Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772- 1833)

suchandra · October 11, 2007

According description below this Brahmana, Ram Mohan Roy, never heard of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu although living right in Bengal in the 18th century. What does that mean: "He disliked idol worship", he didnt like the worship of the Deities in the temple although being born in India?

Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772- 1833) was born into a Brahmin family in Bengal and experienced the orthodox practices of Hinduism in his youth. He studied the Quran, Buddhism and the New Testament. He disliked Idol worship and hated the practice of Sati, after seeing his brother's widow burnt alive on her husband's funeral fire. He fought to abolish polytheism, idol worship, the caste system, child marriage, animal sacrifice and Sati which is the practice of a widow being burnt alive on the funeral pyre.

In 1828, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj (Society of Brahma) in an attempt to reform Hindu religious beliefs and practices. Brahmo Samaj's hall of worship has no images, statues or pictures. Only prayers and Hymns are sung, selecting one God for concentrating their prayers. Members offered prayers as a group. This community worship was a new aspect to Hinduism. The form of worship under Brahmo Samaj system was based on the Christian school of thought as the founder was inspired by the Western ideas. The Samaj inspired progressive development in Hindu Society, religion and politics.

The indirect result of the reform movement of Ram Mohan Roy was the abolition of Sati, child marriage, untouchability, caste distinction, and established women's right to property and widow re-marriage.

source: http://www.divinedigest.com/modern.htm

Guruvani · October 12, 2007

Bhaktivinoda - The Bhagavat:

Not to say of other people, the great genius of Raja Ram Mohan Roy the founder of the sect of Brahmoism, did not think it worth his while to study this ornament of the religious library. He crossed the gate of the Vedanta, as set up by the Mayavada construction of the designing Shankaracharya, the chosen enemy of the Jains, and chalked his way out to the unitarian form, of the Christian faith, converted into an Indian appearance. Ram Mohan Roy was an able man. He could not be satisfied with the theory of illusion contained in the Mayavada philosophy of Shankar. His heart was full of love for Nature. He saw through the eye of his that he could not believe in his identity with God. He ran furiously from the bounds of Shankar to those of the Koran. There even he was not satisfied. He then studied the pre-eminently beautiful precepts and history of Jesus, first in the English translations and at last in the original Greek, and took shelter under the holy banners of the Jewish Reformer. But Ram Mohan Roy was also a patriot. He wanted to reform his country in the same way as he reformed himself. He knew it fully that truth does not belong exclusively to any individual man or to any nation or particular race. It belongs to God, and man, whether in the Poles or on the Equator, has a right to claim it as the property of his Father

krsna · October 12, 2007

Ram Mohan Roy, also written as Rammohun Roy, or Raja Ram Mohun Roy (Bangla: রাজা রামমোহন রায়, Raja Rammohon Rae), (May 22, 1772 – September 27, 1833) was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, one of the first Indian socio-religious reform movements. His remarkable influence was apparent in the fields of politics, public administration and education as well as religion. He is most known for his efforts to abolish the practice of sati, a Hindu funeral custom in which the widow sacrifices herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. It was he who first introduced the word "Hinduism" (or "Hindooism") into the English language in 1816.

In 1828, prior to his departure to England, Roy founded, with Dwarkanath Tagore, the Brahmo Samaj, which came to be an important spiritual and reformist religious movement that has given birth to a number of stalwarts of the Bengali social and intellectual reforms. For these contributions to society, Raja Ram Mohan Roy is regarded as one of the most important figures in the Bengal Renaissance.

suchandra · October 12, 2007

Ram Mohan Roy, also written as Rammohun Roy, or Raja Ram Mohun Roy (Bangla: রাজা রামমোহন রায়, Raja Rammohon Rae), (May 22, 1772 – September 27, 1833) was the founder of the Brahmo Samaj, one of the first Indian socio-religious reform movements. His remarkable influence was apparent in the fields of politics, public administration and education as well as religion. He is most known for his efforts to abolish the practice of sati, a Hindu funeral custom in which the widow sacrifices herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. It was he who first introduced the word "Hinduism" (or "Hindooism") into the English language in 1816.
In 1828, prior to his departure to England, Roy founded, with Dwarkanath Tagore, the Brahmo Samaj, which came to be an important spiritual and reformist religious movement that has given birth to a number of stalwarts of the Bengali social and intellectual reforms. For these contributions to society, Raja Ram Mohan Roy is regarded as one of the most important figures in the Bengal Renaissance.

Thanks so much for clarifying with relevant quotes. In sum it looks like there's some kind of maya in India which seems for Westerners quite puzzling and different how we Westerners are being kept in illusion. Just like, "we worship Krishna only as a child because later He became polluted by rasa-lila."

"There are some party, they say, “We worship Krishna, Bāla-Krishna, boy Krishna.” Sometimes they give reason that… Why not, I mean to say, grown-up Krishna? They say that “Grown-up Krishna was polluted by rāsa-līlā.” Just see the fool nonsense! Krishna is always Krishna. This is foolish conclusion, that child Krishna is pure than young Krishna. This is wrong conception. Krishna is… Just like Krishna, when He was three months old, He could kill a big, gigantic witch, that Pūtanā. Can… A three months’ old child can kill such a big…? No. Krishna is always God. Either He appears in three months or three hundred years or three thousand years, He is the same. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta- rūpam adyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. This is Krishna."

Srila Prabhupada, Māyāpur, March 10, 1976

Full lecture

gHari · October 12, 2007

No one should dare to belittle the pastimes of the Lord. When we speak of Krsna's incarnation as Lord Krishna we must always remember that He is the primal Person, the Cause of all causes and All that is. It is upon His absolutely unique existence that everything rests ("as pearls are strung on a thread" as He Himself said). Everything, everyone, every incarnation flows from God, Sri Krsna as evidenced in the Srimad Bhagavatam verse 1.3.28:

ete AMza-kalAH puMsaH

kRSNas tu bhagavAn svayam

indrAri-vyAkulaM lokaM

mRDayanti yuge yuge

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ete--all these; ca--and; aMza--plenary portions; kalAH--portions of the plenary portions; puMsaH--of the Supreme; kRSNaH--Lord KRSNa; tu--but; bhagavAn--the Personality of Godhead; svayam--in person; indra-ari--the enemies of Indra; vyAkulam--disturbed; lokam--all the planets; mRDayanti--gives protection; yuge yuge--in different ages.

All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord SrI KRSNa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.

The Raja may have preached according to time and circumstance, not focussing on Deity worship to appease the invaders. The Most Merciful Lord Caitanya however, stood tall and let the intruders bow at His feet.