Birth of Swami Abhedananda (1866)
As soon as Kali heard about the Baranagore Monastery he returned to Calcutta and joined the brotherhood. The southernmost room of the second floor was used for meditation and study, and was known as Kali Tapasvi’s room, since Kali secluded himself there during most of the day. An ascetic by nature, he ate vegetarian food, wore no shoes, and shunned peoples’ company. He spent his time in meditation, studying the scriptures, and composing some Sanskrit hymns on Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother. One day Kali visited Holy Mother at her residence at Nilambar Babu’s house in Belur, and read a hymn that he had composed about her: Prakritim paramam abhayam varadam, etc. After listening to the hymn, Holy Mother blessed him saying, “May Saraswati, the Goddess of learning, sit on your tongue.
(p.458, God lived with them, Swami Abhedananda was born at 21 Nimu Goswami Lane , Ahiritola, North Calcutta.)
What need is there even to bother one’s head about whether God is formless or has a form? It is enough for a man to pray to Him, alone in solitude, weeping, ‘O God, reveal Yourself to me as You are.’ God is both inside and outside. It is He who dwells inside us. Therefore the Vedas say, ‘Tattvamasi – -That thou art.’ God is also outside us. He appears manifold through maya; but in reality He alone exists. Therefore before describing the various names and forms of God, one should say, ‘Om Tat Sat’. It is one thing to learn about God from the scriptures, and quite another to see Him. The scriptures only give hints. Therefore to read a great many scriptures is not necessary. It is much better to pray to God in solitude.
(p, 587, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Thakur’s words to the devotees on 2 Oct,1884 in His room in Dakshineswar.)