are my companions in weal and woe." Pointing to the young boys who came to him, he would say, "They are happy in my happiness, miserable in my sorrow; in weal and woe they are always with me."
Whenever he comes, all the others follow. He had brought Naren from the
Saptarshi. While meditating in the Kali temple at Dakshineswar, he saw in a vision Sambhu Mallick standing behind Mother Kali. He had even seen Balaram Babu in a vision. When he met him for the first time, he could immediately recognize, "Yes! I saw him like this-with a turban, and of fair complexion."
Once the Master said, "Why did they offer the food before the photograph (of the Master) instead of offering it to the Mother Kali?" We were a little uneasy that this smelt of a bad omen. The Master, however, comforted us, saying, "Don't worry. You will see, in due course, I will be worshipped in every home. I swear, it will come to pass!"
1 The people nowadays are clever-they have taken his photograph! Take the case of Master Mahasaya. Is he an ordinary soul? He has noted down all the words of the Master. Which Avatara has been photographed, and whose words been recorded in this fashion?
Disciple: Master Mahasaya said about the
Kathamrita (or
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna) that the available material with him will make up ten or twelve volumes. Lord knows, when all of it will be published!
Mother-; True. He too has become old now. Who knows, he may not live long enough to complete everything.
Disciple: Mother, didn't you tell me at Jayrambati, that the Master will come again among his white-skinned devotees?
Mother: No, I said that many white-skinned devotees will come to him. Don't you see, for instance, many Christians getting attracted towards the Master'! He had said, he will stay for a hundred years in the hearts of the devotees, and then come again. I told him, "I do not want to come again!" Lakshmi too said that she wouldn't come again, even if she were chopped into shreds like tobacco leaves! The Master smiled and said, "How can you escape? Our roots are twined together like the
Kalmi plant
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1 It is sacrilegious to offer to a man the gifts that are meant for the Deity, and hence this fear that it may bring about some misfortune. Sri Ramakrishna also seems to show this feeling at first in his mood as a humble devotee, but the subsequent part of the conversation would show that worship of him is not improper if one understands his Divine aspect. It is indicative of the alternating moods of a devotee and of the Divinity that used to be on him.