KALPATARU SRI RAMKRISHNA by Sushil Rudra

1st January, 2021/The day of sacrifice: it is Kalpataru day of Sri Ramkrishna which is observed by Rankrishna order and his devotees.

From noon, New Year 2021 starts its journey for the next 365 days until it reaches another New Year of 2022.

At present almost all the official works and activities are maintained according to English Calendar. From monthly salary to the grocery store the accounts and transactions are made following to English Calendar. So we enjoy new year day as a holiday.

In addition, we know that the British Government ruled out our country for more than 2 hundred years. Naturally, we used to follow up with their culture and tradition since then.

So, if we try our best to remove all these practices from our lives, it will not be proper as per our Indian tradition. Because we always sacrifice ourselves.

The Master of great Hindu Monk, Sri Ramkrishna sacrificed himself in this 1st January to his disciples. So we celebrate this day for sacrifice to the cause of mankind.

Because he became “Kalpataru“. Therefore we named this article as “The day of Sacrifice: Kalpataru Sri Ramkrishna”.

∆ WHY WE ACCOMMODATE OTHER’S CULTURES:

Because we have been made accommodation in our ways to living with all the diversities which we had to face in course of our journey generation after generation.

Foreign rulers invaded our country and established here and gradually they’re becoming our neighbourhood.

As a result, We have been accustomed to their culture and practices. Aryan came here first. After that Shak, Hun, Pathan, Mughal and lastly English invaded India and ruled out the country.

Naturally, we became united. There’s no other way than mingling with them. Humanist Poet, Rabindranath Tagore wrote in a poem ” Bharattirtha”:

“Eso he Arya, eso an area, so he Dravid Chin / Shak Hun Dall Pathan Mughol Aek Dehe Holo Leen.” ( Come Aryan, come non – Aryan, come, Dravid Chin, Shak Hun Dall Pathan Mughol United in one body. )

One poet remarks: ” East and West shall never meet.” But in this case, I mean, about New Years Festival, we are not conservative at all. We are celebrating this festival full of joy and merriment.

But it’s not our matter of discourse. Today is a memorable day in the history of the Sri Ramakrishna spiritual movement and the Ramkrishna Mission.

The devotees and followers of Ramkrishna Mission and Math used to regard 1 st January as Kalpataru Day. It’s celebrated in all centres of Math and Mission in India and the Vedanta centres outside of India.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KALPATARU UTSAV?

1 st January is the day of sacrifice of Kalpataru Sri Ramkrishna . Today 1st January, and millions of his household devotees regard this day as Kalpataru Day.

WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY OF SACRIFICE?

Because it was on this day in 1886 that Sri Ramakrishna showered heartfelt blessings on a seected disciples. Fortunately, they gathered in the Cassipore Garden House that very day . And divine Sri Ramkrishna wishes his blessings to them.

This is the Kalpataru day from that momentous day onwards. So this Kalpataru Day is now a holy day for the devotees of Sri Ramkrishna.

It is the day when the great Guru reappears, as it were, to bliss his disciples year after year.

Now Kalpataru Day has become as sacred as his birthday. The devotees throng the Ramkrishna Maths the world over to pay their obeisance and seek his blessings, again and again.

His followers indeed believe that Sri Ramakrishna revealed himself to be an Avatar. He is God Incarnate on earth. It’s classified as one of the “Lords special festivals by the followers of Sri Ramakrishna.

KALPATARU DAY : SRI RAMKRISHNA

The first January, 1886 Kalpataru Day, was an event of unusual consequence. And it has an inner meaning in the life of Ramkrishna and His followers.

Ramkrishna was suffering from throat cancer at that time. And therefore, his health was declining. He and His closest followers had moved to the garden house at Cassipur in northern Kolkata.

1st January was a relatively good day for Him. He took a walk in the garden. There He asked one of His followers, Girish ( a great drama writer and poet of Bengali literature). This question He had often asked before,

” Who do you say that I am? “.

Girish replied that he believed that Ramkrishna was ‘God Incarnate’. He comes to earth out of mercy for mankind.’

Ramkrishna then replied:

” What more shall I say? May you be awakened. Ramkrishna then entered an ” ecstatic state ” and began touching all of His followers present there.

Those He touched reported experiencing a variety of new states of consciousness, including vivid visions. For one Vaikuntha, the visions persisted and interfered with daily life. Eventually, he feared that he was becoming insane.

Another disciple, Sri Ramchandra Dutta, explained that Ramkrishna had in effect become Kalpataru. It’s ( Kalpataru ) the wish-fulfilling tree of Sanskrit literature and Hindu mythology.

So, Datta named the commemoration of this mystical event ” Kalpataru Day”.

As a result, the event carried meanings and memories of cosmic import for the disciples. And they prepared for Ramkrishna’s death.

However, this incident occurred only a few months later, on 16 August 1886 .

So, our new year’s celebration is something different from others. Because we regard this first day of every new year worshipping Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna. So we pray to Him.

THE DAY OF SACRIFICE & OUR SPECIAL TOUR:

However, this year we, along with the members of Vivekananda Vani prachar Samity went to visit two interior villages.

It’s a tribal village. Moreover, it is a very tiny village. And there are almost 100 people of 15 to 20 families.

They live in this village. A thick forest of Shal and Segun trees closely wrapped up in this remote village. And Our vehicles were passing through the forest, so we have been thrilling it seriously.

Truly, we couldn’t understand that there is any village there. Suddenly, our vehicles turned into a narrow brick-built path. And after 500 metres we first saw some tribal women working beside the roadside.

So, we felt that we have reached the scheduled place.

In fact , We have come here to distribute blanket and lunches to the poor tribal folks. They’re very poor. We spent some time with them. And after getting Prasad ( lunch), we have returned home.

Therefore, this was a very interesting day for us. Because we enjoyed the day very much with these people.

Hope my readers have spend a pleasant day. Happy new year to you all. Stay healthy , safe and peaceful.

Read more: 1. Swami Vivekananda’s Inspired Talks 2. Why Should We Follow Swami Vivekananda’s views !