The Bhagavan then said to Keshab and other devotees with great feeling: You are Brahmos; you believe that God is formless and you do not believe in God Incarnate. Well, it matters not. You need not accept Radha and Sri Krishna as Incarnations of the Supreme Being; hut the intense love and yearning which the Gopis felt for Sri Krishna is a thing which you may well make your own, for yearning is the next step leading to God-vision.

iii

It was ebb-tide. The steamer was going fast down-stream towards Calcutta. It had got to the other side of the Howrah Bridge within sight of the Botanical Gardens. The Captain had orders to go a little farther down. How

far the steamer had actually proceeded was not known to those who were listening to Sri Ramakrishna and watching His movements. They listened with such rapt attention that they had no idea either of time or of distance.

Keshab now offered the Bhagavan puffed rice with the kernel of the cocoanut. All present were invited to partake of these. They took them in the folds of their cloth, ate and were very happy. It seemed as if a festival were being held on board the steamer. The Bhagavan noticed that Bijoy and Keshab were not quite at home in each other's pretence. He wished to see them make up their difference, for was not His mission to bring peace and goodwill among men? He said to Keshab:

Look, my dear sir, here is Bijoy. As to your quarrels, well, do not worry yourselves on their account. There was fighting even between Shiva and Rama. Shiva was Rama's spiritual Guru. After a little fighting, they made it up and became once more as good friends as ever. But the fighting went on among their followers. The gibbering of the ghosts and the chattering of the monkeys could not so easily be quieted down. You too will be very good friends, once again. But your followers,