##41 (Vivekananda) Swamiji On Hinduism Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Swamiji was given chances
To speak about twelve times
In the Parliament of Religions,
And he spoke on various topics.

He spoke on Hindu psychology,
Metaphysics and theology,
In brief, but in a convincing way,
When his turn came every day.

The divinity of the soul,
The man’s ultimate goal,
The oneness of existence,
The harmony of religions,

The Lord’s non-duality,
The Unity in diversity,
Like this, on various topics
He spoke in his addresses.

He said in the final session,
“Conversion of a Christian
Into a Hindu or Buddhist,
Is not at all a must.”

“A Hindu or Buddhist,
Likewise, need not convert
Himself into a Christian,
And change his religion.”

“Let each one maintain
The spirit of his religion,
According to its own laws,
And assimilate that of others.”

“Holiness, purity, and charity
Are, in fact, the basic quality
Of every religion in the world,
This, one should understand.”

“Great men and women
Arose in every religion,
To lead the masses on
In the right direction.”

“Let no individual dream
And, on the roof top, claim,
That his own religion is the best
And those of others are worst.”

“Help and not Fight”
“Destroy not, but assimilate.”
“Harmony and Peace.”
“No Dissension please.”

He raised these slogans,
At the end of his talks,
More to impress upon everyone,
The objects of Universal Religion.”