The Brahmo monotheistic movement took its stand on the Upanishads. “The Upanishads continued to be the theoretical basis of the Brahmo doctrine. But spirit and liturgy as well as devotions were soon taken over from Christianity, and Brahmoism in its spirit though not in its form became an adaptation to Hindusim or Christianity. This was due primarily to Keshub Chunder Sen, the next leader of the Brahmo movement and a friend of Muller.

It was indeed through Keshab’s lectures and writings that the world at large came to know about Ramakrishna first. By dint of his friendship with Keshab, Prof. F. Max Muller grew interested about Ramakrishna. When he read various cock and bull stories written in newspapers of India, England and America about saints and sannyasins of India for years he gave a rejoinder to them, presenting Ramakrisna as an example of true sadhu in his writing. For that purpose he first wrote an article, titled “A Real Mahatman”. No sooner was it published in “Nineteenth Century” in England in 1896, there was a controversy.

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He wrote it ten years after Ramakrishna’s demise and twelve years after Keshab’s. Muller began explaining the meanings of the words mahatma, paramhamsa, sannyasin and abadhut, and proceeded with an in-depth analysis of Hindu tradition, philosophy and scriptures as well as that of the western philosophy to say: “The late Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was far more interesting specimen of a Sannyasin. He seems to have been, not only a high souled man, a real Mahatman, but a man of original thought. … Whether he was a man of extensive reading is difficult to say, but he was certainly thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the Vedanta philosophy. …

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In the extracts from Ramakrishna’s teachings, some of which have been published by his pupils in their journal, the Brahmavadin, these ancient metaphors have for the first time been blended with European thought; from which we learn of his personal influence, this blending had a most powerful effect on large audiences that came to listen to him. He has left a number of pupils behind who after his recent death are carrying on the work which he began, and who are trying to secure not only in India, but in Europe also, a sympathetic interest in the........

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