Kolkata-based author Debashree 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
Location: Ladakh and Israel, Year: 2021 and Two Thousand Years Ago)
It’s now very late, and Ratul arrived at Hemis Monastery after three days. The dim light of the monastery makes its narrow paths and small chambers feel like he’s traversing through time, longing to return to a period two thousand years in the past. Ratul wonders if the electromagnetic waves and sounds, which blended into this cosmos from people and objects hundreds of years ago, still exist somewhere or if they have merged into the currents of time. If science were to invent such a machine, through which we could witness many events from the past on a computer monitor, perhaps many mysteries could be solved.
If science can truly create such a device, he would first want to see the moment of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s disappearance, and then he would want to know what happened in Esa’s (Jesus) life after he was crucified. Countless mysterious events are buried away in this way, and often those events are rewritten in history with a new form.
Adinath told Ratul that to find the remnants of life, one must merge with the earth. Questions posed to the chief lama of Hemis or any of the other lamas would likely go unanswered. Even after many years have passed, many signals may still remain hidden in that region; if you can connect those signals, you might find answers to all your questions.
Ratul asked, “What do you mean by signals?”
“Signals mean folklore, songs, local dances, or any ancient writings or images; perhaps within all of these lies a mysterious chapter from the past.”
After arriving in Hemis, Ratul really enjoyed the tea made with butter and salt here. There is a strange intoxication in this tea; the boy who brings it to him every day told Ratul that he will never forget the tea made by his mother. Perhaps the boy went home and told his mother something about Ratul, which is why she invited Ratul to dinner today. The boy’s home is a little distant from this gompa. He comes here every day to pursue his studies and also helps the lamas, then returns home at night. As long as his mother is alive, he will fulfill all his duties to her, and then one day he will liberate himself from all family ties and live entirely like a lama.
In any case, the boy’s name is Dichen. Ratul is heading towards Dichen’s village. Even before entering the village, Ratul could hear a commotion. He began to hear the murmurs of some people, laughter, and the sound of a musical instrument. Ratul had an inkling about something, and upon entering the village, he realized that his assumption was not wrong. Dichen had informed the villagers about Ratul’s arrival in advance. The village consists of six or seven houses; it’s not a large settlement at all. But right away, Ratul understood how hospitable the villagers were. They were dressed in various kinds of clothes and welcomed Ratul with a dance. Dichen then seated Ratul in the middle of the village under a canopy. Then, a mysterious dance drama began. Horns, large cymbals, and various musical instruments started playing. As the music and colorful dance unfolded before him, Ratul felt as if he had suddenly been transported back two thousand years in time. A flock of sheep herders kicked up yellow dust as they moved forward. On both sides of the road, there were settlements. Ratul could feel everything happening here; this environment, this nature, and the people here all seemed very familiar to him. He began to feel a sense of unity with everyone around him.
He saw a house where a couple was standing, and groups of couples kept coming to meet them, each carrying precious gifts. The head of this house and his wife were being addressed as Joseph and Mary. Everyone was praising their daughter, and the women among them were eagerly looking around for Esa (Jesus). But Esa was nowhere to be found. Where was Esa? Neither Joseph nor Mary had an answer. The boy had just turned fourteen; at this age, nearly all the boys in the region were already married, and from all directions, the young men were entering homes.
As they continue like this, they arrive in Sindhu country. They take refuge in a temple on the shores of the Sindhu Sea
Every day there are new matrimonial relationships coming up, but they cannot promise anyone anything. There seems to be no inclination for the son to get married and start a household; besides, there is a supreme responsibility towards a great duty, which cannot be denied. Their Esa, who is different from everyone else, has come to liberate a nation from the shackles of a long time, and in the face of this greater interest, there is no place for personal interest. This very simple truth cannot be conveyed by Joseph or Mary to everyone. Because not all things can be said everywhere. Leaving behind Joseph and Mary, he sets off on an unknown path with a group of merchants. He does not know where he is going, nor does he know the people he is traveling with, but their responsibility is to safely deliver him to a designated destination. Along this long journey, they take shelter sometimes at the foot of trees and sometimes in unknown villages. As they continue like this, they arrive in Sindhu country. They take refuge in a temple on the shores of the Sindhu Sea. As the sun sets along the sea, flocks of white marine birds gather on the beach. Watching them, it seems as if seekers have gathered in the guise of birds, attracted by the spirituality of this nature from distant lands. He stepped forward from the temple and stood on the beach. The presence of this young man in pristine white attire seemed to add a new spiritual power to this nature. How extraordinary is this spirituality. The youth seemed detached from everything in this worldly life, absorbed in this spirituality, sitting on the beach, deeply meditating as if his subtle form was traversing from one end of a spiritual realm to another. From the vast desert expanse to the snow-covered Himalayan peaks, passing through the cool hilly desert, to another seashore. On this beach stands the great temple of Purushottama. While bowing down and touching his head to the feet of the enormous stone idol of Purushottama, a storm from the ocean suddenly begins. With the force of this storm, the youth’s consciousness returns, but the nature here is calm; there is no storm anywhere. He had entered a very unfamiliar world in meditation, where he had to return at the impact of the storm. But surely, there is some symbolic indication behind this storm. A beautiful marine breeze is blowing, and the young man stood upright, his hands stretched out on both sides, head held high, eyes closed. The calls of marine birds are coming from all directions. After standing here in this way for a long time, he heard the sound of a conch, and then the sound of devotional songs began to waft from the temple. This means that the evening Aarti has begun in the temple. He returned to the temple. After resting here for two days, they began to move again, continuing until they came to a place on the banks of the Sindhu River.
After resting here for two days, they began to move again, continuing until they came to a place on the banks of the Sindhu River
They sought refuge. This temple is a meditation ground for Buddhist practitioners. After the evening prayers, a spiritual discussion began in the dimly lit prayer room. One Buddhist practitioner said, “For aeons, the flow of power has been continuous in this land. The energy you practice, in Buddhist Sahaja, is the same as emptiness and compassion; what you call sound and point corresponds to wisdom and means in Buddhist Sahaja; what you consider harmony, the Buddhists regard as ‘ebamka’; what you call the perfected body, Buddhists known as the vajra body; what is Raseshwar’s is Haragouritenu for us. Your Kundalini energy is the goddess of transcendental essence for Buddhists. We Buddhists have placed your Nath practitioners in the place of our gurus; there are references to 84 Nath practitioners in our Tibetan scriptures. We understood, even before your birth, by assessing the position of the stars, that one of these 84 practitioners is about to return. Our fourth Bodhisattva, Matsyendranath, was born in the sacred Sakyabhumi. You regard this Matsyendranath as the embodiment of Avalokiteshvara. And we believe you are the reincarnation of Lord Matsyendranath. The position of stars under which he was born is the same as the one under which you have come. For ages, the practice of Kal Bhairav has been ongoing in this temple, and the supreme controller of time, Kal Bhairav, is also worshipped by you; the priests of Kashi’s Kal Bhairav temple are indeed from your community, which is referred to as the Nath Yogi community. The original power practices have been embraced in various ways by different communities; this is what we call yoga practice. Today, on the auspicious occasion of Kal Bhairav Jayanti, let us come together as two communities and worship Him through our devotion and practice.”
At that moment, a loud conch shell resonated, and immediately, a deep silence followed. It was as if the light from the torch shifted from one side to another, and simultaneously, Ratul regained his consciousness. For a while, it seemed he was experiencing a strange temporal journey. (Continues)
Click here for Part-1, Part 2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6, Part-7, Part-8, Part-9, Part-10,
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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.