Caste prejudices unfortunately dominated India in Sri Ramakrishna’s time. But as the enclosed incidents depict, Sri Ramakrishna’s Grace was always flowing towards those who were pure and sincere in heart. The cruel-hearted Hindu society of those days may have shunned certain people as being lowly and not worthy of even the right to enter a temple, but the Avatar Sri Ramakrishna whole-heartedly accepted them.
No person is too lowly for God’s grace, as the familiar story of Rasik, the sweeper of the Dakshineswar Temple courtyard and steps, illustrates. Rasik was simple and guileless; his pure heart longed only for God.
He craved to approach Shri Ramakrishna, whom he called “Father” but suffered under the restrictions of his caste and lowly status. He could only watch with longing as others came close to the Master and were redeemed. He wept much for Shri Ramakrishna’s grace.
One day, he prostrated himself before Shri Ramakrishna as he was returning from the Panchavati absorbed in a spiritual mood. “What will happen to me?” Rasik cried. Ramakrishna’s heart was very much touched by Rasik’s wretched condition. Gazing at Rasik with full compassion, he gave him his greatest blessing: “You will see me at the time of death.”
Two years after the Master’s demise, Rasik became feverish and gravely ill. He rejected all medicines. He only accepted the sanctified water (Charanamrita) which sustained him and gave him some energy. The fever ended. He spent his waking hours chanting God’s name and praying earnestly for His grace. Lying on a mat in his tulsi grove, his rosary in hand, the blessed Rasik died with full consciousness visualizing the presence of the Master. Shri Ramakrishna’s great assurance to Rasik was literally fulfilled.
Rasik’s story has been well documented. A similar event occurred in the life of Bhartabhari, the illiterate temple gardener who was loved by Ramakrishna for his simple, good life. One night, Bhartabhari saw a bright radiance flowing from Ramakrishna’s body while the Master was meditating under the bel tree. It was brighter than lightning, brighter than the sun.
He was so astounded that he left the spot in fear but the next morning he fell tearfully at the Master’s feet and said, “Master, please bless me.” Ramakrishna gently raised him up and said, “Meditate on the form that you saw last night. Clean this path that leads to the Panchavati. Many devotees will come here in the future.” With these words, Ramakrishna assured his devotee that obedience to his instruction was all that was needed for his mukti.
The above post on “Sri Ramakrishna’s Compassion for the Lowly & Humble Sweeper Rasik”, has been excerpted from the article Shri Ramakrishna and the Common Person by Swami Tathagatananda of the Vedanta Society, New York. © Vedanta Society of New York; reprinted by permission.
