- The Holy Ghost
- Unselfish and Unconditional Love
- Ajapa Japam
- Anger is a Deadly Sin
- Let Him Who Likes Do So
- Free Will and Predestination
- Self-control and Truthfulness
- Inner and Outer Circles
- Date Palm Juice and Black Cobra
- Don’t See Fault in Others
- Testing Sri Ramakrishna
- Swami Achalananda’s Desire to Become a Monk
- “Is She Just Your Mother?”
- Merit of Building a Thousand Temples
Ramakrishna recognized Niranjan as one of his inner circle, an ishwarakoti — a godlike soul who is perfect from his very birth and is never trapped by maya. Once in a vision Ramakrishna saw the luminous form of Niranjan playing with a bow and arrows. Later he remarked that Niranjan had been born as a partial incarnation of Ramachandra.
After he had been at Cossipore three or four months, Ramakrishna’s body became so emaciated that it was hard to recognize him. But his devotees still hoped that he would free himself from the cancer. During this time the Master told Niranjan: “Look, I am now in such a state that whoever sees me in this condition will attain liberation in this life by the grace of the Divine Mother. But know for certain that it will shorten my life.” Upon hearing this from the Master, Niranjan became more vigilant about his guard duty. He sat at the gate day and night with a turban on his head and a stick in his hand to keep outsiders from visiting the Master. Niranjan sometimes had to hurt people, but he accepted this as an unpleasant duty necessary to protect the Master’s life.
Vivekananda wrote from America on 22 October 1894: “Why doesn’t Niranjan learn Pali in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] and study Buddhist scriptures? I cannot make out what good will come of aimless rambling.”
Towards the end, he was stricken with cholera. Like a hero, he took shelter on the bank of the Ganges and surrendered himself to God. When his attendant offered to serve him, Niranjanananda declined. When the attendant nevertheless insisted, he said, “Don’t you want me to die in peace?” Then the attendant reluctantly departed. Swami Niranjanananda, a heroic monk of Sri Ramakrishna, passed away in samadhi on 9 May 1904.
Later, Niranjanananda’s attendant realized the truth of Sri Ramakrishna’s prediction: “Do you know what these youngsters are like? They are like certain plants that grow fruit first and then flowers. These devotees first of all have the vision of God; next, they hear about his glories and attributes, and at last they are united with him. Look at Niranjan. He always keeps his accounts clear. He will be able to go whenever he hears the call.”