Rani Rasmani

The Kali temple at Dakshineswar, four miles to the north of Calcutta, on the eastern bank of the Ganges, was founded by Rani Rasmani. She died before Naren came to Dakshineswar.

Kali temple at Dakshineswar

Rasmani was always ready to help the poor and the persecuted. At one time the government imposed a tax on the fishermen who made their meager living by fishing in the Ganga. The fishermen requested various prominent people to help them, but no one would come forward to their defense. At last they went to Rani Rasmani and she promised to do something. Paying ten thousand rupees to the government, she discreetly took the lease of the fishing right of the Ganga, from Ghusuri to Metiabruz. She then asked the fishermen to barricade that area of the Ganga, from shore to shore, with bamboo poles and catch fish there without paying any tax. As a result, the water traffic was stopped and the commercial boats could not reach their ports. A ‘Show Cause’ summons came from the government along with an order to remove the barricades. Rasmani replied that the big steamboats frightened the fish, causing them to run to and fro, and this made it difficult for them to lay their eggs. The poor fishermen were therefore not able to catch many fish, which was their only source of income. Furthermore, she replied, that with a view to protecting the fishermen she had paid the government a large amount of money, and legally she had every right to put up a barricade in her own area. At last the British Government settled the case with Rasmani by returning her money for the lease of the land and rescinding the tax from the fishermen.

Totapuri

A sannyasin named Totapuri came to Dakshineswar and offered to teach Ramakrishna the Advaita philosophy. It was said Totapuri never stayed at one place for more than three days. But Totapuri remained at Dakshineswar for eleven months.
Shri Ramakrishna later said: “I was for, six months in that state from which ordinary mortals never return. Their body lives for twenty-one days only and then falls like a dried leaf from a tree; and the soul that was embodied realizes its identity with Existence Absolute.”

Vijay Krishna Goswami

(As recorded by M, and dated as October 25, 1885) Vijay Vijay Krishna Goswami told Ramakrishna: I have travelled all over the country and met many spiritual persons; but I have found none like you. Here is the full amount of sixteen annas, whereas at other places I have found but two, three or four annas at most. I saw you at Dacca in a vision and I have no doubt about you. People do not understand you because you are so easy of access. You live very near to Calcutta. The mere wish takes us to you; there is no difficulty of conveyance. Therefore we cannot properly estimate your value. But had you been seated on the summit of a high mountain, the journey to which would mean much trouble and hardship, then we should have regarded you in a different light. Now we think that if such a very spiritual man lives near us, how much greater must be the spirituality of those who live far off! That is why we roam hither and thither in quest of spirituality instead of coming to see you.