Naren prays to the divine mother: Three Visits to the Divine
After the untimely demise of Narendra’s father, his family was plunged into extreme poverty. To support them, Naren took up a temporary job with a lawyer. But the income was meager—it could barely meet even the most basic needs.
One day, an idea struck him:
"Why don’t I request Sri Ramakrishna to pray to the Divine Mother on my behalf?"
When he shared this thought with the Master, Sri Ramakrishna gently smiled and said,
"No, my child. You should pray to the Mother yourself. Go to Her with sincerity—She will surely listen to you."
That night, at nine o’clock, Naren entered the temple of the Divine Mother Kali. Standing before Her with the deepest reverence, he prayed:
"O Mother, grant me devotion, grant me wisdom, grant me renunciation."
Returning to Ramakrishna, the Master asked,
"What did you ask for?"
Only then did Naren realize—he had completely forgotten to pray for relief from his family's suffering.
Sri Ramakrishna encouraged him,
"Go again. This time, remember why you went."
Naren returned to the temple. But as soon as he stood before the Mother once more, a deep spiritual emotion surged within him. Again, his lips uttered the same heartfelt prayer:
"Give me devotion, wisdom, and renunciation."
He realized that he had forgotten to ask for his daily needs again, so he went the third time—this time fully aware of what he intended to ask. But as he stood before the Divine Mother, something shifted within him. He felt a deep shame at the thought of asking the Supreme Mother of the universe for mere food and shelter.
He bowed and once again prayed,
"Mother, give me devotion, give me wisdom, give me renunciation."
When he returned, Sri Ramakrishna was overjoyed.
"Ah, Naren! You are blessed. You are not ordinary. Your needs will be taken care of—from now on, you and your family shall not lack food, clothing, or shelter."
Soon after, Naren was offered a job at the Vidyasagar School. The income was modest, but enough for the family to live a decent and dignified life.