An extract
from the book “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna” by ‘M’ahendranath Gupta
Kāli
The main
temple at Dakshineśwar is dedicated to Kāli, the Divine Mother, here worshipped
as Bhavatārini, the Saviour of the Universe. The floor of this
temple also is paved with marble. The basalt image of the Mother, dressed in
gorgeous gold brocade, stands on a white marble image of the prostrate body of
Her Divine Consort, Śiva, the symbol of the Absolute. On the feet of the
Goddess are, among other ornaments, anklets of gold. Her arms are decked with
jeweled ornaments of gold. She wears necklaces of gold and pearls, a golden
garland of human heads, and a girdle of human arms. She wears a golden crown,
golden ear-rings, and a golden nose-ring with a pearl-drop. She has four arms.
The lower left hand holds a severed human head and the upper grips a
blood-stained sabre. One right hand offers boons to Her
children; the other allays their fear. The majesty of Her posture can hardly be
described. It combines the terror of destruction with the reassurance of
motherly tenderness. For She is the Cosmic Power, the totality of the universe,
a glorious harmony of the pairs of opposites. She deals out death, as She creates
and preserves. She has three eyes, the third being the symbol of Divine Wisdom;
they strike dismay into the wicked, yet pour out affection for Her devotees.
The whole
symbolic world is represented in the temple garden - the Trinity of the Nature
Mother (Kāli), the Absolute (Śiva), and Love (Radhākānta), the Arch spanning
heaven and earth. The terrific Goddess of the Tantra, the soul-enthralling
Flute-Player of the Bhāgavata, and the Self-absorbed Absolute of the Vedas live
together, creating the greatest synthesis of religions. All aspects of Reality
are represented there. But of this divine household, Kāli is the pivot, the
sovereign Mistress. She is Prakriti, the Procreatrix, Nature,
the Destroyer, the Creator. Nay, She is something greater and deeper still for
those who have eyes to see. She is the Universal Mother, "my Mother"
as Ramakrishna would say, the All-powerful, who reveals Herself to Her children
under different aspects and Divine Incarnations, the Visible God, who leads the
elect to the Invisible Reality; and if it so pleases Her, She takes away the
last trace of ego from created beings and merges it in the consciousness of the
Absolute, the undifferentiated God. Through Her grace "the finite ego
loses itself in the illimitable Ego-Ātman-Brahman".
Attitude
toward Different Religions
Sri
Ramakrishna accepted the divinity of Buddha and used to point out the
similarity of his teachings to those of the Upanishads. He also showed great
respect for the Tirthankarās, who founded Jainism, and for the ten Gurus of
Sikhism. But he did not speak of them as Divine Incarnations. He was heard to
say that the Gurus of Sikhism were the reincarnations of King Janaka of ancient
India. He kept in his room at Dakshineśwar a small statue of Tirthankara
Mahāvira and a picture of Christ, before which incense was burnt morning and
evening.
Without
being formally initiated into their doctrines, Sri Ramakrishna thus realized
the ideals of religions other than Hinduism. He did not need to follow any
doctrine. All barriers were removed by his overwhelming love of God. So he
became a Master who could speak with authority regarding the ideas and ideals
of the various religions of the world. "I have practised", said he,
"all religions - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity - and I have also followed
the paths of the different Hindu sects. I have found that it is the same God
toward whom all are directing their steps, though along different paths. You
must try all beliefs and traverse all the different ways once. Wherever I look,
I see men quarrelling in the name of religion - Hindus, Mohammedans, Brahmos,
Vaishnavās, and the rest. But they never reflect that He who is called Krishna
is also called Śiva, and bears the name of the Primal Energy, Jesus, and Allah
as well - the same Rāmā with a thousand names. A lake has several Ghāts.
At one, the Hindus take water in pitchers and call it 'Jal'; at
another the Mussalmans take water in leather bags and call it 'pāni'.
At a third the Christians call it 'water'. Can we imagine that it
is not 'jal', but only 'pāni' or 'water'? How ridiculous! The substance is One
under different names, and everyone is seeking the same substance; only
climate, temperament, and name create differences. Let each man follow his own
path. If he sincerely and ardently wishes to know God, peace be unto him! He
will surely realize Him”.
