TAMIL
The cyclonic monk
SWAMI VIVEKANANDAR VIRIVANA VAZHKAI VARALARU — Vol I, Rs. 160, Vol II, Rs. 140: Swami Asutoshananda; Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, R.K. Mutt Road, Mylapore, Chennai-600004.
THE RAMAYANA begins with Sage Valmiki seeking information from Sage Narada, "Is there, anywhere on Earth, an individual who can be called perfect in every respect?" Narada responds with delight. Yes, there is Sri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, who shines with 16 supreme virtues. Valmiki gets the inspiration for composing his immortal epic.
Swami Asutoshananda must have experienced a similar itch to know. In our own troubled times, is there a prophet in whom all excellences meet and mingle and to whom we can turn to, to find life's fulfilment? Yes, there is Narendra, a prince among men, better known as Swami Vivekananda. And with great elan Asutoshananda's facile pen places before us a very detailed two-volume biography of Vivekananda.
He is an "orator by divine right." His five words, "Sisters and brothers of America," roused the 7,000 strong audience at the Chicago Parliament of World Religions to give him a standing ovation for many minutes.
There was no subject, secular, scientific or philosophial, of which he was not the master. His memory was prodigious; after glancing through a few pages of a book he had not read before, he could repeat those pages verbatim. His very stance proclaimed a hero per excellence.
On the Madras Marina he could wrestle with a professional wrestler and defeat him. He was acclaimed as the cyclonic patriot-monk and became a role model for the youth, so much so that his birthday January 12, has been declared the National Youth Day. With his razor-sharp intellect he could overwhelm anyone in debate. His lectures, letters and writings made recondite Vedantic ideas easy to understand.
Swami Asutoshananda has meticulously gathered all the details available about Swami Vivekananda in the various languages and crafted them into a highly readable story. He has not omitted any significant event in the hero's career, but has carefully checked and rechecked the details.
One special feature of this biography is that we get a memorable picture of Swamiji as the Guru, training disciples in the evening of his life. Hence this biography becomes an authoritative text to rely upon for all future writers and researchers on the Swami who is "the morning star of Indian Independence" and the "prophet of the divinization of man."
C. S. RAMAKRISHNAN
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