With his heart rid of attachment, and intent on his purpose, the Swami was glad to be off once again to the Himalayas, in the middle of July 1890. He planned to travel on foot along the Ganga, to beg his food as an ordinary monk, and thus to make the journey a spiritual exercise and adventure. From the moment he left Calcutta he was happy. The solitude, the country air, the seeing of new places, the meeting of new people, and the abandoning of old impressions and worries delighted him.

About fifteen years ago I was at Bhagalpur, as the guest of Babu Manmathanath Chowdhury. One morning I heard of a stir caused by the arrival of two sannyasins. They were seen by Kumar Nityenanda Singh. Something led the Kumar to suppose that they were not of the ordinary type of sadhu; and a short conversation confirmed his view and disclosed the fact that they were highly educated and that one of them who was later known as Swami Vivekananda, was marvellously gifted. The very sight of them prepossessed me in their favour. I remembered to have seen one of them in my college days at Calcutta, as often leading the choir at the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. My conversation with him covered much ground, including literature, philosophy and religion. The main topics were the last two. It seemed that learning and spirituality were the very air he breathed. I discovered that the soul of his teaching was an intense and unselfish patriotism with which he invested and vivified his subjects. This was an abiding characteristic with him. When I read the growing descriptions of the success he had won at the Chicago Parliament of Religions, I felt that in him India had found her man.

One morning in August of the year 1890, Swami Vivekananda with Swami Akhandananda came unexpectedly to my house. Thinking them to be ordinary sadhus, I did not pay much attention to them. We were sitting together after our noonday meal; and believing them to be ignorant, I did not enter into conversation with them, but began to read an English translation of a work on Buddhism. After a while, Swamiji asked me what book I was reading. In reply, I told him the title of the book and asked, "Do you know English?" He replied, "Yes, a little." Then I conversed with him on Buddhism, but after a short time I found out that he was a thousand times more learned than I. He quoted from many English works, and Babu Mathuranath Sinha of Danapur and myself were astonished at his learning and listened to him with rapt attention....

Then, to test his knowledge of Sanskrit; I brought out a11 the Upanishads that I had with me and questioned him on many abstruse passages from them. By his illuminating replies I found that his mastery of the scriptures was of an extraordinary kind. And the way in which he recited from the Upanishads was charming. Thus, being firmly convinced of his wonderful knowledge equally in English, Sanskrit and in Yoga, I was greatly drawn towards him. Though he stayed in my house for only seven days, I became so devoted to him that I resolved in my mind that by no means whatever would I let him go elsewhere. So I strongly urged him to live always at Bhagalpur.

From my boyhood, I was inclined to live in some solitary place and engage in spiritual practices. When I met Swamiji, this desire grew strong. I often told him, "Let us both go to Vrindavan, and depositing three hundred rupees for each of us in the temple of Shri Govindaji we shall have Govindaji's Prasad for the rest of our lives as food. Thus, without being a burden to anyone, we shall practise devotion day and night in a sequestered spot on the banks of the holy Jamuna!" In reply to this he said, "Yes, for a special temperament or nature, this scheme is no doubt good, but not for all", meaning not for himself, who had renounced everything. Amongst his many new ideas, the two most impressive to me were:_x000d_ "Whatever of the ancient Aryan knowledge, intellect and genius is still left can be mostly found in those parts which lie near the banks of the Ganga. The further one goes from the Ganga, the less one sees them. This convinces one of the greatness of the Ganga as sung in our scriptures._x000d_ "The epithet mild Hindu, instead of being a word of reproach, ought really to point to our glory, as expressing greatness of character. For see how much moral and spiritual advancement, and how much development of the qualities of love and compassion, have to be acquired before one can get rid of the brutish force of one's nature, which actuates the ruining and the slaughter of one's brother-men for self aggrandizement!"

It used to pain me very much when certain detractors criticized him for taking Sannyasa, because he had been born a Kayastha and not a Brahmana. They little knew what he was, and that birth had very little to do with the making of a saint. Of course, one has to look to the caste of a sadhu when his only qualification is the garb he wears; otherwise how can the Brahmanas reconcile themselves to offering worship to such a person, unless they have at least the consolation of knowing that the object of their veneration is a Brahmana by birth? The Swami was born with the Brahmanical consciousness, and thus is ten times more a Brahmana than he whose sole claim to Brahmana¬hood is the fact that he was born of Brahmana parents. And after all, who can resist worshipping what is of true worth and saintliness!

Swamiji well knew in his heart that I would not willingly or easily let him depart from Bhagalpur. So, one day when I was away on some important business, he grasped this opportunity of leaving, after taking Farewell of those at home. When I came back I made a strenuous search for him, but could discover no clue of him anywhere. And yet, why should I have thought that my will should prevail? Why should Swamiji be like a frog in the well, when his field of work was the whole wide world?

He had expressed to me his intention of going to Badrikashrama. Therefore, after he had left Bhagalpur, I even went up to Almora in the Himalayas in search of him. There Lala Badri Sah told me that he had left Almora some time before; and knowing that he must have already journeyed a long way in the direction of the Northern Tirtha, I was compelled to give up my idea of following him:_x000d_ It was my heart's desire to bring him once more to Bhagalpur after his return from America, but he could not come, having then, perhaps, very little leisure or opportunity to do so.

The reconversion of Manmathababu to the Hindu faith gives a hint, by implication, of the powerful influence the Swami's words and personality were capable of exerting. Before leaving Bhagalpur he had discussions with the Jaina teachers concerning religious beliefs. He regarded the Jaina religion as a part of the Sanatana Dharma itself, and saw its kinship with Buddhist philosophy.

On arrival there they betook themselves to the bank of the Ganga, near the palace of Raja Shivachandra. They looked tired, but their faces glowed with the fire of dispassion. The attention of Kumar Nityananda Singh, one of the most prominent people there, was at once drawn to them. He could see that they were out of the ordinary; and a short conversation with them convinced him that this was so. Then they went to the house of Babu, Manmathanath Chowdhury. This gentleman was much impressed by the Swami. It happened that one Mathuranath Sinha, a pleader, was a guest in the same house, and so had an opportunity of meeting and talking with the Swami.

One day Swamiji asked me if I practised any special Sadhanas, and we conversed on the practice of Yoga for a long time. From this I was convinced that he was not a common man, since what he said of Yoga was exactly the same as that which I had heard from the Swami Dayannnda Sarasvati. Besides, he gave out many other important things on the subject which I had not heard before.

Once I noticed him humming a tune to himself. So I asked him if he could sing. He replied, "Very little." Being pressed hard by us he sang, and what was my surprise to see that as in learning so in music he was wonderfully accomplished! Next day I asked him if he were willing that I invite some singers and musicians; he consented, and I asked many musicians, several of whom were ostads, or adepts in the art, to come. Believing that the music would end by nine or ten at the latest, I did not arrange supper for the guests. Swamiji sang without ceasing till two or three o'clock in the morning. All without exception were so charmed that they forgot hunger and thirst and all idea of time! None moved from his seat or thought of going home. Kailash babu, who was accompanying the Swami [on Tabla?] in his songs, was forced to give up finally, for his fingers had become stiff and had lost all sensation. Such superhuman power I have never seen in anybody, nor do I expect to set it again. The next evening, all the guests of the previous night, and many others, presented themselves without any invitation. The player on the instrument also came, but Swamiji did not sing that evening; so everyone was disappointed.

Another day I proposed that I introduce him to all the rich men of Bhagalpur, and that I myself should take him to them in my carriage so that it would not be any trouble to him. But he declined and said, "It is not the sannyasi's Dharma to visit the rich !" His fiery renunciation made a deep impression on me. Indeed, in his company I was taught many lessons which have always remained with me as spiritual ideals.