M.

After publishing the 29th blog titled From the Gospel on 27th April, I was held up with some petty work or the other. Therefore publication of the 30th blog with the same title was getting delayed. Meanwhile, yesterday, I read about M. (Mahendra Nath Gupta), in the book They Lived with God. M. was the author of the original Bengali version Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, which was later translated into English by Swami Nikhilananda under the title The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

Sri Ramakrishna commissioned M. to carry his message just as he commissioned Swami Vivekananda to teach people. The Master wrote on a piece of paper, “Naren (later Swami Vivekananda) will teach people.” When Naren objected, the Master told him, “Your very bones will do it.”

Once, speaking of the origin of the Gospel, M. said, “I was involved in worldly activities, and could not visit the master whenever I wished. Therefore I used to note down his words in order to think about them in the intervals before I met him again… Thus it was for my own benefit I made those notes, so that I might realize his teachings more perfectly.”

Though outwardly M. was a householder, inwardly he was a monk, full of intense devotion to God and renunciation of things of the world. He led a very simple life, had a plain style of clothing all through his life. He had one change of clothing – an extra shirt and extra clothing for going out.

After the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna in 1886, his disciples asked M. to publish his diary but he was reluctant. However, one day he read some of the notes from his diary to Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, and she approved of them. M. took this as the divine sanction and published the original Bengali version in five volumes under the title, Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita – Vol. I was published in 1902, Vol. II in 1904, Vol. III in 1908, Vol. IV in 1910 and Vol. V in 1932.

Swami Vivekananda wrote to M. in response to the earliest publications, “You have hit Ramakrishna in the right point. Few, alas, few understand him.”

Swami Nithyananda was responsible for the printing of the Kathamritha but he was unable to finish the proofreading in time as he had many other responsibilities. He wrote the following touching incident in his memoirs, “At 1 am I saw a light in M.’s room. I entered and found he was reading the proofs of the Gospel by a kerosene lantern. He was not well at all and as he was working at an odd hour, his eyes were watering. I was pained at this. I lovingly chastised him and he replied with affection, “People are finding peace by reading this book, the Master’s immortal message. It is inevitable the body will meet its end, so it is better that it is used for spreading peace to others. We are in the world and have utterly experienced how much pain is there, yet I have forgotten that pain through The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. I am hurrying so that the book may come out soon.”  Indeed, M. died while the last portion of the last volume was at the press. He was born to write and teach The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.  

On June 4th, 1932 he left his body in full consciousness. He breathed his last saying this prayer, “Mother – Gurudeva – take me up in thy arms.” The Mother took Her child in Her arms.

I have presented here very few drops of the nectar from the wonderful book They Lived with God. The cost of this book is Rs 140/- but it is worth a million.