BIOGRAPHY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 9to tell later how his mother had taught him his firstEnglish words; and he mastered the Bengalialphabet under her tutorship. It was at her kneethat he first heard the tales of the Ramayana and theMahabharata. His boyish imagination wascaptivated by the life of Sri Rama, an incarnation ofGod, and he purchased a clay image of Sita-Ramaand worshipped it with flowers. Sometimes Shivatook the place of Rama as the object of worship byNarendra Nath. But nevertheless the Ramayana hadthe greatest fascination for him; and whenever theRamayana was to be read in the neighbourhood,he was sure to be there. Sometimes he was soenraptured by the thrilling episodes of Rama’s lifethat he forgot all about home. Naren—as he wasnow called—liked to play at meditation. Thoughit was play, sometimes it awakened in him deepspiritual emotions which made him unconsciousof the outer world. One day he lost himself so muchin this mimic meditation in a secluded corner ofthe house that his relatives had to force open thedoor and shake him to bring him back to normalconsciousness.Naren had a fascination for wanderingmonks. Whenever a sadhu came to the door, Narenwould be delighted and give him anything fromthe house as an offering. Naren would also have apeculiar experience when he would try to go to