During his training with Shri Ramakrishna, the story of Naren's life is to be told in terms of ideas and realizations. Wonderful was the relationship between Guru and disciple, a full account of which can never be given. So close, so deep was their love and regard for each other, that their followers always think of them as one soul-Ramakrishna-Vivekananda-; for thought of the one involves awareness of the other. Theirs was a spiritual relationship without a touch of worldliness. From the moment Naren came to the Master and asked, "Sir, have you seen God?" began the spiritual growth of the disciple ending in his illumination. The climax was reached when the spirit of the Master, before he left the body, descended upon the disciple. This relationship served a great impersonal purpose the revival of the religion of the Vedas and the preaching of a New Gospel suited to the needs of the modern world.

Great Teachers who have themselves realized the highest Truth, when they come in contact with a fit disciple, are eager to impart that Truth. Shri Ramakrishna recognized Naren's spiritual potentialities. Nevertheless Naren needed time to ripen, as we see from his terror of losing his individuality when the Master tried to put him into Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Referring humorously to this incident later on one occasion, Ramakrishna said to Naren: "A man died and became an evil spirit. Anxious to have a companion, whenever the spirit heard that someone had passed away it would at once go to that place hoping to get a companion; but every time it returned disappointed, because the soul had been liberated through some act or other of piety. Such is the case with me. As soon as I saw you I thought I had a friend, but you too said that you had your father and mother at home! I am therefore living alone without a companion, like the spirit in the story.

The other devotees did not understand, nor did Naren. Sometimes he regarded Shri Ramakrishna as an old man subject to hallucinations; at other times he was overcome by the Master's affection and lovingly responded to it. It was really the Master's love which enabled Naren to hold on until he could appreciate him intellectually. Something "held" him, as it were. As Naren said at that time, "It is his love for me that binds me to him."

Once Narendra did not appear at Dakshineswar for several days and Shri Ramakrishna was much disturbed. One day during this period, two devotees, Ramdayal and Baburam (later Swami Premananda), came to see the Master. Shri Ramakrishna asked Ramdayal about Narendranath, and said, "Well, he has not come here for a long time. I long to see him. Will you please ask him to come here soon? You won't forget it?" The visitors remained there for the night. About I1 o'clock, when everyone had retired to bed, Shri Ramakrishna with his cloth under his arm suddenly came to them and said to Ramdayal, "Well, are you asleep?" "No, sir", replied Ramdayal, and both he and Baburam at once sat up. "Look here. Please tell Naren to come, I feel as if somebody were wringing my heart like a wet towel", said Shri Ramakrishna, twisting his cloth to give force to his words. Ramdayal, who was familiar with Shri Ramakrishna's childlike simplicity, consoled him in various ways and assured him that he would persuade Naren to come to Dakshineswar. The same scene was repeated several times during the night, and the two devotees could not but be astonished and puzzled by Rama-krishna's eagerness to see Narendra.

Another devotee of Shri Ramakrishna, Vaikunthanath Sanyal, once found the Master very restless on account of the prolonged absence of Narendranath. Vaikuntha said later: "The Master was that day full of praise for Narendranath. Talking about him made him so desirous of seeing him that he was completely overwhelmed, and could no longer control himself; he hurried to the adjacent veranda and cried out, `Mother dear, I cannot live without seeing him.' When he returned, be said to us, in a voice full of grief, `I have wept so much, and yet Narendra has not come. My heart is being squeezed as it were, so excruciating is the pain at not seeing him. But he does not care.' He left the room again, but soon returned and said, `An old man pining and weeping for the boy! What will people think of me? You are my own people; I do not feel ashamed to confess it before you. But how will others take it? I cannot control myself.'

At one time when the de¬votees were celebrating the Master's birthday at Dakshineswar, and the beloved disciple did not come until noon, he asked about him again and again. When Naren finally appeared and bowed down before him, the Master leaned on his shoulder and fell into deep Samadhi. When he returned to normal consciousness, he fed and caressed Naren. Often, the mere sight of Naren would send the Master into Samadhi. Once, when he had not seen him for some time, he went to meet him at the landing ghat at Dakshineswar. Touching the disciple's face, he began to chant the most holy word of the Vedas, and went into Samadhi.

During about five years of Narendra's discipleship he went to see the Master once or twice a week. Sometimes he would stay on for a few days. During the later years family troubles prevented him from going to Dakshineswar as frequently as he would have wished. Shri Ramakrishna consoled himself during those days with the thought, "It is good that Naren does not come, for I experience a commotion of feeling when I see him., His coming is a great event here.'

Shri Ramakrishna's greatest attractions in Naren's eyes were his renunciation, purity and constant devotion to God; whereas, in the disciple the Master respected the unbounded self reliance, manly spirit and single-minded devotion to Truth. It is impossible to describe Shri Ramakrlshna's faith in Naren. Ordinary people looked upon Naren's self reliance as foolhardiness. His manliness appeared to them as obstinacy. His uncompromising regard for Truth was taken as evidence of an immature intellect. People could not understand his supreme disregard for praise or contumely, his childlike frankness and, above all, his spirit of freedom and fearlessness in thought, speech and action. But Shri Ramakrishna from the very outset knew the apparent vanity and obstinacy of Narendranath to be manifestations of self reliance and consciousness of uncommon mental powers; his freedom in thought and action to be the outcome of self control; and his inSri difference to praise or blame to be due to purity of heart. He foresaw that when the latent genius of Narendranath matured, the apparent pride and stubbornness would be transformed into love for the afflicted, his self reliance would inspire the despondent with courage, and his love of freedom would show mankind the way to liberation.

He used to call Naren, Rakhal, Baburam, Yogen, Niranjan and Purna, Ishwara-Kotis, persons who assume bodies to aid God in His mission on earth. "What training they go through," he used to say, "they do not need for themselves; it is for the good of the world." Indeed the Master thought so highly of Naren that if anybody spoke disparagingly of him, he would remonstrate with the reviler saying, "What are you doing! You ate committing Shiva-ninda!" meaning that to speak slightingly of Naren amounted to blasphemy against Shiva. He would also say, "Let no one judge Naren. No one will ever be able to understand him fully." Once when a devotee brought the news to him that Naren was falling into evil ways by mixing with persons of questionable character, Shri Ramakrishna took him sharply to task saying, "That is not true. Mother has told me that Naren can never fall into evil ways. If you talk to me in that strain any more, I shall never see your face again." Shri Ramakrishna never hesitated to praise Naren in front of his devotees. He knew well that such praise might give rise to pride and vanity in weaker minds, but he was convinced that Narendra was above such small-mindedness.

One day Shri Ramakrishna was seated in his room with Keshabchandra Sen, Vijaykrishna Goswami and other celeSri rbrated leaders of the Brahmo Samaj. Narendranath was also present. The Master, in an exalted mood, cast his eyes upon the Brahmos and then on Naren, and, as a picture of the latter's future greatness flashed before his mind, he was filled with tenderness for the disciple. After the meeting was over he said to some devotees, "Well, if Keshab is possessed of one sign of greatness which has made him famous, Naren has eighteen such signs. In Keshab and Vijay I saw the light of knowledge burning like a candle-flame, but in Narendra it was like a blazing sun, dispelling the last vestige of ignorance and delusion." An ordinary man would have become inflated at such compliments; but Naren was different. In comparison with Keshab and Vijay he thought himself very insignificant and he protested to the Master, "Sir, why do you say such things! People will think you mad. How can you compare the world renowned Keshab and the saintly Vijay with an insignificant young student like me? Please do not do so again." At this Shri Ramakrishna was pleased and said, "I cannot help it. Do you think those were my words! The Divine Mother showed me certain ,things which I simply repeated. And She never reveals to me anything but the truth." This reference to divine revelation for support did not impress Narendranath. He doubted, saying frankly and boldly, "Who knows whether these are revelations from the Mother or mere fancies of your brain! If I were in your position I should attribute them to imagination, pure and simple. Western science and philosophy have demonstrated that we are often deceived by our senses, and the chances of deception are much more when it ministers to a personal predisposition. Since you love me and always wish to see me great, it is but natural that these fancies should come into your mind." When the Master's mind was on higher planes, he would take no notice of Naren's words; at other times Naren's apparently incontrovertible reasoning upset him. In his perplexity the Master appealed to the Divine Mother, and was comforted when She replied, "Why do you care for what he says? In a few days he will admit every word of it to be true."

But the high opinion of Shri Ramakrishna was a source of strength and inspiration to Naren, especially in later years when, as the Swami Vivekananda, he was preaching his message to the world.

Once, when several days had elapsed since Naren's last visit to Dakshineswar, Shri Ramakrishna became very anxious and sent for him; but Naren did not come. Thereupon Shri Ramakrishna set out for Calcutta himself Guessing that Naren would be at the evening service of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, he directed his steps there. He had often visited the Samaj and knew intimately many of its prominent members. The service was already in progress when Shri Ramakrishna in a semi conscious state made his appearance. The preacher broke off his sermon, and the congregation stared at the newcomer. Shri Ramakrishna, unmindful of the commotion his presence was causing, advanced slowly to the pulpit, going into a superconscious state! This further heightened the curiosity of the assembly and the disorder increased. Some of the leading Brahmos present, connecting Shri Ramakrishna with a recent split in their camp because Keshab and Vijay had changed their views under his influence, considered this visit an intrusion. They turned off the lights in order to restore order. This only added to the confusion and everybody rushed towards the door. Naren, who was in the choir, guessed the reason for the Master's visit and went instantly to his rescue. He conducted him through the crowd to the backdoor and took him to Dakshineswar. Shri Ramakrishna paid no heed to Naren's expostulations on the wisdom of his action and was not in the least repentant.

About this, Naren said later:_x000d_ It is impossible to describe the pain I felt to see the Master thus ill-treated on my account that day. Ah, how much did I scold him for that action of his! But he? Neither did he feel hurt at the humiliation nor did he give ear to my words of reproach, supremely satisfied as he was at having me with him. _x000d_ Seeing that the Master gave no thought to himself on account of me, I did not hesitate on occasion to use harsh words about his blind love for me. I used to warn him, saying that if he constantly thought of me, he would become like roe, even as King Bharata of the old legend, who so doted upon his pet deer that even at the time of death he was unable to think of anything else, and, as a result, was born as a deer in his next life. At these words, the Master, so simple was he, became very nervous, and said, "What you say is quite true. What is to become of me, for I cannot bear to be separated from you?" Dejected, he went to the Kali temple. In a few minutes he returned smiling and said, "You rogue, I shall not listen to you any more. Mother says that I love you because I see the Lord in you, and the day I no longer do so, I shall not be able to bear even the sight of you." With this short but emphatic statement he dismissed once for all everything that I had ever said to him on the subject._x000d_ This was really the key to Shri Ramakrishna's overwhelming love for Naren and his other disciples: it was beyond any human or personal sentiment.

On another occasion, referring to his relationship with Naren and the other young boys, Shri Ramakrishna said: "Hazra took me to task because I was anxious to see the boys. He said, `When do you think of God?' I felt uneasy and said to Mother, `Hazra asks why I think so much of Naren and the other boys.' And Mother at once showed me that She Herself was in all human forms. She manifests Herself specially in pure bodies. When I came out of this Samadhi, I felt angry with Hazra. I said to myself, `That rascal! how he unsettled my mind!' Then I thought, `Why blame the poor fellow! How could he know!"'

The Master continued: "I regard these boys as embodied Narayana. When I saw Naren for the first time I noticed that he had no body-idea. As soon as I touched him in the region of the heart he lost outward consciousness. Gradually intense longing came over me to see him again and again, and it filled my heart with pain. Then I asked Bholanath [an officer of the Kali temple], `How is it that I feel this, and that for a boy, a Kayastha by caste?' And Bholanath said, `Sir, that is all right. It is explained in the Mahabharata that when the mind of a man of Samadhi comes down to the normal plane, it finds recreation only in the company of men of Sattva quality, men of the highest spirituality.' This comforted me."

Shri Ramakrishna himself explained on various occasions why Naren was so dear to him. Here is one recorded by Swami Saradananda: "Speaking with Ratan, the chief officer of the garden house of Jadunath Mallick, and pointing to us, the Master said, `These boys are good. . . . But I have not seen another boy like Narendra. He is as proficient in music, vocal and instrumental, as in the acquisition of knowledge; as gifted in conversation as in religious matters. He loses normal consciousness in meditation for whole nights. My Narendra is a coin with no alloy whatever: it rings true. I see, other boys somehow pass two or three examinations after straining to their utmost: there it ends; they are a spent force. But Narendra is not like that; he does everything with ease; to pass an examination is a trifle for him. He goes to the Brahmo Samaj also and sings devotional songs there; but he is not like other Brahmos-he is a true knower of Brahman. He sees light when he sits for meditation. Is it for nothing that I love Narendra so much?"

On another occasion, while giving an eloquent description of Naren's qualities in comparison with those of others, he said: Narendra belongs to a very high plane-the realm of the Absolute._x000d_ He has a manly nature. So many devotees come here, but there is not one like him.

Every now and then I take stock of devotees. I find that some are like lotuses with ten petals, some like those with sixteen petals, some like those with a hundred petals; but among lotuses Narendra is a thousand-petalled one. Other devotees may be like pots or pitchers; but Narendra is a large water-barrel. Others may be like pools or tanks; but Narendra is a huge reservoir like the Haldarpukur. Among fish, Narendra is a huge red-eyed carp; others are like minnows or smelts or sardines. Tarak of Belgharia may be called a bass. Narendra is a very big receptacle, one that can hold many things. He is like a bamboo with a big hollow space inside.

Narendra is not under the control of anything. He is not under the control of attachment or sense pleasures. He is like a male pigeon. If you hold a male pigeon by its beak, it breaks away from you; but the female pigeon keeps still. Narendra has the nature of a man; so he sits on the right side in a carriage. Bhavanath has a woman's nature; so I make him sit on the other side. I feel great strength when Narendra is with me at a gathering.

Once Naren was seated in his study with a few of his friends. He had not visited Dakshineswar for some time. During the conversation a voice was heard calling, "Naren! Naren!" All started to their feet. Naren hastened downstairs to receive Shri Ramakrishna, for it was he who had come. His eyes were filled with tears. "Naren, why do you not come to see me these days?" he asked. He was as simple as a child. He had brought some sweetmeats with which he fed Naren with his own hands. Ah! wonderful is the way of the Lord in pointing out the path of illumination to the struggling seeker! The Lord Himself comes to him who looks for Him, the Teacher to the disciple when the latter is prepared. "Come!" Shri Ramakrishna urged, "sing me one of your songs." Naren took the Tanpura and began a song to the Divine Mother. The others sat still. Soon Shri Ramakrishna became unconscious of all outward things.

On one of Naren's early visits to Dakshineswar, Shri Ramakrishna said to him, "Look! In you is Shiva! In me is Shakti! And these two are One!" Naren, of course, was not able to understand the meaning of such utterances then. In this con-nection it is noteworthy that Naren was rarely allowed to do any personal service for the Master, such as fanning and the like-services which it is customary for the disciple to render the Guru. Was it that Shri Ramakrishna saw Shiva-the Divine-so intensely in Naren, that to have accepted service from him would have been to accept it from one too exalted? Seva (service) is for the purification of heart; what need has he for Seva whose heart is already pure! Let it not be thought, however, that Naren did not feel this as a deprivation. He would insist on offering service in some way or other, for love of the Master and because of his own sense of humility; but the Master would seldom allow it, saying, "Your path is different!"

Shri Ramakrishna's relationship with Narendra differed a great deal from that with the other disciples. He expected them to observe restrictions as regards food, meditation, prayer, sleep and other affairs of daily life. There were no such restrictions for Naren. He would say, "Naren is a Nitya-siddha, perfect in realization even from his very birth; Naren is a Dhyana¬siddha, an adept in meditation; the roaring fire of knowledge, always ablaze in Naren, burns to ashes whatever impure food he may take. Impurity of food can never tarnish his pure mind. He is always cutting to pieces the veils of Maya with the sword of knowledge. The inscrutable Maya can never bring him under Her control." When any admirer came to Dakshineswar with offerings of fruits and sweetmeats for the Master, they would be set aside, not to be eaten by himself or given to the disciples unless he were sure that the donor was pure in character and unselfish in motive. But he allowed Naren to take them. Nothing could affect him, he said, and sometimes, when Naren did not make his appearance, the Master would even send the delicacies to Naren's home. Sometimes after eating at a hotel Naren would say to the Master, "Sir, I have eaten today what is considered forbidden food." Shri Rama-krishna, realizing that Naren was not just speaking in a spirit of bravado, would say, "That will not affect you in the least. If one can keep one's mind steadily on God after eating beef or pork, these things are as good as Havishyanna [rice specially prepared and taken with clarified butter only]. But vegetables eaten by a man engrossed in worldliness are no better than beef or pork. That you have taken forbidden food does not make any difference to me. But if any of these [pointing to the other devotees] had done so, I could not bear to have them even touch me."

Narendra wondered at this discrimination exercised as to food and the receiving of presents from certain persons. He thought it was perhaps superstitious eccentricity or puritanical squeamishness. But Shri Ramakrishna insisted that when he refused to accept offerings it was because the giver was of questionable character. This interested Naren. Was it true? _x000d_ He determined to find out for himself. He observed and studied the characters of those whose offerings the Master had rejected. He found that in every case Shri Ramakrishna had been right. Amazed, he said to himself, "What a wonderful man! His purity is past understanding, How he can read the minds of others!"

Shri Ramakrishna was delighted when Naren engaged in arguments with the other devotees. Naren would storm their minds, startling them with the profundity of his knowledge as he cited Eastern and Western philosophers. It was not mere learning that Naren revealed: it was the spirit of learning itself that seemed to be incarnate in him. The Master's delight knew no bounds when he found others much older than Naren un-able to withstand Naren's reasoning power.

As a member of the Brahmo Samaj, Naren was committed to belief in a formless God with attributes. He had thus turned his back on the gods of Hinduism. In his enthusiasm he had persuaded Rakhal, another of Shri Ramaknshna's great disciples, to embrace the Brahmo creed. But Rakhal was really a devotee whose latent devotional fervour was roused when he came in contact with Shri Ramakrishna. When he went with the Master to the Kali temple, he bowed down before the images. This was against the Brahmo creed. One day Naren saw him doing so, and took him to task. Rakhal possessed a gentle nature, and rather than argue he avoided Naren. Shri Ramakrishna intervened, saying to Naren, "Please do not intimidate Rakhal. He is afraid of you. He believes now in God with forms. How are you going to change him? Everyone cannot realize the formless aspect of God at the very beginning." That was enough for Narendra; and he never interfered with Rakhal's attitude again.

Sometimes Naren revealed a tendency to fanaticism. Shri Ramakrishna would admonish him: "My boy, try to see the Truth from all angles and in every perspective." This tendency to bigotry disappeared when Naren realized the oneness of all spiritual endeavour and religious belief. But he continued to argue against image worship with Shri Ramakrishna. One day the Master, tired of trying to convince him that the images worshipped were the presentment of spiritual ideals, said, "Why do you come here if you won't acknowledge my Mother?" Naren, undismayed, replied, "Must I accept Her simply because I come here?" "All right," said the Master; "before long you will not only acknowledge my beloved Mother, but weep in Her name." Then to the other devotees he said, "This boy has no faith in the forms of God and tells me that my supersensuous experiences are hallucinations; but he is a fine boy of pure tendencies. He does not believe anything unless he gets direct proof. He has studied much and is possessed of great judgement and discrimination."

One of the bones of contention between the Master and Naren was the Radha-Krishna episode of the Hindu tradition. In the first place Narendra doubted its historicity, and in the second, he considered the relationship of Krishna with Radha immoral and objectionable. Unable to convince him, Shri Ramakrishna said one day, "Even if it is agreed that Radha was not a historical personality and that the episode is imagined by some lover of God, why not fix your mind on the intense yearning of Radha and the Gopis for the Supreme? Why dwell on the expression? This may appear human to you, but the yearning and vision you must take as divine."

However, the Master was glad at heart that Naren was a rebel, for without intellectual questioning and struggle no one can arrive at illumination; besides, Naren's own struggles would later on be a help to him in understanding and solving the difficulties of others. At the same time, the overcoming by Naren of his difficulties and his progressive realization of Truth, prove the rare quality of Shri Ramakrishna's teaching, and reveal him as the living Incarnation of Hinduism in this modern age.

From the first it was Shri Ramakrishna's idea to initiate Narendra into the truth of the Advaita Vedanta. With that end in mind he would ask Naren to read aloud passages from the Ashtavakra Samhita and other Advaita treatises in order to familiarize him with the teaching. To Narendra, a staunch adherent of the Brahmo Samaj, these writings seemed heretical. He would rebel saying, "It is blasphemous, for there is no difference between such philosophy and atheism. There is no greater sin in the world than to think of myself as identical with the Creator. I am God, you are God, these created things are God-what can be more absurd than this! The sages who wrote such things must have been insane." Shri Ramakrishna would be amused at this bluntness and would only remark, "You may not accept the views of these seers; but how can you abuse them or limit God's infinitude? Go on praying to the God of Truth and believe in any aspect of His which He reveals to you." But Naren did not surrender easily. Whatever did not tally with reason, he considered to be false, and it was his nature to stand against falsehood. Therefore he missed no opportunity to ridicule the Advaita philosophy.

But the Master knew that Narendra's was the path of Jnana (knowledge) ; for this reason he made it a point to continue to talk Advaita to him. One day he tried to bring home to him the identity of the individual soul with Brahman, but without success. Narendra left the room, and going to Pratapchandra Hazra said, "How can this be? This jug is God, this cup is God and we too are God: nothing can be more preposterous!" On hearing Naren's laughter, Shri Ramakrishna, who was in his room in a state of semi consciousness, came out nude, with his cloth under his arm like a child. "Hullo there**! What are you talking about?" he said smiling. He touched Narendra and plunged into Samadhi.

The effect of the touch Naren described as follows:_x000d_ The magic touch of the Master that day immediately brought a wonderful change over my mind. I was astounded to find that really there was nothing in the universe but God! I saw it quite clearly, but kept silent to see whether the impression would last; but it did not abate in the course of the day. I returned home, but there too, everything I saw appeared to be Brahman. I sat down to take my meal, but found that everything. the food, the plate, the person who served, and even myself was nothing but That. I ate a morsel or two and sat still. I was startled by my mother's words, "Why do you sit still? Finish your meal", and then began to eat again. But all the while, whether eating or lying down, or going to College, I had the same experience and felt myself always in a sort of trance. While walking in the streets, I noticed cabs plying, but I did not feel in¬clined to move out of the way. I felt that the cabs and myself were of one stuff. There was no sensation in my limbs, which seemed to be becoming paralysed. I did not relish eating, and felt as if somebody else were eating. Sometimes I lay down during a meal; after a few minutes I got up and again began to eat. The result would be that on some days I would take too much, but it did no harm. My mother became alarmed and said that there must be something wrong with me. She was afraid that I might not live long. When there was a slight change in this state, the world began to appear dream like. While walking in Cornwallis Square, I would strike my head against the iron railings to see if they were real or only a dream. This state of things continued for some days. When I became normal again, I realized that I must have had a glimpse of the Advaita state. Then it struck me that the words of the scriptures were not false. Thenceforth I could not deny the conclusions of the Advaita philosophy.

Such was Shri Ramakrishna's teaching and such the training of Naren. Little by little the disciple was led from doubt to certitude, from darkness to light, from anguish of mind to the peace of vision, from the seething vortex of the world to the grand expanse of universal Oneness. He was taken, little by little, and by the power of Shri Ramakrishna, from bondage to spiritual freedom, from the pale of a little learning into that omniscience which is the consciousness of Brahman. He was lifted out of objective conceptions of the Godhead to awareness of the beyond-subject-object nature of True Being-above form, above sense, above thought, above all relative good and evil, to the sameness and absoluteness of Brahman. Now Naren's regard for the Master was increasing a thousand fold; he was beginning to accept him as the highest ideal of spirituality. The scene of the young hero's highest realization was to be the Cossipore garden; and the time: the immediate future.

Again and again the Master told his disciples to test him and his realizations. "Test me as the money changers test their coins. You must not accept me until you have tested me thoroughly." One day whilst the Master was absent in Calcutta, Naren came to Dakshineswar and found Shri Ramakrishna's room empty. The desire arose to test Shri Ramakrishna's renunciation of gold. So he hid a rupee under the Master's bed and then went to meditate under the Panchavati. Soon Shri Ramakrishna returned, and as usual sat on the bed. But no sooner did he touch it than he started up in great pain. Naren, who had returned by then, stood watching silently. An attendant at once examined the bed; as he pulled off the cover the coin fell to the ground. Naren left the room without a word. Shri Ramakrishna realized that he had been tested by Naren and rejoiced.

But the disciples were tested in their turn by Shri Rama-krishna. Even Naren had to go through many tests before the Master accepted him. One day, after examining Naren's body thoroughly, the latter remarked, "Your physical signs are good. The only fault I find is that you breathe rather heavily while asleep. Such a man, the Yogis say, is short-lived." On another occasion the Master said, "Your eyes show that you are not a dry Jnani [man of knowledge]. In you tender devotion and deep knowledge are blended." As a result of these investigations Shri Ramakrishna concluded that Naren pos-sessed to a rare degree spirituality, boldness, restraint and the spirit of self sacrifice; that never in the midst of the most adverse circumstances would his actions be ordinary.

At one time Shri Ramakrishna tested Naren severely for an extended period. We have already seen how his very presence at Dakshineswar filled the Master with intense joy. Even to see Naren at a distance would move him deeply. Sometimes he would go into Samadhi at the mere sight of him. A day came, however, when all this was changed: Ramakrishna began to treat Naren with utter indifference. Narendra came, saluted the Master, and sat down before him. He waited for a while but the Master did not speak. Thinking that perhaps he was absorbed, Naren left the room, went to Hazra, and began to chat and smoke with him. Then, when he heard the Master talking with others, he went back, only to be met with worse treatment; for not only did the Master not greet him, but he deliberately turned his face away, towards the wall. When Narendranath left for Calcutta there was no change in the Master's attitude._x000d_ A week later, Naren came to Dakshineswar again to find the Master's manner towards him as it was on the previous visit; so he spent the day talking with Hazra and other devotees, and returned home at nightfall. The third and the fourth time it was the same; but Narendranath kept going to Dakshineswar, and showed no resentment. Between these visits the Master would sometimes send to Calcutta to enquire about Naren's health, but without changing his demeanour in Naren's presence. At the end of a month, during which time there was no reaction from Naren, the Master said to him, "Though I do not exchange a single word with you, you still continue to come! How is that?" Narendranath replied, "Do you think that I come here only to listen to you? I love you and want to see you. This is why I come to Dakshineswar." Shri Ramakrishna was highly pleased at the reply and said, "I was only testing you to see if you would stay away when I did not show love and attention. Only one of your calibre could have put up with such neglect and indifference. Anyone else would have left me long ago, never to come again."

On another occasion Shri Ramakrishna called him to the Panchavati and said, "Through the practice of severe spiritual discipline I have acquired supernatural powers. But of what use are they to me? I cannot even keep my body properly covered. Therefore, with the Mother's permission, I am thinking of transmitting them to you. She has made known to me that you will have to do much work for Her. If I impart these powers to you, you can use them when necessary. What do you say?" Narendra knew that the Master possessed powers. After a moment's thought he said, "Will these help me to realize God?" "No," replied the Master, "they will not help you to do that; but they will be very helpful to you when, after realizing God, you will be engaged in doing His work." Naren said, "I do not want them. Let me realize God first; maybe I shall then know whether I need them or not. If I accept them now, I may forget my ideal and, making use of them for some selfish purpose, come to grief." We do not know whether Shri Ramakrishna really wanted to impart his powers to Naren or whether he was simply testing him; but we do know that he was much pleased when Naren refused them.

It is not possible to give the reader an adequate idea of the relationship between these two; of the love and liberty which Naren enjoyed at the hands of the Master. Shri Ramakrishna confided the secrets of his heart to Naren. He helped him develop independence of thought, thus increasing a thousand-fold Naren's self reliance, regard for truth and innate spirituality. The Master's love for and faith in Naren acted as a restraining force on the freedom loving young disciple and proved an unconscious protection from temptations.