Sri Ramakrishna and Lord Gauranga

The Vaishnavas were in the habit of holding bhajans [devotional singing], and since they regarded Sri Ramakrishna as a paramahamsa [illumined soul], they once asked him to attend one of their meetings. In the hall where they met there was a high seat which was regarded as Lord Gauranga's seat. It was the custom to begin their singing by invoking Lord Gauranga to come down and occupy his place. Otherwise it would not be possible for them to praise the Lord properly. It was actually believed that he did come down and sit on the seat.

On that day when the Master was present, as soon as they began their invocation, he immediately got up and went and sat down on the sacred seat. Some people thought it was all right, for he was known to be a very holy man, but others were indignant. Seeing, however, that he was in samadhi and also perhaps being afraid of Hriday, who was with him and who, being a very stalwart man, always acted as the Master's bodyguard, they did not dare disturb him. The meeting therfore continued, and Sri Ramakrishna remained in his place.

Among those who objected to the Master's sitting in Lord Gauranga's seat was a famous monk, Bhagavan Das. He expressed his disapproval very boldly. Some time after, hearing of the many things Bhagavan Das had said against him, Sri Ramakrishna expressed a wish to go to him. Mathur Babu procured a boat and they set out, but all the time Mathur Babu kept on saying: "Why Baba [Father], do you want to go to that man? He must be a very wicked person to talk as he has. Why should we go there?" But Sri Ramakrishna answered, "Let us go." When they reached the place instead of getting down himself from the boat, he sent Hriday to see whether the sadhu cared to receive him. When Bhagavan Das heard that he had come, he ran to the boat and prostrated before him, crying "Oh, forgive me, forgive me. I did not know who you were." Sri Ramakrishna at once comforted him and restored peace to his mind.

Bhagavan Das was a really great monk, and he had the power now and then of entering into samadhi. It seems that while he was in that state, it was revealed to him who Sri Ramakrishna was, and when he realised what a great mistake he had made, he was inconsolable. After that he went around telling everyone that Sri Ramakrishna had a right to take Lord Gauranga's seat, for he was a Divine Manifestation.

 [-Swami Ramakrishnananda]

-Ramakrishna As We Saw Him