##30 (Vivekananda) The Rock At Cape Comorin Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Swamiji had arrived
At the India’s tail end,
Cape Comorin by name,
Kanyakumari, by other name

In the sea shore temple there,
He prayed to Divine Mother.
From the shore he had a look,
And saw, at a distance, a big rock.

In the shark infested waters,
He courageously swam across,
And sat on the rock in meditation,
Keeping aside his emotion.

Across the roaring sea,
From the rock he could see
The places he had visited,
Wherever he had travelled.

A monk was dedicated to God.
In every soul there was God.
So, he was keen to look after
God the wicked, God the poor.

He took a bold decision
To serve God in man.
But how to get resources
For India to stand on its legs?

He saw America as a country
That can free India’s poverty,
Thro’ exchange of knowledge
On science and technology.

With this idea, from the rock,
He got up and swam back.
His journey started again
Towards northern region.

To eat, when nothing he had
Someone gave him food.
As if directed by God
To share the donor’s food.

Not willing to be a burden
On any of those poor men,
Better to starve, he decided
When there was no food.

He went to the forest
To sit and meditate,
And there came a tiger
With its own hunger.

Swamiji said, “Oh tiger,
We both sit here in hunger.
Let my body be your food
If you find this good.”

God’s will was otherwise.
The hungry tiger, in silence,
Turned back and went away,
Sparing his precious life that day.