Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna was born on 18 February 1836 in the village of Kamarpukur about sixty miles northwest of Kolkata. His parents, Kshudiram Chattopadhyaya and Chandramani Devi, were poor but very pious and virtuous. As a child, Ramakrishna (his childhood name was Gadadhar) was duly loved by the villagers. From early days, he was disinclined towards formal education and worldly affairs. He was, however, a talented boy, and could sing and paint well. He was found of serving holy men and listening to their “discourses”. He was also very often found to be absorbed in spiritual moods. At the age of six, he experienced the first ecstasy while watching a flight of white cranes moving against the background of black clouds. This tendency to enter into ecstasy intensified with age. His father’s death when he was seven years old served only to deepen his introspection and increase his detachment from the world.
Sri Sarada Devi
Sri Sarada Devi, revered as the Holy Mother, was born on 22 December 1853 in the quiet village of Joyrambati in Bengal. Her parents, Ramchandra Mukhopadhyaya and Shyamasundari Devi, were known for their piety, generosity, and compassion, traits that deeply influenced Sarada from childhood. Growing up in a simple rural environment, she naturally developed qualities of love, service, and spiritual inclination. Even as a young girl, she assisted her family in times of hardship, particularly during a severe famine when she helped feed the needy despite her family’s limited resources. Her daily activities included strenuous tasks like cutting grass for cattle, carrying food to laborers, and collecting grains after locust attacks, all of which she undertook without complaint. She remained gentle, calm, and free from childhood quarrels, often helping others resolve disputes.
At the age of six, she was married to Sri Ramakrishna of Kamarpukur. Years later, hearing rumors of his supposed insanity, she visited him in Dakshineswar in 1872 and discovered him to be spiritually radiant and physically well. Their meeting marked the beginning of a profound and sacred companionship. Sri Ramakrishna revered Sarada as the embodiment of the Divine Mother. The most significant moment of this spiritual recognition occurred during the Shodashi Puja in June 1872, when he worshipped her as the Goddess Tripurasundari, symbolically offering at her feet the culmination of his lifelong spiritual practice.
After staying in Dakshineswar for over a year, Sarada returned to Joyrambati but soon suffered from severe illness. Her cure came through a divine vision of the Goddess Simhavahini, after which her health miraculously improved. Her spiritual purity is further reflected in the episode with the dacoit couple at Telo-Bhelo, where her innocence and respectful address transformed potential danger into an act of protection and maternal affection.
The passing of Sri Ramakrishna in 1886 plunged her into deep sorrow, and she initially contemplated renunciation of life. However, through repeated visions, he reminded her that her mission was yet unfinished. Rejecting the restrictive customs of widowhood, she chose instead a life of simplicity and service. Gradually, she became the spiritual center for Ramakrishna’s disciples and devotees. Swami Vivekananda saw her as the living Shakti, declaring that the regeneration of India would rise around her spiritual power. Her residence at Baghbazar—Mother’s House—became a sanctuary where she showered unconditional love on all who came to her, without distinction of caste, class, or purity.
As a universal mother, she regarded every devotee as her own child. Her life seamlessly blended the roles of wife, nun, and mother, offering a shining ideal of Indian womanhood. Sister Nivedita regarded her as Ramakrishna’s final message to humanity on the grandeur and spiritual potential of womanhood.
Sri Sarada Devi worked tirelessly for the well-being of all until she passed away on 20 July 1920. Her life remains a luminous example of purity, wisdom, compassion, and spiritual strength—an enduring inspiration for all seekers of truth and service.
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda, known for his pre-monastic life as Narendra Nath Datta, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12 January 1863. His father Vishwanath Datta was a successful attorney with interests in a wide range of subjects and his mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi was endowed with deep devotion, strong character and other qualities. A precocious boy, Narendra excelled in music, gymnastics and studies. By the time he graduated from Calcutta University, he had acquired a vast knowledge in different subjects, especially Western philosophy and history. Born with a yogic temperament, he used to practice meditation even from his boyhood, and was associated with Brahmo Movement for some time.