Quest For God

Quest For God (Continue till next heading comes.....)

O'ver hill and dale and mountain range,
In temple, church, and mosque,
In Vedas, Bible, Al KoranI had searched for Thee in vain.
....................

Like a child in the wildest forest lostI have cried and cried alone,
"Where art Thou gone, my God, my love?The echo answered, "gone."
And days and nights and years then passedA fire was in the brain,
I knew not when day changed in night

The heart seemed rent in twain.I laid me down on Ganges's shore,
Exposed to sun and rain;With burning tears I laid the dust
And wailed with waters' roar.
I called on all the holy namesOf every clime and creed.
"Show me the way, in mercy, yeGreat ones who have reached the goal.
"Years then passed in bitter cry,Each moment seemed an age,
Till one day midst my cries and groans

Some one seemed calling me.A gentle soft and soothing voice
That said 'my son' 'my son',That seemed to thrill in unison
With all the chords of my soul.

I stood on my feet and tried to findThe place the voice came from;
I searched and searched and turned to see Round me, before, behind,Again, again
it seemed to speakThe voice divine to me.
In rapture all my soul was hushed,Entranced, enthralled in bliss.
A flash illumined all my soul;
The heart of my heart opened wide.O joy, O bliss,
what do I find!My love, my love you are hereAnd you are here,
my love, my all!And I was searching thee -From all eternity you were there

Enthroned in majesty!From that day forth, wherever I roam,
I feel Him standing byO'ver hill and dale, high mount and vale,
Far far away and high.

The moon's soft light,
the stars so bright,The glorious orb of day,
He shines in them; His beauty - might -Reflected lights are they.
The majestic morn, the melting eve,The boundless billowing sea,
In nature's beauty, songs of birds,
I see through them - it is He.When dire calamity seizes me,
The heart seems weak and faint,
All nature seems to crush me down,With laws that never bend.
Meseems I hear Thee whispering sweetMy love, "I am near", "I am near".
My heart gets strong. With thee, my love,A thousand deaths no fear.
Thou speakest in the mother's layThou shuts the babies eye,
When innocent children laugh and play,I see Thee standing by.

When holy friendship shakes the hand,
He stands between them too;
He pours the nectar in mother's kissAnd the baby's sweet "mama".
Thou wert my God with prophets old,All creeds do come from Thee,The Vedas, Bible, and Koran boldSing Thee in Harmony.
"Thou art," Thou art" the Soul of soulsIn the rushing stream of life."Om tat sat om."
Thou art my God,My love, I am thine, I am thine.
- Swami Vivekananda

This was part of the letter written by Swamiji on Sep. 4, 1893 to Prof. J.H. Wright of Boston who introduced Swami Vivekananda in the Parliament of Religions.

Hold Yet A While

Hold yet a while, Strong Heart,Not part a lifelong yokeThough blighted looks the present, future gloom.And age it seems since you and I began ourMarch up hill or down. Sailing smooth o'erSeas that are so rare-Thou nearer unto me, than oft-times I myself-Proclaiming mental moves before they were !Reflector true-Thy pulse so timed to mine,Thou perfect note of thoughts, however fine-Shall we now part, Recorder, say ?In thee is friendship, faith,For thou didst warn when evil thoughts were brewing-And though, alas, thy warning thrown away,Went on the same as ever-good and true.- Swami Vivekananda

The Living God

THE LIVING GOD He who is in you and outside you,
Who works through all hands, Who walks on all feet,
Whose body are all ye, Him worship,
and break all other idols! He who is at once the high and low,
The sinner and the saint, Both God and worm,
Him worship — visible, knowable, real, omnipresent,
Break all other idols! In whom is neither past life Nor future birth nor death,
In whom we always have been And always shall be one,
Him worship. Break all other idols! Ye fools! who neglect the living God,
And His infinite reflections with which the world is full.
While ye run after imaginary shadows,
That lead alone to fights and quarrels,
Him worship, the only visible! Break all other idols!(Written to an American friend from Almora, 9th July 1897.)- Swami Vivekananda

The Song Of The Free

The wounded snake its hood unfurls,The flame stirred up doth blaze,The desert air resounds the callsOf heart-struck lion's rage. The cloud puts forth it deluge strengthWhen lightning cleaves its breast,When the soul is stirred to its in most depthGreat ones unfold their best.Let eyes grow dim and heart grow faint,And friendship fail and love betray,Let Fate its hundred horrors send,And clotted darkness block the way.All nature wear one angry frown,To crush you out - still know, my soul,You are Divine. March on and on,Nor right nor left but to the goal.Nor angel I, nor man, nor brute,Nor body, mind, nor he nor she,The books do stop in wonder muteTo tell my nature; I am He.Before the sun, the moon, the earth,Before the stars or comets free,Before e'en time has had its birth,I was, I am, and I will be.The beauteous earth, the glorious sun,The calm sweet moon, the spangled sky,Causation's law do make them run;They live in bonds, in bonds they die.And mind its mantle dreamy netCast o'er them all and holds them fast.In warp and woof of thought are set,Earth, hells, and heavens, or worst or best.Know these are but the outer crust -All space and time, all effect, cause.I am beyond all sense, all thoughts,The witness of the universe.Not two nor many, 'tis but one,And thus in me all me's I have;I cannot hate, I cannot shunMyself from me, I can but love.From dreams awake, from bonds be free,Be not afraid. This mystery,My shadow, cannot frighten me,Know once for all that I am He.
- Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda's Poetries

To My Own Soul

Hold yet a while, Strong Heart,Not part a lifelong yokeThough blighted looks the present, future gloom.And age it seems since you and I began ourMarch up hil1 or down. Sailing smooth o'erSeas that are so rare-Thou nearer unto me, than oft-times I myself-Proclaiming mental moves before they were !Reflector true-Thy pulse so timed to mine,Thou perfect note of thoughts, however fine-Shall we now part, Recorder, say ?In thee is friendship, faith,For thou didst warn when evil thoughts were brewing-And though, alas, thy warning thrown away,Went on the same as ever-good and true.
- Swami Vivekananda

COPYRIGHT REGISTEREDUNDER ACT XX OF 1847Published byPresident Advaita AshramaMayavati Pithoragarh Himalayas

Light

I look behind and afterAnd find that all is right,In my deepest sorrowsThere is a soul of light.

- Swami Vivekananda

Poetry of Vivekananda

"All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.
- Swami Vivekananda