Sadhak Ramprasad Sen

- October 09, 2018

Jai Ma Kali

Sadhak Ramprasad Sen was a great devotee of Kali Ma in 18th century Bengal. He underwent intense spiritual practices and had the vision of the Divine Mother. He composed many songs in praise of the Mother. He became well known for his devotional songs on which are quite popular to this day. His literary works include Vidyasundar, Kali-kirtana, Krishna-kirtana and Shaktigiti.

Ramprasad was born in Halisahar, a village on the banks of the Ganges about 35 miles north of Kolkata, into a Tantric Baidya-Brahmin family around the year 1718 or 1723. He was sent to a Sanskrit tol (school) where he learned Sanskrit grammar, literature, Persian, and Hindi. As a youth, he had a talent for poetry and learning new languages.

Ramprasad showed no interest in practical pursuits. As he grew up, his spiritual inclinations caused a great deal of anxiety to his parents. Believing that marriage would make Ramprasad more responsible, his parents got him married when he was 22 years old. In keeping with the family custom, the newly wed couple was initiated by the family's spiritual teacher, Madhavacharya. During initiation when the Guru whispered the Mantra to him, Ramprasad became consumed by intense longing for the goddess Kali. Ramprasad later became the disciple of Krishnananda Agamavagisha, a Tantric yogi and scholar. Agamavagisha was a well known devotee of Kali Ma and the author of the Bengali book Tantrasara. Agamavagisha instructed Ramprasad in Tantric Sadhanas and worship of Kali Ma.

Ramprasad devoted most of his time to Sadhana. Forced by poverty, he moved to Kolkata and worked as an accountant for a monthly salary of 30 rupees. During his employment, Ramprasad would write devotional songs to Kali Ma. His fellow employees were appalled to see Ramprasad write poems in his account book, and reported him to their employer. The employer, upon reading Ramprasad's work, was moved by his piety and literary skill. Instead of dismissing Ramprasad from work, he asked him to return to his village and compose songs to Kali Ma, while continuing to pay his salary.

After returning to his village, Ramprasad spent most of his time in Sadhana, meditation, and prayer. He performed several esoteric Sadhanas including standing neck-deep in the river Ganges, singing songs to Kali. Ramprasad would regularly practice his sadhana in a panchavati: a grove with five trees—banyan, bael, amalaki, ashoka, and peepul—all regarded as holy in Tantric tradition. He would reportedly spend hours meditating on a panchamundi asana (an altar inside which are interred five skulls–that of a snake, frog, rabbit, fox, and man). He had a vision of Kali Ma in Her form of Adyashakti Mahamaya.

Raja Krishnachandra of Nadia, a landlord under Nawab Sirajuddaula of Bengal, heard Ramprasad's hymns. Being an ardent devotee of Kali Ma, he appointed Ramprasad as his court poet. Ramprasad rarely attended the Maharaja's court and would spend his time in sadhana and worship of Kali Ma instead. Krishna Chandra became Ramprasad's benefactor, giving him 100 acres of tax free land. Ramprasad, in return, dedicated his book Vidyasundar to the Maharaja. Krishna Chandra also gave Ramprasad the title Kaviranjana. During the Maharaja's last years, Ramprasad stayed beside him, singing hymns of Kali Ma. Ramprasad's mysticism was recognized by Sufis and Nawab Sirajuddaula. Ramprasad is said to have visited the court of the Nawab at the Nawab's fervent request.

Ramprasad was very fond of taking part in Kali puja on the night of Diwali, the festival of lights. On one Kali puja night, he performed the puja and sang throughout the night. In the morning, Ramprasad carried the jar of Divine Mother's sanctified water on his head to the Ganges. He was followed by the devotees, who carried the clay image of Kali Ma to be immersed in the Ganges after the night of worship. Ramprasad waded into the holy river, until the water was neck deep, all the while singing for Kali. As Kali's image was immersed, Ramprasad left his body - this was believed to be around 1775.

In Bengal, popular stories and legends are told of Ramprasad. One of the most well known stories is about a "radiant girl" who helped him one day. Ramprasad was repairing a fence with the assistance of his daughter, who left shortly thereafter. Soon a "radiant girl", whom he didn't recognize, came to help him. After finishing the task, she vanished. According to the story, Ramprasad then realized that she was a manifestation of Kali Ma.

Another popular story is told of Ramprasad's vision of goddess Annapurna of Varanasi. Ramprasad was on his way to the river for his daily ritual bath when a beautiful young woman stopped him, asking if she could hear him sing a devotional song to the Divine Mother. Ramprasad requested her to wait, since it was getting late for his noon worship. When he returned, he couldn't find her, and began to think that it may have been the "play of Divine Mother." Sitting down to meditate, he was surrounded by a radiant light and heard a female voice saying, "I am Annapurna ... I came all the way from Varanasi to hear your songs but, alas, I had to leave disappointed." Ramprasad was angry with himself and immediately left for Varanasi to find Mother Annapurna and sing for her. After walking many miles, he reached Triveni, where he took rest under a tree on the bank of the Ganges. Here he reportedly received another vision, saw the same mystical light, and heard the Mother's voice saying, "Stay here and sing for me ... Varanasi is not the only place where I live; I pervade the whole universe."

Ramprasad Sen is regarded as one of the notable figures of the bhakti movement in Bengal during the 18th century. He is credited with popularizing the bhakti Shakta tradition and Shyama Sangeet — devotional songs to Kali Ma. Ramprasad was the first Shakta poet to address Kali Ma with such intimate devotion, and to sing of Her as a tender loving mother or even as a little girl. After him, a school of Shakta poets continued the Kali-bhakti tradition.

Ramprasad created a new compositional form that combined the Bengali folk style of Baul music with classical melodies and kirtan. This new form took root in Bengali culture for the next 150 years, with hundreds of poet-composers combining folk and raga-based melodies, and bringing together styles of music that included classical, semi-classical, and folk. His poetic style has been described as "sweet, familiar and unsophisticated", though his lyrics were sung in classical style rather than a folk style. His songs are sung today, with a popular collection—Ramprasadi Sangit ("Songs of Ramprasad").

Ramprasad's literary works include Vidyasundar (or Kalikaman-gala), Kali-kirtana, the fragmentary Krishna-kirtana, and Shaktigiti. Kali-kirtana is a collection of lyrics and narrative poetry describing the early life of Uma. Krishna-kirtana is an incomplete book of poems and songs to Krishna—the complete collection is yet to be discovered. Vidyasundara Kavya is written in a narrative style that was already popular in Bengali literature, telling the traditional love story of Vidya and Sundara—children of kings who are aided by Kali in meeting, falling in love, and marrying. Shaktigiti is Ramprasad's well known and respected work, in which he expresses his deepest feelings and love for Kali. In Shaktigiti, he shares the most intimate relationship with Kali Ma — a child who can both love and quarrel with his mother over the inequities of human birth.

Following is a sample from his songs

Will that day oh come to me, ma? Will that day oh come to me, Ma?
When saying, Mother dear My eyes will flow tears
Widsom’s lotus will blossom forth, Darkness will steal away
Heart’s lotus will blossom forth, Darkness will steal away
Steal away, steal away, steal away Ma steal away
A thousand Vedas do declare Divine Mother’s everywhere!
Ram Prasad says, Divine Mother everywhere stays
Blind eyes, see the Ma, hiding everywhere