Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1833โ86) was perhaps the most popularly known saint of 19th century India and an important figure in Bengali Renaissance. His philosophy impacted intellectuals even beyond the boundaries of the country. Philologist and Orientalist Friedrich Max Mรผller, inspired by this philosophyโlargely based on the Vedantaโapplied it in his study of โthe science of religionโ. He, therefore, delved deeper into the essence of the language of Ramakrishanaโs sayings.
Hindu by birth, Ramakrishna was given the religio-theological title of honour โParamahamsaโ, as he was identified as โthe enlightened oneโ who had experienced God. He observed different religious rituals alike, and believed that โA truly religious man should think that other religions also are paths leading to the truth….โ He perceived God as a parent who knew how โthe same fish may be made to taste differentlyโ for the children according to their tastes and temperaments. His earthy aphorisms, comprising parables and metaphors and narrated in rustic Bengali, translated into Hindu philosophical concepts and reached out easily to the masses. The present book is one of the early documentations by a Western scholar of Ramakrishnaโs life and sayings as were collected by his followers after his death.
|