God becomes a man, an Avatar, and comes to earth with His devotees. And the devotees leave the world with Him…. A band of minstrels suddenly appears, dances, and sings, and it departs in the same sudden manner. They come and they return, but none recognizes them.
(p.943, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Thakur’s words to the devotees at Cossipore on 15 March, 1886)