On 28 July 1885, Sri Ramakrishna, with M. and others, visited the house of two brahmin sisters, one of whom was grief-stricken because of her daughter’s death. One sister was busy with the arrangements for the Master’s refreshments, while the grief-stricken woman was so overwhelmed with joy at his presence that she would not leave the room where he was. M. was reminded of the story of Martha and Mary in the Bible, and later he told that story to Sri Ramakrishna. The Master then said: “Well, after seeing all this, what do you feel?”
M.: “I feel that Christ, Chaitanyadeva, and yourself — all three are one and the same.”
Master: “Yes, yes! One! One! It is indeed one. Don’t you see that it is He alone who dwells here in this way.”
M.: “You explained clearly, the other day, how God incarnates Himself on earth.”
Master: “Tell me what I said.”
M.: “You told us to imagine a field extending to the horizon and beyond. It extends without any obstruction; but we cannot see it on account of a wall in front of us. In that wall there is a round hole. Through the hole we see a part of that infinite field.” Master: “Tell me what that hole is.”
M.: “You are that hole. Through you can be seen everything — that Infinite Meadow without any end.”
Patting M.’s back, Sri Ramakrishna expressed his pleasure at M.’s understanding.
After he had been visiting the Master for some time, M. felt the urge to renounce family life and become a monk. But Sri Ramakrishna had set out a different path for him and discouraged him from this idea, saying: “You are well established in God already. Is it good to give up all?”23 Another day he said: “God binds the Bhagavata pandit to the world with one tie; otherwise, who would remain to explain the sacred book? He keeps the pandit bound for the good of men. That is why the Divine Mother has kept you in the world.”
Again, one evening when M. was alone with him at Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna said in an ecstatic mood: “Let nobody think that if he does not do Mother’s work, it would remain undone. The Mother can turn even a straw into a teacher.” This erased any doubts left in M.’s mind. He understood that he should surrender completely to the will of the Master. He remained living as a hidden yogi in his family setting. He practised inner sannyasa (renunciation), without being indifferent to his duties and responsibilities. He was successful as a teacher, yet he had the calmness of a yogi. He was very humble and served monks and devotees with deep sincerity. Thus he combined the virtues of a householder with the spiritual intensity of a monk. (Source: They Lived with God)
Because of Sri Ramakrishna’s great affection and kindness towards her, Golap-ma somehow summoned up the courage to invite him to her poor dilapidated house in North Calcutta, where she lived with her brothers. M. beautifully described this memorable visit on 28 July 1885:
…. Sri Ramakrishna was seated on a carpet. The brahmani’s sister came to the Master and saluted him. She said: “Sister has just gone to Nanda Basu’s house to inquire the reason for your delay in coming here. She will return presently.” The brahmani’s sister exclaimed, “Here comes sister!”
The brahmani came and saluted the Master. She was beside herself with joy. She did not know what to say. In a half-choked voice she said: “This joy is too much for me. Perhaps I shall die of it. Tell me, friends, how shall I be able to live? I did not feel such a thrill even when Chandi, my daughter, used to visit the house accompanied by liveried footmen, with armed guards lining both sides of the street. Oh! Now I have no trace of my grief at her death. I was afraid he [Sri Ramakrishna] would not come. Then I thought that, if that happened, I should throw into the Ganges all the things I had arranged for his reception and entertainment. I should not speak to him anymore. If he visited a place, I should go there, look at him from a distance, and then come away.” ……
At 8:00 p.m. Sri Ramakrishna went from Golap-ma’s house to that of Yogin-ma. Golap-ma followed him there and then went with him to Balaram’s house. After supper M. was alone with Sri Ramakrishna massaging his feet. Referring to Golap-ma and her sister, M. said to the Master:
“How amazing! A similar thing happened with two women at the time of Jesus. They too were sisters, and devoted to Christ. Martha and Mary.”
Master (eagerly): “Tell me the story.”
M.: “Jesus Christ, like you, went to their house with his devotees. At the sight of Him one of the sisters was filled with ecstatic happiness. . . . The other sister, all by herself, was arranging the food to entertain Jesus. She complained to the Master, saying: ‘Lord, please judge for yourself — how wrong my sister is! She is sitting in your room and I am doing all these things by myself.’ Jesus said: ‘Your sister indeed is blessed. She has developed the only thing needful in human life: love of God.’”
Master: “Well, after seeing all this, what do you feel?”
M.: “I feel that Christ, Chaitanyadeva, and yourself — all three are one and the same.”
Master: “Yes, yes! One! One! It is indeed one.” (Source: They Lived with God)