##33 (Vivekananda) Wanderings In South India Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Leaving the Cape Comorin
Swamiji went, one by one,
To all the principal towns
Besides important cities.

He went to Ramnad first.
And to Pondichery next.
His fame spread already
In South India widely.

At Madras, his intention
To go to America soon,
He revealed to the people
Who greeted him well.

They offered to collect
Sufficient funds to meet
His expenses for the trip.
And seriously took it up.

His work in an organised form
Started only through them.
He poured his heart and soul
While talking to the people.

He discussed on philosophy,
Religion, science, history,
Literature, ancient scriptures
And other current topics.

He told them, “Don’t mention,
You’ve no time for meditation.
See, how those ancient rishis
Spent more time for this.”

“How dare you criticize them?
Did you test their wisdom? “
His speech was so powerful
To wake up sleeping people.

He didn’t take the funds
From people of Madras,
But asked them to distribute
The same to the suffering lot.

If Mother’s wish was that
He was to go the West,
Then they should help him,
As he was going for them.

Similarly at Hyderabad,
People became spellbound,
By his thundering speech
That gave a magnetic touch.

(Note: Madras has now been
Renamed as Chennai and
Cape Comorin as Kanyakumari)