CHAPTER VIII

FEAST AT THE GARDEN-HOUSE OF SURENDRA [**]

SRi RAMAKRISHNA was invited by one of His beloved disciples, Surendra, a householder, to a feast made in his garden-house at Kankurgachi near Calcutta.

These feasts were invariably occasions for the gathering of His disciples, devotees and admirers. They were times of real festivity and rejoicing, during which the Holy Name of God was chanted to the accompaniment of Mridangas and other musical instruments. All the while the Bhagavan could be seen at His best, singing, dancing with the joy of the Lord, and frequently lost in that blessed state of ecstasy or Samadhi. When the singing of devotional

hymns and the spiritual excitement which came with it were over, the company present would be treated by the Bhagavan to one of those celestial conversations, so laden with sermons for the spiritual welfare of humanity, which will never die in the memory of those who had the rare privilege of listening to Him.

[Ramakrishna's ecstasy.] The first part of the day was given to Sankirtan (singing forth the Name of the Lord). They were singing the songs telling of the separation of the Gopis from the Lord Sri Krishna, who had gone to Mathura. In the course of the songs, the Bhagavan was frequently in a state of Samadhi. They were singing. Suddenly He rose to His feet, saying: "O my friend, do thou bring my beloved Krishna to me or take me over to the place where He is." The Bhagavan, it would appear, had merged His personality in that of Radha, [**] the chief of the Gopis. He realized that He and Radha were one. With those words He stood speechless and motionless, with fixed half-closed eyes that moved not, evidently having lost all sense-consciousness. Coming to Himself, He again, in a voice that

drew tears from the eyes of those who heard Him, cried out: "O my friend, do me this favor and I shall be thy most devoted servant. Remember it was thou that taughtest me my love for the Beloved."

The chorus went on singing. Radha was made in the song to say: "O! I will not go to the bank of the Jamuna to draw water, for coming up to the Kadamba tree I am put in mind of my own, my Beloved." Ramakrishna, heaving a sigh, said, "Ah, me!" As the chorus chanted aloud the name of the Lord, the Bhagavan was again on His feet and in Samadhi. Recovering His sense-consciousness, He could only repeat inarticulately: "Kitma, Kitma," for "Krishna, Krishna."

The Sankirtan was brought to a close by the Bhagavan Himself leading the chorus in the well-known piece: "Victory to Radha, Victory to Govinda," and dancing with His disciples, who formed a ring around Him.