Narendranath(Swami Vivekananda) — A Maestro in the Field of Music

Abstract

‘Swamiji’, the very word when uttered kindles within our mind’s eye an image of a bright and shining face and a figure with a graceful appearance and a glairing personality. The great monk of the 19th century India, who represented his subjugated and humiliated motherland with a mission to establish its glory at the world forum in America with no arrangement of reception or a shelter from any quarter. But a personality, so enchanting with a pair of hypnotic eyes and a sea of knowledge within could impress a stalwart, a professor of the famous Harvard University on the very first sight, so to say; who also invited him to deliver a speech in Harvard. Again when he came to know that the monk had no credential, he wrote a letter to the chairman-in-charge of delegates of the Parliament with the following words, ‘Here is a man who is more learned than all of our learned professors put together.’ It is also said that the professor urged upon Swamiji to participate, which was necessary for the introduction of his country. But the story did not end here. On the recommendation of the stalwart a period of five minutes was allowed to him but the interesting thing happened when Swamiji addressed the parliament as ‘My sisters and brothers of America’, there was a standing ovation of the audience with big hands; that lasted for two minutes. Obviously, the allowed span of five minutes extended to hours of lecture under the insistence of the audience. While in India Sir Surendranath also opined that India had hardly produced such a great orator, as he came across his speech.