Whenever Sri Ramakrishna had occasion to travel he needed a companion because no one, including the Master himself, knew when he might go into samadhi. In such an event someone had to be ready to hold him, if necessary, to prevent him from falling. In March of 1875 Sri Ramakrishna and Hriday went to meet Keshab Chandra Sen, a famous Brahmo leader, at a garden house in Belgharia where he was conducting a retreat. They drove there in a horse carriage and arrived early in the afternoon. Hriday went alone to speak to Keshab and introduce his uncle. “My uncle is a great lover of God,” he said. “He loves to hear talk and songs about the Lord. When he hears them, he goes into samadhi. He has heard that you are a great devotee, and he has come to listen to you talk about God and His glories. With your kind permission, I’ll bring him to you.” Keshab of course agreed, and Hriday brought the Master to where Keshab’s group was seated. At first sight, Keshab and the sceptical Brahmos saw nothing out of the ordinary in Sri Ramakrishna.
“Is it true, gentlemen,” Sri Ramakrishna asked humbly, “that you have the vision of God? I want so much to know what it’s like. That’s why I’ve come to see you.” Then the Master sang a song of Ramprasad: “Who knows what Kali is? The six philosophies cannot explain her.” Immediately after singing, he went into samadhi. The Brahmos had no concept of samadhi, so they took it to be a kind of mental illness or a trick of Sri Ramakrishna’s to impress them. Hriday then started to repeat Om in the Master’s ear in order to bring him back to the normal plane. Gradually the Master’s face beamed with joy, and in an ecstatic mood he charmed Keshab and his disciples by telling them parables. On 21 September 1879, Sri Ramakrishna again visited Keshab, this time at his Calcutta home. There, during kirtan, Sri Ramakrishna stood up and went into samadhi, and Hriday immediately held him. Keshab had a photographer take a picture of Sri Ramakrishna and Hriday, while the Master was in samadhi. This was the first photograph of the Master. (Source: They Lived with God)