The story of the boy dancing with Sri Krishna on a Lotus

THE STORY OF THE BOY DANCING WITH SRI KRISHNA ON A LOTUS

( The above image depicts the vision of Sri Ramakrishna. This image is found in the village called “Sikra-Kulingram”, the birthplace of Swami Brahmananda.)

Sri Ramakrishna was married to Sarada Devi but they never had marital relations. The Divine Mother told Sri Ramakrishna in a vision that he was to have a spiritual son, an eternal companion, who was Rakhal.

“Just a few days before Rakhal’s ( Rakhal Ghosh, later Swami Brahmananda) coming I saw Mother putting a child into my lap and saying, ‘This is your son: I shuddered at the thought and asked her in surprise, ‘What do you mean? I too have a son?’ Then She explained with a smile that it would be a spiritual child, and I was comforted. Shortly after this vision Rakhal came, and I at once recognized him as the boy presented by the Divine Mother.”

Prior to Rakhal’s arrival, Sri Ramakrishna had a second confirming experience.

“A few moments before Rakhal actually arrived [Sri Ramakrishna had a] vision. Suddenly he saw a hundred-petaled lotus blooming on the bosom of the Ganges, each of its petals shining with exquisite loveliness. On the lotus two boys were dancing with anklets on their feet. One of them was Sri Krishna himself; the other was the same boy he had seen in his earlier vision. Their dance was indescribably beautiful; every movement they made seemed to splash foam, as it were, from an ocean of sweetness. Sri Ramakrishna was lost in ecstacy.

“Just then a boat arrived carrying Manomohan and Rakhal. Sri Ramakrishna looked at Rakhal in bewilderment. ‘What is this?’ he thought to himself; ‘Here is the boy I saw standing under the banyan tree; here is the boy Mother placed on my lap; here is the boy I saw just now dancing on the lotus with Sri. Krishna. This is the pure-hearted companion I prayed for to Mother.’” (23)

As with Naren, so with Rakhal: Sri Ramakrishna explained that if he was to remember his former identity as Krishna’s boyhood companion, he too would leave his body.

“Since Mother revealed to me that Rakhal is the playmate of Sri Krishna and one of the shepherd boys of Brindavan [sic], I was afraid lest he should be reminded of his past incarnation. If he remembered his association with Sri Krishna while at Brindaban, he might give up his body there.” (24)

Swami Brahmananda’s disciple, Swami Prabhananda, explained how all of the latter’s disciples knew not to divulge the secret.

“I have already described how Sri Ramakrishna saw Rakhal dancing with Sri Krishna on a mystic lotus shortly before the boy’s first visit to Dakshineswar. Only a few intimate disciples knew of this vision, and Sri Ramakrishna had warned them never to reveal it to Maharaj, explaining that if he realized his true nature as the Eternal Companion of Krishna, he would leave his mortal body. The secret had been very carefully guarded.” (25)

Under the master’s watchful eye, Rakhal was initiated into spiritual life with a vision of his Chosen Ideal, Sri Krishna:

“‘Look,’ said the Master [Ramakrishna], ‘there is your Chosen Ideal!’ Rakhal in ecstatic vision saw his chosen aspect of the Godhead standing before him — living and luminous, with a smile playing on his lips. When Rakhal regained his external consciousness and saw Sri Ramakrishna, he prostrated at his feet with loving devotion. He had known and experienced the divine power and grace of his guru.” (26)

As Swami Brahmananda, Rakhal was graced with high visions of God:

Finally at Omkarnath Templel, Swami Brahmananda attained the coveted experience of nirvikalpa samadhi. (He later attained higher states.)

“Here, amidst charming natural surroundings, [Swami Brahmananda] lived continuously in nirvikalpa samadhi for six days and six nights, completely unconscious of the outside world. When at last he came back to normal consciousness, his face shone with a heavenly joy. He had experienced God in the impersonal, absolute aspect, and had realized the identity of Atman with Brahman.” (28)

In March 1922, Maharaj went to Calcutta to stay for a while at the home of Balaram. Balaram had already passed away, but his whole family were sincere devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, and his beautiful house was always at the disposal of the swamis of the Order. It is now regarded as a place of pilgrimage, sanctified as it was by the presence of so many holy men.

. One day Maharaj asked Ramlal Dada to sing for him the songs he used to sing to Sri Ramakrishna. It was arranged that many disciples and devotees should be present to hear the singing.

Ramlal Dada began to sing songs about Krishna and the shepherds and shepherdesses of Brindavan. At first, everyone was merry as Ramlal mimicked the gestures of the shepherdesses, making his audience laugh. Suddenly, Maharaj, who had also been enjoying the fun, became serious. Ramlal Dada was singing: ‘Come back, O Krishna, come back to Brindavan. Come and reign in the hearts of your beloved shepherds and shepherdesses. Do not forget that you are shepherdesses. Do not forget that you are a shepherd yourself.’ “Ramlal Dada was singing: ‘Come back, O Krishna, come back to Brindaban….’ At that moment Maharaj seemed transported to a realm beyond this earth. The joking and laughter stopped. The atmosphere became calm and serene. It may be at this moment Maharaj got a partial glimpse of his true nature and knew himself to God’s Eternal Companion. The events that followed seem to point to some such revelation.” (29)

A few days later, at midnight, Nirvanananda, a disciple and personal attendant of Maharaj, saw him sitting on his bed in a very grave mood. The disciple stood silently before him, waiting for him to speak. Maharaj looked at him, and said: ‘I woke suddenly and saw Sri Ramakrishna standing just there.’ He pointed to a spot in front of a couch, adding: ‘He didn’t speak to me. He stood there silently for a while and then disappeared. I don’t understand it.’ After a few moments Maharaj continued in a low, earnest voice: ‘I can’t give my mind to the things of this world any longer. The mind wants to take complete refuge in Him and Him alone.’

A devotee asked: ‘Maharaj, are you suffering very much?’

‘Please try to realize,’ Maharaj answered, ‘that in my condition I have to bear all physical suffering, patiently and without complaint.’

But as he said this, his face lighted up with a divine radiance. The pain seemed to have melted away. He lost external consciousness and became absorbed in meditation.

About nine o’clock that same evening, he placed his hand on Nirvanananda and said: ‘Do not grieve. You have served me well. You shall be merged in God and attain the knowledge of Brahman. I give you my blessing that you may attain this.’

Then he called all the disciples and devotees who were present to his side. For each he had a blessing and an affectionate word.

‘Ah, my children,’ he said tenderly, ‘never forget God and you will realize the highest good. Do not grieve. I shall be with you always.’

Once more he became absorbed in his transcendental vision. After some time had passed, he continued in a sweet, tender voice: ‘I am floating; I am floating on the leaf of faith and knowledge in the ocean of Brahman.’ Then suddenly he exclaimed; ‘Ah! The feet of Sri Ramakrishna – I know them! Viveka, my brother Vivekananda! Premananda…Yogananda…’

Thus, with his divine sight, he recognized the brother-disciples who had already passed away. He was living in that transcendental realm where he had lived throughout his life; but now he no longer concealed the fact. He began to describe his visions.

‘Ah,’ he murmured softly, ‘the blissful ocean of Brahman! Om!

Salutations to the Supreme Brahman! Om! Salutations to the Supreme Atman!’

While speaking of his divine experiences, his throat became dry. A disciple offered him a drink, saying: ‘Maharaj, please drink this water. It has lemon in it.’

‘The mind doesn’t want to come down from Brahman, Pour Brahman into Brahman,’ said Maharaj slowly and like a child he opened his mouth for the water to be poured into it.

Then he turned to Swami Saradananda and said: ‘Brother, Sri Ramakrishna is real His divine incarnation is real.’

After this Maharaj was silent for a while. He was deeply absorbed in meditation, and his face wore an expression of great sweetness. The minds of those who were present were so uplifted that they felt no grief, only joy and silent calm. All sense of the world and of death was lost.

Suddenly, out of the silence, the voice of Maharaj was heard: ‘Ah, that inexpressible light! Ramakrishna, the Krishna of my Ramakrishna…I am the shepherd boy. Put anklets on my feet, I want to dance with my Krishna. I want to hold his hand – the little boy Krishna…Ah, Krishna, my Krishna, you have come! Krishna….Krishna… Can’t you see him? Haven’t you eyes to see? Oh, how beautiful! My Krishna… on the lotus…eternal…the Sweet One! My play is over now. Look! The child Krishna is caressing me. He is calling me to come away with Him! I am coming….’ The tenderness and heavenly compassion that filled his heart were expressed in every word he uttered.

The whole atmosphere of the large hall where he was lying seemed to vibrate with this emotion. No one can describe the extraordinary sense of holiness which was created by his presence. Everyone knew that the fateful hour was approaching, and that Maharaj was taking his final leave.

During the early hours of the morning, he remained silent for some time and fell into a slumber. At seven o’clock he awoke, and was again possessed by this high spiritual mood. He called the few disciples who had just arrived and who had not been present the previous night. To each he gave his blessing, bestowing comfort and fearlessness.

But so great was the power of his mind, so completely was it freed from the meshes of physical matter, that it remained completely unaffected by the condition of his suffering body. He maintained perfect consciousness right up to the last moment of his life.

As that last evening faded into night, his chest suddenly heaved. It was as if a great wave of breath passed up the body to the throat. His half-closed eyes opened, and he gazed into the distance, his eyes shining with brilliance and unspeakable beauty.

Thus it was that, on April 10, 1922, the life left his body.

‘Do, not grieve. I shall be with you always.’ Those were his last words to his disciples. After his passing away, we all had the feeling that Maharaj was intensely present within us. He was closer to us than ever before. For as long as Maharaj was in the physical body there was a barrier which was now no more.

More than forty years have passed since that day, and every disciple can bear witness to the fact that Maharaj still lives, protects and guides him onward toward the goal.

When I was about to leave India and take up my duties in the United States, Swami Shivananda said to me: ‘Never forget that you have seen the Son of God. You have seen God.’