During January, 1886 his health recovered a bit. He began to take walks in the garden. He would speak to his disciples. One day he blessed his disciples which made them ecstatic because they claimed that they felt some spiritual energy charge their bodies.
Inspite of being afflicted with cancer he appeared cheerful. There was intense physical pain but with his spiritual energy Ramakrishna was able to neutralise that pain and carry on the business of life bravely.
One night he called his disciples and gave them saffron robes to wear and ordained them into his spiritual mission.
He said to Narendra, ‘‘I want you to lead these youngmen into spiritual progress. You will be the leader of my spiritual army. Now on they will call you Swami Vivekananda.”
Touched by the gesture Narendra paid obeisance to his guru and took oath that spreading the spiritual message of Ramakrishna would be his life’s mission.
All the disciples agreed to consider themselves brothers of Ramakrishna mission.
One day a disciple asked how he managed to remain cheerful inspite of the pain of the throat cancer.
Ramakrishna explained, “The body has to go through pain. But when the mind gets linked to Power Supreme the pain becomes immaterial.”
Ramakrishna’s spirit was like a happy swan that lived in the lake of physical pain. That is why they started calling him ‘Paramhansa’, the swan supreme.
On 16th August, 1886 Ramakrishna asked one of his disciples to consult the calender and find out the nearest auspicious day. The disciple told him the day.
Ramakrishna’s behaviour suddenly changed from that moment.
At noon the doctor came to examine him. He said to the doctor, “I think that my days are over. I feel intense pain. My waist is burning like a log.”
The doctor felt his pulse.
The patient asked, “Is there any hope?” Then, he added, “I know the answer, doctor. Don’t feel embarrassed. It is not your fault. My disease is incurable. There is no hope.”
The doctor looked at him sadly and shook his head helplessly.
Ramakrishna turned to Narendra to say, “I am not getting any better. So, why go through all this pain?”
After the departure of the doctor he expressed his wish to eat daal-bhaat.
Narendra alias Swami Vivekananda obediently obliged him. He again looked happy after eating. A gentleman arrived to consult him on a matter of yoga. Ramakrishna talked with him for two hours. He was cheerful and showed no signs of illness.
The doctor arrived again.
He gave Ramakrishna a dose of medicine saying, “Take it. It surely will help.”
Ramakrishna groaned in pain, “O Kaali Maa! How long shall I stay like this? I am fed up with all these useless medicines.”
At night Ramakrishna again wished for food. He ate happily a good amount and spoke to disciples, “I am alright. What is wrong with me? Just a bit of niggle in the throat.” And he smiled.
He was lying on his bed and talking to them. His body felt hot.
“Give me some air,” he said.
The disciples began to fan him. His legs were resting in Narendra’s lap. Narendra was gently caressing his feet. He said to Narendra several times, “Take care of Brothers.”
“I want to sleep,” Ramakrishna said. “If you people allow me.”
He sprawled on the bed and went to sleep. An hour after midnight he turned to other side. He was chanting ‘Om’. His face had become radiant.
It frightened Narendra. He ran out.
The doctor who was sitting beside felt the pulse of Ramakrishna who suddenly began to wail.
He had got locked into his yoga mode.
In the morning his body began to cool down. The doctor was called in. But there was nothing left for the doctor to do anything.
All the disciples of Ramakrishna stood around his bed. All the eyes were fixed on his face to get some clue. There was no sigh of life.
The face and the body remained still. No movement for a long time. Even the chest was not heaving. Everything was deathly still. The soul swan of Ramakrishna had flown away to land on the lake of the tranquility in the world beyond.
The dead body was put in a flower bedecked stage. The crowds of followers and disciples kept coming to pay their last homage.
At 6 p.m. in the evening Ramakrishna Paramhansa’s body was cremated at Kashipur Ghat witnessed by thousands of his followers.
Ramakrishna Parmhansa was a unique brand of spiritualism who still floats like a white swan on the waves of our spiritual legends.
