GOSPEL OF RAMAKRISHNA
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 ser- mons for the spiritual welfare of humanity, which will never die in the memory of those who had the rare privilege of listening to Him. The first part of the day was given to San-kirtan (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 fre-quently in a state of Samadhi. They were singing. Suddenly He rose to His feet, saying: "0 my friend, do thou bring my beloved Krish-na 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,[1] the chief of the Gopis. He realized that He and Radha were one. With those words He stood Ramakrish-na's ecstasy. 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
- ↑ See note page 191.
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