Chapter (অধ্যায়): CONVERSATIONS AND DIALOGUES PAGE-513Page: 513 of 519
and then took to fanning him. Hearing Swamiji speaking highly of every arrangement, she addressed him and said, "What have we got to entitle us to the privilege of worshipping Thakur (the Master, Lord)?-A poor home and poor means! Do bless us please by installing him here out of your own kindness!"
In reply to this, Swamiji jocosely said, "Your Thakur never had in his fourteen generations such a marble-floored house to live in! He had his birth in that rural thatched cottage and lived his days on indifferent means. And if he does not live here so excellently served, where else should he live?" Swamiji's words made everybody laugh out.
Now, with his body rubbed with ashes and gracing the seat of the priest, Swamiji himself conducted the worship, with Swami Prakashananda to assist him. After the worship was over, Swamiji while still in the worship-room composed extempore this Mantra for prostration before Bhagavan Shri Ramakrishna:
"स्थापकाय च धर्मस्य सर्वधर्मस्वरूपिणे
अवतारवरिष्ठाय रामकृष्णाय ते नमः॥"
-"I bow down to Ramakrishna, who established the religion, embodying in himself the reality of all religions and being thus the foremost of divine Incarnations."
All prostrated before Shri Ramakrishna with this Mantra. In the evening Swamiji returned to Baghbazar.
XII
[Place: Balaram Babu's residence, Calcutta. Year: 1898.]
Swamiji had been staying during the last two days at Balaram Babu's residence at Baghbazar. He was taking a short stroll on the roof of the house, and the disciple with four or five others was in attendance. While walking to and fro, Swamiji took up the story of