Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/323

 Rama, grant that I may be favored with Bhakti, love, devotion and self-surrender to the Lotus of Thy feet." "Be it so," said Rama. "But wilt thou not ask for anything else?" Narada replied: "Lord, may it please Thee to grant that I may not be at-tracted by Thy Maya, which fascinates the creatures of this world." Rama Chandra said once more: "Be it so, Narada; but wilt thou not ask for something else?" Narada replied: "No, Lord, that is all I pray for." Jnana (knowledge) varies in degree and kind. There is first the knowledge belonging to men of  the world—ordinary mortals. This knowledge is not sufficiently power- ful. It may be compared to the light of a lamp which illumines only the inside of a room. The knowledge of a Bhakta (devotee) is a stronger light and may be compared to the light of the moon which causes to be visible things outside the room as well as those inside of it. But the Jnana of an Incarnation of God is still more powerful and it thus may be likened to a yet stronger light, — the resplendent glory of the sun. Such light is the illuminator of the moon as well as of the whole world. Nothing is problematic to the Divine Incarnation (Avatara). He