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Yoga / Hindu : Shakta (Goddess-oriented)
18th Century

About Ramprasad (Ramprasad Sen)

Timeline (1718? - 1775?)

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Original Language
Bengali

Of what use is my going to Kasi any more?

Themes
  Bliss
  Death
  Fire
  Heart
  Lotus

 

Recommended Books

Devoted to the Goddess : The Life and Work of Ramprasad, by Malcolm Mclean
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, by M. (Sri Mahendra Gupta) / Translated by Swami Nikhilananda
Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair: Ramprasad Sen - Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess, Translated by Leonard Nathan / Clinton Seely
Great Swan: Meetings with Ramakrishna, by Lex Hixon
Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar, by Elizabeth U. Harding

More >>

Of what use is my going to Kasi any more?
At Mother's feet lie Gaya, Ganga and Kasi.
I swim in the ocean of bliss
while I meditate on Her in my heart lotus.
O Kali's feet are red lotuses
wherein lie heaps of holy places.
All sins are destroyed by Kali's name
as heaps of cotton are burnt by fire.
How can a headless man have a headache?
People think, they will discharge their debts
to forefathers by offering them pinda at Gaya!
But, O! I laugh at him who meditates on Kali
and still goes to Gaya!
Shiva assures: Death at Kasi leads to salvation.
But devotion is the root of all;
O mind! Salvation is its maid.
Of what use is nirvana?
Water mingles in water.
O mind! becoming sugar is not desirable;
I am fond of eating sugar.

Bemused, Ramprasad says, “By the strength of gracious
Mother, O! Meditation on Her, the wearer of disheveled
hair, puts four goods into the palm of our hands.

 

 

-- from Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar, by Elizabeth U. Harding

Amazon.com

 

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.