It is a great education to live with a god-intoxicated person. From Vrindaban Brahmananda went to Vindhyachal via Allahabad. Ambikananda later reminisced:
The first night Maharaj, my father, our host, and I slept in the same room. It was nearing midnight when I felt a gentle touch. I woke up. I saw Maharaj dressed and covered with a heavy blanket. He said to me: “Get up and dress yourself in warm clothing. I want you to come with me.” Without any hesitation I did as I was told, though it did not occur to me at the time to inquire where we were going. Maharaj took a lantern in one hand and a stick in the other, and asked me to follow him. We went outside. It was the night of the new moon and pitchdark. The path was uneven. Realizing that I was stumbling, Maharaj gave me the lantern to carry and held me by the hand. I asked him then, “Where are we going?” He replied, “To see the Divine Mother.”
When we entered the temple compound we found the place crowded with worshippers. Some were counting beads and others were chanting the praises of the Divine Mother. There was an intense spiritual atmosphere. The door of the temple was still closed. The priests were decorating Mother’s image for the special occasion. When the doors opened, the pilgrims stood up and moved forward slowly to have the darshan [sight] of Mother. In the meantime the priests caught sight of Maharaj. Seeing his benign face and impressed by his personality, they stopped the pilgrims from proceeding and let Maharaj enter first. He was still holding my hand, and I was following him. When Maharaj stood before the image of the Divine Mother, he exclaimed: “Ah! How beautiful, how beautiful!” The next moment he was in ecstasy. There was perfect silence in the temple. The priests and pilgrims watched Maharaj’s god-intoxicated state in amazement. After a while, still in an ecstatic mood, Maharaj asked me to sing a song to the Divine Mother. While I was singing, tears of joy fell from the outer corners of his eyes. It was a divine sight to behold. Maharaj asked me to sing another song, after which we prostrated before Mother and came out in the courtyard. Maharaj sat down in one corner to perform japam and asked me to sit also. I said, “What shall I do?” Maharaj replied: “Think of the presence of Divine Mother. Later I shall instruct you.” We stayed for a while and returned to the house before daybreak. (Source: God Lived with Them)