Significance of Radhika
Table of Contents
Radhika is full of unmixed sattva, the embodiment of prema. Yogamaya contains all the three Gunās -sattva, rajas, and tamas; but Radhika has nothing but pure sattva.
(To M.) “Narendra now respects Radhika very much. He says that if anyone wants to know how to love Satchidananda, he can learn it from her.
“Satchidananda wanted to taste divine bliss for Itself. That is why It created Radhika.
She was created from the person of Satchidananda Krishna. Satchidananda Krishna is the ‘container’, and He Himself, in the form of Radhika, is the ‘contained’. He manifested Himself in that way in order to taste His own bliss, that is to say, in order to experience divine bliss by loving Satchidananda.
“Therefore it is written in the Vaishnava books that after her birth Radhika did not open her eyes. The idea is that she did not wish to see any human being. Yaśoda came with Krishna in her arms to see Radhika. Only then did she open her eyes, to behold Krishna. In a playful mood Krishna touched her eyes.
(To the Assamese boy) Haven’t you seen this? Small children touch others’ eyes with their hands."
The pundit was about to take leave of Sri Ramakrishna.
PUNDIT: “I must go home.”
(tenderly): “Have you earned anything?
PUNDIT: “The market is very dull. I’ve earned nothing.”
A few minutes later he saluted the Master and departed.
MASTER (to M.): “You see how great the difference is between worldly people and the youngsters? This pundit has been worrying about money day and night. He has come to Calcutta to earn money; otherwise his people at home will have nothing to eat. So he has to knock at different doors. When will he concentrate his mind on God? But the youngsters are untouched by ‘woman and gold’; hence they can direct their mind to God whenever they desire.
“The youngsters do not enjoy worldly people’s company. Rakhal used to say, ‘I feel nervous at the sight of the worldly-minded.’ When I was first beginning to have spiritual experiences, I used to shut the doors of my room when I saw worldly people coming.
Master’s boyhood reminiscences
“As a boy, at Kamarpukur, I loved Ram Mallick dearly. But afterwards, when he came here, I couldn’t even touch him. Ram Mallick and I were great friends during our boyhood. We were together day and night; we slept together. At that time I was sixteen or seventeen years old.
People used to say, ‘If one of them were a woman they would marry each other.’ Both of us used to play at his house. I remember those days very well. His relatives used to come riding in palanquins. Now he has a shop at Chanak. I sent for him many a time; he came here the other day and spent two days. Ram said he had no children; he brought up his nephew, but the boy died. He told me this with a sigh; his eyes were filled with tears; he was grief-stricken for his nephew.
He said further that since they had no children of their own, allhis wife’s affection had been turned to the nephew. She was completely overwhelmed with grief. Ram said to her: ‘You are crazy. What will you gain by grieving? Do you want to go to Banāras?’ You see, he called his wife crazy. Grief for the boy totally ‘diluted’ him. I found he had no stuff in him. I couldn’t touch him.”
The brahmin lady still stood near the north door. She was a widow. Her only daughter had been married to a very aristocratic man, a landlord in Calcutta with the title of Raja. Whenever the daughter visited her she was escorted by liveried footmen. Then the mother’s heart swelled with pride. Just a few days ago the daughter had died, and now she was beside herself with sorrow.
The brahmin lady listened to the account of Ram Mallick s grief for his nephew. For the last few days she had been running to the Master from her home at Baghbazar like an insane person. She was eager to know whether Sri Ramakrishna could suggest any remedy for her unquenchable grief. Sri Ramakrishna resumed the conversation.
A man came here the other day. He sat a few minutes and then said, ‘Let me go and see the “moon-face” of my child.’ I couldn’t control myself and said: ‘So you prefer your son’s “moon-face” to God’s “moon-face”! Get out, you fool!’
Magician and his magic
(To M.) “The truth is that God alone is real and all else unreal. Men, universe, house, and children-all these are like the magic of the magician. The magician strikes his wand and says: ‘come delusion! Come confusion!’ Then he says to the audience, ‘Open the lid of the pot; see the birds fly into the sky.’ But the magician alone is real and his magic unreal. The unreal exists for a second and then vanishes.
“Śiva was seated in Kailas. His companion Nandi was near Him. Suddenly a terrific noise arose. ‘Revered Sir,’ asked Nandi, ‘what does that mean?’ Śiva said: ‘Ravana is born. That is its meaning.’ A few moments later another terrific noise was heard. ‘Now what is this noise?’ Nandi asked. Śiva said with a smile, ‘Now Ravana is dead. Birth and death are like magic: you see the magic for a second and then it disappears. God alone is real and all else unreal. Water alone is real; its bubbles appear and disappear. They disappear into the very water from which they rise.
“God is like an ocean, and living beings are its bubbles. They are born there and they die there. Children are like the few small bubbles around a big one. “God alone is real. Make an effort to cultivate love for Him and find out the means to realize Him. What will you gain by grieving?”
All sat in silence. The brahmin lady said, “May I go home now? The Master said to her tenderly: “Do you want to go now? It is very hot. Why now? You can go later in a carriage with the devotees.”
Because the day was so hot, a devotee gave the Master a new fan made of sandalwood. He was very much pleased and said: “Good! Good! Om Tat Sat! Kāli!” First he fanned the pictures of the gods and goddesses, and then he fanned himself. He said to M.: “See!
Feel the breeze!” M. Was highly pleased.
Captain arrived with his children.
Sri Ramakrishna said to Kishori, “Please show the temples to the children.” He began to talk to Captain. M., Dwija, and the other devotees were sitting on the floor. Sri
Ramakrishna was sitting on the small couch, facing the north. He asked Captain to sit in front of him on the same couch.
MASTER: “I was telling the devotees about you-your devotion, worship, and Ārati .”
CAPTAIN (bashfully): “What do I know of worship and Ārati ? How insignificant I am!”