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Late in the afternoon Narendra sang. Rakhal, Lātu, M., Hazra, and Priya, Narendra’s Brahmo friend, were present. The singing was accompanied by the drum:
Meditate, O my mind, on the Lord Hari, The Stainless One, Pure Spirit through and through.
How peerless is the light that in Him shines! How soul-bewitching is His wondrous form! How dear is He to all His devotees!
After this song Narendra sang:
Oh, when will dawn for me that day of blessedness When He who is all Good, all Beauty, and all Truth, Will light the inmost shrine of my heart? When shall I sink at last, ever beholding Him, Into that Ocean of Delight?
Lord, as Infinite Wisdom Thou shalt enter my soul, And my unquiet mind, made speechless by Thy sight, Will find a haven at Thy feet.
In my heart’s firmament, O Lord, Thou wilt arise As Blissful Immortality;
And as, when the chakora beholds the rising moon, It sports about for very joy, So, too, shall I be filled with heavenly happiness When Thou appearest unto me.
Thou One without a Second, all Peace, the King of Kings! At Thy beloved feet I shall renounce my life And so at last shall gain life’s goal; 1 shall enjoy the bliss of heaven while yet on earth! Where else is a boon so rare bestowed?
Then shall I see Thy glory, pure and untouched by stain; As darkness flees from 1ight, so will my darkest sins Desert me at Thy dawn’s approach. Kindle in me, O Lord, the blazing fire of faith To be the pole-star of my life;
O Succour of the weak, fulfil my one desire! Then shall I bathe both day and night In the boundless bliss of Thy Love, and utterly forget Myself, O Lord, attaining Thee.
Narendra sang again:
With beaming face chant the sweet name of God Till in your heart the nectar overflows. Drink of it ceaselessly and share it with all! If ever your heart runs dry, parched by the flames Of worldly desire, chant the sweet name of God, And heavenly love will moisten your arid soul. Be sure, O mind, you never forget to chant His holy name: when danger stares in your face, Call on Him, your Father Compassionate; With His name’s thunder, snap the fetters of sin! Come, let us fulfil our hearts’ desires By drinking deep of Everlasting Joy, Made one with Him in Love’s pure ecstasy. Now Narendra and the devotees began to sing kirtan, accompanied by the drum and cymbals. They moved round and round the Master as they sang: Immerse yourself for evermore, O mind, In Him who is Pure Knowledge and Pure Bliss.
Next they sang:
Oh, when will dawn for me that day of blessedness When He who is all Good, all Beauty, and all Truth Will light the inmost shrine of my heart? At last Narendra himself was playing on the drums, and he sang with the Master, full of joy:
With beaming face chant the sweet name of God When the music was over, Sri Ramakrishna held Narendra in his arms a long time and said, “You have made us so happy today!” The flood-gate of the Master’s heart was open so wide, that night, that he could hardly contain himself for joy. It was 8pm.
Intoxicated with divine love, he paced the long verandah north of his room. Now and then he could be heard talking to the Divine Mother. Suddenly he said in an excited voice, “What can you do to me?” Was the Master hinting that maya was helpless before him, since he had the Divine Mother for his support?
Narendra, M., and Priya were going to spend the night at the temple garden. This pleased the Master highly, especially since Narendra would be with him. The Holy Mother, who was living in the nahabat, had prepared the supper. Surendra bore the greater part of the Master’s expenses. The meal was ready, and the plates were set out on the southeast verandah of the Masters room.
Near the east door of his room Narendra and the other devotees were gossiping.
They Were talking thus when Sri Ramakrishna came to them and asked with a smile, “Well, what are you talking about?”
The Master became grave and said to M. rather seriously: “This kind of conversation is not good. It isn’t desirable to indulge in any talk but talk of God. You are their senior, and you are intelligent. You should not have encouraged them to talk about such matters.”
Narendra was then around 19, M. around 28.
Thus admonished, M. felt embarrassed, and the others also fell silent.
While the devotees were enjoying their meal, Sri Ramakrishna stood by and watched them with intense delight. That night the Master’s joy was very great.
After supper the devotees rested on the mat spread on the floor of the Master’s room.
They began to talk with him. It was indeed a mart of joy. The Master asked Narendra to sing the song beginning with the line: “In Wisdom’s firmament the moon of Love is rising full.”
Narendra sang, and other devotees played the drums and cymbals:
In Wisdom’s firmament the moon of Love is rising full, And Love’s flood-tide, in surging waves, is flowing everywhere. O Lord, how full of bliss Thou art! Victory unto Thee! On every side shine devotees, like stars around the moon; Their Friend, the Lord All-merciful, joyously plays with them. Behold! the gates of paradise today are open wide. The soft spring wind of the New Day raises fresh waves of joy; Gently it carries to the earth the fragrance of God’s Love, Till all the yogis, drunk with bliss, are lost in ecstasy. Upon the sea of the world unfolds the lotus of the New Day, And there the Mother sits enshrined in blissful majesty. See how the bees are mad with joy, sipping the nectar there! Behold the Mother’s radiant face, which so enchants the heart And captivates the universe! About Her Lotus Feet Bands of ecstatic holy men are dancing in delight. What matchless loveliness is Hers! What infinite content Pervades the heart when She appears! O brothers, says Premdas, I humbly beg you, one and all, to sing the Mother’s praise!
Sri Ramakrishna sang and danced, and the devotees danced around him.
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