Born on February 18, 1836, as Gadadhar Chattopadhyay, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was one of the most influential religious personalities in the world. The year 2021 marks the 185th birth anniversary of the holy saint. In 19th century Bengal, Sri Ramakrishna became an honourable leader in the resurgence of Hinduism. The period is known to be of “strong spiritual crisis and the severe collapse of humanism.” The saint received the title of Paramahamsa by Totapuri, his Vedantic guru.

Sri Ramakrishna was known to have spiritual tendencies since a very young age. So much that his parents got him married to Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya (who was just five-years-old). But his teachings had a great effect on Saradamani.

His teachings resonated with a multitude of people. More than religion, it was a message of spiritual kindness that echoed throughout his teachings. One of his disciples was once a profound atheist, Narendranath Datta who would be transformed by Paramahamsa’s teachings and become Swami Vivekanand.

In honour of his birth anniversary, here are some of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s famous quotes which influenced thousands across the globe:

• The supreme purpose and goal for human life... is to cultivate love.
• All troubles come to an end when the ego dies.
• All religions are true. God can be reached by different religions. Many rivers flow by many ways but they fall into the sea. They all are one.
• Sugar and sand may be mixed together, but the ant rejects the sand and goes off with the sugar grain; so pious men lift the good from the bad.
• As you pray to God for devotion, so also pray that you may not find fault with anyone.
• One must be very particular about telling the truth. Through truth one can realize God.
• When the divine vision is attained, all appear equal; and there remains no distinction of good and bad, or of high and low.
• The sun can give heat and light to the whole world, but he cannot do so when the clouds shut out his rays. Similarly as long as egotism veils the heart, God cannot shine upon it.
• As long as I live, So long do I learn.
• There is no hope for a worldly man if he is not sincerely devoted to God.

Source: News18