CHAPTER III.
SINGING THE NAME OF THE LORD WITH DISCIPLES.
Sri Râmakrishna expresses a desire to listen to the chanting of hymns. Balaram's drawing-room is filled with visitors. Every one watches the Master, eager to hear whatever may fall from his lips and mark what he is going to do next. Tarapada is invited to sing. He sings a song describing the sports of the 'Shepherd of Men,' Sri Krishna.
1 Brâhmo Samâj.
SONG.
1. Have mercy on my miserable self, Oh God.1 Thou who usedst to go about in the groves of Brindaban, Thou Charmer of the Mind, Thou, who usedst to play on the sweet flute while Incarnate in Brindaban.
(Oh my mind, say 'O Sweet Lord.'2 say, 'O Sweet Lord.')
2. At Brindaban, Thou didst pass Thy days in boyhood, Thou didst kill the dragon3, Oh Lord! Thou sayest 'Fear not, to the weary and heavy-laden that pray for Thy help in their trouble! How beautiful art Thou with Thy loving eyes looking askance and with the peacock's feather dancing on Thy forehead. Thou bringest joy unto the heart of the greatest4 of the lovers of God. It was Thou who didst lift up the hill5 on Thy arm. It was Thou who didst pull down the pride of Kamsa; it was Thou who didst once enjoy the company of Thy great devotees, the Gopis, during that manifestation6 of the Highest Divine Love, at Brindaban.
Oh Thou of the dark complexion, so beautiful with wild flowers decorating Thy person!
(Oh my mind, say 'O Sweet Lord,' say, 'O Sweet Lord.')
Sri Râmakrishna (to Girish): What a charming song! Didst thou compose it?
A disciple: Yes, Sir; he has composed all the songs in the drama called Chaitanya-lila.
Master: (to Girish): This song is grand! (To the singer.) Canst thou sing about, Nitaye (Brother, in the Lord, of Chaitanya)?
He sings about Nitaye preaching the love of God taught by Chaitanya.
1 Keshava.
2 Hari.
3 Kâliya,
4 Râdhikâ.
5 Govardhana.
6 Râsa.
SONG.
ECSTATIC LOVE OF GOD.
1 Come those that want the love of God once taught at Brindaban by the most Beloved1 of the Lord.
The high tide of that love floweth past and is not going to last for a long time! Have a care!
2. Do ye not see this love streaming out in a hundred different directions? He who wanteth it shall get as much as he pleaseth.
3. Sri Râdhikâ is made of this love, pure and simple. She it is to whom it is given to deal out this love.
Now therefore say 'O sweet Lord'2 at the call of this love.
Oh! this love maketh one's heart intoxicated with the joy of the Lord. It maketh it dance with this Joy!
4. Say, Say 'O sweet Lord' at the call of this love.
Oh come! Oh come!
The next song was about Chaitanya himself.
SONG.
GAURANGA (CHAITANYA) GOD-INCARNATE.
1. O Lord3 of the Fair Complexion, what divine idea hath brought Peace unto Thy life when Thou goest about in the guise of Gauranga?
Oh! Thou art immersed in the Sea of Divine Love!
That Sea hath been broken into waves by the strong wind of Enthusiasm that is blowing. It is not too much to say that many will bid adieu to the honour of their families for Thy dear sake and join Thee!
(O Lord, Thou hast taken my mind!)
2. It was Thou, O Lord, who usedst when Incarnated as Sri Krishna, to tend the cows at Brindaban! It was Thou Who heldst between Thy fingers that enchanting flute of Thine which once took the minds of the Gopis!
1 Râdhikâ.
2 Hari.
3 Gour.
It was Thou who once raisedst on Thy arm the hill of Govardhan and so kept Brindaban from destruction! O, it was Thou who didst fall at the feet of the Gopis to atone for the offence of wounding their dignity; and hadst the moon of Thy fair face swimming in tears of repentant love!
(O, Sweet Lord! Thou hast taken my mind!)
Everybody presses M. to sing. M. is shy and asks in whispers to be excused.
Girish (to the Master, and smiling): Sir, we cannot with all our combined efforts make M. sing a single song! (Laughter.)
Sri Râmakrishna (annoyed): He will no doubt show his teeth at school! Strange that all his shyness springs up at the time of chanting the Name of the Lord!
M. looks blank for some time.
Suresh (Mitra), another disciple, is seated at some distance from the Master. Sri Râmakrishna smiles on him affectionately and points to Girish.
Sri Râmakrishna (to Suresh): Do you talk of the wild life that you once lived? O, here is one who is very much more than your match! (Laughter.)
Suresh (laughing): That is indeed true, Revered Sir! He is my dada (respected elder brother) in that respect. (Laughter).
Girish (to Master): I never paid attention to my studies in my boyhood. How is it, Revered Sir, that people do insist on calling me learned in spite of all this?
Sri Râmakrishna: Mahima Chakravarti has gone through a pretty large number of the Sacred Books.
(To M.): Is it not so, M?
M.: Quite so, Revered Sir.
Girish: What do you speak about, Sir? Is it learning? Then excuse me, please, I am not the person to stand in awe before it.
Master (smiling): Do you know what I think of it? Books—Sacred Scriptures—all point the way to God. Once you know the way, what is the use of books? Then the hour comes for the culture of the Soul in solitary communion with God.
A person had received a letter in which he was asked to send certain things to his kinsmen. He was going to order the purchase of the things when, looking about for the letter, he found it was missing! He searched for a long time. His people also joined him in the search. At last the letter was found and his joy knew no bounds. With great eagerness he took it up and went through its contents. It ran as follows:—"Please to send five seers of sweetmeats1 and one piece of cloth." When he knew the contents he threw the letter on one side and set forth to get the things wanted.
How long then does one care for such a letter? So long as one does not know its contents. The next step is to put forth one's efforts to get the things desired.
1 Sandesh.
Similarly the Sacred Books only tell us of the way leading to God, that is, of the means for the realisation of God. The way being once known the next step is to work one's way to the goal. Realisation is the goal.
What is the use of mere book-learning? The pandits may be familiar with plenty of sacred texts and couplets. But what is the good of repeating them? One must realise in one's soul all that is mentioned in the Scriptures. Mere reading shall not bring knowledge or salvation, so long as one is attached to the world, so long as one loves 'Woman and Gold' (i.e., carnality and worldliness).
In the almanac it is recorded that the rainfall will reach 20 adas (measures of capacity). But wring the almanac, not a drop will come out! not a single drop! although you may want it very much! (Laughter.)
Girish (smiling): Revered Sir, what do you say about the almanac? Will not a single drop come out of it? (Laughter.)
Master (smiling): Oh, the scholar will talk very big, but he will have his eyes all the time from his high place upon 'woman and gold' or, in other words, on sensual pleasure and the 'almighty dollar.'
The vulture soars high up in the sky but its gaze is fixed on charnel-pits—places where the carcasses of dead animals are thrown. (Laughter.) Oh, they have a keen eye from their high place on those pits and carcasses below!
Narendra.
Master (to Girish): Narendra is a young man of a very high order. He is in for everything:—singing, playing on musical instruments on the one hand, the study of the various branches of knowledge on the other. He possesses the virtues of temperance and truthfulness and, what is more, is already beginning to know that God is real, that things of the world are of a fleeting nature, and that one should not be attached to them. Many and various are the good qualities that he has.
(To M.): Well! Do you not think he is very good?
M: Quite so, Revered Sir; he is, indeed, as you have described him.
Sri Râmakrishna (aside to M.): Just look at his (Girish's) devotion to the Lord and his faith in Him—which is as firm as a rock!
M. looks on Girish with wonder. Girish has been coming to the Master only a very few days. But M. sees in him a familiar friend and brother—his own flesh and blood—'one of the brilliant gems strung together with one and the same thread in a necklace!'
* * * *
Narayan said, Revered Sir, shall we not have the pleasure of listening to your songs?
Upon this the Master chanted the Name of the Divine Mother of the Universe in a voice that in its sweetness captured the heart of every one present.
SONG.
The Beloved Mother of the Universe.
1. Oh my Soul! do thou clasp to thy heart my Beloved Mother.
Let thee and me alone have the privilege of looking on Her; Let Her be seen by none else, by none else!
2. The desires—Oh get out of their way, my soul; and then let us enjoy Her Presence alone; only let us have the organ of speech (the tongue) for our sole companion that we may cry out unto Her, saying "Mother, O Mother!"
3. There are the evil desires; there are those which point to us the path leading to worldliness: oh, do not let them come near us!
Let the eye of Wisdom that leadeth Godward keep watch and keep us away from evil.
The Master then sings another song as if he were placed in the position of the weary and heavy-laden men of the world, who bend under the weight of their trials and sufferings.
SONG.
The Mother and Weary Children.
1. Oh Mother1! Thou art made of Bliss Everlasting; why then is it denied unto me?
2. My soul, Oh Good Mother! knoweth not anything but the lotus of Thy hallowed Feet.
Why then doth the Ruler of Death, the King of Justice, find fault with me? Tell me what answer to make to that dreaded King?
3. It was my heart's wish, oh Mother! to repeat Thy Sacred Name and go my way across this Sea of the World. But not even in my dream had I the least idea that I should be drowned by Thee in this shoreless ocean.
1 Durgâ.
Day and night, Oh Mother! Thou Consort of the God of Eternity! have I been repeating Thy Sacred Name, which bringeth salvation unto Thy weary children. But alas! my endless troubles will never leave me; I only regret that if I die in this miserable plight no one else will ever take Thy Name.
The Master next sings about the Joy of the Divine Mother, the Manifested Energy of the Absolute. He sees with his own spiritual insight the Joy that the Mother, the Personal God (Who creates, preserves and destroys), feels in communion with the Impersonal or the Absolute.
SONG.
The Great Mystery! The Personal-Impersonal Ecstasy.
1. In the company of the Absolute,1 Oh Mother, Thou art always Immersed in sportive Joy.
2. Thou art deep drunk with the wine of that Joy. Thou art reeling but Thou dost not lose Thy footing! The Absolute, Thy Husband, lieth down and moveth not.*
3. Thou standest on His Breast and lookest as if Thou hast lost all control over Thyself.
4. The Universe quaketh under the weight of Thy Feet. Mad are Thy Looks as well as of Thy Consort.
* * * *
The disciples listen to the songs in deep silence. What strikes them is the change that has come over the Master. He is beside himself with the Joy of the Lord—intoxicated with the Unbounded Bliss.
* Does this mean that we receive no message from the Absolute and that the personal side of God is the only actor before our eyes?
1 Siva.
The song comes to an end. The Master says after a while, 'I am sorry I could not sing well to-day; I have caught cold!'