Needless to say, people would be surprised if they saw Ramakrishna wrestling with a young man in his room at the Dakshineswar temple garden. But it was not unusual for the disciples of Ramakrishna to have an ordinary situation turn into an extraordinary experience through the influence of the Master. It is amazing to see how the Master transmitted spiritual power to his disciples even in a playful way. Swami Vijnanananda vividly narrated one of his dramatic and unconventional encounters with Ramakrishna:
I felt Sri Ramakrishna’s room vibrating with a tangible atmosphere of peace, and the devotees present seemed to be listening in blissful absorption to the words that poured from the Master’s lips. I don’t recall what he said, but I experienced tremendous joy within. I sat there for a long time, my whole attention concentrated on Sri Ramakrishna. He did not say anything to me, nor did I ask him anything. Then one by one the devotees took their leave, and suddenly I found myself alone with him. The Master was looking at me intently. I thought it was time for me to depart, so I prostrated before him. As I stood up to go, he asked: “Can you wrestle? Come, let me see how well you wrestle!” With these words he stood up, ready to grapple with me. I was surprised at this challenge. I thought to myself, “What kind of holy man is this?” But I replied, “Yes, of course I can wrestle.”
Needless to say, people would be surprised if they saw Ramakrishna wrestling with a young man in his room at the Dakshineswar temple garden. But it was not unusual for the disciples of Ramakrishna to have an ordinary situation turn into an extraordinary experience through the influence of the Master. It is amazing to see how the Master transmitted spiritual power to his disciples even in a playful way. Swami Vijnanananda vividly narrated one of his dramatic and unconventional encounters with Ramakrishna: I felt Sri Ramakrishna’s room vibrating with a tangible atmosphere of peace, and the devotees present seemed to be listening in blissful absorption to the words that poured from the Master’s lips. I don’t recall what he said, but I experienced tremendous joy within. I sat there for a long time, my whole attention concentrated on Sri Ramakrishna. He did not say anything to me, nor did I ask him anything. Then one by one the devotees took their leave, and suddenly I found myself alone with him. The Master was looking at me intently. I thought it was time for me to depart, so I prostrated before him. As I stood up to go, he asked: “Can you wrestle? Come, let me see how well you wrestle!” With these words he stood up, ready to grapple with me. I was surprised at this challenge. I thought to myself, “What kind of holy man is this?” But I replied, “Yes, of course I can wrestle.”
Ramakrishna later said of Swami Vijnanananda, “He wrestled with Krishna in his previous incarnation; he is not an ordinary person.” (Source: God Lived with Them)