Brinda: Oh dear no; not a single one. Everything, even the highest truths, is spoken by His tongue. His words are all inspired.

Mahendra: Indeed! Is He now going through he evening service? May we go in? Will you kindly tell Him of our anxiety to see Him?

Brinda: Why, you may go in, my. children. Go in and take your seats before Him.

Thereupon they entered the room. No other people were there. Bhagavan Sri was alone, seated as in the afternoon on the platform beside His bed. Incense was burning and the doors were closed. Mahendra saluted the Bhagavan with folded hands. A mat was pointed out on the floor. At His word Mahendra and his friend took their seats upon it. The Bhagavan asked him: What is your name? Where do you live? What are you? What has brought you to Barahanagore? [**]

Mahendra answered each of these questions, but he noticed that in the course of the conversation Sri Ramakrishna's mind was fixed upon some other object, on which He was meditating. He was only half-conscious of the physical plane and His attitude resembled that of a man quietly seated rod in hand, intent on catching fish. When the float trembles and the fish bites, the man eagerly looks at the float,

grasping the rod with all his strength. He does not talk to anyone, but his whole mind is fixed upon the float. Such was the Bhagavan's concentration at this moment. Mahendra learned afterwards that this was the state of Samadhi or God-consciousness which invariably came over Him every day during the evening service. Very often in this state He would become absolutely unconscious of the external world. Mahendra, observing His abstraction, said to Sri Ramakrishna: I am afraid, Bhagavan, that Thou wouldst prefer to go through the evening service (Sandhya) alone. In that case we will not disturb Thee any more, but will call some other time.

Sri Ramakrishna replied: Oh no, you need not be in a hurry.

But He was silent again for a time. He then opened His lips and said: Sandhya? Evening service? It is not that.

A short while after, Mahendra saluted the Bhagavan, who in turn bade him good-bye, saying, "Come again."

Footnotes

^21:* "Bhagavan" is a Sanskrit word meaning "The Blessed Lord." When the word is used without the accent on "a" of the last syllable it signifies the vocative case used in addressing a Saviour.

^23:* Bijoy was the first name of Bijoy Krishna Goswami, the celebrated preacher, lecturer, writer and spiritual teacher (Acharya) of the Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta.

^23:+ Ajamila was the name of a sinner who received salvation by repeating the name of the Lord (which was also the name of his son) at the last moment of his life. The story of his life is given in the Puranas and is well known to the Hindus.