Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa - The Mystic Saint
Do we recall the film Piku? Each time Piku (played by Dipika
Padukone) stepped out, she would pay quick obeisance to the images of Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Sharada Devi. This happens unfailingly in all
Bengali households. Yes, they worship Swami Vivekananda too.
Any tectonic revolution is preceded at the subterranean
levels by reformation. The advancement and mushrooming of nation states in
Europe coincided with religious revolt which was termed as reformation. A
series of cataclysmic changes occurred in Europe as they moved from the dark
ages of medieval times to a refined society. The renaissance was followed by
reformation and culminated in the French revolution which changed Europe in to
a modern society embracing the liberal values of liberty, equality, freedom and
fraternity, genuinely free from all prevailing dogmas.
Similarly, the socio-political awakening and the rise of
nationalism in India was preceded by socio-religious awakening. The high
priest of this movement was Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
‘God is in all men, but all men are not in God that is why we
suffer,' said Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Born Gadadhar Chattopadya on February 18th in 1936 at
Kamarpukur, he passed away on August 16th 1886 at Cossipore. He was under the
spiritual tutelage of Totapuri.
His early childhood was spent in the by-lanes of his village,
where he was to learn the 3Rs in the non-descript village school. However, the
clairvoyant child was never comfortable with the grammar of education, it was the
geometry of spirituality that fascinated and intrigued his mind. He kept the
company of mendicants and Sadhus from a very young age.
He was barely six years old, when he was transported into the
ethereal world of surrealism and began to experience an awakening and was often
found to be in a trance.
As part of folklore it is commonly believed that, as night fell
Ramakrishna Parahamsa spent quality time in the jungles deep in meditation. On
becoming a teenager, Sri Ramakrishna migrated to Kolkata (then Calcutta) and
assumed the role of a priest at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple.
It is believed that the highly evolved soul had apparitions and
visions of the Mother Goddess while gazing at the deity. His moods swung in
delirium from sorrow to joy. In sheer ecstasy, he discarded his apparel and
danced with joy. This was perceived as eccentric behaviour and mere antics by
curious onlookers.
Once, he was to have the glimpse of Goddess Kali and in sheer
frenzy he pulled out a dagger in order to snuff out his life and surrender himself
at the feet of the divine.
It was not carousal, but in a state of God-drunken reverie that
the master abandoned his priestly duties and slipped into many a trance, dancing
in gay abandon. Thus the trustees of
the temple resolutely believed that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was insane and
discharged him of ritualistic duties of priesthood.
This was a turning point in the life of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
He was twenty-four years of age and married to Sharada Devi, merely five. But
shortly, he returned to Dakshineshwar and began his tapasya or ascetic exercises. This lasted for 12 long years where
he practised various sadhanas, yogic practices and meditations. A sanyasin
named Bhairavi initiated him into the word of Tantra. Sage Totapuri, his
Guru introduced him to the Vedanta scholarship. Simultaneously, Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa was indoctrinated into the Sufi philosophical school. Apparently he
behaved like a Muslim, dressing and eating like one and had a vision of Allah
within a matter of three days following his deep prayers as a Muslim. Ramakrishna
also had a vision of Jesus Christ upon practicing the Christian rites.
As he laboured through various ascetic practices and was the
Gods’ charmed one to behold the heaven-sent opportunity of perceiving divinity
in all its forms, his wife arrived at Dakshineshwar temple. But the spiritual
master was not to be engulfed by any encumbrances of family life and worshipped
his wife with flowers and incense as he saw in her the mirror image of Goddess
Kali.
The 12 year vigorous religious tapas was followed by spiritual and religious forays to places
like Varanasi, Prayag and Brindavan. Prominent citizens of Calcutta like Keshub
Chandra Sen and others became his followers, though Ramakrishna never
established any sect. He was to speak on the gospel of truth in his simplistic
and earthy manner and emphasised the efficacy of spiritual life and concepts of
Bhakti or devotion to the almighty.
There are some striking features in the life and the teachings
of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. The simplicity of his teachings, nothing
esoteric and complicated to confuse the neophyte. The teachings were extremely
catholic in nature which embraced qualities from Hinduism, Islam and
Christianity. And prominently, he never asked his devotees to forsake the worldly
life to be in pursuit of truth.
Among his favourite disciples was Narendranath, later to assume
the popular name Swami Vivekananda, who established the Ramkrishna Mutt. It is
conjectured that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa transmitted all his spiritual powers
to Swami Vivekananda before casting his mortal self.
One of the lasting contributions of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
was his immense spiritual maturity and the catholicity of his views. Wily-nilly
he contributed to the revival of Hinduism and the worship of Kali and Durga in
Bengal and neighbouring areas. He was also responsible for rescuing Hinduism from
several prevalent dogmas. But notably he gave India and the world an
incandescent and fertile mind in Swami Vivekanada. He was to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa as St Peter
was to Jesus.
In all Bengali households we are struck by the images of
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sharada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. The trinity is
revered with utmost devotion.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was ‘God drunk’ and he spread this
positive feeling and emotion to all who came in his contact. He presciently
once said, ‘If you must be mad, be it not for things of the world. Be mad with
the love of God.’
No comments:
Post a Comment