Auspicious Shravan at Sandipani – Day 17

Let us see an example of God’s extra-ordinary kindness which is, as mentioned previously, when one has no desire to ask for anything.

In South India, saint Ramkrishna Paramhans was a great devotee of Kali Mata. Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans used to have conversations with Kali Mata. He did not perform pooja of idols, but he did seva of Maa. When queen Raasmani built a temple in South India, all Brahmins refused to perform pooja as the queen was a shudra (someone of the lowest social class). Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans was prepared to do pooja when he heard about this. He said that my Maa is not a shudra and the temple is of my mother, regardless of who built it. Shri Ramkrishna became a priest in this temple but was no ordinary priest. It is said that when Shri Ramkrishna went to do pooja, he would close the temple doors. He would summon Maa and the idol would begin to breathe. First Ramkrishna would see whether Maa has arrived or not. He would not worship the idol, he would worship Maa herself and he would then have conversations with Maa.

In the end Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans caught cancer. When the lord wants to liberate someone he tells them to clear their debts and all their accounts of life and destiny; he does not want the individual to fall into the repetitive cycle of life and death.

This is why such incidents occur in the lives of great people and saints. His followers said to Ramkrishna Paramhans, “Thakur, why don’t you talk to Maa? Maa loves you. Tell Maa to cure you and we are sure she will.”

When everyone kept insisting, Ramkrishna thought that let me talk to Maa. The doors of the temple are closed. This extra-ordinary priest worshipped Maa and prayed with faith. Maa Kaali laughed and said, “Ramkrishna, you want to ask me for something today, don’t you?”

Shri Ramkrishna replied with tears in his eyes, “you know everything, how can I hide anything from you? Before I say anything you know that I have come to ask for something.”

Kali Maa said “Yes, even I want you to ask. I am pleased with your devotion, what would you like?”

Shri Ramkrishna Paramhans joined his hands and said that people have insisted I ask for something, so I want to ask that I do not ask for anything from anyone at any time.

What will one ask from God when one has no desires left? In Shrimad Bhagavat Prahlad has also asked for the same boon. Until human beings do not sacrifice the desires within them, they do not attain peace. Desires make humans wander in the cycle of life and death. This is why Prahlad asks that dear God, take mercy on me and grant me that you will uproot any seeds of desire that you see in my mind.