In Alambazar, Akhandananda suffered from malaria. One day while he was sick, he had a spiritual experience. Before this, he had felt that the nondualistic experience “I am the Atman” is greater than the five kinds of dualistic relationships with God. While Akhandananda lay ill, however, he had the following vision: He saw the luminous form of baby Krishna in his room, and Krishna’s mother, Yashoda, appeared from Akhandananda’s own body. The baby was begging for food, so Yashoda began to sing and play with her little darling in order to pacify him. Sri Ramakrishna then appeared and said, “Look, what a wonderful scene!” Akhandananda joyfully exclaimed: “I don’t care for nirvana, Master. This is wonderful! I don’t care if I am born hundreds of times in my present state of mind.”
After that experience Akhandananda became imbued with the idea of being the mother, with all beings as his children. He recorded in his memoirs: “One sultry day some brothers were asleep in the front room of the monastery. I couldn’t sleep because of the heat. Others were perspiring and their sheets were wet. I got up and began to fan them with great joy. Their perspiration dried; and they slept peacefully. But what a wonder! My body also became cooled within half an hour. I was thrilled to realize that I had developed the capacity to feel others’ happiness and misery.” (Source: God Lived with Them)