The Life of Sri Ramakrishna
Sunday, 16 August 2015
Friday, 2 May 2014
1. Ancestry & Birth
It
was the middle of the eighteenth century. Sri Kshudiram Chattopadhyaya and his wife
Srimati Chandramani Devi lived in the village of Derepur. This village was
situated in the Hooghly district, Bengal. Their life revolved around their
family deity Sri Ramachandra. They were blessed with a son, Ramkumar and a
daughter, Katyayani.
Being a simple
village man, Kshudiram was well known for his truthfulness, charity and
devotion. His reputation was such, that once a greedy landlord forced him to
give false statement in court. The whole village knew that Kshudiram will speak
nothing but the truth. Therefore his words would be admitted as evidence in
court. Though Kshudiram knew the consequences of going against the landlord, he
refused to utter falsehood. Soon, the vengeance of the landlord
turned against Kshudiram. On a false claim, the landlord deprived Kshudiram his
ancestral house and land.
Depending
on Lord Sri Ramachandra, Kshudiram left his village. His friend invited him to
the village of Kamarpukur. He also gave
Kshudiram a small house and a piece of agricultural land. This turn of event,
brought great change on Kshudiram. He now spent more time in prayer and worship
of Sri Ramachandra. Soon, Kshudiram earned the love and
respect of the people of Kamarpukur.
Chandramani
Devi also had earned the love and trust of the new village. She was nothing but
kindness, simplicity and guilelessness. The whole village was her
family. She would not take her food without ensuring that everyone in the
neighbourhood as eaten.
After settling in Kamarpukur, one day, Kshudiram was passing through a paddy
field. It was a hot day. Feeling tired, he sat under a tree and fell asleep. Lord Ramachandra
appeared in his dream. Pointing to a spot, the Lord said, “I have been lying here for
ages. Take me to your home!” Kshudiram woke up with a start. Not far away, he
noticed something like a stone. He rushed to the spot and found a salagrama, a
stone symbolising Lord Ramachandra. Kshudiram took it home and started
worshipping it as Raghuvir.
The
advent of Raghuvir brought more joy to Kshudiram and his family. Kshudiram
spent almost all his days in worshipping Raghuvir, singing devotional songs and
meditation. Chandramani joined her husband in attending to the daily
worship and in preparing food offering.
Ten
years passed. In the meantime, another son, Rameswar was born to this noble couple. Leaving the family under the care of his eldest son Ramkumar, Kshudiram
went on a pilgrimage to Vishnu Gaya in 1835.
The
pilgrimage to Gaya, turned to be the most significant event in Kshudiram’s
life. One day, after his daily worship, he was having a short nap. The
presiding deity Vishnu called Lord Gadadhar appeared in his dream and
said, “Kshudiram, I shall be born as your son.” A startled Kshudiram,
protested, “But I am a poor man, my Lord. How can I serve You?” “Don’t worry, I
shall take care of everything,” Gadadhar promised. As this was not the first time the Lord had
appeared in his dream, Kshudiram felt something strange would happen.
Completing his pilgrimage, he returned to Kamarpukur. At home, Chandramani related her experience
during his absence.
“One
day, I was standing in front of the Shiva temple,” Chandramani said. “Dhani was
with me. Suddenly, I saw a strange white light filling the Shiva temple.
Before, I could understand what was happening, that light, rushed towards me
like a flood tide. It overwhelmed me and entered my body. I dropped down at the
spot. When I woke up, I felt that I have conceived. As you know, I blurted this
to Dhani. ‘You are a fool! How can such a thing happen? At your age!’ Dhani
laughed. But it is true, I still feel that the light is in me.”
A
year after these incidents, on February 18, 1836, Chandramani Devi gave birth
to a baby boy. Dhani helped Chandramani during the delivery. After attending to Chandramani, she turned
to look at the baby. Somehow, the baby had rolled into the mud
oven. His body was covered in ashes like a holy man.
The
wise Kshudiram, remembered his dream at Gaya. He named the child as Gadadhar
meaning ‘Bearer of the Mace’. Later, Gadadhar became known to the world as Sri
Ramakrishna.
2. The Joy of the Villagers
Gadai's Annaprasanna
Chandramani and Kshudiram took all care to protect Gadadhar. Soon, he was the darling boy of the village ladies. Relatives from far away places came to see him. Everyone called him lovingly as ‘Gadai’.
As promised by Lord
Gadadhar, Kshudiram had no worries about maintaining his newborn son with his
meager income. A relative supplied him with a milch cow to provide milk for the
baby. Kshudiram’s friend, Dharmadas Laha conducted the Annaprasana ceremony for
Gadai on a grand scale. The whole village gathered and was given a sumptuous
feast.
As a student
Gadai was a very intelligent and sweet child. His early education started on the lap of his father. Within a short time, he learned their family genealogy, devotional songs and also simple slokas. He had a strong memory. Once he listened to something, he remembered it effortlessly. A few years later, he was sent to the village school. Gadai showed his keen intelligence by learning his alphabets quickly. He also enjoyed painting, modelling images, singing devotional songs, acting religious drama and other such fun activities. However, he had a strong dislike for arithmetic.
Adoration and absorption in nature’s beauty
As it was the rainy month, dark clouds had gathered. Gadai marvelled at the beautiful sight and stood still. Soon, he felt an unspeakable joy filling him and he forgot all about his surroundings. He fell down, scattering the puffed rice. A few villagers noticed him and carried him to his house. Chandramani and Kshudiram called the village doctor to examine his health. “But, I am alright. I was feeling very joyful,” Gadai assured them.
Kshudiram’s Demise
Attraction to Holy Life
Kshudiram passed away in 1843. Gadai was then seven years old. The loss of his father, turned him into a pensive child. Now onwards, he spent more time at home. He helped his mother with the household chores and also entertained her with his sweet singing and reading of the Puranas. Soon, it became a daily routine. All the ladies in the neighbourhood, would come to listen to Gadai singing and chanting hymns. He also entertained them with his excellent mimicry and acting talents.
One Shiva Ratri, the villagers had arranged for a religious drama. This would help them to keep the all-night vigil. The hours of the drama drew near when news came that the leading actor could not come. A quick search for an actor started. Some of Gadai’s friends came to him and pleaded him to play the role. Gadai could not refuse them. Soon, he was dressed as Lord Shiva and he came on stage. Everyone was awestruck to see his beauty and face that was radiating peace and serenity like the Great God Shiva. However, Gadai stood still, absorbed in thinking of Lord Shiva. He did not hear the commotion when people started calling his name. He did not move a bit and tears started rolling down his cheeks. Finally, he was carried away from the stage. Only the next day, Gadai regained external consciousness.
Attraction to Holy Life
During this time also, Gadai started visiting the village rest house. Holy men, on their way to Puri, often halted at Kamarpukur for rest. Some of them would stay long. Gadai became close to the monks. He loved to listen to them talking about God and other religious matters. By observing their lifestyle, he realized that some of the holy men were sham and only a few are really sincere. He started to spend more time with the genuine holy men. He served them with their daily chores, like getting fuels and cooking. At first, Chandramani was happy with this.
One day, Gadai came home wearing a loin cloth like a monk. His body was smeared with ashes. With joy, he said to his mother, “Look, mother, how the monks have dressed me!” Chandramani became worried. What if the monks took away her darling son? This came to the notice of the monks. They came to Chandramani and assured her, “Do not worry. How can we separate a mere child from his mother? It will be a sin.” Chandramani felt relieved and as usual, she permitted Gadai to visit the monks.
Stick to the Truth
Gadai had now reached
his ninth year. His Upanayana ceremony had to be conducted. It is an important
occasion for a Brahmin child. He will be taught the secret of the Gayatri
mantra and invested with the sacred thread. After the Upanayana, the boy had to
beg his food for three days.
In those days,
scholars often gather in religious festivals at homes and engage in debates and
discussions on religious issues. Once, Gadai and his friends were attending a
festival in the neighbourhood. A few scholars were discussing about a
scriptural point. Soon, the friendly discussion turned into a heated argument.
All the children were excited to watch the scholars arguing and some even
started to mimic like the scholars. Gadai too, at first laughed and enjoyed
the fun. But soon, he started to listen attentively. After a while, he
whispered to a scholar. “Sir, could the answer be this?” The scholars were
dumbstruck that a child had come up with a solution to their discussion. They accepted
his answer and praised him.
Purity Wins Over Pride
His innocence and pure nature endeared him to all. No one distrusted him. No one felt shy before him. During this period, the purdah system was strictly followed in the villages. No outsiders were allowed into the women’s section in the houses. However, Gadai was an exception to this rule. As everyone saw him as their own, he used to go freely into all his neighbours’ houses and talk with the ladies.
Durgadas Pyne was a strict follower of the purdah
system. The ladies of his family were kept indoors, and they were not allowed
to go out. Durgadas also often boasted that no man had ever seen the women’s
section in his house. One day, Gadai overheard this. Though, he was merely a
boy, he expressed his opinion without fear. “Sir, you cannot keep the ladies
chaste by locking them at home. What is required is to give them moral and
religious education. Moreover, if I want, I can see the women’s quarters in
your house.” Durgadas took this as a challenge.
A few days later, a lady came to Durgadas. She
looked like a poor weaver woman. She pleaded for shelter as it was getting dark
and she could not return to her village alone. Trusting her story, Durgadas
allowed her to go to the women’s section in his house. The ladies of the family
were pleased with the weaver and gave her some refreshment. They showed her the
rooms and allowed her to spend the night there.
A few hours passed. Gadai’s brother Rameshwar was calling from the street, “Gadai, oh Gadai! Where are you? Mother is searching for you!” Gadai answered back, ”Yes, brother. I am coming!” Then, he rushed out of Durgadas' house, wearing a sari. With surprise, everyone realized that Gadai had fooled them with his excellent disguise and mimicry. The whole household roared with laughter. Durgadas stood watching the scene in astonishment. But then, he too started laughing. He realized that Gadai had taught him a lesson by removing his pride. Since then, Durgadas allowed the ladies of his family to visit Gadai in his house to listen to his religious singing.
A few hours passed. Gadai’s brother Rameshwar was calling from the street, “Gadai, oh Gadai! Where are you? Mother is searching for you!” Gadai answered back, ”Yes, brother. I am coming!” Then, he rushed out of Durgadas' house, wearing a sari. With surprise, everyone realized that Gadai had fooled them with his excellent disguise and mimicry. The whole household roared with laughter. Durgadas stood watching the scene in astonishment. But then, he too started laughing. He realized that Gadai had taught him a lesson by removing his pride. Since then, Durgadas allowed the ladies of his family to visit Gadai in his house to listen to his religious singing.
3. In Kolkata
In 1852, at the age of sixteen, Gadadhar (from now, he came to be known as Ramakrishna) left for Kolkata with his brother Ramkumar. Ramkumar was a learned scholar. He had been running a Sanskrit school in Jhamapukur, near Kolkata. Due to straightened circumstances, he also had to earn money by doing Pujas in private homes. Since the death of their father, Ramkumar also felt responsible for the education of his youngest brother, Ramakrishna.
During his long
absence from Kamarpukur, he came to know that Ramakrishna had neglected his
studies. Therefore, Ramkumar brought his brother to Kolkata to keep him under
his care. Though sad about leaving his aged mother, Ramakrishna followed his
brother. He was glad that he could be helpful to his brother. He started to perform worship at private homes on
behalf of his brother.
One day, Ramkumar approached Ramakrishna about pursuing his education. Ramkumar was certain that education is the only means of sustenance. However, the reply he received was amazing. Ramakrishna said, “What can I do with the education which can only teach how to bundle rice and plantain (i.e bread winning)? I want that knowledge which will enable me to know God.”
Ramkumar knew it was
hopeless to force Ramakrishna to do anything. In all matters where human efforts
failed, Ramkumar surrender to God and prayed for his brother.
Three years passed.
In 1855, Ramkumar accepted the post of priest in the newly built Bhavatarini
Temple of Dakshineswar. He closed his Sanskrit school and moved to
Dakshineswar. Ramakrishna followed his brother.
The temple garden of
Dakshineswar was built by Rani Rasmani, a rich lady in Kolkata. It was on the
banks of the Ganges. The main temple enshrined Mother Bhavatarini. A temple for
Radhakanta (Krishna) and twelve Shiva temples formed parts of the huge temple
complex.
During his early days
at Dakshineswar, Ramakrishna spent his time freely in the new surroundings. The
sacred Ganges River was flowing nearby the temple. The temple itself was
surrounded by flower gardens and nature. It was an ideal place for a
contemplative life. Ramakrishna would roam around the surrounding areas,
singing and chanting hymns.
Soon, this carefree youth caught the attention of Mathurnath Biswas, the son in-law of Rani Rasmani. Mathurnath was very impressed with the simplicity, purity, and integrity of the young Ramakrishna. He wanted to appoint him as a priest. Though Ramakrisna hesitated in the beginning, finally he accepted the post of priest to lighten the burden of his brother Ramkumar.
With his whole heart
and soul, Ramakrishna started decorating the Divine Mother Bhavatarini. During
his free time, he sang songs and hymns to please the Divine Mother. His
sincerity, purity and childlike nature, soon endeared him to all. Mathurnath
and Rani Rasmani also showed him love and respect.
A Novel Solution for
a Knotty Problem
Not long after this,
an accident happened in the Radhakanta temple. Due to carelessness, the priest
had broken the leg of Sri Krishna. It was not customary to worship broken images.
Therefore, when the learned scholars were consulted, they advised that the
broken image had to be thrown into the Ganges. This puts Rani Rasmani in a
dilemma. She had loved the image of Krishna and was reluctant to follow the advice
of the scholars. She wanted an alternative suggestion. The matter was referred
to young Ramakrishna. Going into indrawn mood, Ramakrishna said, “What! Throw
the broken image of God in the Ganges? Suppose the Rani’s son in-law break his
leg. Would the Rani throw him out and bring a new son in-law? Or would she arrange
for his treatment?” Thus, Ramakrishna gave his novel reply. This greatly
pleased the Rani. Knowing that Ramakrishna was good at modelling images,
Mathurnath gave him the work of repairing the image. The repaired image
was then installed back in the temple[1] and
Ramakrishna was appointed as the priest of the Radhakanta temple.
Seeing his brother
settling down to a respectable position in the temple eased the mind of
Ramkumar. He had no more worries about his brother. However, Ramkumar, being a
very practical man, wanted to equip his brother with all knowledge. He taught Ramakrishna the methods of worshiping
the Divine Mother. Soon, Ramakrishna took initiation in the Sakti mantra from a
guru. Upon receiving the Sakti mantra, Ramakrishna started worshiping the
Divine Mother with more fervour.
About a year later,
in 1856, Ramkumar passed away. Ramakrishna took over as a priest of
the Bhavatarini temple.
[1]
Later, a new idol was installed and the original idol is kept in another room.
4. An Unusual Priest
The untimely demise of his brother intensified the spiritual longing of young Ramakrishna. He felt acutely the impermanence of the world, and searched for something permanent. Naturally, his heart was drawn to the Divine Mother, whom he daily worshiped. With more fervour and devotion, he worshiped Her and made Her the sole object of his life. During his free time, he sang hymns for Her and meditated on Her form.
As days go by, his yearning for the Divine Mother increased a thousandfold. He wanted to ensure, that the Divine Mother really exists. His heart longed to catch a glimpse of the Mother of the Universe. Some of the songs which he sang for Her, showed that God can be seen and they were devotees who had seen the Divine. Sometimes, Ramakrishna would roll on the ground crying, “Mother! Mother!” Strangers who saw him pitied him and thought that he was lamenting for his dead mother.
Often at night, when everyone was asleep, he would steal out of his room and went to the nearby jungle. It was rumoured that the place was haunted. There, under a tree, he would remove his clothes, sacred thread and sit for meditation. This was going on for sometimes when one day, Hriday, his nephew, followed him behind. Shocked to find the naked Ramakrishna under the tree, Hriday demanded an explanation. Ramakrishna’s reply was even more startling than his strange conduct. “Don’t you know that human beings are chained by fetters like shame, honour, pride of caste and so on? The sacred thread reminds the caste. The clothes show the difference of gender. He, who wants to contemplate on the Divine Mother, must free himself from all these fetters.”
Ramakrishna’s way of worshiping the Divine Mother also now became strange and often outside the prescribed rituals. At times, he would become so engrossed in meditation that he would forget to complete the worship. While singing devotional songs, he would pour out his heart in tears. Sometimes, he would feed a cat with the food prepared for offering to the Goddess. At night, he would rush to fan the Divine Mother.
Soon, some temple official reported the matter to Mathurnath. One day, without informing anyone, Mathurnath came to the temple. He observed that Ramakrishna was no ordinary priest, but an extraordinary person who lost himself in the worship of the Divine. Quietly, Mathur left the temple and sent a letter to the temple official with the note, “Do not disturb the young priest.”
One day, it became too unbearable for him. He felt life was useless without a vision of the Mother. Suddenly, he noticed the sword hanging by the side of Mother Bhavatarini. He rushed and seized the sword. He raised it to slit his throat, when it happened. He saw the Divine Mother, full of consciousness and bliss, filling the temple with Her brilliance. It was as if, the whole material world was swept away by that ocean of light. He fell down, unconscious.
5. A Strange Marriage
Rumors reached
Kamarpukur that Ramakrishna had became mad. His intense longing for God vision, was
viewed by all as madness. His mother Chandramani Devi, naturally believed those
stories. She called him back home for treatment.
Ramakrishna returned to Kamarpukur to meet his mother. Observing his normal and sweet nature, Chandramani was assured that her son was sane. However, fearing that he must be suffering from strange illness, she arranged for his treatment.
Chandramani and Rameshwar also thought that it would be best that they arrange the marriage of Ramakrishna. Fearing his objection, they started searching for a bride without his knowledge. However, all their efforts proved vain. Somehow, Ramakrishna had sensed their intention. Moreover, in a jovial mood, he said, “Why do you search for a bride here and there? The one bride, marked for me, is in the house of Ramachandra Mukhopadadhya of Jayrambati.”
Upon inquiry, they
found out that his words were true. In the village of Jayrambati, there
was a suitable girl for marriage, though she was hardly five years old. It was
Saradamani, the eldest daughter of Ramachandra and Syama Sundari Devi.
Saradamani was born in the village of Jayrambati on December 22, 1853. Before her birth, her parents had strange visions foretelling that a goddess would be their daughter. One day, Ramachandra was having a short nap after his lunch. He dreamt of a beautiful girl of golden complexion. She placed her tiny arms around his neck and said that she was coming to his house. Ramachandra felt that the girl was none other than the Goddess Lakshmi.
A few days later, his wife Syamasundari Devi also had a peculiar vision. She was returning from the village of Sihore. Suddenly, feeling extremely tired because of the hot sun, she sat down under a Vilwa tree. A few minutes later, a beautiful dark girl came down from the tree. She was wearing beautiful ornaments and costly clothes. With a sweet smile on her face, she embraced Syamasundari. At that tender touch, Syamasundari became unconscious. When she awoke, the girl was not there. Syamasundari had a strange sensation that she had conceived the goddess Kali. When, their first child was born, they named her as Thakurmani (‘Jewel of a Goddess’). Later Thakurmani became known as Saradamani (one of the names of Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning).
Saradamani was five years old when she was given in marriage to Ramakrishna, who was then twenty three years old. After the wedding, Saradamani was taken to her parents’ home. Being the eldest child in her family, she took up the responsibility of looking after her brothers and sisters, even at a tender age.
6. Years of Spiritual Practices
After his marriage, Ramakrishna returned to Dakshineswar to resume his work as a priest.
Again, his fervour for the vision God returned with redoubled force. Not satisfied with his earlier experience, he wanted continual communion with God. Therefore, once more, he plunged into spiritual disciplines. Day and night, he practiced meditation, prayer, singing devotional songs, chanting hymns and weeping for God. His body was always flushed with strong emotions. His eyes stopped blinking due to sleeplessness. He shunned all talks except about God.
Ramakrishna also practiced
to eradicate all the impediments to spiritual realization. As pride of
caste is an impediment to spiritual life, he cleaned the leftovers and laterine
of some outcaste people. “Maya is nothing but ‘woman and gold’,” he said.
Therefore, to remove all trace of lust and greed, he undertook some disciplines
on his own. Sitting on the banks of the Ganges, he would hold in one hand a lump
of clay and in other hand, a few coins. Reflecting that both clay and money are
worthless to reach God, he would throw
them into the Ganges, repeating “Clay is gold. Gold is clay.” His strong conviction that
money is worthless like clay, became one of his fundamental characteristics. Throughout
his life, he could not even bear the touch of money. Even the every idea of
possessing money, became painful to him. To remove lust from his mind, he
looked upon all women as the embodiment of the Divine Mother. This attitude
also remained throughout his life.
Once, Mathur Babu
bought a costly Benaras shawl and presented it to Ramakrishna. Wearing the
shawl, Ramakrishna walked around the temple. He joyfully told everyone that the
shawl cost a thousand rupees. Then, suddenly, his mood changed. He reflected
that the shawl will not help him to realise God! And what is the use of such a
costly beautiful shawl? Even a cheap blanket is sufficient to protect the body
from cold. Owning such costly things will increase a person’s vain pride and
turn his mind away from God. Then, with contempt, Ramakrishna threw the shawl on
the ground and trampled it. Mathur, instead of becoming upset, was happy to see such renunciation in
Ramakrishna.
One day, Ramakrishna was sitting in the temple, when Rani Rasmani, the owner came. Upon her request, Ramakrishna started singing a song for the Divine Mother. While listening to the song, the Rani’s mind drifted to a lawsuit which she was facing. Sri Ramakrishna, who knew the inner feelings and thinking of others, noticed this. He slapped her face saying, “Such thoughts even here!” The Rani’s attendants rushed to seize Ramakrishna, but the Rani quietly forbid them and went to her room. She realised that it was her mistake that she was thinking of worldly matters in the presence of the Divine Mother. She accepted Ramakrishna’s act as a lesson from the Divine Mother.
However, when Mathur
Babu heard about this incident, he summarised that Ramakrishna must be
suffering from mental ailments. Therefore, he engaged an expert physician to
treat Ramakrishna. He also tenderly cajoled Ramakrishna to control his
feelings.
Not long after this,
Ramakrishna stopped performing formal worship at the temple. However, as Rani
Rasmani and Mathur Babu loved and revered him, he was allowed to stay at the
temple. Moreover, until his last day, Mathur served Sri Ramakrishna and did everything
he could to please him. Even after the death of Mathur, Sri Ramakrishna
continued to stay in the same room at Dakshineswar.
Ramakrishna now free from all duties, started to plunge deeper into the realms of spirituality. He now wanted to experience God through various spiritual paths. Naturally, his attention turned to Sri Ramachandra, his family Deity. To worship Sri Rama, he assumed the attitude of Hanuman, who is the greatest devotee and servant of Sri Rama. In all his manners and movements, he behaved as Hanuman would behave. He ate only roots and fruits. He tied a dhoti around his waist to look like a tail. He spent most of the time on trees, crying ‘Rama! Rama!’ Soon, one day, he was sitting under the Panchavati. He saw with open eyes, a female of divine beauty, walking towards him. Suddenly, a monkey came and saluted Her. In an instant, he knew that She was Sita Devi, the Divine Consort of Sri Rama. Nearing him, She gifted him with Her divine smile. Then, She merged into Ramakrishna’s body. This experience taught Ramakrishna, that Sri Rama was indeed an Incarnation of God.
Arrival of Bhairavi
Brahmani
One morning, in 1861, Ramakrishna saw a boat coming towards the bathing ghat of the temple garden. A middle aged nun, stepped out of the boat. Ramakrishna immediately called Hriday and asked him to bring the nun. When the nun came, with joy she exclaimed: “My son! You are here! How long I have been searching for you.” Then she explained that the she was a Bhairavi, an adept in Tantra. Through spiritual insight, she came to know that she had to teach Ramakrishna and she had been searching for him. Like a child, Ramakrishna trusted her words and started conversing with her.
The advent of the
Brahmani was another turning point in Ramakrishna’s life. All this while, he
had no one to listen to him or discuss about his spiritual experiences. Hriday and Mathur Babu were unable to help him spiritually.
In fact, like ordinary worldly people, they also thought that Ramakrishna was
either insane or sick. The Brahmani cleared his mind and said, “In this world,
some people are crazy over money. Some are mad after lust. But you are mad
after God.”
Then, the Brahmani
helped Ramakrishna to undertake all the sixty four disciplines of Tantra. Some
the Tantra disciplines are dangerous. She was amazed to find that Ramakrishna
could complete the disciplines and achieve the intended results within a very
short time. She was even more amazed to find that Sri Ramakrishna had already
reached God realization even without the aid of a guru. Further, she assured Sri
Ramakrishna that all his experiences were recorded in the Bhakti scriptures and
it was the same state that was experienced by Srimati Radharani of Vrindavan and
Sri Krishna Chaitanya, an Incarnation of God.
The Brahmani also
declared that the exalted state of spiritual experiences of Ramakrishna was not
humanly possible. According to the scriptures, only Incarnations of God like,
Srimati Radha and Sri Chaitanya could achieve the state known as Mahabhava.
Therefore, the Brahmani concluded that Sri Ramakrisna must be an Incarnation of
God. To prove this point, the Brahmani was ready to meet all the scholars
well-versed in the scriptures.
Accordingly, Mathur
Babu convened a gathering of renowned
scholars to discuss the matter. Pandit Vaishnava Charan, the leader of
the Vaishnava community and a reputed scholar in Philosophy and Theology, and
Gauri Kanta Tarkabhushana, a well-known scholar and observer of Tantra were
among the participants in the gathering. After listening to the Brahmani’s
contention, well supported by scriptural texts, they fully endorsed her view
that Sri Ramakrishna was an Incarnation of God.
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