From Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakuras autobiographical writings (aged 14yrs?):
(Svalikhita-jivani: Part Six, 1849-52)
"The Fakir and the snake"
After thinking a good deal about my complicated illness, mother spoke with a leather worker. He said he would bring a fakir the following morning and that he would cure me by means of exorcism. I waited in the morning and a very dark man of the leather working caste [a Muchi], who previously I'd seen playing the tol drum, named Fakir Chanda, arrived. Using the leaves of the Bakash he performed the exorcism and then gave me gura leaves to eat. Then, coming close to me, he gave me a mantra and asked me to utter it regularly. He told me all would be revealed in a dream. He asked my mother to cook only vegetarian food for me.
He said to eat rice cooked with ripe tamarind. This was the prescription. After two days, while I slept, I dreamed that a black snake went out from my body. In the morning I related this to the fakir. He said that all danger had passed. "Now you do not have to follow the regulations. Go and take a bath and then eat. But continue to utter the mantra. Within two or three days your illness will be entirely cured." I then went and ate heartily. But the fakir declared, "You must not eat any meat, and by the strength of your mind you should call upon the Satya Purusha [the Supreme Person]. Neither should you eat any demigod's prasada. Nor should you worship any demigod."
My illness gradually turned into health. The fakir said, "Come, you should approach your Gurudeva!" I went with a happy heart. The residence of the fakirs was in the Muchi area of Beledanga. Gurudeva was also a Muchi, and previously he had made shoes. Gurudeva had several rooms. He stayed in one room in the temple of meditation and was sitting there when I arrived. He was on a raised clay veranda when I went and offered prostrations to him.
"Beat Kalu Raya"
He bestowed his blessings on my body with his merciful hand and gave me four pieces of muraki puffed rice with molasses, which I ate with confidence. Gurudeva then said, "Your illness is completely healed?" I said, "The disease is completely gone, but the itching does not leave me."
Then Gurudeva gave the order, "Beat Kalu Raya and Dakshina Raya." Immediately upon hearing this order the fakir took a new broom and on a raised stone began to beat Kalu Raya and Dakshina Raya. Some emotion began to rise in Gurudeva and he began to cry and cry, and sang this song: "Once upon a time the feet of man began to sweat, therefore the Ganga began to flow."
When his bhava, emotions, subsided he commanded me saying, "Today your itching will become better. At night, whatever you dream you should come and tell me in the morning." Amazingly, during the night, my sores almost all dried up. In the night I dreamt that I put calcium powder on the sores. In the morning I related my dream to Gurudeva and he gave an order that I was to be given calcium powder. I used the powder, and after three days my sores were all gone.
"many kinds of dreams"
Now I began to eat good quality food and my body began to fill out. Gradually my strength and boldness increased. One day, Gurudeva showed me mercy by changing the mantra given to me and he gave me a more appropriate mantra. Daily I chanted this mantra with devotion. I dreamt many kinds of dreams. Whatever was on my mind during the day that I dreamed about at night. Gurudeva gave me the order to heal others' disease. And that I attempted to do.
I would go to Gurudeva daily, at any time I wished. His name was Goloka. One day he said to me, "O Kedar Babu, our dharma is very pure. No harm should be done to any Jiva. One should not worship any demigod. One should be kind to others and be of good conduct. These are the foundations of our creed. Previously, Prabhu Aul Chanda preached this dharma by means of twenty two fakirs. Those twenty two fakirs established themselves in twenty two places and each extended the sampradaya. Among them one Ramasaran Pal of Ghosh Pada also preached but his actions were improper. Our own original fakir established the sampradaya at the village of Gontra, and his teachings were good.
"We do not accept any Jati titles. Whatever is generally considered to be muchi, unclean, is suchi, clean, if it is used for Krsna, and whatever is generally considered to be suchi is muchi if it is separate from Krsna. There is no fault in being married, but one should be sexually united with one's wife only once in a month, more frequent contact than that is not good. To the extent that semen is retained within the body to that extent it is beneficial.
"the truth of the divine couple"
According to our teachings Radha and Krsna are the true couple. Even though They are a pair they are one. Though they appear to have form in fact they have no material form. They are like a Lord and his Lady. The doctrine that this couple is the pure male and female is very auspicious. Man should be like this, like a god and goddess immortal. O Kedar Babu, mercy has been bestowed on you; very soon you will know the truth of the divine couple."
I discussed all these matters to some extent with others and learned that our fakirs were Kartabhaja [a Caitanya Vaisnava sect]. In comparison with the Ghoshpara their behaviour was very good. Be that as it may, I had faith in the mantra and their doctrines. Even though Gurudeva was a muchi I had no lack of faith in him. One day he said, "Soon the village of Ula will be mostly destroyed. The people would die from fever and disease. How will the people remain in such a village?"
My ill health had improved and my wife was brought to Ula. Mother then said, "Arrange the marriage of Hemalata. You go to Calcutta and take me with you."
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