Surendra was very devoted to the Divine Mother Kali. He set up a shrine to Her in his home and worshipped Her with much love. One day the Master said to Surendra: “The devotee of the Divine Mother attains dharma [righteousness] and moksha [liberation]. He enjoys artha [wealth] and kama [fulfillment of desire] as well. Once I saw you in a vision as the child of the Divine Mother. You have both — yoga and bhoga [enjoyment]; otherwise your countenance would look dry.”
Although Surendra had now diverted his energies to spiritual practices, he could not stop his drinking habit. Ram Chandra did not like the idea that one of Sri Ramakrishna’s prominent devotees was a drunkard. He thought the Master’s reputation would be tarnished if this became known. But whenever he tried to talk to Surendra about it, he was rebuffed. Surendra was a worshipper of Shakti, so to him it was not a sin to drink liquor. One day he said to Ram: “Why are you so bothered about it? The Master would certainly warn me if he thought that it was bad for me. He knows all about it.” “Very well,”, said Ram, “then let’s go and visit him today. He will surely tell you to give it up.” Surendra agreed to this, but he asked Ram not to bring up the subject. He said, “If the Master refers to it of his own accord and tells me to stop, then I promise I will stop.”
When they arrived at Dakshineswar, they found the Master sitting under the bakul tree in an exalted mood. As soon as they greeted the Master, he said to Surendra: “Well, Suresh, why, when you’re drinking wine, do you have to think of it as ordinary wine? Offer it first to Mother Kali and then drink it as Her prasad. Only you must be careful not to get drunk. Don’t let yourself stumble or your mind wander. At first you’ll feel only the kind of excitement you usually feel, but that will soon lead to spiritual joy.”b Both Ram and Surendra were astonished.
The Master never asked Surendra to give up drinking altogether, but thenceforth Surendra could not drink at parties or whenever he felt like it. Following the Master’s advice, he offered a little wine to the Goddess every evening before drinking it himself. Curiously enough, this action filled him with devotion. After a while he began to cry plaintively like a child for the Divine Mother, and wanted to talk only of Her. He would often become absorbed in deep meditation. Sri Ramakrishna’s subtle spiritual influence gradually transformed Surendra, and the bad effects of wine could not harm him anymore.
What happens when God holds a man? First, his sensitive ego is crushed and he becomes humble; second, he does not enjoy mundane things and his mind dwells in God; and third, he feels an irresistible attraction for God and holy company. It was obvious that the Master had taken responsibility for Surendra. He knew that Surendra was a gem covered with worldly mud. A little washing removed the mud, and he then took Surendra into his inner circle. The Master never scolded Surendra for his bad habits. By pouring out his love and affection on this disciple, he conquered his heart. (Source: They Lived with God)