In plain words
When they go to the Ganga to bathe, fish come to their legs and bite. They come home holding them in their hands. To go from Kamalakpur to Calcutta one has to cross the river Ganga. He gathered all the young people around him and taught them spiritual matters in the form of stories. But the effect of the Kali age today is to mock good satsaṅga when people see it. 'Why Bhakti at such a young age, boy? Work at a job, and after you retire, say Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. Why this Bhakti for you from now on?' So parents abuse the young. They criticise them. In those days all the young men gathered around Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna drew up a timetable. 'On such and such a day you, on such and such a day you, must go to the city and fetch fish.' One day Brahmānanda went by boat. As soon as Brahmānanda came, the boatmen saw his ochre robe. They began their abuse. 'That madman has nothing to do, and these boys have nothing to do either. He gathers boys for no reason and ruins them; he is a thief': so they abused Ramakrishna as they pleased. They looked upon Ramakrishna as a madman. When they abused his guru, he could not bear it. But what could he do? He was a gentle soul. He kept his mouth shut. He went, yet he was afraid to come back in the boat. He was afraid of what they would say against him again. He came back to the ashram. 'Brahmānanda, come,' he said. He came wiping his eyes. Why are you crying? 'Swami! These people say things about you that should not be said. They abuse you with very harsh words. Even if they criticise us, it does not matter. They are criticising you. I cannot listen to it. I am very sad,' he said. Ramakrishna grew angry. Chī, chī! Is a disciple who listens to abuse of his guru any disciple at all? You cannot stay in the ashram. get out. How could you go on listening? Is it not a sin to listen to abuse of the guru? Abusing is their sin. Listening is your sin. But what could he do? He sat down again, crying. The next day it fell to Narendra to go. Vivekānanda. They abused him in the same way too. All those in the boat. They kept mocking. He got into the boat and took his ticket. 'Shut your mouth,' he said. To the one who abused him. That fellow went on abusing him still more. He beat them with all his strength. 'I will lift one of you and throw him into the Ganga,' he said. They were terrified. No one opened his mouth again. He went and brought the fish. When he came back, all were afraid. No one spoke. After he came back, he said, 'Come.' 'What happened?' 'What happened to Brahmānanda happened,' he said.