Childhood and Education
Swami Vivekananda: The Universal Man[B. 12 January 1863; S. 4 July 1902]Narendra = Narendranath = Naren = Swami VivekanandaMaster = Thakur = Sri Ramakrishna
Introduction Rarely does humanity witness a combination of a great Guru (Spiritual Teacher) and equally capable Shishya (spiritual disciple) as Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda were. The Upanishads and the Gita do mention of such noble pairs, when a yearning aspirant seeking higher knowledge humbly bows down to the Teacher and says, 'Sir, please tell me: Which is that thing which having been known, all this becomes known, and nothing else remains to be known? Give me that, acquiring which all desires nullify. O gracious one, I surrender at your feet; please tell me what is right for me.' And the compassionate Teacher describes the nature of Self or Atman, starting as external reality and culminating into the true knowledge of our inner Self. As the Guru speaks, so does the aspirant (sadhaka) experience the Truth contained in those words. It is as if a film on Brahman is being run in front of the yearning aspirant. One such pair flourished in the last but one decade of nineteenth century, when Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa sculpted the most wonderful masterpiece in the form of Swami Vivekananda out of skeptical and rational, but fearless and dynamic Narendranath. Their association has unleashed a tremendous spiritual force that has started destroying dreary ignorance covering the minds and hearts of mankind all over the globe. Then, scientific knowledge based on reason and rationality was ushering in the era of Industrial Revolution; however, it also brought skepticism and contempt for religion. Science appeared to be partial and sectarian in its study of various phenomena, for it tried to leave religion out of its purview. As a result, the majority of people started believing that the goal of life was material progress alone. Religion was on the defensive in the face of clattering advances of modern technology. Decline in religion (Dharma Glani) manifested as ritualistic monotony, crass materialism, and excessive engagement in sense pleasures with resultant lack of discrimination and renunciation. Values of kindness and generosity, of forbearance and simplicity were relegated to the back seat. The priests and the rulers, the rich and the privileged became the custodians of religious truths. Selfishness replaced altruism, and religious fanaticism erupted as a legitimate weapon to spread "true religion" and destroy "false beliefs". Such states of decline in Dharma come in cycles. However, as the Gita says, a Man of God also comes on the scene to destroy wickedness and to reestablish the path of spirituality. These great seers and teachers come to 'set in motion the wheel of dharma,' as did Lord Buddha 2500 years ago. Such incarnations come from time to time, in every era, in every land, and help revive the noble path of transcendental realization as the source and proof of Knowledge and Truth. They give the sagging wheel of spirituality a powerful push for moving it again in right direction. In recent times world faced such a situation when, to revive the declining faith in religion and to instill knowledge of the true goal of humankind, Swami Vivekananda entered the world arena as a great disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda revived Hinduism on the basis of the interpretations and meaning given to the philosophy of Vedanta by great Rishis at various time-periods of history. The externals of Hinduism appear to change from Sri Rama to Sri Krishna, from Sri Chaitannya to Sri Ramakrishna, but the core of Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Religion) remains the same. Swami Vivekananda preached the essence of religion by way of finding newer insights in and application of Eternal Religion as per the requirement of modern times and global perspective. He highlighted the truth of the 'divinity of each soul' and the constant struggle and evolution of an individual to manifest this divinity fully. Transcendental realization of our true nature, i.e. pure consciousness, is what Hinduism (Vedanta) preaches right through the eternity. This is the essential teaching mentioned and elaborated in the Upanishads, the Gita, and the Brahma-sutras. The attempt to realize this truth is the beginning of religion, and getting established in transcendental divine state is the aim of human birth. Every person succeeding in this attempt is the basis and hope for fresh human endeavour and struggle for self-realization in future. Childhood Swami Vivekananda was born in an educated and well-to-do family of Calcutta on 12th January 1863. His father, Vishwanath Dutta, was a famous lawyer with progressive, liberal, and scientific outlook. He was widely travelled and knew many languages including Persian and English. Swami Vivekananda's mother, Bhuvaneshawaridevi, was a pious and wise lady devoted to God. She inspired the latent virtues of fearlessness, honesty, justice, and devotion in her son, Narendra (as Swami Vivekananda was called in his childhood). She told him the stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two great Indian Epics, which influenced later life of Swami Vivekananda. From his early childhood Narendra was naughty, brave, and fearless. He did not approve of injustice or sycophancy. But his peculiar tendencies in the childhood were 1) the ease with which he could get absorbed in deep meditation, and 2) the unusual capacity of intense mental concentration, which made him learn and remember the essence of his studies even by reading just once. As an example, let me cite the following incident from his later life: Once Swami Vivekananda was reading 'Encyclopedia Britannica'. His disciple (Sharatchandra Chakravarti), seeing those twenty-odd volumes, remarked, "It is difficult to master the contents of so many volumes in one life." He did not know at the time that the Swami had already finished ten volumes and was reading the eleventh. "What do you mean?" said Swamiji. "Ask me whatever you like from those ten volumes and I can tell you all about it." The disciple, out of curiosity, brought down the books and asked Swamiji many questions on difficult and varied topics, selecting from different volumes. Swami Vivekananda not only replied each correctly, but also in many instances quoted the very language of the books. At other time, Swami Vivekananda happened to turn the pages of a book in quick succession after looking at them just once. The disciple asked as to what Swamiji was doing. Swami Vivekananda replied, "Why, I am reading the book." The disciple was greatly surprised to see such odd method of reading the book. Then the Swami explained: Just as a child reads every letter of a word, and most of adults read a cluster of words or a part of a sentence, one can read paragraph to paragraph. Thus, just three glances and he could read the whole page. Later he greatly emphasized the need to cultivate powers of mind in the form of purity and concentration for spiritual gains. Concentration of mind also led to perfection in many other branches of knowledge including art and science, he maintained. College Days The young and versatile Narendra was well versed with both Indian and Western philosophical thought, including the Vedanta philosophy of the Upanishads and newer trends in Western philosophies like those of Schopenhauer, Kant, and Hegel. He once said, "Kant's great achievement was the discovery that 'time, space, and causation are modes of thought,' but Vedanta taught all this ages ago and called it 'Maya'. Schopenhauer stands on reason only and rationalizes the Vedas... Shankara maintained the orthodoxy of Vedas." It was a rare combination of science and philosophy that flourished in the mind of this young man, hungry as he was for knowledge in all the fields. He even went to Calcutta medical school to see for himself the arrangement of brain, spinal cord, and the nerves in cadavers kept in the anatomical museum. He wanted to understand the flow of energy currents etc. in relation to Kundalini charkas, etc. He was equally adept in the art of music and singing. His voice was clear, pure, and full of emotion that was sure to bring tears to the eyes of the listeners. Even Sri Ramakrishna used to say, 'no one sings as touchingly as Naren does'. He was expert in playing percussion instruments like tabla, mrudungam, and pakhavaz. Thus, equipped with the knowledge of various languages (Bengali, Sanskrit, English, and Hindi), art and literature, music and singing (he also did a few remarkable paintings), philosophy and science, Swami Vivekananda presented himself at the holy feet of Sri Ramakrishna in the year 1881 at the tender age of eighteen.
Narendra Meets Sri Ramakrishna In the year 1881 Narendra met Sri Ramakrishna for the first time. As it happened, Sri Ramakrishna had gone to Calcutta to one of his devotee's house. It was near Narendra's. Devotional songs were to be sung there; but the singer didn't turn up for the programme. Surendra and Ram, householder devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and friends of Swami Vivekananda, thought of inviting Narendra to fill up the gap, for they knew the high capabilities of Narendra in singing and playing musical instruments. Thus came our "hero" to the house of the devotee and treated the audience, especially Sri Ramakrishna, to many devotional songs. Sri Ramakrishna was highly impressed and invited young Narendra to Dakshineswar. Thus ended the first meeting between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda, the chief future playmate in Sri Ramakrishna's divine sport. Meanwhile, Vishwanath Dutta thought of arranging marriage of his son, but Narendra refused, for he wanted to pursue the path of spiritual enlightenment. Ram, a close relative and friend of Narendra, suggested him to meet Sri Ramakrishna to know more about religion and spirituality. Surendra, another friend, too suggested the same thing and the three friends one day went to Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna asked him to sing a song. Narendra began to sing one of the most touching songs in Bengali. The first lines went like this: 'O mind, come; let us go home. Why do you travel in the foreign land of the world in a foreigner's garb?' Sri Ramakrishna was visibly moved by the sincerity and quality of Narendra's singing. Tears welled up in the eyes of Sri Ramakrishna, and he thus lovingly got acquainted with Narendra. Sri Ramakrishna treated him with utmost love and familiarity, as if they knew each other intimately and were meeting not as strangers but as close old friends. Later Sri Ramakrishna got up and said, "O Narayana, why did you take such long to come here? I have been restlessly waiting for you since long." Thus saying, he escorted Narendra to inner room and fed him sweets and other eatables with his own hands. Naturally Swami Vivekananda was puzzled to receive this kind of treatment; this was not a natural reaction between two strangers. Commenting about his first visit to Dakshineswar later, Narendra said, "It was most unusual kind of meeting. I could not understand the peculiar behaviour of that 'mad, monomaniac Brahmin'. I was reluctant to visit him again, but his pure love, simplicity, genuine renunciation and love for God pulled me again and again to him, despite protests of logic and reason." Sri Ramakrishna invited Narendra to visit Dakshineswar again at his earliest convenience. Moreover, once Narendra's English teacher in his lecture had told the students to visit Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at Dakshineswar if they wanted to know the exact meaning of the word 'trance', for Sri Ramakrishna often experienced that superconscious state of samadhi. Accordingly, one month after his first visit, Narendra went to Dakshineswar again. The Teacher and the Disciple The great soul in Narendranath readily recognized the extraordinary greatness in Sri Ramakrishna in the form of true love for God and great renunciation. However, his skepticism and logical mind was not ready to accept the 'powers' manifested in Sri Ramakrishna. He thought that the 'simple insane' Brahmin might be playing tricks with others in the form of hypnotism or mesmerism. His trance and samadhi were thought to be the whims and play of mind rather than divine superconscious states. In fact Swami Vivekananda postponed his second visit to Dakshineswar for about one month, although he had promised Sri Ramakrishna to visit him soon. But at last the call of Divine was far too powerful for Narendra to resist anymore. And one afternoon, alone on foot, he started for the second meeting with his mentor, and would be Guru. And what did he say? He asked, "Sir, have you seen God?" Calmly Sri Ramakrishna replied, "Yes, I see Him as clearly as one sees an apple over the palm; nay, even more intently. And not only this, you can also see Him." This unusual and most confident answer turned Narendra to more perplexity and surprise. He had been asking the same question 'Sir, have you seen God' to many a great religious and noble person, but he never got such clear cut answer from any one of them. Many religious Pundits, Devendranath Tagore and scholars of Brahmo Movement were reluctant to answer his question with any authority or resoluteness. But that day he got the most emphatic answer in positive. Sri Ramakrishna was sitting all alone. He was very pleased to receive Narendranath and called him near his tiny bedstead. Sri Ramakrishna went into a divine mood and touched Narendra with his right foot. Immediately Narendra had a wonderful experience, which is given in his own words: "I saw with my eyes open that all the things of the room together with the walls were rapidly whirling and receding into an unknown region, and my I-ness together with the whole universe was, as it were, going to vanish in an all devouring great void. I was then overwhelmed with terrible fear. I knew that the destruction of I-ness was death, so I thought that death was before me, very near at hand. Unable to control myself, I cried out loudly, saying, 'ah. What is it you have done to me? I have my parents, you know.'" Laughing loudly at his words, Sri Ramakrishna touched Narendra's chest with his hand and said, "Let it then cease now. It need not be done all at once. It will come to pass in course of time." Swami Vivekananda was amazed to notice how that extraordinary experience vanished as quickly as it had come. He came to normal state and saw things inside and outside the room standing still as before.Learning at the Holy Feet of Sri Ramakrishna Narendra was sure that that was no hypnotism, for he thought himself endowed with solid will- power and self-confidence, and that his mind could not be affected by anyone. But equally true was the fact, Narendra realized, that he could not consider this person (Sri Ramakrishna) mad, when he could shatter to pieces the structure of a mind like his, possessing a strong and powerful will and firm convictions. As if Sri Ramakrishna could refashion Narendra's mind like a ball of soft clay into any pattern as it pleased him. Subsequently Narendra decided to remain on guard, and to further explore the reality about Sri Ramakrishna. He kept the final judgment about this 'wonderful madman' pending for the future. The third visit followed much earlier than the second one. This time Sri Ramakrishna asked Narendra to accompany him to the nearby garden of Jadu Mallick. Here these two persons, Sri Ramakrishna and his would be disciple, were left all alone. Sri Ramakrishna went into ecstatic mood and elevated Narendra to such a state of consciousness where Narendra lost his body consciousness but could answer the questions put by Sri Ramakrishna. Narendra did not remember anything about this episode, but Sri Ramakrishna later told his devotees that on that day he put many intimate questions to Narendra and got answers to them all. He asked Narendra about the purpose of his descent on the earth, the nature of his work in the future, his plans and mission in life and so on. On the basis of these questions Sri Ramakrishna came to know that Narendra would lead life of a monk and would leave his body when he comes to know his true nature. Sri Ramakrishna knew that Narendra was ever-perfected soul - nitya siddha - in meditation. Change of Views After this meeting Narendra was forced to change many of his preconceived notions about God, divinity, and perfected souls. He had formerly a great objection, as most of us have, to accept another man as a Guru or a spiritual guide. This is because we think that the person whom we accept as our Guru might turn out to be an ordinary man full of inherent weaknesses of lust and gold. But after coming in contact with Sri Ramakrishna, Narendra understood that such great souls with complete renunciation, selflessness, and compassion, though rare, actually are born in the world - souls with extraordinary purity, love, and penance - that shake the limited conception about God and God-Man existing in the little mind and intellect of we ordinary people. Therefore, if they are accepted as Gurus, ordinary men are benefited, and not harmed. Consequently Narendra was ready to accept Sri Ramakrishna as his Guru, but still he could not go so far as to accept indiscriminately whatever Sri Ramakrishna said. As Swami Saradananda writes, "A powerful mind feels strong resistance from within when, at the time of accepting new truth, it has to change its former convictions. Narendranath was in that predicament. Though acquainted with Sri Ramakrishna's wonderful powers, he could not completely accept him, and though feeling attracted, he tried to stand aloof from him." Narendra started visiting Sri Ramakrishna more frequently. Soon he got acquainted with a few more sincere disciples who had already decided to dedicate their lives at the Holy feet of Sri Ramakrishna. These meetings with the Master were full of fun and joy, pleasure and gaiety, and there was never a shadow of gloom, dejection, despair, or worry. It was always 'Ananda Mela' (joyous gathering) at Dakshineswar. Sri Ramakrishna used to 'teach' in simple language through parables and stories. There was no feeling that Sri Ramakrishna was the Guru, and all the disciples looked upon him as their wise friend with huge spiritual knowledge born out of innumerable spiritual experiences. [A few of the disciples visited Sri Ramakrishna daily, others at varying intervals. There was no restriction or compulsion on any one. Sri Ramakrishna used to emphasis the importance of love for God, austerities, sadhana, renunciation, continence, and purity to get spiritual insights. Besides these sincere 'monk like' disciples belonging to 'inner circle', many householder devotees, sadhus, fakirs, and lay people visited Kali Temple daily.]Teachings of Vedanta Through the talks and stories, parables and devotional songs (bhajana) concerning Sri Krishna, Radha, Gopis of Vrindavan, Mother Kali, and Chaitannya, Narendra realized that the essence of religion was to 'realize the highest spiritual Truth' in our lives. As he was opposed and reluctant to accept idol or image worship, and believed in formless God with attributes, Sri Ramakrishna explained to him the subtle points about Brahma, Atman, and Unified Consciousness - the one without the second. Thus, Sri Ramakrishna persuaded Narendra to read to him Ashtavakra Gita and similar texts on Advaita Vedanta, and explained finer points therein, which were otherwise difficult to comprehend. Sri Ramakrishna preferred to tell these nuances in total privacy, when no one else would be present in the room. It was all Jnana and Yoga to begin with. Later Bhakti and Karma were added, which we shall subsequently touch upon. Sri Ramakrishna also instructed his disciples about the importance, ways, methods, and means about meditation and spiritual disciplines. Thus, between 1881 and 1886, for five years, Narendra was groomed to become a great yogi with unparalleled sharpness of intellect, reason, and spiritual knowledge. No one could stand his incisive power of critical analysis based on scientific reason and rationality in the matters of Vedanta. Added to this was the gracious gift of Sri Ramakrishna to his beloved Naren, the gift of Nirvikalpa Samadhi -highest nondual consciousness- through which Swami Vivekananda realized the truths of superconscious states. He was face to face with Atman, the God of Sri Ramakrishna. Therefore, as is said, 'nothing else remained for Swami Vivekananda to be realized now'. He had realized the Highest Truth. But was that the case, indeed! No. For, he still had to realize the truth of the Personal God, still had to accept that both impersonal and personal aspects of God are one and the same thing, as Shiva and Shakti are the two aspects of one Reality. God with form and God without form had relationship like that of fire and its power to burn, sun and its rays, milk and its whiteness, or diamond and its lustre. One cannot be separated from the other. On his way to the realization of ultimate Truth, one passes through various stages, which Swami Vivekananda later elaborated in one of lectures in the USA as, 'It is like taking photographs of the sun from different locations or stations in orbit; all the photographs would appear different, but the essence of each photograph would be the same one Sun.' Learning Through Hardships Death of Narendra's father and his subsequent prayer to Ma Kali No one knows the complexities of divine play. Inscrutable are the ways of the Lord that only a few can understand; others call it fate. Such a life-shattering event occurred in the life of Narendra when he had passed his degree course in the college (he was about 21 years of age then). Everything was going on smoothly for him at home and at Dakshineswar, when his father suddenly died due to massive heart attack. The liberal attorney, Vishwanath Dutta, although outwardly appeared well off, was in fact in severe debt. His unusual generosity and carelessness in handling money-matters had put him in a situation where nothing was left as savings. The debtors took away their share, leaving the bereaved family in utter poverty and want. Narendra's uncles also shied away in this hour of crisis and, instead of helping him, they also took their share and kept aloof. It was difficult for Narendra to make two ends meet. To add to the difficulty, even after trying hard Narendra could not get a job. In this situation of utter emergency and despair, he took the decision to leave his home and walk out in the unknown world as a sannyasin. Here at Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna in his spiritual mood came to know about the secret resolve of his beloved disciple to leave the world, which caused much anguish and concern in his heart. In such a situation Sri Ramakrishna met Narendra at one of the devotee's house. In his deep emotional voice, Sri Ramakrishna sang a song, which ran somewhat like this: 'I am afraid to speak, and equally afraid not to speak,The doubt rises in my mind, lest I should lose you' Immediately the meaning was clear to Narendra; he knew that Sri Ramakrishna had come to know his secret resolve to become sannyasin, and that the song was meant for him to reconsider his decision. Tears flowed down the cheeks of both the Guru and the disciple. All other devotees present there were surprised to see such an unusual behaviour of Sri Ramakrishna and Narendranath; no one could know the real cause behind this emotional outburst. After some time the emotions calmed down and Sri Ramakrishna forced Swami Vivekananda to accompany him to Dakshineswar. There Sri Ramakrishna inquired about the problem and requested Narendra not to desert him till his death. Narendra had to promise, for he could not disobey the sincerity in Sri Ramakrishna's appeal. Then Narendra said to Sri Ramakrishna, "Sir, please pray to the Mother so that my family is supplied with coarse grain and clothes. I know the Mother listens to you and definitely grants your prayers." But Sri Ramakrishna had different plans, if we can say so. Sri Ramakrishna said, "Look my boy, I have given everything to the Mother; how can I ask back anything from her now? But one thing I can tell you, why don't you go and pray to the Mother to fulfill your wish? My Mother is very kind and gracious and, I am sure, she will not disappoint you." Thus, Narendra was forced to pray to Mother Kali for fulfilling his wants. That night Narendra and Sri Ramakrishna were alone in the Kali Temple, when Narendra went to the Mother's shrine to pray and ask for material things of urgent necessity. However, as he entered the shrine all that he could say was, "O Mother, please give me Jnana and Bhakti." Having prayed thus, Narendra returned to where Sri Ramakrishna was waiting for him. Sri Ramakrishna inquired, "Naren, have you asked for food and money required for your family?" Swami Vivekananda, surprised as he was as well, replied, "Why, no sir. I asked for Jnana and Bhakti." "You naive," said Sri Ramakrishna, "Go and ask for wealth and the things you actually need now." Thrice Swami Vivekananda went to Ma Kali, but could not utter a word about money, clothes, food, and etc.; instead every time he prayed for Jnana and Bhakti. As soon as Swami Vivekananda used to enter the temple, his mind would rise to such a wonderful state of consciousness that the whole world, including money, material comfort, and food, lost its value, and in its place there shone forth the radiant face of divine and blissful Mother, gracious enough to grant highest Jnana and Bhakti. What fool would ask for transient and useless things when Mother was ready to grant Jnana? Who would ask for pebbles when someone was distributing the gems! Who would ask for vegetables to the king, when he was willing to grant his whole kingdom! Now Swami Vivekananda understood the deep meaning and significance of Sri Ramakrishna's word that formless God and God with form as Mother were but one. Swami Vivekananda accepted Mother as the highest embodiment of spiritual virtues, power, and knowledge. Exhausted, but satiated with inner knowledge of divinity in all of its aspects, he bowed down at the holy feet of Sri Ramakrishna and said, 'O Lord, today I came to know who you are. You are all, everything in this universe. I do not want anything anymore from the Mother. It is all your wish.' Embracing his disciple, the master assured, "Go my son, be at peace. From today onwards you and your family would ever be provided with simple clothes, food, and shelter. This much I guarantee for you."Practical Vedanta Narendra had developed peculiar sharpness of perception and assimilation that helped him pick up 'many gems' from the talks of Sri Ramakrishna. He could, as compared to others, easily 'see' the deep meaning in the words of Sri Ramakrishna, even though Sri Ramakrishna told them in simple language, and never as a preaching. Thus, gradually Swami Vivekananda started assimilating tips and hints on practical Vedanta that could benefit individual and collective life in society. Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva (Service of Man as God) The invaluable mantra "Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva" (serving every being as the full manifestation of God) Narendranath received from Sri Ramakrishna. For instance, sometime in 1884, once Sri Ramakrishna was sitting in the room surrounded by his devotees including Narendranath. In the course of conversation there arose a topic on Vaishnava religion, and explaining the essence of that doctrine Sri Ramakrishna said, "That doctrine teaches that one should always be careful to observe three things, namely, a taste for God's name, kindness to all beings, and the service of co-devotees. ...One should have the conviction in one's heart that the whole universe belongs to Krishna, and therefore, one should have compassion for all beings." No sooner did Sri Ramakrishna utter the words 'compassion for all beings' than he suddenly went into ecstasy. Regaining partial normal consciousness, he continued, "Talk of compassion for beings. Insignificant creature that you are, how can you show compassion for all beings? Who are you to show compassion? You wretch, who are you to bestow it. No, no; it is not compassion to jivas, but service to them as Shiva." All listened to those words of Sri Ramakrishna spoken in the ecstatic mood, but none could detect and understand their hidden import at that time. It was Narendranath alone who, coming out of the room at the end of Sri Ramakrishna's ecstasy, said, "Ah, what a wonderful light have I got today from Sri Ramakrishna's words. What a new and attractive Gospel have we received today through those words of his, wherein a synthesis has been effected of sweet devotion to the Lord with Vedantic knowledge, which is generally regarded as dry austere and lacking in sympathy with the suffering of others. Whenever shall I get the opportunity I will preach this wonderful doctrine of 'Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva', serving God in each living being." To give an example how in later life Swami Vivekananda actually put this mantra in practice, the following incidence is worth mentioning: After his return from USA, around 1898, Swami Vivekananda had acquired land at Belur and constructed the Temple of Sri Ramakrishna and the Math for sannyasins. He was not keeping well and had gone to Darjeeling hill station for rest. Meanwhile plague broke out in Calcutta, and panic set in all over. People were running in fear, leaving Calcutta. Many died and there was no one to take care of the sick or dispose of the dead bodies. The news reached the broad-hearted Swami who immediately returned to Calcutta and ordered all the inmates of Belur Math to get busy in the service and care of the affected. Many a sannyasin protested, 'this is not our work; Sri Ramakrishna had never told us to do social service. Our main aim is to seek God and perform sadhana.' This was the argument put forward by some of the sannyasins. Swami Vivekananda thundered at them saying, "O my brothers, have you forgotten the mantra of our Sri Ramakrishna: 'Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva'. By serving human beings we are serving the highest expression of God on this earth. Love the Lord in these suffering patients. I appeal to you to come forward in this calamity and serve the living God." The monks were stunned to listen to those powerful words of their leader and many of them saw the truth therein. But someone still protested, "O Swami, from where would the money come?" To this the Swami retaliated, 'If need be, sell off the Belur Math. The money thus gathered would be put to the service of these men. I care not for home or shelter for ourselves; we are sannyasins, and we have taken the vow of poverty. Tree shade would be our roof and a loin cloth would be enough for us to cover our bodies.' Thus were engaged all the monks, householder devotees of Sri Ramakrishna, and inmates of Belur Math in the service of the afflicted. The British authorities in their report on the epidemic had recorded that due to the timely help from the Math mortality was less and moreover, the epidemic was brought under control much quickly.Sri Ramakrishna Departs In the month of October 1885 Sri Ramakrishna developed throat ailment, which subsequently proved to be incurable cancer of throat. The doctors gave up any hope of recovery, and there was, for the first time, an atmosphere of gloom, anxiety, and worry at Dakshineswar. Swami Vivekananda organized the team of his fellow brothers and devotees to take due care of Sri Ramakrishna. Timetables were set up so that someone would always be available for providing necessary help to Sri Ramakrishna and Ma Saradadevi (wife and spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna). The householder devotees on their part offered monetary and material help for Sri Ramakrishna's nursing, medicines, and food. Thus a nucleus of sangha - mission - evolved around Sri Ramakrishna in his presence with the help and efforts of his monk-like disciples, including Swami Vivekananda in particular. In these critical days of his illness Sri Ramakrishna made certain important moves. He called Narendra and told him 'to take care of these boys', i.e. his brother disciples, lest they should go back to the worldly life. Swami Vivekananda was to become their leader and see to it that they were properly trained and cared for as sannyasins. Secondly, Sri Ramakrishna once wrote, 'Naren will teach.' Naren, at that time only 23 years of age, never dreamt of such a role in future life, but the telescopic vision of Sri Ramakrishna could see the future role of Swami Vivekananda as the world teacher and world leader. He said, "Naren, at present you may deny and protest, but I tell you, your very nature would get this work done through you. The Mother would see to that you spread Her message all over." Thus, the mantle of leadership fell on the broad, powerful, pure, and wise shoulders of Swami Vivekananda. One day, about three days prior to his leaving this world, Sri Ramakrishna called Swami Vivekananda and transferred all his spiritual powers to him, saying, "O Naren, today I have given you everything I had, and have become a fakir, a pauper." And the last stroke was very touching, amusing a bit, and full of insight. Skepticism had not yet died down completely from the mind of Swami Vivekananda. One day, as he was sitting at the holy feet of his ailing Master, a thought arose in his mind, 'If now in this condition of distress Sri Ramakrishna tells me that he is Avatar Purusha, then I will accept him as the greatest of God Man." As soon as the thought arose in the mind of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna, though weak and unable to get up, said, "Even now you have doubts. O Naren, the same Rama and the same Krishna are embodied in this body as Ramakrishna. I am speaking the truth." Thus was completed the training, revelations, and transfer of spiritual powers from Sri Ramakrishna to his most able disciple for the welfare and benefit of the mankind. All doubts vanished from the heart and mind of Narendranath; he had become one with Sri Ramakrishna. Therefore, we say that Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual experiences and powers were so vast that they could not be contained in one body. It required three bodies, those of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Ma Saradadevi, and Swami Vivekananda (the Holy Trio) for its full expression. Sri Ramakrishna left the worldly abode on 16th August 1886. To fulfill his Master's desire, Swami Vivekananda now rented an old house at Baranagore and converted it into a monastery, where all his grief-stricken (but firm in determination) brother disciples started staying in great atmosphere of brotherhood. Daily they worshiped Sri Ramakrishna in his photo image, and everyone shared the work of begging for the food, learning his message, and reading from the ancient scriptures, viz. the Gita and the Upanishads. The Ramakrishna Mission had come to life. What next? The Soul Wants to Soar High Swami Vivekananda's realization of the highest Truths, both in its formless and personal aspects, acted as 'theoretical' confirmation of the highest Vedantic principles as laid down in the Upanishads. They remained confined in the heart of Narendra making him aglow with effulgent divinity, but the condition of his mind was like a bird trapped in a golden cage. It wanted to spread its mighty wings all over, strengthened now with the power of nondual realizations and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. It wanted to soar high in limitless sky to cover the whole humanity under its massive wings and make it aware of those invaluable truths. The restlessness reached the stage when Swami Vivekananda could no longer confine himself to the four walls of Baranagore monastery. He intently desired to go into open world to learn more about practicality of Vedanta. How can Vedanta be applied in day-to-day life to alleviate the sufferings of the masses? Is it possible? Such and many similar questions crowded his mind from dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn. And one day, alone, sometime in July 1888, Swami Vivekananda left Calcutta telling his brother disciples not to follow him. Thus started the second important phase in the life of Swami Vivekananda, the Parivrajaka Monk, wandering years of the Swami. He went to Varanasi, Ayodhya, Vrindavan, Lucknow, Agra, and the Himalayas, thus covering the entire north of India. These are the great places of historical, socio-religious, and spiritual importance. These are the places connected with life and teachings of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, Sita and Radha who glorified divine love and dharma as the final culmination of spiritual quest. The great Himalayas attracted him, where loneliness prevailed and called the sadhaka to be ready to merge in the glory of Infinite. This was a short trip and the Swami returned to Calcutta in a few months' time. For sometime he remained in the company of his brother disciples trying to devise the means and the ways to propagate their Master's message to every nook and corner of India and the world, but his future plans could but be sketchy, for he didn't understand how to go about it. The force of knowledge was very great in his heart, acting like a silent bomb; when and where would it burst, no one knew. The restlessness could not be contained in the narrow confines of his head and heart; it must come out to cover all the sky. And hence, for the second time in around July 1891, he left his brothers to wander all over the country, after seeking blessings from Ma Saradadevi. On Pilgrimage of India For nearly two years, he wandered all over India from north to west, and from west to southern tip of India, learning and assimilating the prevalent religio-social culture and economic condition of India and her children. And what did he see? He saw that the masses were submerged in utter poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, and superstition. The many years of foreign rule and estrangement from the wisdom of the Vedas and the Upanishads had made them slaves not only of British rule, but also of the outdated social customs and rituals. The meaning of God, religion, and dharma was distorted to its lowest and crudest level. In the face of utter poverty, food itself had become their dharma and God. And, indeed, the Swami once acceded, 'religion cannot come to empty stomach. For the poor religion comes in the form of bread. Give bread, give secular education, improve their material condition, cover their half-naked bodies with some semblance of decency, and then tell the masses about spirituality. Then, talk of realization of Atman and Brahman, God and Religion. Oh, my Mother India, to what pitiable condition you have come to.' His heart cried out in silence, and his eyes shed silent tears of sorrow at the suffering of the masses. The mighty Jnani in the Swami became the compassionate saint like the Buddha. Bhakti and Jnana must be activated with Selfless Karma; it must be so. Something must be done for the masses; that was the pressing necessity. And thus indeed he resolved. Tears of anguish softened and broadened his heart, and one day he said, "O brother, I do not know the meaning of religion; but one thing is sure, now I feel my heart has broadened and is capable of accommodating and feeling for everyone, be he destitute or a king, healthy or afflicted. I see the same Narayana in the poor and the fool, the wealthy and the wise." Gradually his plan for future action was taking shape. He must do something to alleviate the suffering of people. For the time being he was ready to keep sadhana and meditation aside so that he could fully devote himself to this cause. He also thought of going to rich countries like America and earn a large amount of money that could help him fulfill his pledge. To work is to worship; that was the new mantra that Swami Vivekananda thought would help India rise again. Sacrifice, renunciation, and selfless service were the essential requisites for this dream to come true, and for India to come out of darkness of ignorance and poverty. Material progress, secular education, and service to sick must be added to meditation and spiritual practices for fulfilling the final aim. Parivrajaka Sadhu: The 'wandering monk' By 1892 Swami Vivekananda became a sage of high intellect, action, and devotion. In his life, he had experienced the Truth of all the four Yogas, viz. Yoga of meditation, Jnana (discrimination), selfless action, and devotion. He was well versed in the study of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He also studied life and teachings of Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, and Lord Buddha. In fact it is believed that once Swami Vivekananda had the vision of Buddha in his deep meditation. Thus having acquired direct knowledge of all the religions, having come to the conclusion that all religions speak of the same truth, Swami Vivekananda had intense desire to spread this wonderful message of divine unity of Existence and unity in diversity. Wanderings continued... Accordingly, he continued to travel all over the holy land of India to get first hand information about the state of religion in the Indian masses. The vast land opened up a new challenge before the Swami to explore its religious-spiritual truths. These days of a 'wandering monk' make an important stage in the history of spiritual revival of India as well as the whole world. Why? For, his experiences during the wandering days added compassion to his broad outlook and sharp intellect. He could understand the sad plight of fellow countrymen, their exploitation, poverty, suffering and affliction under the mercy of foreign rule and darkness of ignorance. "To the hungry religion comes in the form of bread", he declared. And he would have added, 'and for the ignorant religion comes in the form of education'. Material progress and spiritual growth are not contradictory, are not antagonistic to each other, but rather, the goal of religion and our efforts should be to bridge the yawning gap between the two, he maintained. He was convinced that science and religion should join hands so that a new chapter could be written in human history. He saw, learnt, and was convinced that, while material progress of India was as important as the spiritual revival, to the West religion would come in the form of a blend between spirituality and materialism. He met with many eminent and noble persons, the Maharaja of Khetri, Dewan of Porbandar and Junagadh, Raja of Ramnad, and other intellectuals in the state of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madras. All these gentlemen were highly impressed by the sincerity, knowledge, spirituality and new Vedantic approach to life of this 'English-speaking monk'. And then, once during casual discussion, the Dewan of Porbandar said, "Swamiji, I am afraid you cannot do much in this country. Few will appreciate you here. You ought to go to the West where people will understand you and your worth. Surely you can throw a great light on Western culture by preaching the Sanatana Dharma." "The poverty ridden illiterate people of our country are not yet ready to receive the message of Vedanta. Why don't you attend the Parliament of Religions to be held in Chicago a few months hence? There you represent and elaborate the true Hinduism of which, your Guru, Sri Ramakrishna, was the living embodiment." Swami Vivekananda reached the southernmost tip of India - Kanyakumari, where occurs the vast confluence of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Jumping in the shark-infested waters he reached an offshore rock and was absorbed in deep meditation for three days. The highest Knowledge dawned in his mind and he saw Sri Ramakrishna's huge figure striding towards the West and beckoning him to follow him. There Swami Vivekananda resolved to go to the West. Swami Vivekananda Arrives In America Swami Vivekananda began to plan his visit to America, and on 31st May 1893 he set sails for that far off land; the ochre robed sadhu planning to conquer the scientific reason of the West with Vedantic intuition of the East. Simple in life style, even unaware of exact dates of the Parliament, Swami Vivekananda reached Chicago much ahead of the commencement of the Parliament. He had no letter or credentials from any society or organization; he was not aware what religion he would represent at the Parliament, and most importantly he was short of money. In the Chicago Science Fare he was impressed by the advances America had made in the field of science and technology in comparison to which India was very poor and backward as far as material progress was concerned. The glamour, the innovative application of electricity, telephone, communication, applied aspects of physics for the welfare and comfort of the masses, all filled his heart with amazement and excitement. He used to think: Oh, how much India needs to learn and acquire!... By:Parivrajaka Sadhu: The 'wandering monk'Collect By:T.R.Harihara SudhaN
