A Hymn to Sri Ramakrishna

[Guest guest]

" We salute Thee, Lord! Adored of the world,

Samsara's bondage breaker, taintless Thou,

Embodiment of blessed qualities,

Thou transcendest all Gunas; human form

Thus bearest. Thee we salute and adore!

 

Refuge of mind and speech, Thou art beyond

The reach of either. Radiance art Thou

In all radiance that is. The heart's cave

Is by Thy visitance resplendent made.

Verily Thou art that which dispelleth

The densest darkness of Tamas in all.

 

Lo! In variety of melody

Forth-breaking in fine harmony most sweet,

Hymns of Thy devotees, accompanied

By mridanga playing with music's grace,

Fill the air, in evening worship to Thee.

 

One glancing vision at Thine eyes divine

Cleared by the collyrium of jnana

Defies deIusion. O thou blotter-out

Of all the taints of sin, Intelligence

Pure, unmingled is Thy form. Of the world

Thou art embellisher. Self-luminous

Art Thou. O Ocean of feeling sublime,

And of Love Divine, O God-maddened One,

Devotees win Thy blessed feet and cross

Safely the swelling sea of samsara.

 

O Lord of the world, through Thy yoga power

Thou shinest as the Incarnation clear

Of this our time. O thou of strict restraint,

Only through Thine unstinted grace we see

The mind in samadhi completely merged;

Mercy Incarnate! austere are Thy deeds.

 

Thou dealest to the evil of misery

Destruction. Kali's binding cords

Are cut by Thee asunder. Thine own life

Thou gavest freely, O sweet Sacrifice,

O best of men! O Savior of the world!

 

Devoid wert Thou of the idea of sex,

Thought of possession charmed Thee not. To Thee

Obnoxious was all pleasure. Give to us,

O greatest among tyagis, love intense

Unto Thy sacred feet; give, we implore!

 

Fearless art Thou, and past all gloom of doubt;

Thy mind is wrapt in its own firm resolve;

Thy lovers, whose devotion mounts above

The realm of reason, who renounce the pride

Of caste and parentage, of name and fame--

Their safe refuge art Thou alone, O Lord!

 

My one true treasure is Thy blessed feet,

Reaching which the whole universe itself

Seems like a puddle in the hollow made

By hoof of a passing cow.

O offering to Love! O Seer of equality

In all! O verily, in Thee the pain

And evil of this mortal world escapes,

And vanishes, O cherished One in Thee! " -Swami Vivekananda

 

" This is a translation of Swami Vivekananda's Bengali hymn to Sri Ramakrishna,

reproduced from his Complete Works 4: 504-06. This hymn is sung in all the

centers of the Ramakrishna Order every evening to the accompaniment of arati in

the shrine. " http://www.vivekananda.org/