Religion helps human beings to evolve from a lower to a higher nature. As every saint has his past, so every sinner has his future. The history of religion bears testimony to the fact that the avatar or Divine Incarnation appears in every age and holding the light of dharma (religion), he illumines the path to righteousness for evildoers, hypocrites, and the poor in spirit. An avatar manifests power in two ways: With the help of his pure, eternal companions, he reestablishes religion that has become corrupt or has declined, and he destroys the wickedness of the wicked, and thereby demonstrates his redeeming power.
Pratap Chandra Hazra’s role was very important in the divine drama of Sri Ramakrishna. Hazra’s character displayed nearly every human flaw. He was egotistical, untruthful, greedy, selfish, jealous, mischievous, shrewd, hypercritical, and hypocritical. Such a character is not uncommon in society. Although close association with a person of this type is very difficult, Sri Ramakrishna lived with Hazra in Dakshineswar for about five years. The Master dealt with this unmanageable person and also protected others from his adverse influence. (Source: They Lived with God)
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Hazra is a strange person. He left his wife, children and aged mother in a spirit of pseudo-renunciation and moved to Dakshineshwar to live with Sri Ramakrishna. He played his part very well in the divine drama of Sri Ramakrishna. Even though the Master was actually Hazra’s host in Dakshineshwar, Hazra criticised Him in front of others. Sri Ramakrishna’s patience in putting up with Hazra was superhuman.
The association and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna slowly worked their effect on his mind. The grace of an incarnation could be gauged from its capacity to lift even personalities like Hazra, is known from the incident that happened during the last moments of his life.
Hazra had a mild fever for three days; except for that he had no major disease. A village doctor looked after him. In the evening of the third day, Hazra said to his wife: ‘Look, you inform the villagers tomorrow morning that they should be present at our house before 9:00 a.m. as I am going to die at that time.’ His wife thought her husband was delirious with fever, so he was talking like that. She did not take it seriously at all. However, early next morning Hazra persuaded his wife to spread his death forecast among the villagers. Some ignored it, thinking Hazra was crazy, and some came to watch the fun.
At 8:30 a.m. Hazra took his rosary and started to practice his japa as usual. People knew that it was his nature to do so. All of a sudden they noticed a change on Hazra’s face. It appeared as though he was intently looking at somebody. After a while he burst forth with the words: ‘Welcome! Most welcome! Here comes the Master! Master, after such a long time you have remembered me.’ He then said to his wife: ‘Please bring a seat. Be quick! Don’t you see that paramahamsadeva has come?’ His wife stood there indifferently. But when Hazra repeated his request, she reluctantly spread a carpet there.
Then addressing Sri Ramakrishna, Hazra said: ‘Master, please sit on the asana and wait till I die. Please be gracious unto me.’ Saying so, Hazra began to repeat his mantra again. After a short time he exclaimed: ‘Welcome! Welcome Ramdada [Ram Chandra Datta, a devotee of the Master]! How fortunate I am! He then requested his wife to give an asana to Ram Chandra, which she did. Hazra with folded hands requested that Ram Chandra too sit near him till death. Then again he started to repeat his mantra. Again he exclaimed: ‘Welcome! JoginMaharaj [Swami Yogananda] has come! Oh, what a joyful day!’ He then asked his wife to give an asana to Swami Yogananda and requested him to sit near him till death.
He then addressed Sri Ramakrishna with folded hands, saying:
‘Master, you are so gracious unto me. Please do me another favour. Please come with me to the tulsi grove where I want to give up my body.’ With Sri Ramakrishna’s consent, Hazra asked his wife to carry those three asanas and his bed to the tulsi grove. Then going there, Hazra requested that they sit on their respective asanas, and he lay down on his bed. He continued his japa and then repeated thrice, ‘Hari, Hari, Hari.’ In this way Hazra passed away. The villagers were amazed to see Hazra die the way he did. They then arranged his funeral and glorified him as a great soul.
The blessed death of Hazra proves that the grace of an avatar can eradicate a soul’s bad karma. Hazra had been hypocritical, spiteful, mercenary, untruthful, and egotistical, but Sri Ramakrishna’s infallible blessing created a transformation in his life. Furthermore, what happened in Hazra’s life will help create faith in the mind of a faithless person. A Hindu scripture says that whether a person thinks of God with love or with enmity, he will reach God, because the thought of God destroys evil propensities. As Sri Ramakrishna glorified and transformed Hazra’s life, Hazra also glorified the greatness of the Master by acting out the role of a “rascal.” Hazra’s character will never be forgotten.