Sun Jul 06 06:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Headline: Ram Katha Enthralls Devotees at Gorakhnath Temple: Renowned Speaker Highlights the Importance of Faith and Inner Purity**
**Gorakhpur, [Date – inferable: Sunday or the day after Saturday]:** The second day of the seven-day long Ram Katha at Gorakhnath Temple’s Digvijaynath Smriti Bhawan drew a large crowd on Saturday, immersed in an atmosphere of devotion and spirituality.
Acharya Shantanu Maharaj, a celebrated storyteller from Prayagraj, captivated the audience with his discourse on the Ramayana. He emphasized that the Ram Katha is not mere entertainment but a means of purifying the soul, dispelling inner darkness, and connecting devotees to the divine through faith and unwavering belief.
Maharaj stressed the importance of listening to the Katha with sincerity and dedication. He described Lord Shiva as the embodiment of simplicity and highlighted the presence of Lord Rama in his heart, emphasizing Rama’s qualities of ease, kindness, and compassion. He further stated that many worldly problems stem from artificiality and pretentious behavior, advocating for inner and outer consistency.
The narration included the tale of Shiva and Parvati, emphasizing Parvati’s wisdom in requesting Shiva to share the Ram Katha. Acharya Shantanu Maharaj elaborated on the concept of the divine manifesting in both abstract and concrete forms, appearing in tangible form out of love for devotees. He further enriched the narrative with stories of Ayodhya’s Mahant Ramprasad and devotee Paltudas, stirring deep emotion in the listeners.
The importance of the Guru-disciple relationship was also a central theme, with Acharya Shantanu Maharaj recounting the story of Samarth Guru Ramdas, underscoring the invulnerability of a disciple devoted to his Guru.
Addressing the need for Dharma and the reasons for divine incarnations, the speaker stated that God incarnates to protect the virtuous, destroy the wicked, and re-establish righteousness when evil prevails on Earth. He spoke about the significance of Naimisharanya and advised attendees to purify their diets and senses, noting that the divine manifests in hearts filled with love and purity.
The day’s session included narrations of Shiva-Parvati’s dialogue, the Moha (delusion) of Narada, the story of Manu and Shatarupa, and a depiction of the divine appearance of Lord Rama.
Dignitaries including Yogi Kamal Nath, head priest of the Gorakhnath Temple, and Mahant Ravindra Das of Kalibari, were present, along with numerous devotees who experienced profound spiritual upliftment from the Katha.
First Piper 