The Inspired

यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यः It is attained by him alone whom It chooses (Kathopanishad. 1.2:23) | 22 This series, that narrated in brief the stories of 21 devotees closely associated with Sri Ramakrishna, concludes with this issue.

- DR. RUCHIRA MITRA

The Spiritual Adepts

Sri Ramakrishna once said, "Whoever has thought of God sincerely even once, has to come here." And truly, many sadhakas of all hues flocked to him.

Vijaykrishna Goswami

In Sri Ramakrishna's room in Dakshineswar, a sincere sadhaka was asked to narrate his pilgrimage. He replied, "I see that everything is here where I am sitting. It's no use wandering around. At some places there are one or two annas of him (Sri Ramakrishna), four annas at other places, that's all. Only here do I find the full sixteen annas." Then with folded hands he told Sri Ramakrishna, "I have now recognised who you are! You don't need to tell me." Sri Ramakrishna entered into an ecstatic state and said, "If so, so be it."

Saying "I have understood,", the sadhaka prostrated at Sri Ramakrishna's feet, and then held them to his chest. Sri Ramakrishna sat like a statue, unaware of the outer world. Seeing this wonderful scene and the flood of divine love, some devotees began to weep; others sang hymns of praise.

When Sri Ramakrishna returned to normal consciousness, the sadhaka told him, "I saw you in Dhaka in this form, in this very body. I even touched this body. I feel that somebody is always with me."

Sri Ramakrishna told the assembled devotees, "See what a state of mind he has developed! All his characteristics have changed; he has softened. I can recognise a Paramahamsa by his neck and forehead."

This fortunate sadhaka was Vijaykrishna Goswami, a descendent of Advaita Goswami who was a companion of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was god-loving from early childhood, and later became an acharya of Brahmo Samaj. After meeting Sri Ramakrishna, he took to the path of bhakti and started longing for direct God-realisation. He later became a revered guru by his own right and started ashramas in Dhaka and Gaya.