(Below are some of the most inspiring incidents in the life of SwamiVivekananda, in his own words)
‘One day the idea struck me that God listened to Shri Ramakrishna’s prayers; so why should I not ask him to pray for me for the removal of my pecuniary wants—a favour the Master would never deny me? I hurried to Dakshineswar and insisted on his making the appeal on ’ behalf of my starving family.
He said “My boy, I can’t make such demands. But why don’t you go and ask the Mother yourself? All your sufferings are due to your disregard of Her”.
‘I said, “I do not know the Mother, you please speak to Her on my behalf. You must.”
‘He replied tenderly, “My dear boy, I have done so again and again. But you do not accept Her, so She does not grant my prayer. All right, today is Tuesday—go to the Kali Temple tonight, prostrate yourself before the Mother, and ask Her any boon you like. It shall be granted. She is Knowledge Absolute, the Inscrutable Power of Brahman, and by Her mere will has given birth to this world. Everything is in Her Power to give”.
‘I believed every word and eagerly waited for the night. About 9 o’clock the Master commanded me to go to the temple. As I went I was filled with a divine intoxication. My feet were unsteady. My heart was leaping in anticipation of the joy of beholding the living Goddess and hearing Her words. I was full of the idea.
Reaching the temple as I cast my eyes upon the image, I actually found that the Divine Mother was living and conscious, the Perennial Fountain of Divine Love and Beauty. I was caught in a surging wave of devotion and love. In an ecstasy of joy I prostrated myself again and again before the Mother and prayed, “Mother give me discrimination, Give me renunciation! Give unto me knowledge and devotion! Grant that I may have an uninterrupted vision of Thee!”
A serene peace reigned in my soul. The world was forgotten. Only the Divine Mother shone within my heart.
‘As soon as I returned the Master asked me if I had prayed to the Mother for the removal of my worldly wants. I was startled at this question and said, “No Sir, I forgot all about it. But is there any remedy now?”
“Go again”, said he, “and tell Her about your wants”.
I again set out for the temple, but at the sight of the mother again forgot my mission, bowed to Her repeatedly and prayed only for love and devotion. The Master asked me if I had done it pthe second time. I told him what had happened.
‘He said, “How thoughtless! Couldn’t you restrain yourself enough to say those few words? Well, try once more and make that prayer to Her. Quick! ”
I went for the third time, but on entering the temple a terrible shame overpowered me. I thought “What a trifle I have come to pray to the Mother about ! It is like asking a gracious king for a few vegetables ! What a fool I am”.
In shame and remorse I bowed to Her respectfully and said, “Mother, I want nothing but knowledge and devotion”.
‘Coming out of the temple I understood that all this was due to the Master’s will. Otherwise how could I fail in my object no less than thrice?
I came to him and said, “Sir, it is you who have cast a charm over my mind and made me forgetful. Now please grant me the boon that my people at home may no longer suffer the pinch of poverty”.
‘He said, “Such a prayer never comes from my lips. I asked you to pray for yourself. But you couldn’t do it. It appears that you are not destined to enjoy worldly happiness. Well, I can’t help it.”
But I wouldn’t let him go. I insisted on his granting that prayer. At last he said, “All right, your people at home will never be in want of plain food and clothing”.
