‘SHOW ME YOUR GOD NOW’, SO CHALLENGED NOBEL LAUREATE CV RAMANA

In 1930, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakura Prabhupada  organized a month long festival at Gaudiya Math, Bagh Bazar in Calcutta to celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami, every day a dignitary was invited to preside over as Honorary Chairman of celebrations of the day. A few students of Dr. C V Ramana used to come regularly to listen to lectures at the Math. Once these students came to see Srila Prabhupada, complained that every day a distinguished person was being appointed Honorary Chairman but not their Professor who happened to be a Nobel Laureate and world famous by then. To this, Srila Prabhupada  responded, he had no objection to inviting Dr. Ramana as Honorary Chairman for an evening and deputed Srila Madhava Maharaja  to invite him. As Dr. Ramana spoke neither Bengali nor Hindi, entire conversation was solemnized in English. 

When Srila Madhava Maharaja  conveyed purpose of his visit to the scientist, he responded tersely, ‘I don’t believe in your Keshto-Bishtu (Krisna–Visnu). I have no faith in anything that cannot be confirmed by direct sensory experience. I cannot waste my valuable time with imaginary things. I would prefer to attend any conference dealing with science or education, but not a religious one.’ Srila  then countered, ‘Your own students have been coming regularly to listen to Math’s discourses. It was their desire that you be honoured in the same way that so many other community leaders in Calcutta have been in past. I have been asked by my Gurudeva  to invite you, so please accept our invitation.’ 

Dr. Ramana then said, ‘Can you show me your God ? If you can show Him to me, I will come along.’

As one side of the laboratory in which the conversation was being held, had a wall without door and window while on the other side was entire north Calcutta, Srila Madhava Maharaja  replied, ‘I can see nothing on the other side of this wall but if I say that there is nothing there, will that be considered true?’

Dr. Ramana answered, ‘Perhaps you cannot see what is there but you could with appropriate instruments.’

Srila Madhava Maharaja  asked, ‘There is a limit to what your instruments can do. You can only see as far as they allow you. Can you say that there is nothing beyond these limits?’

Dr. Ramana replied, ‘Never mind. I will not waste my time on this. I will not give my attention to anything that is not within my sense experience. I will only spare my valuable time if you can actually show me your God. Can you do it just now ?’

Srila Madhava Maharaja  asked, ‘If your students were to say to you that they would study your scientific findings only if you can show them the truth of what you have realised through your experiments, what would you say ?’

Dr. Ramana replied, ‘I would make them realize it !’

Srila Madhava Maharaja  asked, ‘Can you make them realize even before teaching them ?’

Dr. Ramana replied, ‘No, I would first have to show them the process by which I have come to realize the truth. They will have to follow that process if they want to have the same realization. First they will have to earn their B.Sc. degree, then their M.Sc. Then they will have to study with me for another five years. Then I will be able to make them understand.’

Srila Madhava Maharaja  said, ‘If that is true for you and your scientific knowledge, then can Seers of ancient Bharata  not say exactly the same thing ? Follow their process and see whether you experience God’s existence or not. You are unable to show the scientific truths you profess to your students until they have adopted your process. Similarly, if you want to experience or understand God, you have to follow the process by which that is accomplished………………’    

Srila  was right. Without following a certain procedure, one cannot perceive the Divine Being. Unless we are consecrated, purified of all our past Karma-s and subtle drags like Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha  and Ahamkara, it is impossible to behold Him that we are ourselves just as bottom of a water body cannot be seen unless entire water is pellucid pure like a glass crystal !! Without resorting to that, it is preposterous to challenge, “Where is your God ?” as done by the scientist. However, as history goes, Srila  could not persuade CV Ramana to join the function in spite of the Nobel Laureate being rendered speechless and stunned by the logical arguments hidden in this tremendous wisdom. The scientist was too rigid in his disposition to concede that. 

CVR was the first Asian to have been awarded Nobel Prize in Physical Sciences, a man of exceptional intelligence, ethics and principles. Living a life of dignity and integrity, he contributed his entire services towards nation as he dreamt of Bharata as world leader in science and research. Owing to paucity of resources, he had to live two lives as a clerk and as a scientist. From 1907 to 1017, he worked in an organisation founded by ML Sircar, ‘Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science’ (IACS) after office hours for his favourite subject Physics. Based on his research in sound, he authored ‘On the Mechanical Theory of Vibrations of Musical Instruments of the Violin Family with Experimental Verification of the Results’. Then he switched over to optics and joined as Professor of Physics at 50% salary only. He had once requested a businessman to buy a spectrophotometer for his laboratory. When countered by as to what he would receive in return, CVR responded with Nobel Prize in Physics !! And he did it 1930. Surmounting heavy odds, he established Physics Deptt. at IISc, Bangaluru where he worked long number of years as Director. He was entirely against government control over scientific research and crossed swords with Nehru several times. His anger against Nehru was so high that he even broke his bust and smashed ‘Bharata Ratna’ awarded by him with a hammer. It was only later with the support of Maharaja of Mysore that he could raise his magnificent institute for sciences. Before his demise in 1970, he donated all his possessions to IISc for research.

Published @ http://patriotsforum.org/show-me-your-god-now-so-challenged-nobel-laureate-c-v-ramana/