His Vision of Amarnath – The Lord of Snows

After the plague came under control, the Swami and his western disciples left for Nainital and Almora. Later, they left for Kashmir and from there they went to the Holy shrine of Amarnath reaching it on 2nd August 1898. This visit was another turning point in his spiritual life like the one of meeting Sri Ramakrishna on 1880 and his appearance before the Parliament of Religions in 1893. This time, as he joined the throng of pilgrims, bathed like them in the ice-cold stream beside the cave and entered the shrine of Siva, nude except for a loin cloth, a great mystical experience came to him with an overwhelming thrill which resulted in permanent dilation of his heart. Siva was a deity intimately associated with devotions of Vivekananda. In fact, he was himself a boon from Siva to his mother, who had prayed to Lord Visveswara of Benaras for a son. So, no wonder that he was profoundly moved when he entered the famous shrine of the Lord of the Snows. For days afterwards, he could speak nothing but Siva- Siva, the Eternal Monk, rapt in meditation amidst the Himalayan snows. He said later. “Ever since I went to Amarnath, Siva himself entered into me, He will not leave me.”

After Amarnath, he went to the holy shrine of Kshir Bhavani Mata near Srinagar. This also proved to be another memorable experience for him. He then became full of the Mother.