Swami Vivekananda - The Parivrajaka

Another interesting anecdote about Swamiji’s appearance around this time comes from D. B. Raghunath Rao, the youngest son of D. R. Balaji Rao of Chennai, who was a close friend of Swamiji. Balaji told his son: “Swamiji was an arresting personality with handsome features, always smiling and had a robust constitution. His voice had a pleasant ringing tone.” Raghunath Rao continues: “My father who was fond of tying his turban in various modes, presented one such length of cloth to Swamiji. It is this that adorns his head in the popular photographs published; and the sash around his waist which we also see in the photos [Chicago, 1893] was presented to him by the Maharaja of Khetri.”21 ❊ ❊ ❊ [Swamiji] spoke no harsh words against anyone; on the other hand he did not refrain from criticism when it was necessary. For example, there was the pandit who asked him if there was any harm in giving up sandhyavandana (ritualistic prayers performed in the morning, noon and evening) because of lack of time. “What!” exclaimed the swami, almost ferociously, “those giants of old, the ancient rishis, who never walked but strode, of whom if you were to think but for a moment you would shrivel up into a moth, they, sir, had time—and you have no time!” On that same occasion, when a Westernized Hindu spoke in a belittling manner of the “meaningless teachings” of the Vedic seers, the swami fell upon him with thunderbolt vehemence, crying out, “How dare you criticize your venerable forefathers in such a fashion! A little learning has muddled your brain. Have you tested the science of the rishis? Have you even as much as read the Vedas? There is the challenge thrown by the rishis! If you dare oppose them, take it up; put their teachings to the test.” (LSV [Kolkata, 1979] 1:364-65)