SRI RAMAKRISHNA
PARMAHAMSA
Do we recall
the film
Piku? Each time
Piku (played by Deepika 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 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
into 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 Chattopadhyay on February 18,
1936 at Kamarpukur,
he passed away on August 16, 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 nondescript 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 had a 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 from the
ritualistic duties of priesthood.
This was a turning point in the
life of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He was 24 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 world of Tantra.
Sage Totapuri, his Guru
introduced him to
the Vedanta philosophy. 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 devout 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, especially 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 significantly, he never asked his devotees to forsake 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 what 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 said once, “If you must be mad, be it not for things of the world.
Be mad with the love of God.”
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