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.
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 (140th)
anniversary of the communion of Shodashi
Sarada Devi with Sadhaka Ramakrishna.
Maybe I will forgive him when I get that
Harmonium.
Posted in the late morning of 21st May 2012
See http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2012/06/08/obituary-may-2012/
for official obituary
