Kolkata-based author Debasree Chakraborty writes a novel about the 19 years of life of Jesus, which, according to some contemporary texts, he spent traveling extensively in the Middle East, Sindhu region and India
[Author’s Note: In the Old Testament of the Bible, there is no information about the life of Jesus for 19 years. There are some contemporary texts where eyewitnesses have stated that he traveled extensively in the Middle East and crossed the Sindhu region to enter India. Through this novel, I have tried to portray the diary of a profound spiritual journey of his life in the initial and final chapters. Foreign powers have tried to erase the history of our continent, Asia. That is why, when Notovitch returned from Hemis in Ladakh and mentioned that ancient text over 2000 years old, Max Müller sent people to Hemis to destroy that ancient manuscript. The mysterious manuscript is also mentioned in the book by Swami Abhedananda about Kashmir and Tibet. What was it that caused Max Müller so much concern over this manuscript? It is noteworthy that love cannot come into the life of the son of God, and he cannot have any children. Even the Gospels attributed to him have been confined to the secret, dark chambers of the Pope’s city, with words implanted into his mouth according to their wishes. In his name, imperialistic aggression is being carried out across the world. His only daughter, Sara, has not been recognized. His entire existence has been imprisoned. There lies an unknown chapter of his life hidden throughout the Middle East, the Sindhu region, and India. I have brought forth this history through this novel. “An Unknown Life” is in no way a novel imitating “Jesus lived in India.” This novel provides detailed descriptions of his presence across the vast land from Israel to India, not just his own, but also the mysterious narratives of many people associated with him. Was Jesus truly the founder of Christianity? If not, why must he still bear the burden of the “Roman Cross”? Is there ever to be a possibility of his release? All answers are coming. Debashree Chakraborty]
An Unknown Life
There is no information about the 19 years of Jesus’ life in the Old Testament of the Bible. There are some texts from his contemporaries that state he traveled extensively through the Middle East and entered India after crossing the Sindhu region. I have tried to narrate his profound spiritual journey in this novel, capturing the first and last chapters of his life. Foreign powers have attempted to erase the history of our continent of Asia. When Notovitch returned from Hemis and mentioned that ancient text from 2000 years ago, Max Muller sent people to Hemis to destroy that ancient manuscript. The mysterious manuscript is also mentioned in Swami Abhedananda’s book on Kashmir and Tibet. Why did that ancient manuscript cause so much concern for Max Muller?
Ratul’s mind started to create a tumultuous storm within him. His throat dried up, and Adinath, with a water bottle in his bag, handed it to Ratul, saying, “Drink some water; your throat is getting dry. There is still a long way to go.”
After drinking the water, Ratul said, “Does that mean he came? Then everything we have been told is a lie?”
“Yes, all lies, everything. The actual manuscript of his journey to Ladakh is located at the Marbur monastery near Lhasa in Tibet. The original manuscript is written in Pali, while the fake one is written in Tibetan. This manuscript, divided into fourteen chapters, contains 224 verses. I heard from my guru that once, Pujapad Vijaykrishna Goswami went to the Aravalli mountains with a group of Nath yogis. They had a book about Ishaanath, which supposedly had strange similarities with the life of Jesus as written in the Bible. There is no record of the twelve to fourteen years of both their lives. Now, Ratul, get up; we must enter the cave before three in the morning.”
They started climbing up, and Adinath instructed Ratul not to talk, as speaking while climbing could trigger his breathing difficulties again. They reached deep inside the cave by around two-thirty. There was still half an hour left. Adinath turned on the mobile flashlight and began to show Ratul several ancient cave paintings from thousands of years ago. Among them were various depictions of Goddess Kali with different Bhairavas. After finishing the viewing, Ratul and Adinath sat down in the middle of the cave in silence for a while. Then Adinath said that Ratul had been connected to the Nath yogi community of India even before his birth. The ones who came with gifts after his birth were from India.
“From India! But I heard they came from Persia!”
“Ratul, I am a practitioner of the same community, and so was he; thus, all important information about our community’s practitioners is documented. Let me explain it to you, and then you will understand. When Jesus was born, a bright star appeared in the eastern sky, and three wise men, following that star, came from the Far East to His birthplace. They brought three valuable gifts with them. This is mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter two, verses 1-2. However, the exact number of these wise men is not specified there. Since they brought three valuable gifts for the child, it is assumed that there were three of them.”
They had come from India to select the child based on some signs. This tradition was prevalent in our religion, similar to the selection of the Dalai Lama. When they reached Jesus, he was just a two-year-old child. The Gospel of Matthew states, “Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.” The tyrant king Herod had ordered the search and killing of all children in the Jerusalem region up to two years old based on the calculations of an astrologer. The astrologer had warned him that a child born at that time would overthrow Herod’s throne. Herod died in the fourth century BC.
Jesus was a descendant of King David, and at that time, the people of Jerusalem were waiting for the arrival of a descendant of King David who would free them from all oppression. The Magi referred to the child as “King of the Jews.” Since they had arrived at the birthplace of Jesus sometime in the fifth century AD, they naturally referred to the year 7 BC as the year of Jesus’ birth to King Herod. At that time, the Magi, seeing the bright star in the eastern sky from the land of India, believed it to be the moment of the birth of the Son of God. This story has a strong resemblance to the concept of reincarnation in the case of the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist teachers. Since God Jesus was born under the sign of Pisces, he is also considered a reincarnation of our Matsyendranath.
Moreover, those who received religious teachings from him were severely persecuted by the Roman rulers, and to keep their identity hidden and for any exchange among themselves, they used the fish symbol as a signal or identification.
While speaking, Adinath glanced at his smartwatch and said, “Ratul, the Brahma Muhurat is about to begin. Let us try to enter that miraculous world outside this circle, merging with nature and the flow of time.” Ratul slowly closed his eyes, attempting to enter a realm beyond the chains of the earthly world alongside Adinath. His consciousness began to race forward rapidly, as if he were rushing through a luminous tunnel. As he moved forward, he suddenly found himself in a dark environment, standing in the darkness for a few moments. A strong scent of a flower reached his nose, but it was so dark that he couldn’t see anything. However, he could feel that he was in a somewhat enclosed space. The ground beneath his feet was soft.
The carpet is there. Ratul can feel everything with his consciousness, but he cannot see anything. He somehow goes to a corner of the room and starts waiting. He doesn’t know what he is waiting for. Maybe he is waiting for a little light. This silence, this darkness, and the sweet fragrance that envelops the environment captivated him. The feeling of this moment is almost like the anesthesia given during an operation. Then the mysterious flow of time suddenly removed the darkness and illuminated the entire room with intense light, a sound of a door opening was heard, and the crowing of a rooster is coming from outside. Ratul can now see the room, the walls are all green, and a red carpet is spread on the floor. There is glass fitted over the wooden part of the window. On one corner of the wall, the word “Rozabal” is written in English, and below it, the same word is written in Urdu. On another wall, the words “Yuza Asif Ka Makbara” are written. As Ratul carefully observes the room, he realizes that there is a mausoleum covered with a green cloth in an area enclosed by glass walls. Who is this person? Just a while ago, a person entered this room and sat in a corner, holding a brown rosary and chanting. He seems to be a Muslim. Ratul feels that his consciousness has entered some kind of shrine. But why did this happen, he couldn’t understand at all. Then suddenly everything went dark, and Ratul’s consciousness was drawn like a magnet through an illuminated alley. Then in one jolt, he returned to the cave where he was meditating. Opening his eyes, he sees Adinath smiling at him. The first question that comes out of Ratul’s mouth after the meditation is broken is, “Maharaj, who is Yuza Asif?”
Adinath’s eyes shine even brighter as he hears this question. He gazes at Ratul for a while and then says, “Ratul, you have gone far away in one swift movement. This kind of distant travel is not right for you, because the long path in between remained unknown to you. The connection that led to our meeting last night and bringing you to this cave is working. I feel it is my duty to guide you on the path. Let’s sit here for a while, and then we’ll return to the hotel.”
“My lord, I don’t understand what is happening to me. I didn’t leave my home in search of the Great Lord out of my own volition. I had set out with my friend Halayudh. I was studying at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhubaneswar. On that journey, I have renounced my college, home and everything, and taken the path of a wanderer. My intuition is strongly telling me that I have started walking another mysterious path, but that path is extremely dark, and I can’t understand anything.”
“Don’t overthink so much, Ratul. God has given me the responsibility of guiding you to that path. You know, when Ishanath, that is Jesus, attained knowledge, he used to speak very instructive words. Hearing him, people used to be enchanted. Wherever he went and sat, whether in a temple or in the wilderness, a crowd of listeners would gather around him. Just imagine, when a child of 9 or 10 years old speaks, he speaks words of wisdom, if this news reached the Roman ruler, the child could have been in terrible danger, but he had that knowledge. But his protectors were always vigilant over him. One day, two men named Naveen and Ravi came to him. They were the ones who had been sent to protect Jesus. Jesus had been quite different in temperament from other children since childhood. He did not have such deep attachment to father, mother, or home. This Naveen and Ravi took the young Jesus with them, and he also went with them without thinking anything. Meanwhile, Mary’s friend Elizabeth’s husband had passed away. Mary wanted to go and stay with her friend Elizabeth, but with the child not returning home, she also fell into terrible anxiety. Despite searching all around, they couldn’t find any trace of where that child had gone. Even before his birth, there was no end to their anxiety about this child. At this time, Joseph returned home and told his wife that Jesus was with their secret community people. For a special reason, they had taken him, so Mary should go to her friend’s house without worry. The child will return in due time.”
In Jericho, Nabeen and Ravi begin their sacred studies under the tutelage of Jesus, guided by the teachings of the scriptures. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who was Mary’s close friend, has a husband who is a member of this secret society. Elizabeth also has a son named John, who is an exceptionally intelligent child. Nabeen and Ravi are instructed to prepare John to join Jesus, and as they live and study together, a deep friendship develops between John and Jesus.
The area where they reside is surrounded by mountains and forests. They would enter the deep forests to meditate and engage in spiritual discussions when not studying. After some time, Jesus is taken to the fortress of Maseda, where he undergoes an extended period of education. Upon completion of his studies, he is told that from that moment on, he will represent this mysterious community and work for the benefit of humanity. He is also instructed to inform his father Joseph that the time has come to fulfill the promise he had made.
When Jesus returns home, Joseph does not need to be told, for he was already mentally prepared to fulfill that promise. That day, he had informed Jesus that he was not his biological father.
As Adinath marched, Ratul could visualize everything vividly. In the evening, a torch was lit atop the mountain, its flame gently swaying, conveying some important message. Jesus began climbing the mountain to reach the torch. As night fell during his ascent, he reached the top and encountered several individuals dressed in white robes, with white cords tied around their waists. Recognizing them, he was led into a cave, where he found John and others. The assembled individuals untied the cords from their waists, held them in their hands, and commenced their prayers.
After the prayers were over, their deity poured out bread and drink as an offering to the tongue. Then they themselves partook of that bread and wine. Why they had been summoned to this assembly, Jesus and John could never understand. All four important representatives of this special community were present here. In their joint decision, it was decided that John be sent to Juthath, where he would lead a very lonely life, and in due time, the message of what he should do would be sent to him. And Jesus would have to go away from this place to a distant land for a long time, and after a certain time, he would be brought back again. John began to live a lonely life in the wilderness of Juthath, and Jesus waited for the time of his departure. Jesus had a friend named Lazarus, and Lazarus had a sister named Mary. In his young age, what happens, Jesus fell in love with Mary. But in the work he was involved in, he could by no means accept Mary as his wife.
As they were talking, Adinath looked at his watch and said, “Ratul, it’s time for the puja, now we have to go back.”
As Ratul and Adinath went out of the cave, a thick white mist seemed to enter the cave and block the cave entrance. (Continues)
Click here for Part-1, Part 2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6, Part-7, Part-8, Part-9,
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Debasree Chakraborti is a renowned novel writer of Bengali language. Based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, she has done Master’s in Modern History from the Kolkata University, and authored some thirty books, mostly the novels, with historical perspective and themes. Her novel is ‘Maharaja Dahir’ that covers the history of Sindh from 662, the year of first attack on Sindh by the Arab armies till date, was published last year and translated by Nasir Aijaz into Sindhi language.