Inspirations- The Swami and the soldier

The usual Monday morning rush was around, in haste towards my journey to my “karma-bhumi” I boarded a bus, where it was not very difficult to break through the usual boarding rush of Monday, accquired a seat with extra legroom( thanks to Emergency Exit concept!) in all comforts. Then the usual mela came in, with loads of strangers and strugglers to get a seat with a few women with their children, a partial drunkard and last but not the least  a “ Man in Uniform”. I could read, Indian Army on his pockets all over and his Initial with his surname inscribed with yellow thread embroidery on his right pocket flap as J.Chaudari. His calm sedate charm was worth noticing, he was around 21or 22 years of age, he got a seat on the other side of mine.  For a while, I wanted to start a conversation but for around 20 minutes he was busy getting settled and he did not make any eye contact too. After a while I over heard him talking to someone on his cell phone and mentioning himself as Jagdish.

The conductor was giving everyone the tickets and collecting the fare, must say he was honest enough to give back every passenger Rs.12 as change if one had given a hundred rupee note. While buying ticket I asked for Ahmedabad, the army guy asked for one to Radhanpur. To my surprise incidentally or accidently  my eyes were on his wallet which he was opening to pay the fare to the conductor.

What can one expect in a young army guy’s wallet? Some cash, an identity card, an atm card, and in the photo pocket a family photo or a picture of his beloved ones or some GOD. Let me tell I did not see any of these in his photo pocket, rather what I saw was surprising. It was a portrait picture of” Swami Vivekananda.” I could not move my eyes from the person for a while, I was lost in some space for a while without even realizing what I was seeing.

This was tempting me to know more about the person and I was expecting to strike a conversation with him. But the Swami Vivekanada’s picture had taken a toll over me. I could not stop thinking about the article I read a day before in the local newspaper about his Famous 1893 Parliament of Religions speech at Chicago. The ever inspiring speech was all again before my eyes, every word I read a day before was  coming to me. We as citizens of India have failed upto an extent to keep his vision for modern India alive, He represented India in parliament of religions  and was so open minded and a reformist of one of his kind. His speech there was not regarding one religion or sect that he believed in, it was about integrity of Mankind.

We all know about Swami Vivekananda’s contribution in shaping the modern India and the out look to the world as a country with oldest civilization history. It amazed me how a young soldier so much influenced by someone like swami Vivekananda and has inculcated the values of Integrity and nationalism from him. I am just guessing that the guy is influenced by Vivekananda’s thoughts, but something is making me think that Swami Vivekananda must be this Army Lad’s IDOL and his inspiration and motive behind joining the Indian Army, I was still confused whether to strike a conversation with him or not.

There has been lot said, read, written and heard about Swami Vivekanada’s glory, though I potrayed him once as a child in some competition I was not able to know all his character. Some of what I could know about Swami Vivekananda was through books, and during my visit to Bellurmath . The calm serene sand stone structure on one bank and Dakshineshwar’s hustle bustle on the other of the river Hoogly. My quest to know him has been since childhood, the enigma of the character has always been around me and I am always trying to know him better.

The question of why is he Idolized by young army men?  That is something to be sought after, according to me the Swami Vivekananda has served the nation in true sense, as young man, a seeker, a researcher a reformer , an activist and a divine light making him truly a “VIBHUTI”.

I finally gathered courage to ask that young man about his whereabouts and came to know that he is 21 yrs old, coming back from Bhopal and serving in 3EME regiment. He was going back home after eight and a half months, the happiness was evident. I asked him about the picture and all my assumptions proved to be right about Swami  Vivekananda being his IDOL and we exchanged pleasantries and he was very open to discuss how at the age of 8 years he first read about swami Vivekananda and got this picture of him since then with him which he carries always in his wallet. He is still left with his graduation but to serve the nation is up on the front.

I salute this young man who not only carries a picture but also told me that he follows the ideals of Swami Vivekananda in his life and that has helped him achieve. SWAMI VIVEKANADA – a true inspiration to today’s youth and for coming n-number of generations.