Sri Ramakrishna At Syampukur

October 18, 1885

THE DOCTORS HAD DEFINITELY diagnosed Sri Ramakrishna’s illness as cancer.

No proper arrangement for his treatment and nursing could be made at Dakshineswar. He needed the constant attention of a physician, which could not be given at the temple garden.

Furthermore, the devotees who lived in Calcutta found it very inconvenient to attend on him daily at Dakshineswar. Therefore the older devotees had rented a small two-storey house in Baghbazar, Calcutta, and had brought the Master there.

Sri Ramakrishna, however, had not liked the place and had gone to Balarām’s house. In a few days a new house had been engaged in Syampukur, in the northern section of Calcutta, and the Master had been taken there. He had been placed under the treatment of Dr. Mahendra Lal Sarcar. The new building had two large rooms and two smaller ones on the second floor.

One of the larger rooms was used as the parlour, and in the other the Master lived. Of the two smaller rooms, one was used as a sleeping-room by the devotees, and the other by the Holy Mother when she came there. Near the exit to the roof was a small, covered, square space, where the Holy Mother stayed during the day and prepared the Master’s food.

It was Vijaya day, the fourth day of the worship of Durga, when the image is immersed in water. On that day the Divine Mother returns to Her heavenly abode at Mount Kailas, leaving gloom in the hearts of Her devotees. It was eight o’clock in the morning. The air was chilly.

Though ill, Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on his bed. He was like a five year-old child who knows nothing but its mother. NavaGopal, M., and a few other devotees were present.

Master consoles Surendra

Surendra arrived and sat down. The Divine Mother had been worshipped at his house for the past three days. Sri Ramakrishna had not been able to go there on account of his illness, but he had sent some of his disciples. Surendra was in a very unhappy mood because on this day the image of the Mother was to be immersed in the water. SURENDRA “I had to run away from home.”

MASTER (to M.): “What if the image is thrown into the water? May Mother dwell in the heart!”

Surendra was disconsolate. He was crying to the Divine Mother and talking to Her. At this yearning of his beloved disciple Sri Ramakrishna could not control his tears. He looked at M. and said in a choked voice: “What bhakti! Ah, what great love he feels for God!”

MASTER (to Surendra): “Yesterday evening at seven or seven-thirty I saw your worship hall in a vision. I saw the divine image full of effulgence. This place and your hall were joined by a stream of light flowing between them.”

SURENDRA “At that time I was crying to the Mother in the worship hall. My elder brothers had gone upstairs. I thought the Mother said, ‘I will come again.’ “It was about eleven o’clock in the morning. Sri Ramakrishna finished his meal. M. poured water into his hand for him to rinse his mouth.

MASTER (to M.): “Rakhal has indigestion.

Praising the Gitā

It is best to take only sattvic food. Haven’t you read about it in the Gitā? Don’t you read the Gitā?”

M: “Yes, sir. The Gitā speak of temperance in eating Sattvic food, rajasic food, tamasic food; sattvic kindness, sattvic ego, and so on-all these are described in the Gitā.”

MASTER: “Have you a copy of the book?”

M: “Yes, sir.”

MASTER: “It contains the essence of all the scriptures.”

M: ‘The Gitā describes various ways of realizing God. You too say that God can be reached by various paths: knowledge, devotion, work, and meditation.”

Secret of karma-yoga

MASTER: “Do you know the meaning of karma yoga? It is to surrender to God the fruit of all action.”

M: “Yes, sir, I have read that in the Gitā. It also says that there are three ways of performing action.”

MASTER: “What are they?”

M: “First, one may perform karma to attain Jnāna; second, to teach others; third, under the impulse of one’s nature.”

After rinsing his mouth the Master chewed betel-leaf.

M. and Dr. Sarkar

Sri Ramakrishna was talking with M. about Dr. Sarkar. M. had been at the doctor’s house the previous day to report the Master’s condition.

MASTER: “What did you talk about?“M: “There are many books in the doctor’s room. I took out one to read, and now and then read a passage aloud to Dr. Sarkar. It was a book by Sir Humphry Davy. He wrote about the necessity of Divine Incarnation.”

MASTER: “Indeed! What did you say to the doctor?”

M: “There was one passage that stated that Divine Truth must be made human truth to be appreciated by us; therefore Divine Incarnation is necessary.”

MASTER: “Splendid! That’s very good.”

M: “The author gave the illustration of the sun: one cannot look at the sun, but one can look at its reflected rays.”

MASTER: “Very fine. Anything else?”

M: “Another passage stated that real knowledge is faith.”

MASTER: “That too is very good. If one has faith one has everything.”

M: “The author dreamt of the Roman gods and goddesses.”

MASTER: “Do such books really exist? Surely the author was inspired by God. Did you talk of anything else?”

M: “People like Dr. Sarkar speak of doing good to the world. So I told him what you had said about it.”

MASTER (smiling): “What did I say?”

M: “About Sambhu Mallick. He had said to you: ‘It is my desire to devote my money to the building of schools, hospitals, dispensaries, and the like. That will do good to many.’

Thereupon you had said to him, ‘Suppose God appears before you; will you then ask Him to build schools, hospitals, and dispensaries?’ I told the doctor another thing.”

MASTER: ‘Those who are born to do work belong to a different class. What else did you say?”

M: “I said to the doctor: ‘If your aim is to visit the image of Mother Kāli, what will you gain by spending all your time in giving alms to the poor by the roadside? First you had better somehow visit the image. Afterwards you may give alms to your heart’s content.”

MASTER: “Did you talk about anything else?”

M: “Yes. I told him that many of those who come to you have conquered lust. Thereupon the doctor replied, ‘I too have conquered lust.’ I said: ‘You are a great man. It is no wonder that you have conquered lust. But the amazing thing is that under his influenceeven insignificant creatures have conquered it.’ Afterwards I told him what you had said to Girish.”

MASTER (smiling): “What did I say?”

M: “You said to Girish, ‘The doctor has not been able to surpass you.’ You said that with reference to his calling you a Divine Incarnation.”

MASTER: “Discuss the doctrine of Divine Incarnation with Dr. Sarkar. He who liberates others is an Incarnation of God. The scriptures speak of ten, of twenty-four, and also of innumerable Incarnations.”

M: “Dr.Sarkar is keenly interested in Girish Ghosh. He always asks me whether Girish has given up drinking. He keeps a sharp eye on him.”

MASTER: “Did you tell Girish about that?”

M: “Yes, sir, I did. And I also told him about giving up drinking.”

MASTER: “What did he say?”

M: “He said: ‘Since you all say so, I take your words as the words of the Master himself.

But I won’t promise anything.’ "

MASTER (joyously): “Kalipada told me that he had altogether given up drinking.” It was afternoon. Dr. Sarkar arrived accompanied by his son Amrita and Hem. Narendra and other devotees were present.

Sri Ramakrishna was talking aside to Amrita. He asked him, “Do you meditate?” He further said to him: “Do you know!” what one feels in meditation? The mind becomes like a continuous flow of oil-it thinks of one object only, and that is God. It does not think of anything else.”

Sri Ramakrishna was talking to the devotees.

MASTER (to the doctor): “Your son does not believe in the Incarnation of God. That’s all right, It doesn’t matter if he does not believe in it.