Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Mahendranath Gupta Sri Ramakrishna Volume III of V Table of Contents Publisher's Note Prayer Three Classes of Evidence Usage of Expression ‘kamini kanchana’ Acknowledgements Section 1. Sri Ramakrishna's meeting with Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar in Calcutta Section 2. Sri Ramakrishna with the Devotees at Dakshineswar Temple Section 3. Sri Ramakrishna with Devotees at Dakshineswar Temple on the Vijaya Festival Day Section 4. Sri Ramakrishna on the Main Road to Calcutta with his Devotees Section 5. Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar Temple with Devotees Section 6. At the Dakshineswar Temple with Ratan and other Devotees Section 7. Sri Ramakrishna is invited to Calcutta Section 8. Sri Ramakrishna at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple Section 9. Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar with Pundit Shashadhar and other Devotees Section 10. Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar Temple with Devotees Section 11. Sri Ramakrishna Attends a Play about Prahlada's Life Section 12. Sri Ramakrishna with the Devotees at the Dakshineswar Temple Section 13. Sri Ramakrishna at a Devotee's house in Calcutta Section 14. Sri Ramakrishna in the Company of Devotees at Balaram's house Section 15. Sri Ramakrishna at Balaram Basu's House in Calcutta Section 16. Sri Ramakrishna, accompanied by Devotees, at the House of a Devotee Section 17. Sri Ramakrishna with Captain, Narendra and other Devotees, at Dakshineswar Section 18. Sri Ramakrishna at Devotees' Homes in Calcutta Section 19. Sri Ramakrishna at Devotees' Homes in Calcutta Section 20. Thakur with the Devotees on the holy Vijaya Dashami Day Section 21. Sri Ramakrishna at the Shyampukur House Section 22. Sri Ramakrishna at the Shyampukur House Section 23. With Devotees at the Cossipore Garden House Section 24. Sri Ramakrishna at the Cossipore Garden House with his intimate companions Section 25. Sri Ramakrishna at Cossipore Garden House with Narendra and other Devotees Section 26. Sri Ramakrishna at the Cossipore Garden House with his Intimate Companions Appendix – Sri Ramakrishna's first monastery Glossary Index of M.'s visits to Sri Ramakrishna M. (Mahendra Nath Gupta) Mahendra Nath was born on Friday, 14 July, 1854, 31st of Ashadha, 1261 B.Y., on the Naga Panchami day in Shiva Narayana Das Lane of Shimuliya locality of Calcutta. Mahendra Nath’s father was Madhusudan Gupta and mother Swarnamayi Devi. Madhusudan was a bhakta (a pious man) and Thakur was aware of his bhakti. Mahendra Nath was the third child of Madhusudan. It is said that Madhusudan got this son after performing mental worships of Shiva twelve times one after the other. For this reason, he had a special affection for this son and he was particularly careful that this child may not come to any harm. The boy Mahendra was extremely good -natured and had great love for his parents. Mahendra could recall many incidents of his early childhood. For example, he went with his mother to witness the Ratha festival of Mahesh when he was five. On their return journey the boat touched the Dakshineswar ghat. When everybody was busy having darshan of gods and goddesses in the temple, M. somehow got lost and found himself alone in the Nata Mandir in front of Bhavatarini shrine. And not finding his mother there he began to cry. At that moment somebody seeing him crying consoled and silenced him. Mahendra Nath used to say that this incident remained always uppermost in his mind. He would witness with his mental eye the bright radiance of the newly constructed and dedicated temple. He who came to console him was probably Thakur himself. As a boy Mahendra Nath studied in the Hare School. He was a very bright student and always held first or second position in his class. On his way to and from the school there was the shrine of Mother Sheetla of Thanthania. This shrine can now be seen in front of the College Street Market. On his way to and from the school he would never forget to stand before the deity to pay his obeisance. By virtue of intelligence and hard work he won scholarship and honours in his Entrance, F.A. and B.A. examinations. In his Entrance examination he won the second top position. In the F.A. examination though he missed one of his Mathematics papers, he was placed fifth in the merit list. In his B.A. he stood third in the year 1874. He was a favourite student of Prof. Tony in the Presidency College. While still in the college he was married to Nikunja Devi, the daughter of Thakur Charan Sen and a cousin sister of Keshab Sen in 1874. Sri Ramakrishna and the Holy Mother had great love and affection for Nikunja Devi too. When Nikunja Devi lost her son, she almost became mad with grief. At that time, Thakur would bring peace to her mind by stroking her body with his hand. Before entering the education line, he served for sometime with the government and then in a merchant house. But he could not stick to them. Thakur had already arranged a different way of life for him. He took up teaching in school and college. In Rippon, City and Metropolitan colleges, he taught English, Psychology and Economics. When he started going to Thakur in 1882, he was the headmaster of the Shyampukur branch of Vidyasagar’s school. Rakhal, Purna, Baburam, Vinod, Bankim, Tejachandra, Kshirode, Narayana and some other intimate devotees of Thakur were all students of his school. That is why they all called him Master Mahashay. For the same reason, he became famous in Sri Ramakrishna’s group of devotees as ‘Mahendra,’ ‘Master,’ or ‘Master Mahashay’. Thakur also called him ‘Master’ or ‘Mahendra Master’. Mahendra Nath was inclined towards religion since his early years. During these days Keshab Sen came up as a famous preacher and a founderthe founder of Navavidhan Brahmo Samaj. These days Mahendra Nath used to keep company with Keshab. He would take part in worship in Navavidhan Mandir, or in his house. At this time Keshab was his ideal. Later, he said that at times during worship Keshab Sen used to pray with such moving words that he looked like a divine personality. Mahendra Nath said that later on when he met Thakur and heard him, he realized that Keshab had derived this heart charming bhava from Thakur himself. Mahendra Nath met Thakur in Dakshineswar on February 26, 1882. As Thakur saw M., he recognized him as a right person eligible for divine knowledge. At the end of the first meeting when M. was leaving, Thakur said to him, ‘Come again.’ He felt sad when he came to know that M. was married and had children. But he also told him that there were very good (yogi like) signs on his forehead and eyes. At that time Mahendra Nath liked to meditate on the formless Brahman. He did not like to worship Bhagavan, or the deity in clay images. M. was very well read in Western pPhilosophy, Literature, History, Science, Economics and so on. He also had mastery on the Puranas, Sanskrit scriptures and epics. He knew by heart verses from Kumarsambhava, Shakuntala, Bhattikavya, Uttar Ramacharita etc. He had also studied Buddhist and Jain philosophies. He had digested the Bible, particularly the New Testament, very well. As a result of all this Mahendra Nath considered himself a scholar. However, during his first meeting with Thakur this pride of his received a blow. Thakur showed him the insignificance of the knowledge he had acquired. He made him realize that real knowledge is only to know God and all the rest is ignorance. A couple of blows received by him from Thakur’s words silenced Mahendra Nath. As Thakur would say, ‘A big frog is silenced forever after a croak or two when it falls a prey to a king cobra..’ So it happened with M. In his very first meeting Thakur taught M. how to keep both sides — of this world and the other world during one’s journey through the world. This is called ‘sannyasa in the household’. The essence of it can be summed up in this: Do all your work but keep your mind in God. Live with your wife, son, father, mother and others. Serve them taking them to be your very own but know in your mind that none of them is yours. Just as a the ‘mother of the pearl’ swimming on water receives a drop of rain of Swati (nakshatra, a conjunction of stars) and then dives deep into the sea and lies there rearing the pearl, M. followed this instruction of Thakur, and began to practise sadhana in the mind, in the forest, or in some solitary corner. He understood that the aim of human life is God- realization. He began his sadhana in a lonely place and whenever found time, he went and sat at Thakur’s feet. Lest he should fall into the whirlpool of household later on, Thakur put him to test from time to time and he would ask him the reason if he did not come to him for long. Thakur knew from the very beginning that M. would speak out Bhagavata to the people and teach it to them. Should he fall into the whirlpool of avidya (ignorance), Thakur’s desire would not be fulfilled through him. So with a keen sight he would keep observing whether some knot was not forming within M. When he made sure that M. had become efficient, Thakur said to him in January, 1884, ‘Now go and live at home. Let them know as if you are their own but be sure in your mind that you are not theirs, nor they are yours.’ Throughout his life Mahendra Nath practised this mantra of sannyasa in household.