Self interest for acquiring knowledge

When rumors spread to Kamarpukur that Ramakrishna had turned mad as a result of over-taxing spiritual exercises at Dakshineswar, alarmed, neighbors advised Ramakrishna’s mother that he could be persuaded to marry, so that he might be more conscious of his responsibilities to the family. Far from objecting to the marriage, he, in fact, mentioned Jayrambati, three miles to the north-west of Kamarpukur, as being the village where the bride could be found at the house of one Ramchandra Mukherjee. The bride, six-year old and bearing the name, Sarada, was found. The marriage was duly solemnised. Sarada Devi was Ramakrishna's first disciple. He taught her everything he learnt from his various Gurus. She mastered every religious secret as quickly as Ramakrishna has done. Impressed by her great religious potential, he began to treat her as the Universal Mother Herself and performed a Puja considering Sarada as veritable Tripura Sundari Devi. He said, 'I look upon you as my own mother and the Mother who is in the temple'. Ramakrishna made Sarada Devi feel as if she was not only the mother of his young disciples, but also of the entire humanity. At first, Sarada Devi was shy about playing this role, but slowly, she filled that role with courage.

But the most amazing thing about her was her renunciation, a quality she shared with her husband in a measure equal to, if not more than, his. The true nature of their relationship and kinship was beyond the grasp of ordinary minds. Sri Ramakrishna was convinced that her relationship and attitude toward him were firmly based on a divine spiritual plane. He came to this conclusion after having constant and close association with her. As they shared their lives, day and night, no other thought, other than that of the divine presence arose in their minds. Such a continued divine relationship between two souls of opposite gender is unique in religious records, never known in any of the past hagiographies and a source of inspiration for generations to come. After the passing away of Ramakrishna she even became a religious teacher in her own rights.