It was about nine in the evening. Balaram had made his offerings ready for Sri Ramakrishna's supper. The gracious Bhagavan would not wound his feelings. He said to Balaram: "Send over to Girish's house the food that you have prepared for me." Saying this, He set out, followed by His disciples. Going downstairs from the first floor, He became like another being; He looked as if He was lost in the thought of God--as if He had drunk deep! It seemed as if sense-consciousness was beginning to leave Him. A disciple went forward to hold Him by the hand, lest He should miss His footing. The Bhagavan said to him with great tenderness: "If you hold me by the hand, people will say, 'He is a drunkard.' Let me walk alone without any help." He crossed the next turning just a little way from Girish's house. What made Him walk so fast? The disciples were left behind. No one knew what Divine idea had found its way into His heart. What made Him walk like a madman? Was it because He was thinking of that Being who in the Vedanta is said to be beyond the reach of word and thought?

Here was Narendra coming! Many a day had the Bhagavan cried, calling "Narendra,

[paragraph continues] [Ramakrishna's ecstasy.] Narendra," like one gone mad. But now Narendra was there before Him and yet He exchanged no word with him. Was this what people called Bhava (ecstasy), a state into which Chaitanya is said to have been constantly thrown? Who was there to penetrate the mystery of this Divine ecstasy?

Sri Ramakrishna had come to the end of the lane leading to Girish's house. The disciples were all following. He now spoke to Narendra, saying: "Is it well with you, my child? I had not the power then to talk to you." Every word that fell from His lips was marked by tenderness. He had not as yet come to the door of the house, but all at once He stopped short. He looked at Narendra and said: "This is one of the two,--the human soul, and the other is the cosmos." Was He indeed looking at the soul and the world? If so, in what light? He was gazing on Indescribable Brahman! One or two words had dropped from His hallowed lips, like some solemn texts from inspired Scriptures. Or was it that He had gone to the edge of the Infinite Ocean and stood there speechless, looking on the Boundless Expanse, and had heard one or two echoes reverberating

from the never-ceasing voice that comes up from the Eternal Deep?

iv