Keshab Chandra Sen

Date of Birth : 1838
Date of Death : 1884
Place of Birth : Bengal



Keshab Chandra Sen was a Bengali scholar, orator and religious leader. He was trying to envision and establish a syncretic/synthetic religion with amalgamation of the best principles in Christianity and Hinduism. However, his Brahmo Samaj was against idol or image worship. Their faith was in 'saguna nirakara' aspect of God - God without form but with benevolent attributes - if one may say so. Quite a few bright and young college students came under the influence of this seemingly new, progressive, and liberal reformist religious movement.
He was the third chief of Brahmo Samaj and his Service Book for Samaj meetings, the Slokasangraha, was a collection of texts from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Chinese scriptures. It was a movement brought to birth by the conflict of East with West in the realm of intellect, and still is an attempt of educated Hindus to find relief from the impossibilities of the faith of their childhood. Pandit Shiva Nath Sastri gives an insider's view of History of the Brahma Samaj. Incidentally, despite the differences in ideals, he and Sri Ramakrishna became friends. Keshab and, following him, other Brahmos publicized Ramakrishna before the larger public of Bengal through their speeches and writings. The discovery of Ramakrishna was one of the greatest gifts of the Brahmos to the Bengali intelligentsia of the nineteenth century.