Look not, O Lord, upon my sins!
Is not Same-sightedness Thy name?
One piece of iron is used
Inside the holy shrine,
Another for the knife
Held in the butcher's hand;
Yet both of these are turned to gold
When touched by the philosophers' stone.
Sacred the Jamuna's water,
Foul the water in the ditch;
Yet both alike are sanctified
Once they have joined the Ganga's stream.
So, Lord, look not upon my sins!
Is not Same-sightedness Thy name?
The Swami was deeply moved. This girl, whom society condemned as impure, had
taught him a great lesson: Brahman, the Ever Pure, Ever Free, and Ever Illumined, is
the essence of all beings. Before God there is no distinction of good and evil, pure and
impure. Such pairs of opposites become manifest only when the light of Brahman is
obscured by maya. A sannyasin ought to look at all things from the standpoint of
Brahman. He should not condemn anything, even a so-called impure person.
The Swami then joined the party and with tears in his eyes said to the girl: 'Mother, I
am guilty. I was about to show you disrespect by refusing to come to this room. But
your song awakened my consciousness.'
The Swami assumed at the Raja's request the name of Vivekananda, and the Raja
accompanied him as far as Jaipur when he departed for Bombay. On his way to
Bombay the Swami stopped at the Abu Road station and met Brahmananda and
Turiyananda. He told them about his going to America. The two brother disciples were
greatly excited. He explained to them the reason for his going: it was India's suffering.
'I travelled,' he said, 'all over India. But alas, it was agony to me, my brothers, to see
with my own eyes the terrible poverty of the masses, and I could not restrain my tears!
It is now my firm conviction that to preach religion amongst them, without first trying
to remove their poverty and suffering, is futile. It is for this reason — to find means for
the salvation of the poor of India — that I am going to America.'
Addressing Turiyananda, he said, 'Brother, I cannot understand your so-called religion.'
His face was red with his rising blood. Shaking with emotion, he placed his hand on
his heart, and said: 'But my heart has grown much, much larger, and I have learnt to
feel. Believe me, I feel it very sadly.' He was choked, and then fell silent. Tears rolled
down his cheeks.
Many years later Turiyananda said, while describing the incident: 'You can imagine