according to his lights.'
Narendra proceeded towards historic Rajputana, repeating the words of the Sutta-
nipata:
Go forward without a path,
Fearing nothing, caring for nothing,
Wandering alone, like the rhinoceros!
Even as a lion, not trembling at noises,
Even as the wind, not caught in a net,
Even as the lotus leaf, untainted by water,
Do thou wander alone, like the rhinoceros!
Several factors have been pointed out as influencing Naren's life and giving shape to
his future message: the holy association of Sri Ramakrishna, his own knowledge of
Eastern and Western cultures, and his spiritual experiences. To these another must be
added: the understanding of India gained through his wanderings. This new
understanding constituted a unique education for Naren. Here, the great book of life
taught him more than the printed words of the libraries.
He mixed with all — today sleeping with pariahs in their huts and tomorrow
conversing on equal terms with Maharajas, Prime Ministers, orthodox pandits, and
liberal college professors. Thus he was brought into contact with their joys and
sorrows, hopes and frustrations. He witnessed the tragedy of present-day India and also
reflected on its remedy. The cry of the people of India, the God struggling in humanity,
and the anxiety of men everywhere to grasp a hand for aid, moved him deeply. In the
course of his travels Naren came to know how he could make himself a channel of the
Divine Spirit in the service of mankind.
During these wandering days he both learnt and taught. The Hindus he asked to go
back to the eternal truths of their religion, hearken to the message of the Upanishads,
respect temples and religious symbols, and take pride in their birth in the holy land of
India. He wanted them to avoid both the outmoded orthodoxy still advocated by
fanatical leaders, and the misguided rationalism of the Westernized reformers. He was
struck by the essential cultural unity of India in spite of the endless diversity of form.
And the people who came to know him saw in him the conscience of India, her unity,
and her destiny.
As already noted, Narendranath while travelling in India often changed his name to
avoid recognition. It will not be improper to call him, from this point of his life, by the
monastic title of 'Swami,' or the more affectionate and respectful appellation of
'Swamiji.'
In Alwar, where Swamiji arrived one morning in the beginning of February 1891, he
was cordially received by Hindus and Moslems alike. To a Moslem scholar he said: