As a garland-maker picks many flowers of different colours and creates a beautiful wreath, so Sri Ramakrishna chose his disciples from the companions of previous divine incarnations and trained them to carry his message of religious harmony in this present age. On 23 December 1885 Sri Ramakrishna remarked about Shashi and Sharat: “In a vision I saw that Shashi and Sharat had been among the followers of Christ.”
Pointing to his foremost disciple Peter, Christ said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” Later on, Peter’s unshakable faith, indomitable energy, and unflinching love for his Lord gave a tremendous impetus to early Christianity. Just as Peter supported the early Christian church, Sharat carried the heavy responsibility of the young Ramakrishna Movement for over thirty years. Sharat was completely unaware of his future role when, one day at Dakshineswar Sri Ramakrishna sat upon his lap in an ecstatic mood and later explained to the curious devotees, “I was testing how much weight he could bear.”