Ramakrishna had a beautiful voice and he could sing the devotional songs efficiently. He also used to play parts from different spiritual plays and recount tales from ancient scriptures. Being blessed with the natural readiness to learn, Ramkrishna mastered the Hindu scriptures and Purans. From the wandering monks and the Kathaks(people who used to sing the verses from ancient scriptures to educate the mass). Ramkrishna at the age of six or seven was acquainted with his embedded spiritual consciousness. An incident from his childhood is exemplary to give account to his spiritual consciousness. One day when he was walking along a flock of white cranes caught his sight and he was overwhelmed by the sight of the Nature and lost in the state of rapture. Ramkrishna , at the time of worshipping the Goddess Vishalakshi and at the time of characterizing as Lord Shiva in a drama during Shiva Ratri, undergone incidents of identical nature. Ramkrishna at the time of his ceremony of sacred thread, shocked the then community by accepting alms from a Sudra woman. In 1843, Ramkrishna lost his father and the responsibilities of the family was handed over to Ramkumar, the elder brother to Ramkrishna. Ramkrishna's soul undergone an enormous repercussion and he was drawn towards an austere and religious life. He became more attached to his mother and engaged himself in leading meditative life. At his teens, Ramkrishna and his family experienced financial difficulty. Ramkumar, the elder brother to Ramkrishna in 1852, sojourned Calcutta and started a Sanskrit school there. He also served as a priest at a nearby temple in Calcutta. Ramkrishna followed his brother to assist him in his priestly work. Ramkrishna was engaged as a young priest and was told to decorate and dress the idol of Kali. While engaged in this business, Ramkrishna devoted his soul to the Divine Mother Kali. |