Whither Contours of Perception of Swami Vivekananda?

Abstract

A write-up on the occasion of a birthday celebration of a celebrity has to reckon with, the passage of years whether this be fifty or more.

It has to be all the more different for Swami Vivekananda; tales, narratives, commentaries and the like, on him exceed irresistibly, almost innumerable limits. ‘Perception’ being a major component of the theme becomes now a pretty complex endeavour. There is every likelihood that ‘perception’ about Swamiji may run the risk of being confused with ‘perspective’. Arguably, three p’s —perception, perspective and precepts — ought to be inextricably interwoven in the exercise being envisaged here. ‘Perception’ being the key element here and that too, for Swami Vivekananda, any perception by any avid taker has to figure prominently. Thus, a sort of succession of ‘perceptions’ can hardly be ruled out.