According to the Yugantar, one of the two pillars of Neo-Vedanta is the mighty, Lionic Swami Vivekananda and the other, M., the humble, quiet, wise and illumined proclaimer singing day and night the glory of the Godman, Sri Ramakrishna. About him Sri Ramakrishna said, "With these very eyes, I saw you among the singers of Sri Chaitanya's sankirtana .... you belong to the ever-perfect class ..... You are my own, of the same substance as father and son ..... You trade in the Jewellery of the Spirit ...... Ma! illumine him. Otherwise how will he illumine others. Except for me he knows nothing."

Swami Vivekananda wrote to him, "You have hit Ramakrishna in the right point. .... (he) is with you evidently."

Sri Ma Sarada Devi wrote to M., "When I heard you (read the Kathamrita) I felt those were His very words."

Christopher Isherwood said of M., "The ideas and ideals Sri Ramakrishna taught to the house-holder found the embodiment in M."

The author has freely drawn on the Kathamrita. Sri Ma Darshan (M .. the Apostle and the Evangelist). Disciples oJ Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna & his Disciples and on some articles which have appeared from time to time in the Prabuddha Bharata and the Vedanta Kesari in compiling this short life.

Sri Ma Trust brought out A Short Life oJ M . in 1977. The present edition is a somewhat enlarged and corrected version of the same. The Trust has also brought out a bigger book on M. and the Kathamrita under the title. 'Life oJ M. and Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathmrita.