VIVEKANANDA -- AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY
Swami Vivekananda used to burst out in anger sometimes when his instructions were not carried out to perfection by his brother disciples because he felt responsible for the fate of future humanity and he knew that his time on earth was fast coming to an end. He knew his body was giving away, debilitated by multiple diseases that it was, and his message to humanity had not yet been fully delivered.
The tug of war between the body wasting away from excessive spiritual strain and the higher inspiration of his Master beckoning him on to the fulfilment of his mission on earth kept Swamiji in a tense mood of alternate spiritual exaltation and terrestrial desperation when he saw the relative ineptness of his followers in following the impulse of his life and message to fruition. In desperation and resignation unto the Lord he cried out towards the fag end of his life thus : "By the quirk of fate though a body came into being, it came to be of not much use. Reflecting on this my heart breaks in despair. The intelligent young men have married or are slaves to name and fame or are of feeble constitution. And the ones that have followed me, they are incapable of comprehending the true import of lofty and sublime ideas. But then, if Thakur so wills it, from among these in course of time great heroes will be born.'' The stunned disciple, Saratchandra Chakrabarty, listened to this oration in awe.
On the last day of his life on earth Swamiji was strolling in the courtyard adjoining the Old Temple at Belur Math immediately after his three hour long meditation. It was shortly after 11 a.m. and Swamiji was heard softly musing : ''What this Vivekananda has given to the world, it will take another Vivekananda to comprehend it.'' Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda) who was behind Swamiji within ear's distance was stunned to hear this self-proclamation but could not quite understand that Swamiji's final hour on earth had come. That evening in the depths of meditation at 9:10 p.m. Swamiji willed his way out of the body. Silence fell on Belur Math.
Written by Sugata Bose
Swami Vivekananda used to burst out in anger sometimes when his instructions were not carried out to perfection by his brother disciples because he felt responsible for the fate of future humanity and he knew that his time on earth was fast coming to an end. He knew his body was giving away, debilitated by multiple diseases that it was, and his message to humanity had not yet been fully delivered.
The tug of war between the body wasting away from excessive spiritual strain and the higher inspiration of his Master beckoning him on to the fulfilment of his mission on earth kept Swamiji in a tense mood of alternate spiritual exaltation and terrestrial desperation when he saw the relative ineptness of his followers in following the impulse of his life and message to fruition. In desperation and resignation unto the Lord he cried out towards the fag end of his life thus : "By the quirk of fate though a body came into being, it came to be of not much use. Reflecting on this my heart breaks in despair. The intelligent young men have married or are slaves to name and fame or are of feeble constitution. And the ones that have followed me, they are incapable of comprehending the true import of lofty and sublime ideas. But then, if Thakur so wills it, from among these in course of time great heroes will be born.'' The stunned disciple, Saratchandra Chakrabarty, listened to this oration in awe.
On the last day of his life on earth Swamiji was strolling in the courtyard adjoining the Old Temple at Belur Math immediately after his three hour long meditation. It was shortly after 11 a.m. and Swamiji was heard softly musing : ''What this Vivekananda has given to the world, it will take another Vivekananda to comprehend it.'' Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda) who was behind Swamiji within ear's distance was stunned to hear this self-proclamation but could not quite understand that Swamiji's final hour on earth had come. That evening in the depths of meditation at 9:10 p.m. Swamiji willed his way out of the body. Silence fell on Belur Math.
Written by Sugata Bose
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