and souls were His own to deal with just as He pleased! He was already to them the Polestar of this enigmatical life. It was for them now to watch how in His great Saul the Supreme Being, the Cause of causes, was reflected. Thus did some of the disciples think within themselves. They felt that they were truly blessed as they heard the Bhagavan chant the Name of the Divine Mother and of Hari, the Lord God who taketh away all trouble, all sin and iniquity.

The chanting of the Names being over, the Bhagavan prayed to the Mother. It seemed as if the God of Love had taken a human form in order to teach man how to pray. He said:

[Prayer to the Divine mother.] Mother, I throw myself upon Thy mercy. May the Lotus of Thy Feet ever keep me from whatever leadeth Thy children away from Thee! I seek not, good Mother, the pleasures of .the senses; I seek not fame. Nor do I long for those Siddhis (Yoga powers) which enable one to perform miracles. What I pray for, O Good Mother, is pure love for Thee, love untainted by desires, love without alloy, love which seeketh not the things of this world, love for Thee that welleth up unbidden from the depths of the immortal soul. Grant likewise,

[paragraph continues] O Mother, that Thy child, bewitched by the fascinations of Thy enchanting powers (Maya) may not forget Thee; yes, forget Thee, entangled in the charming net of Samsara that Thou hast woven. O, grant that he may never be charmed into loving these! O Good Mother, seest Thou not that Thy child hath none else in the world but Thee? I know not how to chant Thy Name out of deep devotion. Devoid am I of knowledge that leadeth to Thee--devoid of genuine love (Bhakti) for Thee! O, vouchsafe unto me that love out of Thine Infinite Mercy!

This evening prayer--was it called for in the case of this God-Man, for Him who chanted the Name of the Lord day and night, for Him out of whose hallowed mouth there flowed a never-ceasing stream of prayers unto the Most High? Was it then that the Master observed these forms in order to teach mankind how to live and pray?

iii

Girish had invited Sri Ramakrishna to his house. He must come that very night. The Bhagavan said to him: Do you not think it will be too late?

Girish: No, Revered Sir; Thou shalt come away as early as Thou pleasest.