Vaishnavcharan and Narendra Sing

Saturday, September 6, 1884

About 3PM, Sri Ramakrishna was seated in Adhar’s parlour on the second floor. Narendra, the Mukherji brothers, Bhavanath, M., Hazra, and other devotees were with the Master.

Arrangements were being made for Narendra to sing. While he was tuning the Tānpura, one of the strings snapped, and the Master exclaimed:

Ramakrishna

Oh! What have you done? You are beating that drum, and I feel as if someone were slapping my cheek.

Referring to the Kirtan, Narendra said:

Narendra

“There is not much rhythm in the Kirtan. That’s why it is so popular and people love it so much.”

Ramakrishna

“How silly! People like it because it is so tender and full of pathos.”

Narendra sang:

Sweet is Thy name, a Refuge of the humble! It falls like sweetest nectar on our ears And comforts us, Beloved of our souls! . . .

He sang again:

O Lord, must all my days pass by so utterly in vain? Down the path of hope I gaze with longing, day and night. Thou art the Lord of all the worlds, and I but a beggar here; How can I ask of Thee to come and dwell within my heart? My poor heart’s humble cottage door is standing open wide; Be gracious, Lord, and enter there but once, and quench its thirst!

Ramakrishna

(to Hazra, smiling): “That was the first song he sang for me.”

Narendra sang two more songs. Then Vaishnavcharan sang, describing the grief of the gopis at the sight of Krishna as king of Mathura:

O Hari, how shall we know You now? In Mathura’s royal splendour You have forgotten us. . . .

Ramakrishna

“Won’t you sing that one — ‘O Vina, sing Lord Hari’s name?’”

Vaishnavcharan sang:

O Vina, sing Lord Hari’s name! Without the blessing of His feet You cannot know the final Truth. The name of Hari slays all grief: Sing Hari’s name! Sing Krishna’s name! If only Hari shows His grace, Then I shall never be distressed. O Vina, sing His name but once; No earthly gem is half so rare. Govinda says: In vain my days Have passed. No longer may I float Here in life’s trackless ocean waste!

While listening to the song, the Master became abstracted. Saying “Ah me! Ah me!” he went into samādhi.

The devotees were sitting around him, their eyes riveted on him. The room was filled with people.

Master in ecstasy

The musician sang again. As he improvised new lines describing ecstatic love of God, the Master stood up and danced.

He himself improvised lines and sang them with outstretched arms. Soon he went into samādhi and sat down, with his head resting on the bolster in front of him. The musician was also carried away with emotion and sang new songs. Sri Ramakrishna again stood up and began to dance.

The devotees could not control themselves. They too danced with the Master. While dancing, Sri Ramakrishna every now and then went into deep samādhi. When he was in the deepest samādhi he could not utter a word and his whole body remained transfixed. The devotees danced encircling him.

After a while, regaining partial consciousness, he danced with the strength of a lion, intoxicated with ecstatic love. But even then he could not utter a word. Finally, regaining more of the consciousness of the world, he sang again, improvising the lines.

An intense spiritual atmosphere was created in Adhar’s parlour. At the sound of the loud music a large crowd had gathered in the street.

Sri Ramakrishna danced a long time in the company of the devotees. When he resumed his seat, still tinged with the lingering glow of divine fervour, he asked Narendra to sing “O Mother, make me mad with Thy love”.

Narendra sang:

O Mother, make me mad with Thy love! What need have I of knowledge or reason? . . .

Ramakrishna

“And that one — ‘Upon the Sea of Blissful Awareness’.”

Narendra sang:

Upon the Sea of Blissful Awareness waves of ecstatic love arise: Rapture divine! Play of God’s Bliss! Oh, how enthralling! . . .

Ramakrishna

“And that one too — ‘In Wisdom’s firmament’. Perhaps it is too long. Do you think so? All right, sing it slowly.”

Narendra sang:

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! . . .

Ramakrishna

“And won’t you sing that one — ‘The Wine of Heavenly Bliss’?”

Narendra sang:

Be drunk, O mind, be drunk with the Wine of Heavenly Bliss! Roll on the ground and weep, chanting Hari’s sweet name! Fill the arching heavens with your deep lion roar, Singing Hari’s sweet name! With both your arms upraised, Dance in the name of Hari and give His name to all. Swim by day and by night in the bliss of Hari’s love; Slay desire with His name, and blessed be your life!

The Master improvised, “Be drunk with prema and weep, chanting Hari’s sweet name.” And, “Be mad with divine fervour and weep, chanting His name.”