Sri Ramakrishna would describe to his devotees the nature of a man of true knowledge. He would say that such a person goes beyond the idea of distinctions. To illustrate this idea he used to narrate a story from Ramayana.
King Janaka was a great emperor. In his durbar he would entertain everyone including monks. One day a sanyasini (nun) came to meet him. He was known as a knower of Brahman, yet he was hesitating to meet the nun. However, he could not refuse to meet her and the sanyasini ultimately came in. When she appeared before the king, he bowed down without looking at her face. Seeing this the sanyasini remarked, “How strange it is O Janaka that you have still so much fear of women!” King Janaka was quick to realize his folly and addressing the sanyasini as mother spoke to her freely with all kindness and respect.
When one attains complete knowledge or purna jnana, one’s nature becomes completely innocent, like that of a little child. The differences which are easily perceived by grown up people often escape the attention of children. This is because of their innocence. Children are pure in heart and have a mind which is free from complications. Hence, they can easily relate to everyone and no one is a stranger to them.
Similarly, a man of true knowledge does not see any distinction between male and female. Jiva or the individual soul identifies itself as limited or is conditioned by the ideas of body and mind. This leads to the distinctions such as man and woman. Once a person by dint of sadhana realizes the ultimate truth, such a person knows himself or herself to be unitary consciousness or atman or Brahman. In such a state of awareness there is no recognition of body or mind or any limitation related to duality whatsoever. Such a soul experiences only consciousness and hence cannot perceive distinctions such as man or woman.
-by Swami Shantatmananda, Sunday Guardian, 5th Apr 2014