About Purna

April 6, 1885

Sri Ramakrishna sat in the drawing-room of Balarām’s house talking to M. It was a very hot day and long past three o’clock. He had come to Calcutta to see some of his young disciples and also to visit Devendra’s house.

MASTER (to M.): “I gave my word that I would be here at three o’clock; so I have come. But it is very hot.”

M: “Yes, sir, you must have suffered very much.”

The devotees were fanning Sri Ramakrishna.

About Purna

MASTER: “I have come here for Baburam and the younger Naren. Why haven’t you brought Purna?”

M: “He doesn’t like to come to a gathering of people. He is afraid you might praise him before others and his relatives might then hear about it.”

MASTER: “Yes, that’s true. I won’t do it in the future. Well, I understand that you are giving Purna religious instruction. That is fine.”

M: “As a matter of fact, the same thing is written in one of the textbooks of the school.

It says: With all thy soul love God above; And as thyself thy neighbour love. If their guardians are displeased with such teachings, it can’t be helped.”

MASTER: “No doubt many things like that are written in those books; but the authors themselves do not assimilate what they write. This power of assimilation comes from associating with holy men. People listen to instruction only when it is given by a sādhu who has truly renounced the world; they are not much impressed by the writings or the words of a mere scholar. Suppose a physician has a big jar of molasses by his side, and he asks his patients not to eat molasses; the patients won’t pay much attention to his advice.

“Well, how do you find Purna? Does he go into ecstatic moods?”

M: “No, I haven’t noticed in him any outer sign of such emotion. One day I told him those words of yours.”

MASTER: “What words?”

M: “You told us that if a man is a ‘small receptacle’ he cannot control spiritual emotion; but if he is a ’large receptacle’ he experiences intense emotion without showing it outwardly. You said that a big lake does not become disturbed when an elephant enters it; but when the elephant enters a pool, one sees tremendous confusion and the water splashes on the banks.”

MASTER: “Purna will not show his emotion outwardly; he hasn’t that kind of temperament. His other signs are good. What do you say?”

M: “His eyes are very bright and prominent.”

MASTER: “Mere bright eyes are not enough. The eyes of a godly person are different.

Did you ask him what he felt after meeting me?”

M: “Yes, sir, we talked about that. He has been telling me for the last four or five days that whenever he thinks of God or repeats His name, tears flow from his eyes and the hair on his body stands on end-such is his joy.”

MASTER: “Indeed! That’s all he needs.”

The Master and M: were silent a few moments. Then M. said, “He is waiting”

MASTER: “Who?”

M: “Purna. Perhaps he has been standing at the door of his house. When any of us passes that way he will come running and salute us.”

MASTER: “Ah! Ah!”

Sri Ramakrishna was resting, reclining against a bolster. M had brought with him a 12 year-old boy who was a student in his school. His name was Kshirode.

M: “He is a nice boy. He finds great joy in spiritual talk.”

MASTER (smiling): “He has eyes like a deer’s.”

The boy saluted Sri Ramakrishna, touching his feet. Then he gently stroked the Master’s feet.

MASTER (to M.): “Rakhal is staying at home now; he has an abscess and is not well. I understand that his wife expects a baby.”

Paltu and Binode were seated in front of Sri Ramakrishna.

MASTER (to Paltu, smiling): “What did you say to your father? (To M.)He answered back when his father told him not to come here. (To Paltu) What did you say?”

PALTU: “I said to him: ‘Yes, I go to him. Is that wrong?’ (The Master and M. laugh.) I shall say more if necessary.”

MASTER (to M., smiling): “No, no! Should he go so far?”

M: “No, sir, he should not go too far.” (Sri Ramakrishna laughs.)

MASTER (to Binode): “How are you? Why haven’t you come to Dakshineswar?”

BINODE: “I almost came, but then I was afraid of falling ill again. I have been ill and am not doing well.”

MASTER: “Come to Dakshineswar with me. The air is very good there. You will recover.”

The younger Naren entered the room. Sri Ramakrishna was going out to wash his hands and face. The younger Naren followed him with a towel; he wanted to pour water for the Master.

M was with them.

MASTER: “It’s very hot today.”

M: “Yes, sir.”

MASTER: “How do you live in that small room of yours? Doesn’t it get very hot on the upper floor?”

M: “Yes, sir, it gets very hot.”

MASTER: “Besides, your wife has been suffering from brain trouble. You should keep her in a cool room.”

M: “Yes, sir. I have asked her to sleep downstairs.”

Sri Ramakrishna returned to the drawing-room and took his seat.

MASTER (to M.): “Why didn’t you come to Dakshineswar last Sunday?”

M: “Sir, there was no one else at home. My wife was not well and no one was there to look after her.”

Sri Ramakrishna was on his way in a carriage to Devendra’s house in Nimu Goswami’s Lane. The younger Naren, M, and one or two other devotees were with him. The Master felt great yearning for Purna. He began to talk of the young disciple.

MASTER (to M.): “A great soul! Or how could he make me do japa for his welfare? But

Purna doesn’t know anything about it.”

M and the other devotees were amazed at these words.

MASTER: “It would have been nice if you had brought him here with you today. Why didn’t you?”

Seeing the younger Naren laugh, the Master and the other devotees laughed too. The

Master said to M., laughing and pointing to Naren: “Look at him! Look! How naive he looks when he laughs, as if he knew nothing. He never thinks of these three things: land, wife, and money. God cannot be realized unless the mind is totally free from ‘woman and gold’.”