##18 (Vivekananda) Incarnation Of God Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Narendra respected his Master
As a great religious leader,
And didn’t like to mould him,
As an incarnation of God anytime.

Narendra’s magnetic personality
And his intellectual capacity,
Elevated him to the top place
As an idol among the disciples.

Whenever he was serious,
He had a frightening face,
But his smile was so bright
That endeared every heart.

He was so near and dear,
To Ramakrishna, his teacher,
It held him at a high place,
In the looks of his Guru’s eyes.

In 1885, this Great Master
Had an attack of throat cancer.
Despite doctor’s advice,
He was speaking to visitors.

He continued his lectures
To those spiritual seekers,
Who thronged his place
To hear his instructions.

His health was not well.
Into trances, still he fell,
That made his condition
From bad to worse by then.

The illness of the Master,
Showed no sign of cure,
Though they nursed him,
Day and night, all the time.

He called Narendra and said,
“I’m very much pleased,
With your love for me,
And your faith in me.”

“These young disciples here,
Need your personal care,
Take proper care of them,
With all your love for them.”

“Ensure that they practice
Here spiritual disciplines,
Under your able guidance,
Even after my demise.”

To other disciples, he said,
“Narendra is a gift of God.
Respect him as your leader.
It’ll be good for your future.”

He initiated, as his disciples,
Many of the new comers,
Thus he laid the foundation
For future Ramakrishna Mission.