The legend of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa -

Pranams at the lotus feet of Thakurji!

Chapter – 5

Years pass by Gadhadhar grown up  as a school-going child he was sent to Padashala, he has less interest in studies, he has shown greater interest in various games, he is fond of painting dolls, or  play in the bathing Ghat, or taking part in Drama.  Children of his age were afraid to walk alone in the darkness and places he walked fearlessly.  The villagers were mesmerized at the skill of the child.  He was seven years old,  he went for a Durga Puja at the request of his cousin, where he was afflicted with diarrhea,  he kept reciting the name of Lord ‘Raghubir’ and went to Surdham.  After the Upanayan ceremony Gadhadhar had changed completely, he used to dream of his father or saints or holy men.  One day his neighbor Seetharam organized a drama on Lord Shiva, the child who was proposed to play the role of Lord Shiva became unwell, so Gadhadhar was appointed to play the role of Lord Shiva, and he has nothing much do in the drama, he has to keep meditating.  Gadhadhar assumed the role of Shiva and remained in meditation, eventually he attained the transcendental state.  Usually, they were used to conduct recitation of Devi Mahima at home, during those times he used to practice meditation and enter into a transcendental state.  The audiences were shocked to see the state of the child, waters poured on the head of the Gadhadhar, group recitation of Lord Rama were conducted, and finally, he got out from the trance.  After a few years of this incident Ramkumar’s wife gave birth to a child, she immediately passed away after the childbirth as predicted by Ramkumar.  She was considered as Goddess Lakshmi, when she was alive there were no difficulties at home after her death family had to go through extreme financial difficulties.  In the meantime, Khudhiram passed away, after the death of the father, all the responsibilities fallen on Ramkumar.  He was thirty-one year’s elder to Gadhadhar, finally he arrived in Kolkata in search of a job.  In Shyamapukur he opened a Vedapadasala and started teaching children, he finds Gadhadhar who is back in the village is not at all interested in studies; instead, he was giving trouble to the family. He will not listen to Mother, Ramkumar thought if  Gadhadhar goes on like this he would become dull one day.   So he took Gadhadhar with him to Kolkata, and started teaching him in his Vedapadasala.