और मन को ही सुधारूंगा साध रण मानव जगत को नहीं सुधार साता प्रहलाद ने कहा-कोमार्य आचरेत् प्राज्ञो धर्मान् भागवतानिह दुलर्भ मानुषं जन्म तदप्य ध्रुवमर्थदम्॥
ित्रों, इस संसार में मानव जीवन अति दुर्लभ है, तथापि यह शरीर स्थायी नहीं है, अपितु क्षणभंगुर है। इसके सहारे परमात्मा की भी प्राप्ति हो सकती है। किन्तु कोई यह जान नहीं पाता कि इस शरीर का अन्त कब आने वाला है। अतः बुद्धिमान पुरुष को चाहिए हिक वह यौवन और वृद्धावस्था का विश्वास न करें और बाल्यावस्था से प्रभु प्राप्ति के लिए साधना करे। बुद्धिमान पुरुष को चाएि कि वृद्धावस्था के आने से पूर्व ही आत्म-कल्याण का प्रयत्न कर लें। प्रह्लाद ने समझाते हुए कहा तू दिन-रात कठिन परिश्रम एवं झूठ बोल रहा है। मात्र धन कमाने के लिए किन्तु यह धन तो तेरे साथ नहीं जायेगा। क्योंकि मृत्यु के पश्चात् आत्मा के साथ केवल धर्म अथवा पाप-पुण्य ही जाते हैं। इसलिए हो सके तो तू धर्म कमा और भागवत् धर्म का प्रचार कर। आजकल लोग सनातन धर्म से पथ भ्रष्ट होकर अलग-अलग ग्रन्थों में विश्वास करने लगे हैं। तू इनका खण्डन कर और लोगों को भागवत धर्म के प्रति प्रेरित कर इसी में तेरा कल्याण एवं जगत् का कल्याण है।
स्वप्न टूटते ही सागरजी ने अपने आपको बिस्तर पर पड़ा। पाया। किन्तु उन्हें आत्म-बोध हो चुका था और अगले ही दिन से भागवत धर्म का प्रचार आरम्भ कर दिया। सागर जो की सबसे बड़ी विशेषता यह है कि वे अपने प्रवचन में बच्चों के चरित्र निर्माण पर अधिक जोर देते हैं। कभी-कभी वे अपने शब्दों में कहते हैं तो भाग केवल बच्चों के लिए करता हूँ।"
भारतीय संस्कृति से ओत-प्रोत सागरजी ने अब तक भारत के लगभग प्रत्येक राज्य में श्रीमद्भागवत् का प्रचि या है। 25 वर्ष की यात्रा में ही उन्होंने 440 भागवत् का सफल आयोजन किया। भारत के गाँव-गाँव जाकर भागवत का प्रचार करते हैं। सागर जी भागवत के लिए किसी प्रकार का शुल्क आदि तय नहीं करते। अपितु किराया भी स्वयं वहन करते हैं। हम सब उनकी दीर्घायु की कामना करते हुए आशा करे हैं कि सागरजी आगे भी इसी प्रकार निःस्वार्थ भाव से हमें भागवत् का रसास्वादन कराते रहेंगे।
केवल भागवत ही नहीं अपितु राम कथा में भी समान प्रभुत्व है। पू.सागर जी के ही शब्दों में भागवत मेरी साँस में समाया हुआ है इसलिए में भागवत में भागवत में जीता हूँ, रामायण मेरे हृदय में हैं, इसलिए उस पर मेरा दिव्य प्रेम हैं। इन दोनों ग्रन्थों के उपरान्त गीता पर भी आपका असीम अनुराग आपके श्रीमुख से संगीतमय श्रीमद्भागवत कथा सुनना जीवन की धन्यता है तो रामायण सुनना जीवन की दुर्लभता |
Vrindavan is adorned with the holy Raj of Yamuna ji. Many holy saints were born on this holy land whose strong integrity and unflinching faith on god forced lord Krishna to appear earth. One such great saint, Bhagwat Rasik, Bhagwat Bhushan, Bhagwat Ratna, Bhagwat Bhaskar, the most revered name is Pujya Shri Hari Naam Das Chandrasagar Ji. He is the great Yugadrashata, the jewel of the earth, the nation saint and a skilled craftsman of speech melody. His faith and steadiness for devotion is as strong as rock. He is embodiment of devotion. He is disciple of "Param Pujya Sh. Navyogendra Swami Ji" and is the chief literary disciple of Param Pujya Sh. Krishan Shastri Ji.
He is relentlessly inspiring millions of people to feel the ecstatic bliss of chanting and listening the holy names of lord Krishna. He is highly scholarly and well versed in scriptures from early age itself. The lotus feet of such spiritual master are the abode of pure devotional service. I bow down to those lotus feet with great care and attention. It is through the grace of the spiritual master that we cross over this material existence and obtain Krishna. It is impossible to achieve the mercy of the Supreme Lord or devotional service without taking shelter of the lotus feet of the spiritual master.
Pujya Guru ji was born in Shri Vrindavan Dham, situated on the banks of Yamuna, adorned with natural beauty on the glorified land of Braj. Chaitra Shukla Dwitia, 1972 (April 15th) was a very auspicious day. It was a happy day like the joy of Nanda Baba for Geeta Mata ji and father Shri Ramani Chakravarty ji. His childhood was spent with gaiety in the devotional atmosphere of Shridham Vrindavan in a very simple way. Guruji's mother was a great worshiper of Bhagwat. She used to recite Bhagwat Ramayana and Gita in a loud voice every day. Gurudev always used to accompany his mother to Nidhi Van for service. Pujya Gurudev ji got inspiration of devotion from Raas Leela. In his childhood, stealing from his studies, he used to go to see Raas Leela. Sometimes he had to sleep hungry as a punishment for stealing from his studies. But under no circumstances he miss to watch Raas Leela.
His revered mother used to recite scriptures like Bhagwat, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. at home every day. The neighborhood friends used to come to her in order to listen pious katha. Guru ji used to sit diligently and listened carefully to Kathas,thus slowly moved towards devotion. On the one hand he was blessed with inherited Indian religion and thoughts and on the other hand the environment of the modern world was great attraction towards physical world. The glare of modern world could not shake him from the path of devotion. After receiving primary education in Vrindavan, he got an M.S.C degree from Mathura College. He also studied economics. At the age of 7 years, his parents had handed over Bhagwat Gita to him. Till the age of 18, he studied the Vedas, Puranas, Ashtavakra Geeta, Yoga Vashist and Shrimad Bhagwat Purana along with school education.
In order to realize the intense aspiration of the parents, he was preparing for the Indian Administrative Service exam. On the night of July 30, 1995, a strange incident happened which fully transformed his life. That night he fell asleep while reading the moral character of the devotee Prahalad. He saw the devotee Prahalad was preaching to the Asura children in his dream, he found himself as one of the Asura children among them. Bhakt Prahalad was explaining that great teachers and sages could not improve the society then how could a child improve the society by becoming an IAS.
Therefore, one should try to improve his life and his mind. Prahalad maharaj explained Asur children that they couldn’t improve the ordinary human world. He explained that human life is very rare and this body is not permanent, but is fleeting. With the help of this body one can achieve God. Therefore, a wise man should not believe in youth and old age and should sincerely try to attain god from childhood itself. A wise man should make efforts for self-welfare before reaching old age. Prahlad explained that people are working hard day and night to earn money and this money won't go with people at the time of death. Only Dharma or sin and virtue will go with the soul at the time of death. For this, if possible, earn dharma and propagate Bhagwat dharma. Nowadays people are diverted from the path of Sanatan Dharma and have started believing in different texts and sects. One should refute them and inspire people in Bhagwat Dharma.
This incident completely transformed his life and he started preaching Bhagwat Dharma from the very next day itself. Guru ji lays great emphasis on building the future of children in his Bhagwat preachings. Gurudev has propagated Shri Mad Bhagwat in every state. In his journey of 25 years, he has successfully organized 450 Bhagwat Kathas. He showered the nectar of bhagwat from his lotus mouth which has emanated the wonderful effulgence that has destroyed ignorance of millions of people. He is preaching Bhagwat from village to village in India. Gurudev never fix any kind of fee for Bhagwat, but he also bears the rent himself.
He is a Great sculptor and is well known for his astonishing ability to create life and bring forth emotions in a marble statue with his work. His iconic statue of Shri Radha Rani at Nidhivan and Shri Lakshmi ji at Bel van remains an enduring symbol of Shri Vrindavan bhakti and continues to inspire generations of artists. This is a most intriguing story of how the lord is always desirous of fulfilling the desires of his devotees. In order to give special guidance to the people of Haridwar and to glorify the land of Uttarakhand, Shri Radha Raman ji inspired him for a permanent residence at Nikunj Dhaam Haridwar.
Contemplation and worship of Shri Radha Raman is the basis of his life. The grace of Rasik Saints and pure devotees is abundant in his life. At the time of his stay at Vrindavan he used to be always present in mangla aarti of his beloved thakur Shri Radha Raman Ji. He badly missed his presence in mangla aarti of Vrindavan during his stay at Haridwar. He wanted to serve lord, and was therefore remorseful. He used to pray in transcendental lamentation to Shri Radha Raman ji. He had strong integrity and unflinching faith in Thakur ji and believed that Thakur ji is very merciful and always fulfill the desires of his devotees. He daily used to cry in desire of mangla aarti. His strong desire forced Thakur ji to appear at Nikunj Dhaam in order to bless him with daily mangla aarti.
It was auspicious Wednesday, day of Akshay Tritiya,2005. Five Sankirtani Vaishnava Mahatmas in the guise of Sanyasi came at Nikunj Dhaam, at that time Nikunj Dhaam was under construction. All Vaishnavs were talking in Braj language. They asked about the purpose of the construction and Gurudev promptly replied that a house for Thakur ji is under construction. Vaishnavas wanted to do sankirtana for a while. Gurudev was overjoyed and all did sankirtana in ecstasy for half an hour. Gurudev thought of offering Dakshina to them, but the old saint refused to take the same and asked for a kamandal. Gurudev was new to that place to he suddenly could not arrange Kamandal for them. In this state Vaishnavs asked Gurudev to give anything without actually looking at it. Suddenly the excavation of the well started coming out of wet soil from 22 feet below.
The old saint told Gurudev about appearance of Thakur Ji at Nikunj Dhaam. It was left feet of Thakur ji in Tamal Varna. Thakurji appeared in the shape of real Lotus feet. Lord manifested in this most attractive form for the pleasure of his dear devotee. That was a thrilling moment. Currents of ecstatic tears bathed Gurudev’s face. Gurudev was overjoyed. His feet were dancing. Again and again we offer our obeisance to Shree Charan.
Shree Charan has very intricate features, showing impressions of all fingers and thumb. Back side of lotus feet is clearly shaped like human feet. The very next moment the five saints disappeared. Gurudev had a bike and the laborers had a cycle, all looked around but could not find those saints anywhere, even though the veteran saint was unable to walk. Since then till today, the holy Shricharan of Thakurji is enshrined in Nikunj Dham.
Gurudev is spending most of his time contemplating the beautiful form of the Lord Krishna. Shree Charan is being served and taken care of with utmost care and affection .Gurudev and Gurumata ji sings various bhajans and celebrates Nand Utsavs suitable to the time of the day according to pastimes of Lord Krishna for Lord's pleasure. May we all remain forever enamored by most enchanting swaroop in the form of Shree Charan. One should decorate the body with the dust from the Lotus Feet of such Param Vaiṣṇavas, because, by this, one can achieve transcendental realizations. By constantly associating with the devotees, one’s cultivation of devotional service is purified and one can conquer nescience. May we be blessed with loving service to his lotus feet, which would make our lives successful.
