Ramakrishna
/ˌrɑːməˈkrɪʃnə/noun
Ramakrishna was the religious name of the 19th-century Bengali Hindu mystic and spiritual teacher Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
Did you know?Ramakrishna reportedly practiced devotional paths associated with several Hindu traditions as well as Islam and Christianity, claiming direct mystical experiences of each.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*rem- / *kers-
“Proposed ancient roots associated respectively with delight or vigor and darkness or blackness; the exact derivation of Rama is debated.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Rāma
“A male name meaning “pleasing,” “charming,” or “beautiful”; also the name of the hero-deity of the Ramayana.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Kṛṣṇa
““Dark,” “black,” or “dark-colored”; also the name of the major Hindu deity Krishna.”
19th Century
Bengali Sanskritic usage
Rāmakṛṣṇa
“A devotional compound joining the names of Rama and Krishna.”
1836–1886
Bengali
Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṃsa
“The religious name and honorific of Gadadhar Chattopadhyay, the Bengali mystic later known internationally as Ramakrishna.”
Modern English
English
Ramakrishna
“A proper noun referring chiefly to the Hindu saint and to institutions or movements inspired by his teachings.”