Lives Well Lived: May 2012

Karthick Maharaj had many musical instruments with him. He sang Bhajans, could play Harmonium, Tarshehnai, Sitar, Violin, Mouth-organ and what-not; he was Jack-of-all (master-of-none, some would add).

He played them well?

Yes, I presume. He could play them on-stage and win repeated invitations. He could speak on-stage in English, Hindi and Bengali (and perhaps in Oriya too, that being his mother language). I think, he sometimes sang in the middle of his talks, like I do.

I asked him why he does his music in this varied way. He replied he cannot keep his thoughts on God and goodness if he does not keep trying different things.

Well, Sri Ramakrishna, sure, was fond of him.

I too am, except for one thing, for which I am yet undecided if I should excuse him.

King Ashoka of Pataliputra wore two hats, one as secular Emperor and the other as religious head. I would say, Kartick Maharaj inherited the latter headship.

He wore it all right. He ably controlled the usual tendency of hatted heads to grow and wobble with alarming top heaviness, scaring their sacred hats into jerking off from atop heads, the head finally falling off amidst confusion and clamor.

His Headship avoided that and surrendered calmly to cancer.

He was the most musical monk of the Order. Most people have no complaints about him, but not me. He half-promised me a good Scale-changer Harmonium but has gone away last night at 1.30 a.m. during the seven scoreth (140^th) anniversary of the communion of Shodashi Sarada Devi with Sadhaka Ramakrishna.