Some Kathamrita translations done four years back...

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Ramakrishna Kathamrita. Vol. II. Narendrapur edition. 644. March 1884.

I provide cultural analyses from time to time vis a vis things/statements that are made in the text, either by Thakur or the devotees. That makes it interesting for me to translate, and I feel that perhaps such analyses would be helpful and interesting to those who are outsiders to Bengali culture.

Also, whenever words are in italics they stand for my interpolations, for other possibilities of translations, more literary translations, than the ones I have otherwise provided)

Narendra o nastic mot. Ishwarer karya o Bhisma Dev. March, 1884.

Narendra and Atheism. The Way of God and Bhisma Dev (Dev meaning great soul, like Chaitanya Dev or Ramakrishna Dev. In popular Bengali parlance, “Dev” is assigned to all great souls and “Devi” to women, who are considered extraordinary. In literature for example, a woman of outstanding literary merit or achievement would be called “Mahasweta Devi” or “Ashapurna Devi.”)

Why God is still not having compassion (or showering his grace) on Narendra, is something that is perturbing Thakur. Thakur is looking at Narendra affectionately.

Narendra: I am studying the way of Atheism.

Sri Ramakrishna or Thakur: There are two ways; that of Faith and that of Disbelief. Why don’t you take the way of Faith?

Surendra: God is just, therefore, it is expected that he should look after his devotees.

Sri Ramakrishna: Shastra has it that those who practice generosity ( money spent on philanthropic activities), get wealth in their next life. But you know what, this world is His Maya, and there is a lot that is wrong or disturbing in the world of Maya. One cannot understand/comprehend everything. (Or, one can never be sure that one has understood perfectly or correctly). (Maya stalls comprehension).

One cannot understand the ways of God. Bhisma Dev is lying on his bed of arrows (sharasajya).The Pandavas come to see him. Krishna comes along with them. The Pandavas soon see that Bhisma is crying. The Pandavas say to Krishna, “How odd! Grandfather is one of the Eight Vasus. It would be hard to find someone as wise as he is. Governed by the principle of Maya, he too is crying at the hour of Death! Krishna says, “He is not crying for that reason. Why don’t you ask him?” On being asked, Bhisma says, “Krishna I have not understood the ways of God, at all. I am crying because I see that God Himself (Ishwar) accompanies the Pandavas everywhere, yet their lives are full of trouble! When I see this, I think that it is impossible to understand His ways.

Suddha Atman ekmatro atal—Sumerubat

The ultimate Soul is very tall  and utterly still

He (Tini) has shown me Paramatman, who is called Suddha Atman in the Vedas, only He is Immovable, like the Sumeru Peak, Dispassionate, and beyond Sorrow and Happiness. There is a lot that is wrong in his world of Maya. One can never say that a certain action will definitely lead to a certain consequence. One cannot say anything.

Surendra (with laughter): So one should donate, so that one will have wealth in one’s next life.

Sri Ramakrisha: Those who have money, should donate. Addressing Trailokya he says, Joygopal Sen has money, he should give.  It is not to his credit that he does not. Some people have money, but they are miserly. Who knows who is going to enjoy their money?

That day Joygopal came. He comes in a carriage. The carriage had a broken lantern. A decrepit horse. A hired attendant. And for this place ( for us here ) he brought two wasted pomegranates. Everybody laughs

Surendra: Joygopal Babu belongs to the Brahmo Samaj. Nowadays, from what I can make out, there aren’t that many people in the Brahmo Samaj that Keshav Chandra Sen created. Vijaykrishna Goswami, Shivnath Shastri, had all joined the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.

Sri Ramakrishna (laughing): Govinda Adhikary, never kept good (competent) people in his jatra troupe. For fear that he would have to share the credit with them (is this a criticism of Keshav? It probably is, judging from Thakur’s comments that follow) Everybody laughs.

I saw one of Keshav’s disciples the other day. There was a theatre going on in Keshav’s house. I saw that he was dancing with his son in his arms. I also heard that he lectures. Who I wonder educates (gives lectures to) the person himself?

Trailokya is singing, --“Chidananda Sindhu Neere Premananda Lahari” (On the banks of the sea of Chidananda, there are waves of Premananda)

 After the song ends, Thakur says to Trailokya: Please sing “Amai de Ma pagol Kore” (Mother please make me mad).

 In those days, enactment of plays in aristocratic/well to do families, was common. The aristocracy always support the Arts. In all cultures. That’s how the Arts survive. Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, both had patrons. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is full of anxieties on the part of the menials who act a play, that they should not offend the aristocracy/the King. Because the price would be beheading. Theatres and dance dramas were very popular in the Tagore household. All Rabindranath’s brothers wrote songs, translated from other Indian languages, adapted classical tunes from bandishes; and in fact, this is where Rabindranath really got to practice and perfect his craft. This is how context shapes an artist and class helps to heighten and develop his talents. Because if Rabindranath had not been an upper class individual, he would not have ever had the resources with which plays could be staged; nor could he have pursued music and language as single-mindedly. Money provides leisure (Time; in feminist terms or in Virginia Woolf’s terms “a room of one’s own.”). And without leisure there can be no Art.     

At Dakshineshwar with Manilal and other devotees ( trans. 6.10.2014—8.10.2014)

Today is Sunday, the 9^th of March, 1884 (27^th Phalgun, Shukla Trayadashi). Sri Ramakrishna is at Dakshineshwar,  seated among several devotees; Manilal Mallik, Mahendra kaviraj of Sinthi, Balaram, Master, Bhavanath, Rakhal, Latu, Harish, Kishori (Gupta) and Shivchandra. Girish, Kali (later Swami Abhedananda) have not yet arrived (but it probably means that they have not yet become part of the inner circle, or have not met Thakur yet. The following statement seems to corroborate that). Sarat and Shashi have only seen Him only a few times. Purna, Chhoto (younger) Naren have also not seen Him yet.

There is a cast on Sri Ramakrishna’s hand. While walking on the side of the rail line, and in a state of bhava, he fell down and broke his hand. He is in quite a bit of pain (He is in a state of constant pain).

However, even in this state in he is often in Samadhi and speaks to his devotees of the most profound and searching spiritual matters.

One day, while crying out in a state of pain, he passed into Samadhi. After coming out of Samadhi, he tells devotees like Mahimacharan, “Babu, if you don’t know Satchitananda, you don’t know anything. You need great yearning (vyakulata) for that. I used to call upon him and say, “ Dear Lord, I am without great spiritual sadhana (bhajan-sadhan heen), but you have to come to me.”

That night, Mahimacharan, Adhar and Master gather again.

Sri Ramakrishna to Mahimacharan: There is a thing called Ahetuki Bhakti (loving completely beyond the self, loving for the sake of the beloved without any thought of self). See if you can follow that.

Again, he tells Adhar: Will you please stroke my hand to give it some comfort? (hard to get an absolutely precise translation of ektu hāt buliye debe).

Today is March 9, 1884. Manilal Mallik and Bhavanath are speaking of the exhibition that took place near the Asiatic Society. They speak of how many kings had sent costly items as exhibits, like gold beds. They are worth seeing.

Sri Ramakrishna and Wealth, Riches (Aisharya)

Sri Ramakrishna to his devotees, smiling in response to the discussion above:

Yes, if one goes one does gain something. When one looks at those things that Kings own, like the gold beds, other things do wither in comparison. When I used to go to Kolkata, Hriday would show me the Governor General’s house. He would say, “Uncle look at the massive pillars”! Mother showed me that they were nothing but bricks piled upon bricks.

God and his Riches. The Riches are only for a few days. God is forever (only God is true--bhagaban-y satya). The magician and his magic. People are spellbound by the magic. But it is all false (it is all illusory); only the magician is true. The Babu (the owner) and his garden. After seeing the garden, one should enquire after the owner (seek the owner).

Mani Mallik says to Sri Ramakrishna: And they (meaning the exhibition organizers) had installed huge electric lights. Then we think he who has created the electric light must be so great!

Sri Ramakrishna to Mani Mallik: Another school of philosophy ( ek mot) asserts that He has become everything. The one who is saying  all this (meaning the philosophy maker  or the one who speaks ) is also Him (tini). Ishwar is Maya, Jiva, and the world (jagat).

Discussion on the museum starts.

Sri Ramakrishna and Sadhusanga (the company of sadhus): A Yogi’s Picture

Sri Ramakrishna to the devotees: I had once gone to the museum. I was shown that brick becomes stone. Animals become stones. See, this is the significance of the company one keeps. If one stays with sadhus, one becomes like sadhus.

Mani Mallik smiling: If you had gone there once you would have found matter to lecture us for ten to fifteen years.

Sri Ramakrishna(smiling) : Why for examples (analogies)?

Balaram: No, you cannot go here and there. Your arm will not mend.

Sri Ramakrishna: I wish I could find (get) two pictures. One would be of a yogi who has lighted a fire (dhuni), and the other of a yogi who has lighted a pipe with opium (ganja) in it, and it lights up suddenly.

One gets excited (uddipan) seeing such pictures.

However, Yoga is interrupted (stalled, prevented) by Kamini and Kanchana (Woman and Gold). If the mind becomes pure, then there is Yoga. The mind is in the forehead. However, its gaze is directed towards the linga, gujhya and nabhi, or towards Kamini Kanchana. But with sadhana, the mind’s gaze can be directed upwards (how acutely psychological! The mind has its own gaze, which may not be the “gaze” of the eyes).

What is the sadhana that is required to bring “urdhadhrishti” (upward gaze) to the mind? Sadhusanga (being in the company of saints).

The Rishis either stayed alone or lived in the company of sadhus. That is why they could give up Kamini and Kanchana so easily and establish yogic contact (union) with God. There was no scope for either blame or fear.

If one has to renounce, one must ask God for strength of will (Purushokar, determination). One should then be able to renounce whatever one deems is false.

The Rishis had this Purushokar (intense determination). It is with Purushokar that they conquered the senses (Indriya).

If the tortoise once withdraws its hands and feet into its shell, even if you cut it into four parts, the hands and legs will not come out.

Worldly people practice deception. They are not simple (sorol). They verbally declare that the love God, but they are intensely drawn to material interests, to Kamini—Kanchana, a fraction of which attraction they do not invest in God. Yet, they profess to love God.

Towards Mani Mallik: Get rid of your worldliness (“Kapatata”—“get rid of your lack of transparency, your desire to conceal your actions,  your desire to conceal your attraction for worldly satisfaction.” My note: “Kapatata” means that inability for complete truthfulness, or lacking the drive to not hide the self from the world. “Akapat” or “sorol”( the word used by Thakur to mean the opposite of “Kapatata”),  is the kind of person who cannot hide his/her inner being from the gaze of the world, who exists in a state of complete transparency, where the bridge between inner and outer is clearly seen, or rather there is no bridge, at all.  Inner and outer share a simultaneity of state, which is a complex of spiritual, psychological or psychological proclivity. Sri Sri Thakur himself existed in that state of complete and absolute honesty or transparency. To the extent, that he could tell the Pagli (mad woman), “Ore amar je matri yoni” or “Oh, my girl, my genitals are those of a woman –Kathamrita, Udbodhan edition, 1041—1042. Dates: 16^th April, 1886.).