Holy Trinity

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says that whenever good declines and bad increases, God takes a human form to restore righteousness (Dharma) and eliminate wrongdoing (Adharma). He has appeared in different ages as Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, Shankara, and Chaitanya. In our time, he came as Sri Ramakrishna, often accompanied by his divine energy or Shakti. For example, Sita came with Rama, Radha with Krishna, Yasodhara with Buddha, and Vishnupriya with Chaitanya. Similarly, Sarada Devi came with Sri Ramakrishna.

Sri Ramakrishna was born on February 18, 1836, in a small village called Kamarpukur in West Bengal. His father, Khudiram Chattopadhyaya, once had a dream in a temple at Gaya where Lord Vishnu told him that he would be born as Khudiram’s son because he admired his devotion. Khudiram was worried about raising such a divine child due to their poverty, but the Lord promised he would be pleased no matter how Khudiram could serve Him.

When Khudiram returned to Kamarpukur, he shared his dream. His wife, Chandramani, had a vision too. She was at the Shiva temple with Dhani. Suddenly, a bright light filled the temple. The light entered her womb, and she felt pregnant. Chandramani told Khudiram about her vision. He said they should keep it secret. They didn’t want others to doubt them. Eventually, Sri Ramakrishna was born. His parents named him Gadadhar. 

In Kamarpukur, Sri Ramakrishna showed his spiritual greatness. One day, he walked by the paddy fields. Suddenly, dark thunderclouds filled the sky. White cranes flew against the dark background. He was amazed by the beauty of God. This sight made him lose himself in ecstasy. On Shivaratri night at Pynes’ house, something special happened. The actor for Lord Shiva could not come. Gadadhar was asked to play the role. When he stepped on stage, he focused on Lord Shiva. He became so absorbed that he fell into a trance. The performance had to stop. When he was about 16, his brother took him to Calcutta. 

At Dakshineswar Kali temple near Calcutta, a profound transformation began. Sri Ramakrishna was the priest there. He saw the Goddess as a living spirit, not just a statue. He wanted to know the truth behind the image. This thought filled his mind every day. He prayed and cried to her, asking, “Mother, do you exist?” He felt sad that she didn’t show herself. He wondered why he worshipped a stone image. One day, he wanted to see Mother Kali so badly. He thought about ending his life with her sword. Just then, the Mother revealed herself to him. After this, he practiced more and his devotion deepened.

Sri Ramakrishna was guided on the Tantric path by Bhairavi Brahmani. She cared for him like her own son. With another teacher, Monk Jatadhari, he learned about Rama worship. He even felt Rama’s presence with him. Sri Ramakrishna connected with God in many ways: as a father, mother, friend, and beloved.

A monk named Totapuri initiated him into Hindu monasticism. He taught Sri Ramakrishna about the Vedantic Truth of Brahman. In just three days, Sri Ramakrishna realized his oneness with Brahman, the ultimate reality. This was a great achievement, especially since Totapuri struggled for 40 years.

Under a Sufi guide, Sri Ramakrishna explored the Islamic path. In three days, he had a vision of Prophet Mohammad. One day at Jadu Mallick’s house, he saw a picture of Jesus with Mother Mary. This sight filled him with deep ecstasy. Another day at Panchavati, he had a vision of Jesus, who entered his being.

Through these experiences, Sri Ramakrishna proved the ancient saying: “Truth is one; sages call it by various names.”

During his intense meditation at Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna struggled with his health. He hardly slept and acted strangely, almost like a madman. He would sit for hours in front of the Mother’s image, unaware of the world around him. He laughed, cried, and talked to the image as if it were alive. When offering food, he would ask, “What Mother, what do you want me to eat first?” He touched the flowers to his head, chest, and feet before giving them to Mother Kali.

People thought he was mad, and this news reached his worried mother in the village. She became very upset and had him brought home. Although his health improved a little, his mind remained in another realm. He showed little interest in worldly matters. To help him, his mother and brother decided to get him married. But no one wanted to give their daughter to someone who seemed mad.

Seeing their sadness, Sri Ramakrishna told them, “Why search everywhere? Go to Jayrambati. There you will find my bride.” He claimed she was waiting for him at the home of Rama Chandra Mukherjee. His words turned out to be true. Rama Chandra had a daughter named Sarada. She was only five years old, while Sri Ramakrishna was twenty-three. Their marriage took place at Jayrambati.

After their marriage, Sri Ramakrishna returned to Dakshineswar and focused on his spiritual practices. He forgot all about his young wife, Sarada. As time passed and Sarada grew up, rumors spread in the village about Sri Ramakrishna. Her friends said, “O Sarada, your father chose a madman for you!” No devoted wife would like to hear such things about her husband.

Feeling concerned, Sarada wanted to visit Dakshineswar to see for herself. However, she was too shy to talk to her father about it. When her father learned of her wish through a friend, he told her that he would soon go to Calcutta for a holy dip in the Ganges. He invited her to come along if she wanted.

Sarada was thrilled for two reasons: she could take a dip in the Ganges, which she greatly revered, and she would finally meet her husband after many years apart.

When Sarada finally entered Sri Ramakrishna’s room, he welcomed her warmly. His kind words immediately removed her doubts about his mental state. She thought, “Ah, my husband is not a madman.”

Sri Ramakrishna then told her, “The Mother has shown me that She resides in every woman. So, I see every woman as a Mother. That’s how I view you. If you want me to be part of the world because we are married, I am here for you. Just tell me what you want.”

Sarada was a pure and noble soul. She understood her husband’s feelings and supported his spiritual path. Without hesitation, she replied, “No, I won’t drag you into the world. I have come to help you in your chosen path.”

One day, as the Mother stroked Sri Ramakrishna’s feet, she asked him, “How do you see me?” He replied, “The Mother worshipped in the temple and the Mother who gave birth to this body are the same. You are the embodiment of the blissful Mother of the Universe.”

Romain Rolland noted that Sri Sarada Devi’s selflessness allowed Sri Ramakrishna to follow his spiritual path. She generously gave up her rights as a wife and supported him in his mission. Sri Ramakrishna once told his disciples, “If Sarada hadn’t been completely pure, I might have lost my self-control too.”

Living together for eight months, Sri Ramakrishna was convinced of Sarada’s purity. He saw that her mind was free from worldly thoughts. On a special day, he worshipped her as if she were the Divine Mother. He offered all the fruits of his spiritual practices at her feet, recognizing her as a goddess.

From that day on, she was known as Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother, not just to his followers but to all. The Holy Mother later said, “The Master saw the Divine Mother in everyone. He left me to teach the motherhood of God to humanity.”

Sri Ramakrishna believed she was the Goddess Saraswati incarnate, meant to spread spiritual knowledge. He said, “She is my Shakti (Power).” Very few understand how much Sarada Devi contributed to the growth of the Ramakrishna Order.

When a lotus blooms, its fragrance attracts bees. Similarly, after completing his spiritual practices, devotees began coming to Sri Ramakrishna from far and wide. He taught many things, including the harmony of different religions.

His most important disciple was Narendranath Dutta, later known as Swami Vivekananda. He was born in 1863 in Calcutta. When he first visited Sri Ramakrishna as a college student, he asked, “Sir, have you seen God?” Sri Ramakrishna replied, “Yes, I have seen God more clearly than I see you. Many people cry for their families, but few cry for God’s love. If you want, you can also see Him.”

Sri Ramakrishna wanted his disciples to see God in everyone and serve them as a form of worship. One day, when Narendranath asked to stay in deep meditation (samadhi) for days, Sri Ramakrishna scolded him. “Shame on you! You’re asking for something so small. There is a higher state than that. Don’t you sing, ‘Oh Lord! Thou art all that exists? I expected you to be like a banyan tree, where thousands would find shade. But now I see you are just seeking your liberation.”

Sri Ramakrishna wanted Narendranath to see Brahman with his eyes open. He said, “Does God only exist when your eyes are closed? All that exists is the Lord. Try to see Brahman with your eyes open. Every living being (jiva) is God.”

From Sri Ramakrishna, the world learned new ideas about the connection between jiva and the Eternal Divinity. In Swami Vivekananda’s writings and speeches, he called for people to see everyone as their God and to serve them as the highest form of religion.

Swamiji wanted Advaita Vedanta, a philosophy that focused on unity, to be part of everyday life. He found inspiration in Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings: “Every jiva is Shiva, and serving jiva is worshiping Shiva.”

Before Sri Ramakrishna passed away at the Cossipore garden house near Calcutta, he called Narendranath to his room. He said, “Naren, today I have given you everything I have. I have become a fakir (beggar). With this, you will do great good in the world.”

In August 1886, a few days before he died, something significant happened. Narendranath was sitting near Sri Ramakrishna, thinking that if the Master could declare he was God, he would truly believe him. Just then, Sri Ramakrishna said to him, “Well, don’t you believe even now? He who was Rama and He who was Krishna is now Sri Ramakrishna in this body.”

Swami Vivekananda later spoke about his great Master’s message to the modern world. He said, “Don’t worry about doctrines, dogmas, or sects. They matter little compared to the spirituality in each person. The more spirituality a person has, the more good they can do.

Focus on gaining spiritual understanding and don’t criticize others. All religions have some good in them. Show through your actions that religion is about spiritual realization, not just words or names. Only those who have felt true spirituality can teach it to others.

The more such spiritual people a country has, the better it will be. A country without them is doomed. Therefore, my Master’s message is to be spiritual and realize the truth for yourself.

His mission was to show the unity in all religions. Other teachers have promoted specific religions named after them, but my Master made no claims for himself. He respected all religions because he realized they are all part of one eternal truth.”