The Gospel of Râmakrishna (ed. Swami Abhedananda, 1907) · 5 · 1

​CHAPTER IV

VISIT TO THE PANDIT VIDYASAGARA[1]

Sri Ramakrishna desired to meet Pandit Iswara Chandra Vidyasagara. One afternoon he was seen coming in a carriage with some of his disciples all the way from Dakshineswara, a distance of about six miles, to pay a visit to the Pandit at Badurbagan in Calcutta. As the carriage passed before Raja Rammohun Roy's[2] ​house, the Bhagavan suddenly grew silent. His mind was absorbed in meditation on the Divine Mother. One of his disciples, not per- ceiving the sudden change that had come over him, said: "This is Rammohun Roy's house." The Bhagavan replied: "Ah! Now my mind is not on such things"; and immediately he entered into the ecstatic state (Bhava). The carriage, a short while after, drew up in front of the Pandit's house. Sri Ramakrishna alighted, supported by one of His disciples. Before reaching the staircase which led to the Pandit's study, which was also the drawing- room, the Bhagavan, putting his hand on His shirt, asked a disciple with some concern: "My Ramakrish- na's childlike nature. shirt is unbuttoned; is it necessary to button it?" The disciple an- swered: "Do not trouble Thyself, Lord; none will find fault with Thee on that

​account." The Bhagavân, like a child, seemed to be satisfied and did not think about it again. The party was then led upstairs into a room where the Pandit was seated in a chair facing the south. A table after the European fashion, with books and papers lying about on it, was before him, and he was talking with some of his friends. As the Bhagavân Srî Râmakrishna entered the room, the Pandit rose to receive Him. The Lord stood with His face to the west and with one hand resting upon the table. He looked upon the Pandit intently as if he was an old acquaintance, and with a smile on His sweet, childlike radiant face, lost all sense-consciousness, and went into the ecstatic Samâdhi.

After a while, taking his seat on a bench, the Bhagavân in his semiconscious state uttered, "I wish some water to drink." Thereupon Vidyâsâgara inquired of a disciple whether the Bhagavân would also like some delicious sweet-meats which he had just received from Burdwân.[3] Finding no objection, the Pandit went into his inner apartments and returned with water and the sweetmeats. He placed them ​before the Lord. The disciples partook of the sweetmeats, but when they were offered to one young man, Vidyâsâgara said: "Oh, he is a child of the house; do not trouble about him."

The Bhagavân then said, referring to a young man who was sitting before him: "Yes, this young man is good. He is like the river Falgu,[4] covered with dry sand, but if you dig a little you will find a strong invisible current underneath. He has a spiritual current inside, although he does not show it on the outside."

Then addressing Vidyâsâgara he continued: "To-day I have at last reached the ocean Râma-krishna's love of humor.(referring to the literal meaning of the word Vidyâsâgara,—the ocean of knowledge). So long I have seen only canals, lakes, or, at most, rivers, but now I see the ocean itself.

Vidyâsâgara: Then, Sir, Thou art welcome to take some salt water from it.

Bhagavân: No, my dear sir, why salt water? You are not the ocean of Avidyâ (ignorance), ​which leads away from God, but you are the ocean of milk, the ocean of Vidyâ, or true knowledge leading Godward.

Vidyâsâgara: Revered Sir, Thou mayest say that.

Bhagavân: Your Karma proceeds from the Sattwa element of nature. From it rises compassion. Whatever work is done for the Good works and compassion for all. good of others is absolutely free from fault. It may be called Râjasika, but it is the activity of Sattwa. There is no harm in such works. Sukadeva and others like him had compassion for all. They worked for humanity and helped mankind in the path of Divinity. You are giving free education and doing charitable works; that is good. He who performs good works through love, without seeking results, attains to God. But he who works for name, fame or any other selfish purpose remains bound. Further, I may say that you have already become Siddha (perfected).

Vidyâsâgara: Sir, how is that?

Bhagavân: You know that Siddha, or well-boiled potato, becomes soft and tender. Have you not become tender-hearted by your compassion for all?

​Vidyâsâgara: But the paste of Kalai (a kind of pulse) when boiled (Siddha) becomes harder. Is it not so?

Bhagavân, laughing: Yes, but you are not like that. Mere book-learned Pandits (scholars) Book-learned Pandits like vultures.are hard-hearted. They do good neither to themselves nor to others. They are like vultures who soar high in the sky, but always search after carrion-pits. They may talk about Divine truths, but their minds are attached to woman and wealth. Their attachment is to worldly things (Avidyâ). Compassion, Devotion (Bhakti), Dispassion (Vairâgya)—these are the manifestations of Vidyâ.

Vidyâsâgara was listening to the words of wisdom with whole attention, while the eyes of other gentlemen present were fixed upon the blissful face of Râmakrishna radiant with Divine glory.

The Bhagavân continued: The Absolute Brahman is beyond the reach of Vidyâ (knowledge) Vidyâ and Avidyâ.as well as of Avidyâ (ignorance), which keeps one away from the realization of the Absolute.

The absolute Brahman is beyond the reach of Mâyâ, while Mâyâ is either Vidyâ or Avidyâ. ​Vidyâ-Mâyâ and Avidyâ-Mâyâ both exist in this world. As there are knowledge (Jnâna) and Devotion (Bhakti), so also there are lust and greed for wealth. Good and evil, virtue and vice, are to be found in this world of relativity; but Brahman is unaffected by them. They exist in relation to Jiva (individual ego), but cannot touch the Absolute Brahman.

Brahman may be compared to the light of a lamp. As by the same light one may read Brahman untouched by good and evil.the Holy Scriptures and another may forge a document, while the light remains unaffected by the good and evil deeds, so is the Absolute Brahman untouched by the good and evil of the world. He is like the Sun who shines equally upon the virtuous and the wicked.

If you ask, misery, sin, suffering, unhappiness,—whose are these? I should answer, they are for the Jiva. They do not affect the Brahman. Evil to Jiva is not evil to Brahman any more than the venom in the fangs of a snake is poison to the snake. Others may die of snake-bite, but as the poison does not hurt the snake, so indeed is the existence of sin and evil in relation to Jiva alone. Who can describe what the absolute Brahman is? What​ever can be uttered by the mouth has become defiled as it were, like the leavings of food. The Revealed Scriptures, Vedas, Tantras, Puranas and all Holy Books, have become defiled as it were, like leavings of food, for they have Brahman indescribable.been uttered by human mouths. But there is one thing that is never defiled in this manner and that is the Absolute Brahman. No one has ever succeeded in describing the Absolute by words of mouth. Brahman is unspeakable, indescribable, unthinkable.

Vidyâsâgara, interrupting, said to his friends: This is a grand idea. To-day I have learned this truth, that the Brahman is the one substance that has never been defiled by the mouth.

Bhagavân: Yes, that is so.

A certain father had two sons. To instruct them in the knowledge of Brahman he sent Parable of the Vedic father and his two sons.them to an Âchârya (preceptor). After a few years they returned home and saluted their father. The father was anxious to know how far they had learned about Brahman, so he asked his eldest son: “My dear son, you have studied all the Scriptures and philosophies, tell me what is Brahman like?” The eldest son then tried to describe ​the Absolute Brahman by quoting various passages from the Vedas. The father kept silent.

Turning to his younger son he asked the same question. The younger son did not answer in words, but remained motionless and communed with the Brahman in silence. The father then exclaimed: “My dear child, thou hast approached the realization of the Brahman. Thy silence is a better answer than the recitation of a hundred texts of the Vedas, for Brahman is indescribable by words. It is indeed the Absolute Silence.” The knowledge of the Absolute Brahman is attained in the state of Samâdhi. In that superconscious state Brahman is realized. Then all thoughts cease to rise and perfect silence prevails in the soul. Even the power of speech remains unmanifested. How can one describe Brahman by words of mouth? Man thinks that he has known the Absolute Brahman.

An ant went to a mount of sugar. The ant did not realize how high was the mountain, but ate a small particle of sugar and was Parable of the ant and the mount of sugar.satisfied. It carried home another particle in its mouth. On its way it thought: “Next time I will carry the whole mountain.” Such, alas, is the thought of ​small minds. They think that they have known the Absolute, not realizing that Brahman is beyond the reach of mind and thought. However great the mind may be it cannot fully comprehend the Absolute Brahman. Sukadeva[5] and other great spiritual teachers may be compared to large ants. They could carry in their mouth at utmost eight or ten grains from the mountain of sugar. It is as absurd to say that Brahman has been fully comprehended by a great man as it is absurd to say that the whole mountain of sugar was carried away by a large ant.

What the Vedas and other Scriptures have said about the Absolute is like the description of the ocean given by a man who saw the vast ocean. When asked what the ocean was like, he exclaimed in utter amazement: “Oh! what I have seen; how vast is the expanse! How big are the waves! What a thundering roar!”

Like unto this is the talk about the Absolute Brahman. The Vedas declare that Brahman is ​the ocean of the Absolute Existence, Intelligence and Bliss. Sukadeva and other great spiritual teachers stood on the shore of that Infinite Ocean, saw it and touched its waters.

Some believe that even those great souls did not go into the Ocean, for whoever enters into that ocean of Brahman does not return to this mundane existence.

A doll made of salt once went to the ocean to measure its depth. It had a desire to tell others Parable of a salt doll. how deep was the ocean. Alas! Its desire was never satisfied. No sooner had it plunged into the ocean than it melted away and became one with the ocean. Who would bring the news regarding the depth? Similar is the condition of the Jiva (individual ego) who enters into the Infinite Ocean of the Absolute Brahman.

Some one asked: Bhagavan, is it true that the man who has entered into Samâdhi, or who has acquired Brahma Jnânam, does not speak?