From time immemorial, dream is
considered as one of the common is considered as one of the most common
but fascinating experiences of mankind in general. It is an established
fact that every one of us experiences dream during sleep but only a few
remember it while others forget it completely. However till the
beginning of nineteenth century, dreams were reflections of disturbed
sleep. It was Freud, the famous psychologist / philosopher who
revolutionized the concept of dream. Freud in his book titled “The
Interpretation of Dreams” argued that the motivation of all dream
content is wish-fulfillment.
However, Carl Jung another renowned philosopher did not exactly agree with Freud’s view, rather was of the opinion that the scope of dream is somewhat larger reflecting the richness and complexity of the entire unconsciousness, both personal and collective. Again Calvin S. hall considered that a dream images are visual representations of personal conception.
Now let us take a stroll down the memory lane and examine a few specific instances from the biography a few divine saints so as to co-relate the meaning and significance of dream, if any, from spiritual perspective or angle.
At first let us take a look at a very strange dream of Vrajavidehi Mahatma Swami Dhananjoy Das Kathia Baba Maharajji, when he was only five years of age. In that dream, during early dawn, he felt as if he is the incarnation of their family deity Sri Sri Radhamadhav. After that several years passed by. Swami Dhananjoy Dasji also got deeply engaged in following the rigors of ascetic life under his childhood dream. At that his Gurudev just smiled gently and replied “Can you not understand even a little bit of it? This dream is not just an illusion; however, its truth will unfold before you in due course of time”. It appears that Sri Radhmadhav Himself appeared before him to make him realize the strange but real truth. It cannot be simply a case of wish-fulfillment or sequence of thought for a small boy.
Similarly we learn from the biography of Sri Ram Das Kathia Baba Maharajji about a dream seen by one by one of his disciples, Sri Abhay-babu when he was staying at Gayadham. In the dream, he was Sri Kathia Babaji along with another saint. Sri Kathia Babaji told him by another pointing towards the other saint, “He is a very noble-minded saint, you can stay with him, His company would be very beneficial for you”. After few days Sri Abhay Babu came to Vrindavan and incidentally got introduced to Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswamiji and started staying with him. However, sometime later he could realize that Swami Goswamiji was none other than the saint he saw in the dream. At that Kathia Babaji over there and told him about the dream. At that Kathia Babaji immediately replied, “Yes, it was me who appeared in your dream. Now you could realize that the dream was a real one. You have also met the saint you saw in your dream. He is really a very honest saint, his company will do you a world of good. Come on, let me also meet him along with you”. Likewise Kathia Babaji used to appear before him or in other words it is Sri Kathia Babaji who is rather inducing Sri Abhay- Babu to see the dream. Here both the subject and the object of dream are conscious of the dream content.
Again let us take another instance from the biography of Sri Dhananjoy Dasji Maharaj. It was probably in the year 1933--a few months before the Vrajaparikrama was to begin. Sri Ananta Dasji Maharaj was deeply absorbed in meditation somewhere near the bank of river Narmada. There he saw a dream that his Gurudev had fallen sick. He saw the same dream consecutively for three nights. At that he became very anxious to meet his Gurudev and hence went to Vrindavan. But Sri Santa Dasji was not there and therefore he had to go to Shivpur where his Gurudev was undergoing treatment. The moment Gurudev saw Sri Ananta Dasji, he instantly got up and told the attending doctor that soon he would be cured without any medicine because his eldest son had arrived. So the dream Sri Ananta Dasji saw must be as a result of Gurudev’s wish and not the other way around.
In another instance we see that when the internal conflict between Ashram Committee and Swami Dhananjoy Dasji was at its peak, then on the night before fire broke out in the temple premises, Ma Anandamayee saw a horrifying dream in which Sri Thakurji(deity) of that temple appeared before her in a fire ravaged condition. However, she did not disclose this to anyone but could sense something very ominous.
At that time only, one devotee who was deeply absorbed in meditation at a lonely place somewhere near Guwahati, one night saw Swami Santa Dasji Maharaj in his dream and that matted hair on his head was cleanly shaved. The conversation that took place between him and Sri Santa Dasji is reproduced here in the form of question and answer and everyone came to learn about the dream from the letter that the devotee wrote to one of the sadhus staying along with Sri Dhanajay Dasji during that time.
Devotee- “Why are you looking like this? And why have you cut your matted hair?” (In fact, at that time Sri Dhananjay Dasji had cut his matted hair because of the tragic incident) Sri Santa Dasji- “I don’t need this now.” Devotee- “Are you aware of all events there at he Vrindavan Ashram?” Sri Santa Dasji- “Yes, I know.” Devotee- “Do you know that Sri Dhananjoy Dasjinis passing through a very difficult phase of mental agony?” Sri Santa Dasji- “Yes I know everything.” Devotee- “Can you not solve the problem?” Sri Santa Dasji- “Right now I can solve this.” Devotee- “Then why are you not doing anything?” Sri Santa Dasji- “I am just looking forward to my Gurudev (Sri Kathia Baba). Let see what he does.”
And then we learn that immediately after Sri Bijoy Krishna Dasji left for Vaikuntha, there was no one to carry the spiritual torch forward because during his lifetime no one was chosen for that purpose. After that, one of the disciples Sri Paramananda Saraswatiji one night got some spiritual instruction from his Gurudev in a dream and afterwards this was materialized through physical revelation of this Gurudev in subtle from.
Then again we come across a true and starting revelation of a dream in which one honest Vaishnudev Sadhu, Sri Madhavdasji of Brahmakunda at Vrajadham saw Lord Krishna telling him to meditate under a Kadamba tree at a place near Davanal Kunda during Brahma Muhurta (wee hours) on the Panchami Tithi (the fifth day of lunar cycle) and keep praying for Him and Lord Krishna assured him His of darshan (vision of God ) at that place.”
This Sadhuji narrated the whole dream to Mahanta Maharaj Sri Dhananjoy Dasji and requested him to allow him to meditate at that place which was under his supervision so that no one disturbs him during medidation or prayer. Accordingly, on the night before the Panchami Tithi, the Sadhu observed fast and sat under the Kadamba tree and started praying. He also kept some sweets in a bowl wrapped in cloth hanging from the branch of the tree in the hope of offering it to Lord Krishna. In the morning, everyone passing through that place saw Sadhuji still sitting there in deep meditation. But sometime later, this Sadhuji was seen lying down in a prostrating posture as if saluting God. On being asked by fellow devotees, Sadhuji told them to inform Sri Dhananjoy Dasji about his Darshan of Lord Krishna and that soon he would be leaving this mortal world. In the mean time Sri Dhananjoy Dasji also arrived at the place and some time later Sadhuji also left for the heavenly abode.
Similarly we learn from the biography of Swami Santa Dasji Maharaj that immediately after Swami Ram Das Kathia Baba had left this mortal world, one contractor was engaged for the ongoing construction work of the Ashram at Vrindavan. Swami Santa Dasji used to send money regularly from Kolkata for the construction work. But in between, for quit some time, he could not send money. By that time, the contractor had also spent some good amount from his own account. Sometime later, he also started doubting whether he would he get back his money or not. A few Vrajabasi also started instigating him by telling, “Afterwards, the contractor started hesitating to continue the construction work. At that time only, one night the contractor saw someone telling him in his dream, “Do not be scared, you will get back all your money. Not even a single paisa will be left as debt. You just continue the construction work of the Temple”. And really, after few days only, Swami Santa Dasji got a huge sum of money as fee for court case and cleared all the debt of that contractor. So it appears that there is no explanation for such a dream from materialistic point of view. It must have a spiritual connection and it must be none other than Sri Kathia Baba himself appearing before the contractor to console him.
Finally we learn from the writing of one Vaishnav devotee from Punjab named Sri Vishnudas Jerath that the whole chain of events leading to the consecration of Sri Vrindaban Beharijiu – the idol of Sri Radha Krishna at Kathia Baba ka Sthan, Vrindaban can actually be traced to a dream experienced by him. He writes that initially he had a feeling that dreams are nothing but reflections of incomplete task in our day to day life and so he never attached any special significance to it. But after that special dream, he felt an unusual attraction and motivation for consecration of the smiling idol of Radha Krishna he saw in the dream and bought an idol of Radha Krishna from Jaipur. But even after several attempts, he could not consecrate the idol and his financial condition also forced him to give up the idea. After that we come to know from the book “ Sharanagatabatsal Sribhagawan” how that idol was brought to the Vrindaban Ashram and was consecrated. On being invited, Sri Vishnudas Jeerathji also came to Vrindaban Ashram on the day consecration and then he saw the temple, his idol and surroundings. It immediately reminded him of the exact scenario he saw in the dream. Most surprisingly, when he saw the marble idols of Sri Ramdas Kathia Babaji and Sri Santabas Kathia Babaji in a nearby room, it reminded him that these were the saints who used to appear often before him in his dream to motivate him for consecration of the Idol he purchased from Jaipur.
Many of us experience dreams of similar nature in our real life situations. So if we analyze all these dreams we find that there is a real truth lying behind these dreams. These dreams cannot just be a mere wish- fulfillment or simply a visual manifestation of sequence of thought but rather an indication of what is going to happen in near future or a present state of affair. Thus in general, these dreams related to spiritual matters have real implications and at the same time these are most probably a measure of the state of mind or spiritual progress of a person. In fact, the supra-conscious intellect or God or Supreme Brahman as we call him, has no timescale he is above and beyond time, so it is said that all events past, present, future appear before him as one. It is a difficult concept to comprehend but a simple analogy can make things a bit clearer. Like in a cinema, an event of the past also appears as if it is happening now i.c. past and present appear as one.
Similarly to God, because of his supra-conscious intellect, all events as one or in other word as known events. We common men are engrossed with nescience or abidya and as such we cannot see beyond certain time-frame whereas in dreams these limitations sometime break open and we can see things of the past or future or an event occurring unknowingly at some other place. The more enlightened a person is spiritually, his dream will have more realistic dimension with regard to past, present or future.
Even through dreams are of various types like day-drams,lucid-dreams or prophetic-dreams etc, dreams related to spiritual matters may be to some linked to prophetic type but not exactly because of its communicative aspect was not covered by an of the famous western philosophers.
Again there may be a very narrow difference between spiritual dreams and physical appearance or vision of divine objects. In some spiritually enlightened souls, the latter aspect may take precedence over the other. Thus we see in Swami Santa Dasji’s life that on several occasions, he had these sort of visions like Lord Shiva and Durga appearing before him, Lord Krishna appearing before him on the fateful night before his Mahanatai ceremony etc.
Thus most probably there are two aspects of a dream. Firstly dream may originate with the person who is dreaming and secondly it may originate from the spiritual content of dream i.e. the object of a dream. Western thinkers emphasized mainly on the first aspect whereas Indian saints have reflected more on the second aspect like their Egyptian and Greek counterparts who consider dream as dream as a supernatural communication or divine intervention. Sri Dhananjoy Dasji’s childhood dream of Sri Radhamadhav’s incarnation, the case of Sri Ananta Dasji’s dream for three consecutive nights or Sri Abhoy-babu’s dream lesson or Lord Krishna Telling Sadhuji about how to get his Darshan or the contractor being consoled or the smiling face of the idol of Radha Krishna motivating Sri Vishnudas Jerath clearly points towards that aspect.
Dr. Santosh DevHowever, Carl Jung another renowned philosopher did not exactly agree with Freud’s view, rather was of the opinion that the scope of dream is somewhat larger reflecting the richness and complexity of the entire unconsciousness, both personal and collective. Again Calvin S. hall considered that a dream images are visual representations of personal conception.
Now let us take a stroll down the memory lane and examine a few specific instances from the biography a few divine saints so as to co-relate the meaning and significance of dream, if any, from spiritual perspective or angle.
At first let us take a look at a very strange dream of Vrajavidehi Mahatma Swami Dhananjoy Das Kathia Baba Maharajji, when he was only five years of age. In that dream, during early dawn, he felt as if he is the incarnation of their family deity Sri Sri Radhamadhav. After that several years passed by. Swami Dhananjoy Dasji also got deeply engaged in following the rigors of ascetic life under his childhood dream. At that his Gurudev just smiled gently and replied “Can you not understand even a little bit of it? This dream is not just an illusion; however, its truth will unfold before you in due course of time”. It appears that Sri Radhmadhav Himself appeared before him to make him realize the strange but real truth. It cannot be simply a case of wish-fulfillment or sequence of thought for a small boy.
Similarly we learn from the biography of Sri Ram Das Kathia Baba Maharajji about a dream seen by one by one of his disciples, Sri Abhay-babu when he was staying at Gayadham. In the dream, he was Sri Kathia Babaji along with another saint. Sri Kathia Babaji told him by another pointing towards the other saint, “He is a very noble-minded saint, you can stay with him, His company would be very beneficial for you”. After few days Sri Abhay Babu came to Vrindavan and incidentally got introduced to Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswamiji and started staying with him. However, sometime later he could realize that Swami Goswamiji was none other than the saint he saw in the dream. At that Kathia Babaji over there and told him about the dream. At that Kathia Babaji immediately replied, “Yes, it was me who appeared in your dream. Now you could realize that the dream was a real one. You have also met the saint you saw in your dream. He is really a very honest saint, his company will do you a world of good. Come on, let me also meet him along with you”. Likewise Kathia Babaji used to appear before him or in other words it is Sri Kathia Babaji who is rather inducing Sri Abhay- Babu to see the dream. Here both the subject and the object of dream are conscious of the dream content.
Again let us take another instance from the biography of Sri Dhananjoy Dasji Maharaj. It was probably in the year 1933--a few months before the Vrajaparikrama was to begin. Sri Ananta Dasji Maharaj was deeply absorbed in meditation somewhere near the bank of river Narmada. There he saw a dream that his Gurudev had fallen sick. He saw the same dream consecutively for three nights. At that he became very anxious to meet his Gurudev and hence went to Vrindavan. But Sri Santa Dasji was not there and therefore he had to go to Shivpur where his Gurudev was undergoing treatment. The moment Gurudev saw Sri Ananta Dasji, he instantly got up and told the attending doctor that soon he would be cured without any medicine because his eldest son had arrived. So the dream Sri Ananta Dasji saw must be as a result of Gurudev’s wish and not the other way around.
In another instance we see that when the internal conflict between Ashram Committee and Swami Dhananjoy Dasji was at its peak, then on the night before fire broke out in the temple premises, Ma Anandamayee saw a horrifying dream in which Sri Thakurji(deity) of that temple appeared before her in a fire ravaged condition. However, she did not disclose this to anyone but could sense something very ominous.
At that time only, one devotee who was deeply absorbed in meditation at a lonely place somewhere near Guwahati, one night saw Swami Santa Dasji Maharaj in his dream and that matted hair on his head was cleanly shaved. The conversation that took place between him and Sri Santa Dasji is reproduced here in the form of question and answer and everyone came to learn about the dream from the letter that the devotee wrote to one of the sadhus staying along with Sri Dhanajay Dasji during that time.
Devotee- “Why are you looking like this? And why have you cut your matted hair?” (In fact, at that time Sri Dhananjay Dasji had cut his matted hair because of the tragic incident) Sri Santa Dasji- “I don’t need this now.” Devotee- “Are you aware of all events there at he Vrindavan Ashram?” Sri Santa Dasji- “Yes, I know.” Devotee- “Do you know that Sri Dhananjoy Dasjinis passing through a very difficult phase of mental agony?” Sri Santa Dasji- “Yes I know everything.” Devotee- “Can you not solve the problem?” Sri Santa Dasji- “Right now I can solve this.” Devotee- “Then why are you not doing anything?” Sri Santa Dasji- “I am just looking forward to my Gurudev (Sri Kathia Baba). Let see what he does.”
And then we learn that immediately after Sri Bijoy Krishna Dasji left for Vaikuntha, there was no one to carry the spiritual torch forward because during his lifetime no one was chosen for that purpose. After that, one of the disciples Sri Paramananda Saraswatiji one night got some spiritual instruction from his Gurudev in a dream and afterwards this was materialized through physical revelation of this Gurudev in subtle from.
Then again we come across a true and starting revelation of a dream in which one honest Vaishnudev Sadhu, Sri Madhavdasji of Brahmakunda at Vrajadham saw Lord Krishna telling him to meditate under a Kadamba tree at a place near Davanal Kunda during Brahma Muhurta (wee hours) on the Panchami Tithi (the fifth day of lunar cycle) and keep praying for Him and Lord Krishna assured him His of darshan (vision of God ) at that place.”
This Sadhuji narrated the whole dream to Mahanta Maharaj Sri Dhananjoy Dasji and requested him to allow him to meditate at that place which was under his supervision so that no one disturbs him during medidation or prayer. Accordingly, on the night before the Panchami Tithi, the Sadhu observed fast and sat under the Kadamba tree and started praying. He also kept some sweets in a bowl wrapped in cloth hanging from the branch of the tree in the hope of offering it to Lord Krishna. In the morning, everyone passing through that place saw Sadhuji still sitting there in deep meditation. But sometime later, this Sadhuji was seen lying down in a prostrating posture as if saluting God. On being asked by fellow devotees, Sadhuji told them to inform Sri Dhananjoy Dasji about his Darshan of Lord Krishna and that soon he would be leaving this mortal world. In the mean time Sri Dhananjoy Dasji also arrived at the place and some time later Sadhuji also left for the heavenly abode.
Similarly we learn from the biography of Swami Santa Dasji Maharaj that immediately after Swami Ram Das Kathia Baba had left this mortal world, one contractor was engaged for the ongoing construction work of the Ashram at Vrindavan. Swami Santa Dasji used to send money regularly from Kolkata for the construction work. But in between, for quit some time, he could not send money. By that time, the contractor had also spent some good amount from his own account. Sometime later, he also started doubting whether he would he get back his money or not. A few Vrajabasi also started instigating him by telling, “Afterwards, the contractor started hesitating to continue the construction work. At that time only, one night the contractor saw someone telling him in his dream, “Do not be scared, you will get back all your money. Not even a single paisa will be left as debt. You just continue the construction work of the Temple”. And really, after few days only, Swami Santa Dasji got a huge sum of money as fee for court case and cleared all the debt of that contractor. So it appears that there is no explanation for such a dream from materialistic point of view. It must have a spiritual connection and it must be none other than Sri Kathia Baba himself appearing before the contractor to console him.
Finally we learn from the writing of one Vaishnav devotee from Punjab named Sri Vishnudas Jerath that the whole chain of events leading to the consecration of Sri Vrindaban Beharijiu – the idol of Sri Radha Krishna at Kathia Baba ka Sthan, Vrindaban can actually be traced to a dream experienced by him. He writes that initially he had a feeling that dreams are nothing but reflections of incomplete task in our day to day life and so he never attached any special significance to it. But after that special dream, he felt an unusual attraction and motivation for consecration of the smiling idol of Radha Krishna he saw in the dream and bought an idol of Radha Krishna from Jaipur. But even after several attempts, he could not consecrate the idol and his financial condition also forced him to give up the idea. After that we come to know from the book “ Sharanagatabatsal Sribhagawan” how that idol was brought to the Vrindaban Ashram and was consecrated. On being invited, Sri Vishnudas Jeerathji also came to Vrindaban Ashram on the day consecration and then he saw the temple, his idol and surroundings. It immediately reminded him of the exact scenario he saw in the dream. Most surprisingly, when he saw the marble idols of Sri Ramdas Kathia Babaji and Sri Santabas Kathia Babaji in a nearby room, it reminded him that these were the saints who used to appear often before him in his dream to motivate him for consecration of the Idol he purchased from Jaipur.
Many of us experience dreams of similar nature in our real life situations. So if we analyze all these dreams we find that there is a real truth lying behind these dreams. These dreams cannot just be a mere wish- fulfillment or simply a visual manifestation of sequence of thought but rather an indication of what is going to happen in near future or a present state of affair. Thus in general, these dreams related to spiritual matters have real implications and at the same time these are most probably a measure of the state of mind or spiritual progress of a person. In fact, the supra-conscious intellect or God or Supreme Brahman as we call him, has no timescale he is above and beyond time, so it is said that all events past, present, future appear before him as one. It is a difficult concept to comprehend but a simple analogy can make things a bit clearer. Like in a cinema, an event of the past also appears as if it is happening now i.c. past and present appear as one.
Similarly to God, because of his supra-conscious intellect, all events as one or in other word as known events. We common men are engrossed with nescience or abidya and as such we cannot see beyond certain time-frame whereas in dreams these limitations sometime break open and we can see things of the past or future or an event occurring unknowingly at some other place. The more enlightened a person is spiritually, his dream will have more realistic dimension with regard to past, present or future.
Even through dreams are of various types like day-drams,lucid-dreams or prophetic-dreams etc, dreams related to spiritual matters may be to some linked to prophetic type but not exactly because of its communicative aspect was not covered by an of the famous western philosophers.
Again there may be a very narrow difference between spiritual dreams and physical appearance or vision of divine objects. In some spiritually enlightened souls, the latter aspect may take precedence over the other. Thus we see in Swami Santa Dasji’s life that on several occasions, he had these sort of visions like Lord Shiva and Durga appearing before him, Lord Krishna appearing before him on the fateful night before his Mahanatai ceremony etc.
Thus most probably there are two aspects of a dream. Firstly dream may originate with the person who is dreaming and secondly it may originate from the spiritual content of dream i.e. the object of a dream. Western thinkers emphasized mainly on the first aspect whereas Indian saints have reflected more on the second aspect like their Egyptian and Greek counterparts who consider dream as dream as a supernatural communication or divine intervention. Sri Dhananjoy Dasji’s childhood dream of Sri Radhamadhav’s incarnation, the case of Sri Ananta Dasji’s dream for three consecutive nights or Sri Abhoy-babu’s dream lesson or Lord Krishna Telling Sadhuji about how to get his Darshan or the contractor being consoled or the smiling face of the idol of Radha Krishna motivating Sri Vishnudas Jerath clearly points towards that aspect.
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