Sri Ramakrishna and Bankim Chandra⁷

Sri Ramakrishna and Bankim Chandra met with each other a few times and they liked each other very much. Bankim’s name has two meanings. It means “the brightest side of the moon” and, at the same time, it means “a little bent.” Sri Ramakrishna used to enjoy jokes with him and Bankim Chandra also used to cut jokes. One day, Sri Ramakrishna said to Bankim, “Bankim! What is it that has bent you?”

“Ah, Thakur, don’t you know what has bent me? It is the kick of the Englishman’s shoe!” Bankim replied.

Ramakrishna laughed and laughed, and everybody around also laughed. The reason is that, in those days, Englishmen used to torture the Indians like anything, and Bankim Chandra was a great lover of India. He constantly protested against English rule and wrote many patriotic novels. His novels are extremely inspiring, energising, illumining and fulfilling. He was a matchless novelist and also a man of indomitable will. The literary people of Bengal all bowed to him with their heart’s devotion and life’s gratitude.

His song Bande Mataram was the mantric incantation-fire of Mother India. It was the battle cry of freedom-fighters. Thousands of people sacrificed their lives while singing this song. To them, it was not a mere sound, but a living force; not words, but a fiery inspiration; nay, the vision of an apocalypse. Thousands and thousands of people received inspiration from this source of patriotism. Many people had to go to jail just because they sang this particular song, and all of them went happily and cheerfully. It was not an ordinary song but the mantra of mantras, which inspired them to fight against the English.