Girish stood at the door of his house. He had come to receive the Bhagavan. Sri Ramakrishna came up with His disciples. At the blessed sight Girish fell at His feet prostrate. The sight was indeed a blessed one and the disciples looked on with awe and admiration. Girish received on his head the dust of His hallowed feet and rose at the Master's bidding. He led the way to the drawing-room, where the Bhagavan and His disciples took their seats. They longed to drink the nectar of His words which brought everlasting life.

He was about to take His seat when He found a newspaper lying by His side. As newspapers had to do with worldly-minded men, with worldly matters, with gossip and scandal, they were unholy objects in His eyes. He made a sign and the paper was put away. Thereupon He took His seat. Nityagopal [**] bowed down and saluted His feet.

Bhagavan (to Nitya): Well! and why did you not go there?

Nitya: Revered Sir, I was unable to go to Dakshineswara. I was out of sorts. There were pains all over my body.

Bhagavan: Are you keeping well now?

Nitya: Not very well, I am sorry to say.

Bhagavan: You would better remain one or two notes below the highest in the scale.

Nitya: Company does not suit me. They say all manner of things of me. That puts me into a fright. At times I am quite free from fear and I feel the spirit within me.

Bhagavan: That is only natural. Who is your constant companion?

Nitya: Tarak. At times he does not suit the state of my mind.

Bhagavan: Nangta [**] (Tota Puri) used to say

that they had at their Math a Siddha who had acquired some miraculous powers. He used to go about with his eyes fixed on the sky, not caring for his companion Ganesh Gorgy, yet when he left him, he became disconsolate.

By this time a change had come over the Bhagavan. He remained speechless for a while Returning to consciousness, he said: "You have come, have you? Well, I am here too." Who was there to fathom the mystery of these divine words!

v

Among the disciples who sat at the feet of Ramakrishna, Narendra did not believe in the Incarnation of God, while Girish had a burning faith that God incarnated Himself from age to age in this world of ours. The Bhagavan wished them to discuss the matter before Him.

Sri Ramakrishna (to Girish): I should like to hear you both talk over the matter in English.

The discussion was commenced. It was, however, carried on not in English but in Bengali, with here and there an English word.

[God manifest.] Narendra: God is Infinite; it is beyond our power to conceive Him by means of our poor intellect. God is in every human being, but He is not manifest in one particular individual.