Swami Vivekananda’s intense Bhav!

Following is one of the incidents from Swami Vivekananda’s tour to America. Swami Vivekananda represented India in the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago (America), where he introduced the great Hindu Dharma (Religion) to the world. He entranced the audience with his brilliant and powerful speech. He beautifully explained the significance of Sanatan Hindu Dharma to the western world. Following this highly inspiring speech, Swamiji was invited by many organisations to give discourses. He emphatically described Jnanyog, Bhaktiyog, Karmayog and Rajyog to the people there. His speech had a mesmerising impact on the audience. The audience was left spellbound and desired to hear more from him.

Once, after concluding a discourse, owing to curiosity, people asked Swamiji from which school or University had he acquired this knowledge. Swamiji replied that he had received this invaluable knowledge only from his Gurudev (spiritual master). People impatiently asked Swamiji about his Gurudev. Swamiji said that if they had an intense desire to listen, he would surely share about Him. On the same day, a special lecture named ‘My Gurudev’ was organised. People came in large numbers to listen Swamiji speak about his Gurudev. There was a pin drop silence when Swamiji stood up from his chair/seat to address the audience. Seeing a huge crowd waiting for him to speak about his Gurudev, Swamiji experienced immense gratitude towards his Gurudev. When he began to speak, the first words he uttered were ‘My Gurudev’, with such an intense spiritual emotion (bhav) that his Guru’s form stood in front of his eyes. Seeing his Guru in front of him, Swamiji’s throat choked up due to spiritual emotion of gratitude, and tears started incessantly flowing down from his eyes. His spiritual emotion manifested in the form of tears, goose bumps and his body started shivering. He was speechless for 10 minutes. The audience was surprised to see Swamiji like this. The reason was simple. They had not seen anybody in tears except due to some physical injury or the demise/death of dear ones. Everybody was aghast to see Swamiji in such a state!

There is a Shlok in Sanskrit :

Gurormaunam tu vyakhyanam shishyastu chhinnasanshayaha

गुरोर्मौनं तु व्याख्यानं शिष्यस्तु छिन्नसंशयः ।

This means that the Guru taught and dissolved all the doubts in His disciple’s mind, but not a word was spoken in between!

From this incident, we come know the intense spiritual emotion (bhav) Swami Vivekananda had for his SadguruShri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa.

– Shri. Chetan Rajhans, Panvel.