Master's love for Narayan

They were thus talking when Naran entered the room and bowed low before the Master.

He was a student seventeen or eighteen years old and of fair complexion. He was dearly loved by the Master, who was very eager to see the boy and feed him. Many a time at the temple garden at Dakshineswar the Master wept silently for Naran. He looked on him as the manifestation of Narayana Himself.

GIRISH (at the sight of Naran): “There! Who told him about this? Now we realize that M. is at the root of all the mischief.”

(All laugh.)

MASTER (smiling): “Stop! Hold your tongue. There is already an evil rumour about him.”

The conversation next turned to Narendra.

A DEVOTEE: “Why doesn’t he come to you so frequently nowadays?”

MASTER (quoting a proverb): “Man’s worries over bread and butter are simply amazing; they make even Kalidasa lose his wits.”

BALARĀM: “Narendra frequently visits his friend Annada Guha of the family of Shiva Guha.”

MASTER: “Yes, I have heard that too. Narendra and his friends meet at the house of a government officer and conduct meetings of the Brahmo Samaj there.”

A DEVOTEE: “The officer’s name is Tarapada.”

BALARĀM (smiling): “The brahmins say that Annada Guha is a very egotistic man.”

MASTER: “Never listen to what the brahmins say. You know their nature very well. If a man doesn’t give them money, they will call him bad; on the other hand, if a man is generous to them, they will call him good.

(All laugh.)

I know Annada. He is a good man.”

The drawing-room was full of devotees. The Master wanted to hear some songs. At his request Tarapada sang about Krishna:

O Kesava, bestow Thy grace Upon Thy luckless servants here! O Kesava, who dost delight To roam Vrindāvan’s glades and groves! O Madhava, our mind’s Bewitcher! Sweet One, who dost steal our hearts, Sweetly playing on Thy flute! (Chant, O Mind, the name of Hari, Sing aloud the name of Hari, Praise Lord Hari’s name!) O Thou Eternal Youth of Braja, Tamer of fierce Kaliya, Slayer of the afflicted’s fear! Beloved, with the arching eyes And crest with arching peacock feather, Charmer of Sri Radha’s heart! Govardhan’s mighty Lifter, Thou, All garlanded with sylvan flowers! O Damodara, Kamsa’s Scourge! O Dark One, who dost sport in bliss With sweet Vrindāvan’s gopi maids. (Chant, O mind, the name of Hari, Sing aloud the name of Hari, Praise Lord Hari’s name!)

MASTER (to Girish): “Ah! It is a beautiful song. Did you write it?”

A DEVOTEE: “Yes, sir, he wrote all the songs for his play, the Chaitanyalila.”

MASTER: “This one has really hit the mark.”

At Sri Ramakrishna’s request Tarapada sang two more songs. In the first, people to share Radha’s love for Sri Krishna:

Nitai exhortsCome one and all! Take Radha’s love! The high tide of her love flows by; It will not last for very long. Oh, come then! Come ye, one and all! In countless streams it flows from her; As much as you desire is yours. Made all of love, she pours out love Unstintingly for everyone; Her love intoxicates the heart With heavenly bliss, and thrills the soul. Oh, come and sing Lord Hari’s name, Drawn by her love. Oh, come ye all! Next he sang about Gaurānga: Who art Thou, Gaur of the golden hue, That quenchest the thirst of my soul? Thou raisest a storm in the sea of Love, And scarcely can I steady my boat. Once as a cowherd boy in Vrindāvan Thou didst tend the cows; In Thy hands Thou heldest the flute That so bewitched the gopi maids; Lifting Govardhan’s mount in Thine arms, Thou shieldedst Vrindāvan from ill; And at the wounded gopis’ feet Humbledst Thyself in repentant love.

The devotees pressed M. to sing; but M. was shy and asked them in a whisper to excuse him.

GIRISH (to the Master): “Sir, we can’t find a way to persuade M. to sing.”

MASTER (annoyed): “Yes, he can bare his teeth at school, but shyness overpowers him when he is asked to sing!”

M., feeling greatly distressed, remained speechless. Suresh Mitra, a beloved householder disciple of the Master, was seated at a distance, The Master cast an affectionate glance at him and said to him, pointing to Girish, “You talk of having lived a wild life but here is one you could not surpass.”

SURESH (with a smile): “Yes, sir, he is my elder brother in that respect."(All laugh.)

GIRISH (to the Master): “Well, sir, I didn’t have any education during my boyhood, but still people say I am a learned man.”

MASTER: “Mahimacharan has studied many scriptures. A big man. (To M.) Isn’t that so?”

M: “Yes, sir.”

GIRISH: “What? Book-learning? I have seen enough of it. It can’t fool me any more.”