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Ramakrishna Birth Anniversary 2025: Ramakrishna Paramahansa was popular for his teachings that prioritise spiritual experience over merely academic understanding.
Ramakrishna Birth Anniversary 2025: This year, February 18 marks the 189th birth anniversary of the celebrated saint of the 19th century. (Image: Shutterstock)
Ramakrishna Birth Anniversary 2025: Born as Gadadhar Chattopadhyay on February 18, 1836, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was one of the world’s most significant religious figures. His birth anniversary falls on Dwitiya Tithi in the Shukla Paksha of Phalguna month, as per the Hindu lunar calendar. This year, February 18 will be marked as the 189th birth anniversary of the celebrated saint of the 19th century.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa was born into a low-income household and did not have much formal schooling. Yet, even as a small child, he was deeply spiritual and devoted most of his time to meditation and prayer. His yearning to have firsthand contact with God led him to explore several spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.
He eventually attained spiritual enlightenment after seeking guidance from the tantric teacher Bhairavi Brahmani.
According to the scriptures, Ramakrishna Paramahansa, an Indian mystic and teacher of the 19th century, is considered to be one of the most important spiritual figures in modern-day India.
Why Was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Famous?
Ramakrishna Paramahansa was popular for his teachings that prioritise spiritual experience over merely academic understanding. Since he thought that all religions were routes that led to the same end—spiritual realisation—he instructed his followers to respect and learn from all religious traditions.
In his sermons, he emphasised the need of love and commitment in spiritual practice and stated that becoming one with God is the ultimate aim of human existence.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s teachings and legacy continue to influence India and other parts of the world. His teachings have motivated innumerable individuals to seek spiritual development and self-realisation, and he is regarded as one of the most significant saints in contemporary India.
He established the Ramakrishna Mission, which continues to this day to offer spiritual counselling and humanitarian assistance to people of all religions. Numerous books, films and other media have also been written about his life and beliefs.
Ramakrishna Birth Anniversary: Key Facts
- Ramakrishna Paramhansa, a well-known social reformer, saint and religious leader from West Bengal, condensed complicated spiritual teachings to make them more understandable.
- Ramakrishna Paramhansa was born in Kamarpukur, West Bengal, in 1836 to Khudiram Chattopadhyay and Chandramani Devi.
- It is believed that Ramakrishna’s parents had premonitions and spiritual contacts that promised their son’s future as a spiritual leader.
- The educational system, according to Ramakrishna, was created to teach students how to acquire money and survive in this world, with little to no emphasis on spiritual activities and their significance in life. His knowledge of holy texts, including the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana, was extensive.
- An ardent devotee of the goddess Kali, Ramakrishna Paramhansa was a highly esteemed religious figure who played a crucial role in the revival of Hinduism in West Bengal.
- After a protracted battle with throat cancer, Ramakrishna Paramhansa passed away in the early hours of August 16, 1886, at a garden home in Cossipore. He was survived by his wife Sarada Devi and ardent disciples.
Spiritual Quotes of Ramakrishna Paramhansa
- “Many good sayings are to be found in holy books, but merely reading them will not make one religious.”
- “It is the mind that makes one wise or ignorant, bound or emancipated.”
- “Purity of mind is an essential condition for the attainment of the ‘ultimate reality’; real purity is freedom from lust and greed. External observances are only of secondary importance.”
- “Through spiritual practices, man can overcome his evil tendencies, and divine grace can redeem even the worst sinner. Therefore, one should not brood over the past mistakes, but should develop a positive outlook on life by depending on God.”
- “Only two kinds of people can attain self-knowledge: those who are not encumbered at all with learning, that is to say, whose minds are not over-crowded with thoughts borrowed from others; and those who, after studying all the scriptures and sciences, have come to realise that they know nothing.”
- “The goal of human life is the realisation of the ‘ultimate reality’ which alone can give man supreme fulfillment and everlasting peace. This is the essence of all religions.”
- “Never get into your head that your faith alone is true and that of others is false. Know for certain that God without form is real and that God with form is also real. Then follow whichever faith appeals to you.”
- “As you pray to God for devotion, so also pray that you may not find fault with anyone.”
- “God is everywhere but He is most manifest in man. So serve man as God. That is as good as worshipping God.”
- “Different creeds are but different paths to reach the same God.”
