BIOGRAPHY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

the masses. Narendra wanted to throw open the man-making wisdom of theVedas to all, and thus bring about the regeneration of his motherland. Hetherefore encouraged his brothers at the Barangaore monastery to study thegrammar of Panini, without which one could not acquire first-hand knowledge ofthe Vedas.The spirit of democracy and equality in Islam appealed to Naren's mind and hewanted to create a new India with Vedantic brain and Moslem body. Further,the idea began to dawn in his mind that the material conditions of the massescould not be improved without the knowledge of science and technology asdeveloped in the West. He was already dreaming of building a bridge to join theEast and the West. But the true leadership of India would have to spring fromthe soil of the country. Again and again he recalled that Sri Ramakrishna hadbeen a genuine product of the Indian soil, and he realized that India wouldregain her unity and solidarity through the understanding of the Master'sspiritual experiences.Naren again became restless to 'do something', but what, he did not know. Hewanted to run away from his relatives since he could not bear the sight of theirpoverty. He was eager to forget the world through meditation. During the lastpart of December 1889, therefore, he again struck out from the Baranagoremonastery and turned his face towards Varanasi. 'My idea,' he wrote to a friend,'is to live in Varanasi for some time and to watch how Viswanath andAnnapurna deal out my lot. I have resolved either to realize my ideal or to laydown my life in the effort — so help me Lord of Varanasi!'On his way to Varanasi he heard that Swami Yogananda, one of his brotherdisciples, was lying ill in Allahabad and decided to proceed there immediately. InAllahabad he met a Moslem saint, 'every line and curve of whose face showedthat he was a paramahamsa.' Next he went to Ghazipur and there he came toknow the saint Pavhari Baba, the 'air-eating holy man.'Pavhari Baba was born near Varanasi of brahmin parents. In his youth he hadmastered many branches of Hindu philosophy. Later he renounced the world, ledan austere life, practised the disciplines of Yoga and Vedanta, and travelled overthe whole of India. At last he settled in Ghazipur, where he built anunderground hermitage on the bank of the Ganga and spent most of his time inmeditation. He lived on practically nothing and so was given by the people thesobriquet of the 'air-eating holy man'; all were impressed by his humility andspirit of service. Once he was bitten by a cobra and said while suffering terriblepain, 'Oh, he was a messenger from my Beloved!' Another day, a dog ran off withhis bread and he followed, praying humbly, 'Please wait, my Lord; let me butterthe bread for you.' Often he would give away his meagre food to beggars orwandering monks, and starve. Pavhari Baba had heard of Sri Ramakrishna,