First Chapel to Sri Ramakrishna Swami Amareshananda - Vedanta UK Magazine
Anbu
Swami Amareshananda
The first place of worship for Sri Ramakrishna; where and when did it
come into existence? Interestingly, it was at a devotee's house. Swami
Amareshananda, a monk of the Order Ramakrishna, unfolds some of its
history.
A tiny seed of the Banyan, going unnoticed at first, sprouts and grows
in course of time into a gigantic tree providing shade and shelter to
a large number of people. Similarly, just a century ago, the name of
Sri Ramakrishna, current only among a limited circle of citizens of
Calcutta, has today become a household name. Now lakhs of people look
upon him as God-incarnate and worship him as their Ideal of Life,
while quite a good number of chapels and temples stand dedicated to
him in India and abroad.
The genesis of the worship dates back to the very lifetime of the
Master himself. Five categories of people came to Dakshineswar to keep
his holy company: Some were curious visitors; some were people seeking
solutions for mundane problems; some belonging to various faiths were
searching for guidance in the spiritual life; a few were families, all
of whose members had been devoted to him for years; and a handful were
pure, earnest youths who came to belong to his 'inner circle,' later
transformed into spiritual dynamos and torch-bearers.
Sri Navagopal Ghosh was the head of a family of the fourth category.
He and all the members of his family looked upon the Master as God-
incarnate, the pole-star of their lives, and passed on this heritage
to their descendants.
Sri Navagopal Ghosh, born in Begampur village of the Hooghly District
in 1832, resided in the Badurbagan neighbourhood of Calcutta. He was
by nature gentle, cheerful and kind, and held a top executive post in
the English firm M/s Henderson Company. He distributed medicines free
of cost to the poor, and supported many from time to time. Being
endowed with a religious temperament Navagopal used to find delight in
religious festivals, took part in group singing and lived a contented
spiritual life. Early in life he was married twice and each time his
wife died prematurely. Finally he married a third time to the devout
Nistarini Devi. In her dwelt the Goddess of Fortune as well as a
current of devotion. She had even in youth developed remarkable
devotion to God and had instilled the same fervour into the sons and
daughters of her family.
Once Navagopal chanced to hear about Paramahamsa Deva of Dakshineswar
and became at once eager to meet him. Accordingly, one Sunday he
proceeded with his wife to Dakshineswar. After the preliminaries it
was the practice with Sri Ramakrishna to guide each seeker along a
path best suited to his nature. Not much is known about this first
meeting of Navagopal with the Master, but so instructed, Navagopal
began to chant and sing the name of God daily without any
interruption. Of course this was to his liking, so every morning he
along with his wife and children used to sing together the divine
names to the accompaniment of cymbals and khol, a type of percussion
instrument.
Nearly three years went by and Navagopal had not visited the Master at
Dakshineswar a second lime. The Master however did not forget his
devotees. He made enquiries through Kishori Roy, who happened to be a
friend of Navagopal saying, "Hallo, some three years ago, a gentleman
came here with you who lived in Badurbagan holding a high post in an
office, and who distributed medicines free to the poor, where is he
nowadays? If you meet him, ask him to come over here, once at least."
On hearing of the kind enquiries of Sri Ramakrishna through his
friend, Navagopal's eyes filled with tears of gratitude and joy.
Taking his family with him, he at once hastened to Dakshineswar. To
Sri Ramakrishna's enquiry about his long absence, the devotee replied
that he had been meticulously following the instructions imparted to
him. Sri Ramakrishna then advised Navagopal not to simply confine
himself to the routine practices, but to come to Dakshineswar
frequently so that he could make progress and easily reach the state
of divine bliss. Thereafter, whenever he was free, Navagopal used to
come to the Master with his family. We may recall the assurance Sri
Krishna gave to Arjuna in the Gita (IX. 22): "Those devotees who are
ever devoted to Me; to them I carry what they lack...''
Sri Ramakrishna really took over the responsibility for the devotee.
Gradually Sri Ramakrishna completely possessed the hearts of the
family and became their Preceptor and Chosen Deity in one. Navagopal's
son, Suresh, was then five or six years old and even at this very
tender age was a talented player of the kiwi in accompaniment to
singing. Sri Ramakrishna loved this boy very much.
In those days devotees having the means, in order to benefit by the
blessed company and presence of Sri Ramakrishna, by turn invited him
to their homes and organized religious meetings on Sundays. Navagopal
too, taking the cue from others, earnestly requested Sri Ramakrishna
to sanctify his home. And after getting the Master's consent arranged
a religious festival. On that auspicious day, when the reading of the
Bhagavata was in progress, Sri Ramakrishna arrived. When the attention
of all the assembled devotees was drawn to him, the reading did not
proceed further. He took a seat and shortly thereafter, Banavari, the
noted vaisnava musician with his group of sankirtan singers commenced
singing. Sri Ramakrishna, who was already in divine inebriation, was
stirred up by the music and in a virile mood he leapt amidst the
orchestra and stood motionless in the posture of Sri Krishna playing
the flute. Slowly he entered the state of mahabhava. Navagopal Ghosh
had kept two beautiful garlands made of fragrant flowers to adorn the
Master. Seeing him in that God-intoxicated mood the devotee placed
those flowers on his neck and began to dance round the Master. Some
shed tears of joy, and a few who were unable to check their emotions
lay flat on the floor.
Women devotees used to remain in the inner apartments and offer
separately their respects to Sri Ramakrishna on such occasions. On
this occasion Nistarini Devi and other women devotees, busy in the
inner apartments on the first floor, were arranging to serve food to
all the assembled people. They were also eagerly waiting to pay their
respects to Sri Ramakrishna. Regaining partially his normal mood and
being helped by others he went upstairs. The women devotees who were
waiting then offered their obeisance and Nistarini was blessed by him.
Sri Ramakrishna, who could see the innermost of a person, sometimes
used to awaken the spiritual consciousness lying dormant in qualified
aspirants. He would do this either by a mere look, or a touch, or by
writing a sacred mantra (a name of God) on the tongue with his finger.
On this occasion Nistarini Devi, overflowing with motherly devotion,
beseeched Sri Ramakrishna to allow her to feed him with her own hand.
In an exalted mood the Master asked her, "Who are you to feed me?"
After a little pause, knowing her deep devotion and pious nature, the
Master allowed her to put food into his mouth. To her utter surprise,
while so doing she felt that some great spiritual presence residing in
him had accepted the food. Being fed three or four morsels in this
way, the Master became normal and resumed taking his food himself. On
some earlier occasion Sri Ramakrishna had indicated that Nistarini was
endowed with an element of Chinna-masta, a form of the Divine Mother
embodying divine knowledge. Once she had remained in an exalted
spiritual mood for six months
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna contains stray references about
Navagopal Ghosh. Other books like Paramahamsadever Jivana-vrttnata
(The Life of Paramahamsa Deva) by Ramchandra Dutta; Sri Ramakrishna
Punthi, by Akshaya Kumar Sen, and others give some more details.
Finding Navagopal shedding tears of joy at the sight of Sri
Ramakrishna in samadhi gives us an indication of his mental make-up.
Navagopal was one of the older devotees assigned to attend Sri
Ramakrishna at Shyampukur and Cossipore during his last illness.
When Sri Ramakrishna was seriously ill at the Cossipore garden house,
Navagopal's family used to visit him as often as they could. During
one of these visits Nistarini Devi, who was frank and free with him,
was asked by Sri Ramakrishna if she would agree to take charge of a
cat with kittens which had taken shelter with him. Before handing them
over to her, he got
confirmed by her that it would not entail any undue hardship or be
disapproved of by her husband. Nistarini Devi replied, "It will be my
great good fortune, and I like to keep cats and kittens anyway. You
are giving; it is your grace." Though Sri Ramakrishna's mind soared
high, yet he took note of minute details in all matters and paid
proper attention to them. On her part, Nistarini Devi accepted his
gift with all humility and felt blessed. She never allowed anyone to
ill-treat the kittens.
Then came a memorable day, January 1, 1886. Though lying seriously
ill, Sri Ramakrishna became the Wish-fulfilling Tree of epic fame
(Kalpataru). He blessed and bestowed his unbounded grace on some
thirty devotees who happened to be present at Cossipore on that day.
Ramchandra Dutta, having just got the Master's blessing, seeing
Navagopal Ghosh, eagerly called him, "Sir! What are you doing here?
Hurry up, be quick! If you want any favour from Sri Ramakrishna, ask
for it, today he has become the Kalpataru! Hearing these words of Ram,
Navagopal hastened to Sri Ramakrishna, offered obeisance and implored:
"O Lord, what will be my lot?" Sri Ramakrishna, after a pause, asked
him, "Can you do japa and meditation?" Replied Navagopal, "I am a
householder having responsibility for wife, children and other
dependents. Where is the time left for carrying on japa and
meditation? I am afraid I shall not be able to do it." Again Sri
Ramakrishna asked, "Can you not do even a small number of japam?" He
answered, "Even for that, where is the time, Sir?" Sri Ramakrishna
simply asked him, "Well can you remember me and chant my name?"
Navagopal, overwhelmed with joy, replied, "Certainly! certainly! That
I can do!" Sri Ramakrishna then assured him, "That will do. You need
not do anything else."
Thereafter Navagopal Ghosh used to chant with deep feeling the
Master's name most of the time. Returning from his office every
evening he used to distribute sweets to the children of the locality
and repeat the Master's name. The children used to call out "Jai
Ramakrishna," Hail to Sri Ramakrishna! and dance round him playfully.
In the neighbourhood he became thus known as "Jai Ramakrishna," After
the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, while Swamis Brahmananda and
Turiyananda were undergoing severe austerities at Vrindavan, Navagopal
too went there with his son Nirod and spent some time in their holy
company. He went also to Vindhyachal and returned to Calcutta with
Swami Brahmananda.
Navagopal Ghosh had such a fascination for the name Ramakrishna that,
finding a locality in the Howrah area bearing the name 'Ramakrishnapur
Lane,' he purchased a house in this lane and shifted his residence
from Badurbagan. He added a spacious room to it on the first floor,
provided it with an altar and marble floor and began using it as his
chapel. On the auspicious Magh Purnima (full moon day of 6 Feb, 1898),
in the morning, Swami Vivekananda accompanied by Swamis Adbhutananda,
Brahmananda, Premananda, Subodhananda, and Turiyananda, came to
Navagopal's house by country boat, all the way singing devotional
songs with cymbal and khol. With the blowing of conchs and due
solemnity in the presence of all the great monks, Navagopal installed
and dedicated the picture of Sri Ramakrishna in the new shrine.
Swamiji himself sat on the worshipper's seat and worshipped the
Master's photo. As the worship came to an end, he composed extempore
the now famous lines:
"Establisher of righteousness,
Embodiment of all religions;
Best of Avataras, to Thee I bow."
Then with great feeling the family requested Swami Vivekananda to pray
to Sri Ramakrishna that he always reside in the chapel. Swamiji
humorously remarked, "For fourteen generations Sri Ramakrishna (his
line) never dwelt in such a fine building with marble flooring! If he
does not reside here, where will he?"
Some call this chapel of Navagopal the first and oldest chapel of the
Master, since the
monastery had always been located in rented buildings and was shifted
from place to place a few times, only at the end being finally
established at the Belur Math. There was a mart of joy on that day in
Ramakrishnapur Lane. From then onwards, even till today, descendants
of Navagopal Ghosh offer daily worship and observe Magh Purnima with a
festive special worship of Sri Ramakrishna. The day is celebrated with
great joy. Subsequently, as the original chapel was located adjacent
to a living room, a separate hall was constructed on the second floor
and the chapel shifted there. A new picture of Sri Ramakrishna on
porcelain, made in Germany, was later consecrated by Swami
Brahmananda. Besides himself being an ardent devotee, Navagopal also
brought Nagendra Ghosh, Dr. Ramlal Ghosh, Haran Babu, and others into
the fold of the Master's circle of devotees.
The eleventh book of the Srimad Bhagavatam, particularly the twenty-
three chapters from seven to twenty-nine, are called Uddhava Gita "The
Last Message of Sri Krishna to Uddhava." They deal with the doctrine
of Bhakti and Jnana. While discoursing on the ways of devotion and
worship, the Lord lays stress on service rendered to holy men,
listening to the scriptures and meditating, building and maintaining
temples and organizing and celebrating special festivals, and feeding
the devotees with sacramental food. These injunctions were carried out
true to the letter and spirit for many years by Sri Navagopal Ghosh
and his family.
Sri Ramakrishna used to caution his householder devotees engaged in
the spiritual life, of the dangers of losing one's balance due to
excessive attachment to worldly relations. He used to advise them to
hold on to the Lord at all times, in fortune and adversity alike. When
one of Navagopal's married daughters died suddenly, everyone in the
family was broken down in sorrow and dejection. But Navagopal
maintained his calm, and smoking his chillum in his usual way said,
"All is His will; there is nothing to grieve over." Thus he
corroborated the Bhagavatam's statement: "The association with sons,
wives, dear friends, and other relatives is no better than the chance
gathering of a group of travellers in a caravanserai."
Like her husband, Nistarini Devi too, was a great devotee. She
acquired perfection in japa, the repetition of the Lord's name. She
had a vision of Sri Ramachandra, her Ista, through japa. Once when she
was offering obeisance to Him, in the process of touching His feet,
she actually saw the form of her Guru, Sri Ramakrishna. When the Holy
Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, was in Vrindavan for about a year after the
passing away of the Master, during a vesper service in the Radharaman
temple, she saw in a vision a Nistarini Devi fanning the presiding
Deity and after returning to her residence she narrated to Yogin Ma,
"Yogen, Navagopal Babu's wife is very pure. I saw her like this." Holy
Mother, too, sanctified the house of Navagopal by her visit, invited
by Nistarini Devi, in August 1909.
Nistarini Devi cherished great respect and love for the monks of Belur
Math, If she heard that any one of them was ill, she took the ailing
monk into her house and arranged for his treatment, diet and nursing
till his recovery. Those were the days when there was not much
provision for taking care of sick monks at the Belur Math due to
paucity of funds. The monks found their loving mother in her.
Swami Brahmananda visited the pious household of Navagopal many a
time. Shyamsundar and Nirod, two of the sons of Navagopal, were his
disciples. Both of them were greatly devoted to him, like their
parents had been to Sri Ramakrishna. On the passing away of Swami
Brahmananda, Shayamsundar, by this time grown up, donated rupees forty
thousand towards the construction of the Brahmananda temple at the
Math. Swami Abhayananda, used to reminisce that "Shyam Babu, son of
Navagopal, bore almost the entire expense of the construction of the
temple, even for the statue of Swami Brahmananda inside." He recounted
that every day Shyam Babu used to come to the Math on a white horse
and watch the progress of the construction till it was completed and
dedicated by Swami Shivananda in 1924.
In April 1909, at the age of seventy-seven, Navagopal had a
premonition of his coming end. He drew all his family members close to
him and blessed them, saying in a firm voice,
"Do not grieve. The physical body is bound to perish. Sri Ramakrishna
is our real Master. We are his children. He will take care of you,
instead of grieving, call on him."
Navagopal carried out the instructions of Sri Ramakrishna that he had
received on the Kalpataru day, to remember him and chant his name,
till his last breath. Chanting his sweet name and feeling a sense of
complete fulfilment, Navagopal breathed his last, his face beaming
with joy. He demonstrated how an ideal householder should live: "One
who is devoted to Me, can continue to live in the home itself till his
end, performing all duties as offerings to me."
Nistarini Devi, in her old age, when she was lying ill, felt joy when
the monks, the authorities at Belur Math, arranged for her nursing
just as she used to look after them. She was then in her 'Divine mood
of Chinna-masta and could not bear the touch of impure persons. In
that exalted spiritual mood she passed away.
The other son of the family, Nirod, joined the Belur Math at the
tender age of eighteen in 1902. His parents were all praise for his
taking up the monastic life. He was ordained with sannyasa by his
guru, Swami Brahmananda in 1914 and was given the name Ambikananda. He
was well known for his musical ability and was also good in painting.
It is said that only after deep meditation on different deities, he
used to paint his pictures of the gods and goddesses. Once he was
asked by Swami Brahmananda to set a melody for the Rama Nama
Sankirtana which was included in the Bengali drama, Ramanuja. The same
is sung now on Ekadasi days in most of the Ramakrishna Mission
Centres. Swami Ambikananda passed away while leading an austere life
in the Punjab in 1954.