User:Goethean/SRK/Sources/Vineeth

Notes on Biographical sources
Ramakrishna never wrote down the details of his own life. Sources for his life and teachings come from the writings of his disciples and live witnesses. Ramakrishna's recorded sayings mainly come from the last four years of his life.


 * The book Sri Sri Rāmakrishna Kathāmrita by Mahendranath Gupta under the pseudonym M., belongs to this class of evidence. Mahendranath Gupta recorded his daily interactions with Ramakrishna in his dairy which were subsequently published as Sri-Sri-Ramakrishna-Kathamrta in 5 Volumes in bengali. The information in these volumes is available with "stenographic precision".
 * Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadever Jivan-vrittanta (1890) by Ram Chandra Dutta, is one of the earliest published biography of Ramakrishna. Contemporary scholars — Narasingha Sil and Jeffery Kripal cite a letter written by Swami Vivekananda in 1884 asking to "Avoid all irregular indecent expressions about sex etc...because other nations think it the height of indecency to mention such things, and his life in English is going to be read by the whole world" and calling Ramchandra Dutta's translation a "bosh and rot" and allege this book to be "scandalous". They also allege that Ramchandra Dutta faced a possible law suit from Swami Vivekananda. However, as of 1995, this book has been published in nine Bengali editions rendering these allegations untenable.
 * In 1887, Akshay Kumar Sen wrote Ramakrishna's life in verse — Sri Sri Ramakrishna Punthi in Bengali. Akshay Kumar Sen later wrote Padye Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Dever Upadesh and Sri Sri Ramakrishna Mahima.
 * Sri Sri Ramakrishna Lilaprasanga by Swami Saradananda. The book was begun in 1909 and left partially incomplete at the author's death in 1927. Swami Saradananda is considered an authority both as a philosopher and as an historian on Ramakrishna. The book provides authentic information on Ramakrishna.
 * My Master, speeches by Swami Vivekananda in 1896. While scholars like Sil argue that Ramakrishna is a product of Vivekananda's "Mythmaking and Propaganda", other scholars have expressed the opinion that Vivekananda has presented a accurate picture of Ramakrishna.


 * Max Muller's book Râmakrishna: His Life and Sayings (1898) is one of the earliest works by a Western scholar on the life of Ramakrishna and a relatively independent source of biography. .It is based on first-hand evidence, analysed in "broad and clear critical spirit". Max Muller based this book on the testimonies of Swami Vivekananda and several independent witnesses, both favorable and unfavorable to Ramakrishna. Scholars consider this book to be "containing the just criticism needed for a true valuation of Ramakrishna's personality and teaching". Max Muller, regarded Ramakrishna as The Real Mahatman.
 * Romain Rolland's book : Life of Ramakrishna (1929) is another biographic work which is based on direct disciples of whom Romain Rolland writes —"I have received glowing testimony at their hands. I have talked with some among them, who were the companions of this mystic being - of the Man-Gods- and I can vouch for their loyalty. Moreover, these eye-witnesses are not the simple fishermen of the Gospel story; some are great thinkers, learned in European thought and disciplined in its strict school.", and independent eye-witnesses of Ramakrishna who were alive at his time. He had consulted the Christian missionaries who had interview Ramakrishna.


 * The English translations of Kathamrita were published by Swami Nikhilananda in his book The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The book provides authentic information about Ramakrishna. The book was voted as one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" by the American scholars convened by HarperCollins publishers, However, scholars argue that the book has been bowdlerized.


 * Life of Sri Ramakrishna, compiled from various authentic sources (1925) by Swami Madhavananda is also one of the primary sources of Ramakrishna's biography and a reliable source which contains first hand accounts of his disciples, live witnesses.