Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836–1886) was a great saint and a famous spiritual personality, who was considered as the beloved son of Ma Kali Devi. His birth name was Gadadhar. He shared his spiritual knowledge to his main disciples like Swami Vivekananda, and also delivered best spiritual teachings to them. Through his vast divine knowledge, he imparted the “KALI BHAKTI” to spiritual seekers, and also guided them properly.
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD
Ramakrishna was born in the year 1836, in Kamarpukur Village at West Bengal into a pious Brahmin family. While he was in the womb of his mother, Chandramani Devi, his mother in her dream had felt that a divine light was entering in her womb.
Ramakrishna’s family were ardent devotees of Lord Rama, and his parents used to recite the Rama Namam for several lakhs of times.
Ramakrishna didn’t study well during his young age, but he had got good knowledge in the Puranas, and other holy epics, by hearing it from the Saints and from the learned scholars. Since Ramakrishna’s father was died at his young age, he was looked after by his elder brother and by his mother.He also helped his mother in her house hold activities, and in his free time, he read the holy texts of Hinduism, and increased his divine knowledge.
During the year 1855, Ramakrishna had become a priest at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, and his bhakti on Ma Kali was tremendously increased day by day, and after performing puja activities in the temple, he used to sit before the divine mother, and performed severe meditation on her. He also used to talk to her, sing songs on her, and cry before her like a small child. Due to that, for several times, he had got the divine vision of Ma Kali Devi. He also got Swami Vivekananda as his wonderful disciple, who was the key person to found the Ramakrishna Math, which still provides spiritual training to the students and also doing charity, social activities and education, and promotes spirituality to the spiritual seekers.
After getting the grace of the holy mother, Ramakrishna began to keep on thinking about her, and he could not forget the beautiful face of Ma Kali. His body and mind was filled up with full of spiritual bliss, and he had attained spiritual enlightenment. Due to his staunch bhakti on Ma Kali, sometimes he behaved peculiarly, like laughing and he used to talk to himself and hence, in the eyes of others, he was considered as a mad man.
Since Ramakrishna had concentrated his entire time on devotion, Ramakrishna’s mother and his elder brother decided to arrange marriage for Ramakrishna and they have chosen a five year old pious child Sarada, as the bride. Their marriage ceremony was performed during the year 1859. Since his consort, Sarada was a young child during the time of marriages he stayed at her hometown Jayrambati and later joined with her husband Ramakrishna in Dakshineswar at her teenage.
Though the couple lived together, but they didn’t keep any physical bondage between them, and they kept great bhakti on Ma Kali. Ramakrishna considered his wife Sarada as an avatar of Ma Shakti Devi, and gave great respect to her. She also served as a dutiful wife to her husband, and helped him to discharge his day to day activities.Ramakrishna also was good in Yoga.
Apart from worshipping Ma Kali, Ramakrishna also worshiped Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman, and during his life time, he had chanted their names for several lakhs of times.
In 1865, Ramakrishna had attained sainthood by his Guru Totapuri, who was an expert in Advaita Vedanta.
During the year 1885, Ramakrishna had suffered from severe throat cancer. Though he was treated for his ailment by best doctors, but his condition was worsened.During his last days, he was looked after by his disciples and by his lovely consort Ma Sarada Devi. But even then, his health condition didn’t improve, and he died in the year 1886 at his residence. His disciples consider his death as Mahasamadhi. After the death of their holy guru, the disciples including Swami Vivekananda resided at Baranagar near the holy river Ganges, by collecting funds from the devotees of Ramakrishna. Soon the Ramakrishna Mutt had spread its branches, and now it is having various branches all over India.
“OM SRI RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAHA”