BIOGRAPHY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

10 SWAMI VIVEKANANDAsleep. As soon as he closed his eyes there appearedbetween his eyebrows a wonderful spot of light ofchanging colours, which would expand and burstand bathe his whole body with a flood of whiteradiance. As the mind became preoccupied withthis phenomenon, the body would fall asleep. Itwas a regular occurrence with him, and NarendraNath thought this phenomenon was natural witheverybody. But it indicated his great spiritualpotentiality.There was, however, another side of hischaracter. As a child Narendra Nath was verynaughty, and hard to manage. It needed two nursesto take care of him. He was of extraordinaryrestlessness and at times beyond control. Referringto this, his mother used to say, ‘I prayed to Shiva fora son and He has sent me one of His demons.’He was also a great tease. He would annoy hissisters and when chased would take refuge in theopen drain, grinning and making faces at them insafety, for they would not follow him there. Thefamily cow was one of his playmates, and he had anumber of pet animals and birds, among whichwere a monkey, a goat, a peacock, pigeons, and twoor three guinea-pigs. Of the servants the coachmanwas his special friend, and one of the ambitions ofhis childhood was to become a syce or groom. Tohim the syce with his turban and his whip, which