About the year 1864 there came to Dakshineswar a wandering
Vaishnava
monk, Jatadhari, whose Ideal Deity was Rama. He always carried with him
a small metal image of the Deity, which he called by the endearing name
of Ramlala, the Boy Rama. Toward this little image he displayed the
tender
affection of Kausalya for her divine Son, Rama. As a result of lifelong
spiritual practice he had actually found in the metal image the
presence of
his Ideal. Ramlala was no longer for him a metal image, but the living
God.
He devoted himself to nursing Rama, feeding Rama, playing with Rama,
taking Rama for a walk, and bathing Rama. And he found that the image
responded to his love.
Sri Ramakrishna, much impressed with his devotion, requested Jatadhari
to spend a few days at Dakshineswar. Soon Ramlala became the favourite
companion of Sri Ramakrishna too. Later on he described to the devotees
how the little image would dance gracefully before him, jump on his
back,
insist on being taken in his arms, run to the fields in the sun, pluck
flowers
from the bushes, and play pranks like a naughty boy. A very sweet
relationship
sprang up between him and Ramlala, for whom he felt the love
of a mother.
One day Jatadhari requested Sri Ramakrishna to keep the image and bade
him adieu with tearful eyes. He declared that Ramlala had fulfilled his
innermost prayer and that he now had no more need of formal worship.
A few days later Sri Ramakrishna was blessed through Ramlala with a
vision
of Ramachandra, whereby he realized that the Rama of the Ramayana,
the
son of Dasaratha, pervades the whole universe as Spirit and
Consciousness;
that He is its Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer; that, in still
another aspect,
He is the transcendental Brahman, without form, attribute, or name.
While worshipping Ramlala as the Divine Child, Sri Ramakrishna's heart
became filled with motherly tenderness, and he began to regard himself
as
a woman. His speech and gestures changed. He began to move freely with
the ladies of Mathur's family, who now looked upon him as one of their
own sex. During this time he worshipped the Divine Mother as Her
companion
or handmaid.