Benediction

यतो धर्म:   ततो जय:

East represents the Soul-power. West represents the power of Matter. The absolute surrender of Miss Margaret Noble at the feet of an Indian sannyasin stands as a glorious proof of the submission of the West before the spiritual Light of India. This truth finds its significant corroboration in the very name Nivedita given to her by her Master. Truly, Nivedita was an emblem of true offering. She successfully utilised the power that she received from her Master in the cause of uplifting Indian womanhood and of freeing the Indian Nation from foreign yoke. This again proves that as the East is endowed with the power of imparting spirituality, even so the West possesses the power of receiving it.

Swami Vivekananda wrote this to Bhagini Nivedita :

A Benediction

The mother's heart, the hero's will,
The sweetness of the southern breeze,
The sacred charm and strength that dwell
On Aryan altars, flaming, free;
All these be yours, and many more
No ancient soul could dream before --
Be thou to India's future son
The mistress, servant, friend in one.

The chief disciple received from her Master this unique benediction while she was being initiated into the vow of Brahmacharya (celibacy) and the name Nivedita was given to her. A man treading the path of spirituality must never forget that, as opportunity never knocks at one's door twice, even so benediction, a true benediction, rarely repeats itself. But the power of that benediction can easily fight out the stupendous odds of centuries that eclipse the Knowledge-Sun of the disciple.

It will be worth while to pay more attention to the word 'benediction,' the touchstone in the life of Nivedita. It happened that during their stay at Almora, Vivekananda for some time assumed altogether a different aspect in his relation to Nivedita. He was unbelievably severe to her. He neglected her much more than one could believe possible. "My relation," says the disciple, "to our Master at this time can only be described as one of clash and conflict." But the red-letter day at last dawned to save her life from the deepest pangs. To cite her once again: "And then a time came when one of the older ladies of our party, thinking perhaps that such intensity of pain inflicted might easily go too far, interceded kindly and gravely with the Swami. He listened silently and went away. At evening, however, he returned and finding us together in the verandah, he turned to her and said with the simplicity of a child, 'You are right. There must be a change. I am going into the forests to be alone and when I come back I shall bring peace.' Then he turned and saw that above us the moon was new and a sudden exaltation came into his voice as he said, 'See! the Mohammedans think much of the new moon. Let us also with the new moon begin a new life!' As the words ended he lifted his hands and blessed with silent depths of blessing his most rebellious disciple, by this time kneeling before him... I was assuredly a moment of wonderful sweetness of reconciliation...Long, long ago Sri Ramakrishna had told his disciples that the day would come when his beloved 'Naren' would manifest his own great gift of bestowing knowledge with a touch. That evening at Almora I proved the truth of his prophecy."