Of surrender to illimitable
   Date :23-Jun-2020

Dakshineshwar Kali Temple
 Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, Kolkatta, where Shri Ramakrishna was the priest.
 
 
By Vijay Phanshikar :
 
“But nobody faces the illimitable with impunity. The shock of the first encounter (with the Divine) was so violent that his whole being remained in a shuddering state. He only sbaw those around him through a veil of drifting mist, of dissolving waves of silver shot with sparks of fire. He could no longer control his eyes, his body, or his mind; another will guided them, and he passed through some terrible hours. He prayed the Mother to come to his aid. “Then he suddenly understood.
 
 Prose  
 
He was possessed by the Mother. He ceased to resist. ‘Fiat voluntas tua’ (in Latin: I agree to your decree)....” -- An excerpt from the masterly biography ‘The Life of Ramakrishna’ (Paramhansa) - Chapter II, Pages 16,17; by French Nobel Laureate author Romain Rolland, translated from French into English by E F Malcolm-Smith, Adwait Ashram, Kolkata. Romain Rolland has described the condition of a person who encounters the Divine in so few but such wonderful words -- But nobody faces the illimitable with impunity. This is, of course, an observation of a universal response to any Divine encounter. When the Divine presents itself in whatever manner, the human individual just never faces it with impunity. On the contrary, he -- or she -- submits most willingly and most politely to the sublime moment.
 
That experience leaves a deep and direct impact on the person -- the body shudders, the mind gets entwined in a paradox of excitement and numbness, and the person often loses control over the faculties as another will guided them! As Lord Shrikrishna presented his Vishwaroop -- Universal Persona --, Arjun went nearly blind with that brilliance, with that massive scope. He then urged the Lord to allow him the privilege to ‘see’ how the Lord looks in his resplendence. So, the Lord granted him that power, that strength that enabled him to ‘see’ the actualness of the Lord’s beyond-the-word, Divine greatness! Romain Rolland dwells at length on the Divine encounters of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, describes in detail how the priest at the Kali Mandir in Dakshineshwar confronted the Divine. But the author was aware of the ennobling as well as humbling influence of the moment that forbids anybody to face it with a sense of pride -- or even prejudice.
 
The person gets weighed down by the gravitas of the moment, sublimeness of the experience, and surrenders totally, unquestioningly, without leaving even a trace of self-consciousness. That completeness of submission, that fullness of the sense of the Divine makes the moment very special, very unique, and absolutely in the category of gift from Brahman! Romain Rolland’s virtuosity with words blooms as he describes the encounter Ramakrishna experiences with the Divine Mother. He adds a few wonderful words to complete the description -- She filled him. And out of the mists little by little the material form of the Goddess emerged, first a hand, then Her breath, Her voice, finally Her whole person. ! But the most important and pertinent observation is: ... nobody faces the illimitable with impunity ...! That is the crux of the moment: One gets one with universal consciousness, in absolute surrender!