Mr Chakravarti and the circus

Expressions researched:
"A man was tied up, hands and legs, put into a bag" |"Mr. Chakravarti in our childhood in a circus, he was playing this part" |"There was one Mr. Chakravarti"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

There was one Mr. Chakravarti. He learned this art, and he made money in cooperation with a circus, Bose's circus, in Calcutta. I have seen it in our childhood, that this Mr. Chakravarti first of all was packed in a bag, and the bag was sealed before all audience, and the bag was put in a box.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

A yogī, actual, who has attained perfection yogī, he can pack up in any small thing, but if there is little hole, he will come out. A little hole.

We have seen it. There was one Mr. Chakravarti. He learned this art, and he made money in cooperation with a circus, Bose's circus, in Calcutta. I have seen it in our childhood, that this Mr. Chakravarti first of all was packed in a bag, and the bag was sealed before all audience, and the bag was put in a box. The box was locked up—not only locked up, it was sealed. Then a curtain, mosquito-curtainlike curtain, was covered. And on the box there was a tablā. You know tablā, harmonium.

So from outside one of the circus men said: "Mr. Chakravarti, will you kindly play the tablā?" The tablā was going on nicely within the curtain. Then he said: "Mr. Chakravarti, will you kindly play on the harmonium?" The harmonium he played. Then he said: "Mr. Chakravarti, will you please come out?" So he immediately came out from the curtain, and he began to round the box, and the man, circus man, asked everyone, "Catch him, catch him, catch him."

So somebody tried to catch him, but nobody could catch him. He again entered in the curtain, and when the curtain was taken, everyone saw that the tablā was there, the harmonium was there, and the box was locked and sealed. And then the seal was opened. The box was opened. Then Mr. Chakravarti, within the bag, he was taken out. And the bag was sealed; it was opened. At that time Mr. Chakravarti was perspiring. He was very fatigued. He remained in such a way, but he came out. That we have seen.

A man was tied up, hands and legs, put into a bag. The bag was sealed up, again put into a box. The box was locked and sealed. And the man again came out.

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

Siddhaloka means there the inhabitants automatically perfect in all yogic practice. Yogic practice means . . . if you become perfect in yogic practice, you can fly in the air without any instrument. Aṇimā laghimā prāpti īśitā vaśitā. There are eight kinds of siddhi. You are sitting here. If you want such-and-such thing from London, you can get immediately. This is called siddhi, prāpti. You can become the smaller than the smallest. You can be packed up in a box—we have seen it—and you'll come out. In Bose's circus, Calcutta, in our childhood, we saw this yogic practice. A man was tied up, hands and legs, put into a bag. The bag was sealed up, again put into a box. The box was locked and sealed. And the man again came out. We have seen.

First of all, his hands and legs were tightly knotted with seal. Then he was put into a bag and the bag was also sealed.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

Not only Trailuṅga Swami, but we have seen one Mr. Chakravarti in our childhood in a circus, he was playing this part. He was packed up. First of all, his hands and legs were tightly knotted with seal. Then he was put into a bag and the bag was also sealed. Then with this bag he was put in a box. The box was locked and sealed. And he came out from that box—in everyone's presence. We have seen it. And again, he was seen that he was packed up in that way.