( From Chicago Calling e-zine/vol-9)
The Shiva-ratri festival comes in Falgun (February-March). The 14th night of the dark half of this lunar month, is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and a night long worship of Shiva is performed. The tradition is to keep a vigil for the whole night. The villagers usually arrange a yatra, an open air drama on a religious subject.
In Kamarpukur, the village of Sri Ramakrishna, such a ‘Shiva Yatra’ was organized. The program was going to begin, when the manager noticed that the actor who was to take the role of Shiva did not turn up due to illness. The organizers became worried.
The elders of the village suggested that Gadai, the nickname of Sri Ramakrishna, could become Shiva as he knew many songs of Shiva and his manners were also like Shiva-loving, concerned but unattached.
Gadai agreed and sat to put on the costume. When he stood up, dressed like Shiva, the audience was thrilled. Chinu Shankhari, an aged person, started throwing flowers at his feet. The village women blew conch shells and filled the air with ‘Ulu’ sound.
A strange feeling overwhelmed them all. In young Gadai the simple & pure-hearted villagers saw the presence of Shiva.
Students of the Biography of Sri Ramakrishna know that Chandramani Devi, the mother of Sri Ramakrishna, was blessed by Lord Shiva. She felt that waves of divine light, emanating from the village Shiva temple, entered into her person. Devadideva – God of all gods & goddesses took human form as Sri Ramakrishna to save human beings.
Mathur Nath, the landlord of the Dakshineswar Temple where Sri Ramakrishna was a priest, was a blessed man indeed. Twice he saw Lord Shiva in the body of Sri Ramakrishna.
Sri Ramakrishna was strolling up & down on the north east veranda of his room at Dakshineswar , and Mathur Nath was looking at him from a distance with a question in his mind – is this man, so ordinary looking, divine?
Suddenly Mathur saw in the person of Ramakrishna Lord Shiva and Goddess Kali pacing up & down the veranda. Thrilled, Mathur came running and fell at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna.
On another occasion a devotee was reciting a verse from the famous ‘Shivamahimana Stotra’ : “O Shiva, if the ocean becomes the ink pot and the tree the pen, the earth the paper on which Goddess Saraswati writes the glory through eternity, even then Thy glory will be incomplete”.
Listening to these words, Sri Ramakrishna cried out, in a divine mood, “Shiva there is indeed no end to Thy glory” and the people present there saw Lord Shiva in Sri Ramakrishna. Mathur, the blessed soul realized the truth and declared – ‘Father, you are not a common human being, --- Father, I saw you as Shiva Himself’.
In the Puranic age, Shiva drank poison to save humanity. In this modern age, Sri Ramakrishna accepted in his divine person Kalvyadhi, the incurable decease, to teach mankind that even in the jaws of death you can remain peaceful & happy by realizing God in your life.
In one Shiva-ratri night the villagers of Kamarpukur had felt the presence of Shiva in the person of Gadai.
In another Shiva-ratri night at Barangar Monastery, Swami Vivekananda and the other young disciples of Sri Ramakrishna danced ecstatically around a Bel Tree chanting ‘Shiva-Guru’!
‘Shiva Guru’! Shiva Guru Sri Ramakrishna!