Three Nights, A Dawn And Swami Vivekananda

1892 Kanyakumari

India of the ancient Rishis, was under the strangling grip of colonialism. Its ancient way of life was collapsing. Poverty and misery, arising out of self-apathy and colonialism, permeated the entire nation. Inhuman treatment of fellow humans became accepted as religion — to the delight of colonialism.

This was a mockery of Dharma. Dharma is the basis of this nation. Dharma is the protection of the powerless and the weak. But Dharma had been reduced to defend child marriage and the practice of untouchability.

India was dying.

Amidst the roaring waves crashing at the rocks through day and night, a lonely figure sat on a boulder that was quite removed from the mainland. He meditated upon the plight of India.

Right before him across the waves, he could see the temple of the Goddess. The story went that she had taken the form of an unmarried girl. 'Kumari'. He who had come from the land of Kali, the fierce Goddess, looked at the temple of Kumari, the virgin Goddess and meditated.

He meditated for India. Deep into time went the heart of the meditator.

More Than Three Thousand Years Ago — Somewhere In The Banks Of An Ancient Indian River:

The cows looked miserable. They were skinny and looked as if they were going to die anytime. But they were to be gifted as part of the Yajna to the learned teachers of Vedas. The lad looked at the cows. His father, the great Vajashrava, well known for his mastery of Vedas and famous for his flawless conducting of rituals, was performing the Yajna — the famous Vishwajit Yajna.

For the conquest of the world external, one gives away his possessions. It is in sacrifice, there is, the true conquest and yet, his father was not giving the best. He was giving sickly cows. That was a very practical material calculation. But it is the mockery of the spirit of the sacrifice.

The child was aghast. Let not the spirit of sacrifice die. He went to his father and asked. He put himself on the line. 'Whom would you give me as an offering?' The boy repeated the question. Again and Again. The boy was ready to give himself in the place of sickly cows to restore the spirit of the Yajna. The father got angry. He saw mockery in the voice of the young boy.

'To Yama, the lord of death, I give you'. The father said. Even as he realised what he had said, the boy had travelled to the realm of Death.

There he awaited to see Death face to face. He remained there for three days.

Then he came back. Resisting all temptations he brought the true fire of Yajna, timeless eternal wisdom to earth.

The wisdom of the Upanishads!

In Nachiketa bringing the deathless wisdom to all, was completed in true spirit the Vishwajit Yajna of his father.

The meditating monk opened his eyes.

Three days and three nights had passed.

Among the waves in the middle of the sea, under the scorching sun and star-filled-sky dome he had meditated. Let not the land die, because it makes an inhuman mockery of eternal Dharma because this Rashtra lives in Dharma.

He had asked the Goddess who in her deep Tapas guards the southernmost end of Indian mainland. He had asked his Guru and Holy Mother.

And he had been given a vision:

The Wisdom Of The Upanishads!

Vivekananda, the Narendra, set himself on a mission. The clarion call for national rejuvenation through universal brotherhood was given on 11 September, 1893.

From the World Parliament it reverbrated throughout India — in the chambers of youth, who would go to the jaws of death to bring liberation. By 1947, India became a free nation.

From Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to Jal Jeevan Mission, it is the vision of Vivekananda materialising. From vaccine self-reliance to vaccine diplomacy, from Jaipur feet technology to satellite launches, it is the unfolding of that mission.

But the mission is far from over. Vishwajit Yajna should end in India becoming Vishwa Guru. For that we cannot give sickly cows. We have to give the best in each one of us. That is the call of Swami Vivekananda even as India celebrates Amritkal.