Kshudiram Chattopadhyay was a Brahman set in the classical mould, staunch in caste observances and upright in character, a strict adherent of truth and unyielding to pressures of the powerful that enforced deviation from the path of dharma (virtue). His pious wife Chandramani was the epitome of the sahadharmini ( co-equal partner in righteous living ).The embodiment of kindness and guilelessness, she was already the mother of two sons Ramkumar and Rameshwar when her lap was lit up by the arrival of Ramakrishna. A daughter christened Sarvamangala was later born to complete the divine household.
Ramakrishna’s birth was no ordinary episode. Kshudiram was on pilgrimage then in Gaya when he had a divine vision in his sleep that the Lord Ramachandra would be incarnated as his son. About the same time in far-off Kamarpukur Chandramani was impregnated by a flood of divine light emanating from the Shiva-lingam of the village Shiva temple called Yugi’s Shiva temple. Overwhelmed by the experience she lay in a state of divine ecstasy whereupon she felt that she was with child.
Earlier Kshudiram had been evicted of his ancestral village of Dere by the malicious designs of the village landlord when he had refused to testify falsely on behalf of the landlord in a lawsuit involving the latter. The landlord seeking retribution had thereupon falsely implicated Kshudiram in a lawsuit which left him destitute and homeless. A friend’s kindness allowed Kshudiram to resettle in the neighbouring village of Kamarpukur, the Bethlehem of our age, where Ramakrishna was born. The family which was once thriving on farmlands now had barely enough to subsist on but carried on happily remaining ever-dependent on the grace of the family deity Raghuvir.
Into this holy family was Ramakrishna born and he was called Gadadhar after the name of the deity that had blessed Kshudiram at Gaya prophesying that He would be born as his son. Gadadhar was a bonny child with a sunny temperament and was the darling of the villager maidens. He was a good artist, a fine sculptor, a brilliant mimic and revelled in staging mythological plays and acting in them rather than pursuing academic courses in the village school. He was especially averse to the study of mathematics and preferred the refinements of the fine arts instead. Gadadhar was especially fond of sculpting clay images of Lord Shiva and then worshipping the deity.
His profound spiritual bent of mind was detected quite early and there are at least three incidents on record which are of especial significance so far as they reveal this side of his psyche, his innate spirituality. The incidents in chronological order are being briefly narrated below.
1. It was a summer day when Gadadhar set off along the village path of the isles that separate rice-fields, munching away at puffed rice tucked within the folds of his dhoti. The sky was darkening with norwester clouds looming large when a flight of white cranes across the sky threw him into rapture and he fell unconscious on the field. When friends and family recovered him he reported a state of extraordinary bliss and thereafter showed no signs of physical debility.
2. The temple of Vishalakshi Devi was located at Anur, a neighbouring village to Kamarpukur. Gadadhar was headed towards it along with a few village maidens when en route he became so absorbed in contemplation of the goddess that he lost outer consciousness and the pilgrimage had to be abandoned.
3. On another occasion during the Shiva Ratri ( the festival night of Lord Shiva ) when a village play was on the verge of abandonment on account of the lead actor suddenly falling ill, Gadadhar was persuaded by all to play the role of Lord Shiva in place of the incapacitated actor. Accordingly he was bedecked as the great God Shiva with His matted locks, rudraksha rosary, ash-besmeared body and trident in hand. But when the time came for delivering the dialogues of the play, Gadadhar, by now totally absorbed in the mood of Shiva, stood transfixed in ecstasy, motionless and mute. He did not regain outer consciousness for a long time and the play had to be called off.
From now on Gadadhar began experiencing visions and ecstasies more often as he became preoccupied with the contemplation of different gods and goddesses as obtain in the Hindu pantheon. These experiences became progressively more frequent so much so that after a time the boy could bring them about by an act of will. These ecstasies left Gadadhar flooded with ineffable bliss and in no way was his physical or mental health impaired. He rather grew in wisdom as he could now easily comprehend intricate philosophical matters and provide original solutions to spiritual problems. But more of that later. For the while let us immerse ourselves in the bliss of Gadadhar as we see through his eyes the beautiful world of gods and goddesses.
No comments:
Post a Comment