Gadadhar Chattopadhyay was born in 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur in Bengal, to a poor and pious Brahmin family. As a boy he loved acting out stories of the gods, singing and painting, and fell into ecstasy at the sight of dark clouds and white cranes. He had little interest in school learning that led only to earning a living.
যত মত তত পথ“As many faiths, so many paths.”Shri Ramakrishna, as recorded by his disciples
In 1855 the wealthy widow Rani Rasmani built a great temple to Kali at Dakshineswar on the Ganga near Calcutta, and the young man soon became its priest. Longing for a direct vision of the Mother, he wept and prayed until, by his own account, she revealed herself as an ocean of light.
Many paths, one goal
Over the next twelve years he practised one discipline after another. Under the Bhairavi Brahmani he completed the Tantric sadhanas; he worshipped Rama as Hanuman did and Krishna as Radha did; from the wandering monk Totapuri he learned Advaita Vedanta and entered nirvikalpa samadhi. He also lived for a time as a Muslim and meditated on Christ. From all this he taught that every sincere path leads to God.
Sarada Devi
He had been married as a young man to Saradamani, a girl from a nearby village. When she joined him at Dakshineswar he worshipped her as the Divine Mother in the Shodashi puja, and their marriage remained a spiritual partnership. Sarada Devi became the "Holy Mother" of the movement that grew from his teaching.
The disciples
From about 1879 educated young men from Calcutta began to come to him — among them Narendranath Datta, the future Swami Vivekananda, who asked him bluntly whether he had seen God and was told, "Yes, I see Him as I see you." Mahendranath Gupta ("M") recorded his conversations in the Shri Shri Ramakrishna Kathamrita. He died of throat cancer at Cossipore in 1886, after telling Narendra to serve God in man.
How they are remembered
The Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded by Vivekananda in 1897 with its headquarters at Belur, runs schools, hospitals and relief work across India and the world. Dakshineswar draws pilgrims every day, and his simple parables remain some of the most loved teachings of modern Hinduism.
Ekatmata Stotra · Stanza 27
Named in Stanza 27 of the Ekatmata Stotra — those who woke the sleeping civilisation.
रामकृष्णो दयानन्दः ठाकुर रामतीर्थकः।
विवेकानन्द-मोहनौ राष्ट्र-जागरणेऽग्रिमौ॥
Sources: Wikipedia: Ramakrishna · Wikipedia: Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Written afresh for The Hindu Book; corrections welcome at [email protected].
