Shivratri..

I realized about two years back that Shiva means poor folks. That Shiva's message was this, ' respect poor people. Never insult them or demean them. I live in them'.


In the Kathamrita there is an incident where in response to the Vaishnavite dictate of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, 'jeebe doya, Vaishnav Prem and Naam Sankirtan' ( Compassion (pity) towards all forms of life, love of other Vaishnavites and the chanting of God's Name) Sri Ramakrishna goes into a partial trance and says, 'Ke kaaare doya kore? Bolo Shiva jnane Jiva Seva' which translates into, 'Do we have the right to pity anyone? Say instead, 'worship Man as Shiva!'

Swami Vivekananda had had a passionate response  to this epiphanic statement of Sri Ramakrishna. I feel that it is this statement that he transformed into, 'bohurupe sammukhhe tobo chhadi kotha khunjiccho Ishwar?/ Jeebe Prem kore jei jon shebichhe Ishwar' or 'God manifests Himself in so many forms before you/ If you love these forms of Jiva then you are indeed worshiping God'.

This became the root mantra of the Ramakrishna Mission and all those who hold fast to the philosophy and idealism of this great institution...