Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/285

 other works. You have risen above Karma. When the fruit appears, the blossom drops off. The true Bhakti is the fruit, while work is the blossom. When the daughter-in-law of the house is with child, she cannot do much work; so the mother-in-law daily reduces the number of her duties. As the time of her delivery draws near, the mother-in-law seldom allows her to do any- thing; and when the child is born, she fondles and caresses it and ceases altogether to work. Sandhya merges into Gayatri; Gayatri into Om, and Om ultimately loses itself in Samadhi.

As the sound of a bell — Ding, dong — gradually fades away into the Infinite, so the soul of a Yogi gradually rises with the Nada (the sound of Om) and becomes merged in the Absolute Brahman in Samadhi. Into this Samadhi eventually enter all Karma, — Sandhya, Gayatri and other works. In this manner the Jnanis are freed from all rituals and religious exercises.

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As the Bhagavan was talking of Samadhi, a strange heavenly expression came over His sweet, radiant face. He lost all outward consciousness.