Bhagini Nivedita

At a time when Bharat was beset with troubles, quite a

number of people of the West came of their own free will
to help us. Among them was Miss Margaret Noble,
popularly known as Bhagini Nivedita, who came from
Ireland.
At the age of 17, she completed her education. She
yeaned to teach children and thus she got a job as a
teacher. A decade later, Margarets friend invited her to
her home to meet an Indian monk. She was mesmerized
by Swamis personality and later on found out that the
swami ji was none other than Swami Vivekananda ji. She
had heard about his address at the Parliament of World
Religions. One day as Swami ji spoke about the women of India, he said, Our girls
in India have not even seen the face of a school. That land of ours cannot advance
unless they are educated. Turning towards Margret he continued, I have certain
plans relating to the education and welfare of the women of my country. I believe
you can be of great service to me in translating them into reality. Later on she
decided to come to serve Bharat!
Swami Vivekananda came in person to the port at Calcutta to give an affectionate
welcome to her on January 28, 1898. She soon familiarized herself with the city
where she had to work and started making the acquaintance of the people among
who she has to live. And she lost no time in learning Bengali, and studying Bengali
literature which was essential for her communication with and ultimately winning
the confidence and affection of the people around her.
A few weeks later, two of Swami Vivekananda's women disciples in America, Mrs
Sarah C. Bull and Miss Josephine Mac Leod arrived in India. The three soon became
fast friends.
The master visited her home every day and spoke to them. The theme would be
India, her history, her saints, her heroes and heroines, her epics, her puranas, her
poets, architects , sculptures and other artists, and above all, her great sages.
Miss Mac Leod once asked, Swami ji how can I best serve you? Swami ji replied,
Love India, serve her, worship her. That is prayer that is worship that is
everything. Margaret took the Swami jis answer as his message.
One day the Guru dedicated her to God and to the service of India. It was a Friday.
Swami Vivekananda took all of them to the Math, leading Margaret into the shrine,
he taught her how to worship Lord Shiva according to the prescribed ritual.

The Swami ji then initiated her ceremonial into the order of celibacy. He gave the
name of Nivedita, which means the Dedicated One. He commanded her to place
the lotus flower at the feet of Lord Buddha. Then, in tremulous voice, he gave her
his benediction and message, Go thou, my child, go. Tread thou the path shown by
the Great Soul who was the very embodiment of compassion and sacrificed himself
for others in 500 lives before he attained the status of the Buddha.
Nivedita immediately started her school in a small way in a rented cottage. The
school was no doubt started but the problem for Nivedita was to find pupils. She
went from door to door and had long arguments with parents to overcome their
prejudices against sending the girls to school. Putting girls to school? What an
idea! exclaimed the shocked parents. A good many mocked her. Nothing daunted,
Nivedita persisted in her search and succeeded at last in roping in a few girls of
varying ages. She taught them to read and write, and instructed them to read in
drawing, painting and clay modeling.
Nivedita loved all the people around her sincerely and deeply. Their resistance was
son broken and they welcomed her into their huts and into their homes. Moving
about freely among these households, she gradually became a member of their
families. To everyone in North Calcutta, she became Bhagini (Sister) Nivedita.
Once an unfortunate mother came running to Nivedita, sobbing bitterly; and
dragging her by hand, she cried frantically, Come sister, hurry at once. My last
child is dying even now! Nivedita went to the place, led by the poor mother. But
even as they were entering her house, the child breathed its last. The unhappy
mother held the baby to her breast and wailed aloud for hours. And, at last, she
folded Nivedita to her bosom and cried, Oh sister! What shall I do? Where is my
darling? And in her tender accents Nivedita consoled her mother, saying, Hush,
mother. Your child is with the Great Mother; she is with Kali.
When Nivedita reported this incident to the master, he gave her a new and inspiring
message, Worship even death, Nivedita, worship even the terrible, even as you
would worship the beautiful.
Nivedita took the masters message to the heart. She now realized that death was
but the other face of life. And this new realization of hers was soon put to the test.
In March 1899, a devastated plague broke out in Calcutta and spread like wild fire
all over the city. The disease took a toll of hundreds of lives every day. Deeply
distressed, Nivedita plunged into action in order to save the city from the grip of the
dire menace. She started sweeping the streets and cleaning the drains. Bengali
youths, unused to any kind of manual labour, and accumstomed to look upon
scavenging as dirty work, just sat and watched for a while, though they felt guilty at
their own inaction. The women, put to shame, ran into their homes. But it was not
long before all of them girded up their loins and came to the aid of their beloved

sister. Thus did Nivedita teach the people of Calcutta their first lessons in sanitation,
self-help and social service, not by precept but by practice.
Nivedita formed a committee of social workers in order to fight the plague on a well
organized basis. Squads of earnest and devoted workers fanned out in all directions
and not only cleaned all the streets and lanes but nursed the victims. Nivedita
worked round the clock, often foregoing even food and rest. Her health was
seriously impaired and she became worn out.
She ran from home to home, hoping against hope to overtake and frustrate death.
Often, however, to her great grief, death forestalled her and frustrated her noble
design. On one occasion, the victim, a mere boy, died in her motherly lap. At such
times, Nivedita stayed on with the unfortunate bereaved for hours together, offering
them her consolation and sympathy.
Nivedita and her team incessantly carried on their formidable effort for full thirty
days before they succeeded in bringing the enemy to his heel. In the meanwhile,
Nivedita had literally saved hundreds of victims from the very jaws of death, staking
her very life in the process.
All through these grueling days Nivedita lived on fruit and milk, and nothing more.
She had to give up even milk on one occasion to save the money for the medicines
needed by a plague victim.
Niveditas school was just limping on for want of funds. Even to draw pupils was
arduous enough; where was the question of collecting any fees? And the problem
was to run the school and have enough left just to support her life. Would it be
proper to go to the West in order to collect the funds needed for her work here? She
sought the masters advice and was relieved to find that he gave her his hearty
approval. Nivedita sailed for Europe in June 1899. From Europe she went to America.
Her original aim was to just raise enough funds for her small school. But upon her
arrival in America, she found that the urgent task was to educate the Americans
about India and her glorious culture. A great deal of false and malicious propaganda
had been carried on against India and her religion by Christian missionaries who
had grown extremely jealous of the tremendous impact on the West of Swami
Vivekananda jis powerful address at the Parliament of Religions and of the growing
popularity of Hinduism, especially of the Vedanta, not only in American but also in
Europe. They had been systematically painting a totally misleading picture of India
by blowing up her poverty, ignorance and superstition out of proportion. She felt an
outrage against these men of religion. Like the master, she went on a tour of the
states and addressed huge gatherings in all the principal towns and cities in order
to educate the Americans about the real state of India at the time, the greatness of
her past, the sublimity of her cultural and spiritual heritage and above all, the true
causes of the present degradation. She was a gifted orator. She had steeped herself
in Indias history, her religions and her scriptures. In living words, charged with truth

and invigorated by her sincerity, she depicted Indias vivid colours. The audience
felt deep regret that they had let themselves be totally misled by pious frauds. They
were thankful to Nivedita for revealing to them the very soul of India. She had
succeeded in making America realize that Indias degradation was essentially due to
her long subjection to foreign rule. But she had not gained substantial success in
raising funds for her school and for her work in India. Niveditas school began its
work again. This time it was not only girls who came to receive instruction, but even
their mothers. It was extremely difficult to meet the expenses of the school. But
with a firm resolve they kept up the struggle and carried on their endeavor of
educating girls and women. She returned to India in 1901.
A few days later, she received a heart breaking news that the master was no more
(Swami ji passed away on 3 July 1902). It was not in Niveditas nature that she
would go on brooding, lamenting and despairing. The message instilled in her by
the master was not one of the feebleness and fear, but of confidence and courage.
As a lioness springs into action and marches majestically on with her thunderous
roar, so did she rouse herself, shake off her grief and anguish, and, assuming the
mantle of leadership, gave to India and the World her ringing message.
Soon India was fighting for independence. The conviction grew strong upon her that,
until India gained political independence, Indians could never hope to be treated like
men. So this woman, who was the whitest among the whites, vowed to fight, in
thought, word and deed, for the liberation of a country which she had adopted as
her own motherland. Using the power of her tongue and her pen, she dedicated to
the sacred cause of Indias struggle of freedom. All over Bengal Niveditas name
became a household word. The British grew furious, but could not venture to silence
her.
Everything Indian became for Nivedita an object of adoration. She wrote books in
order to interpret for Indians their own national heritage. She upheld, by reasoned
argument, ancient institutions like idol worship, religious and national festivals and
other holy days; she revealed the greatness of our sublime epics and the sacred
Puranas; and above all, she pointed out the uniqueness of our scriptures. She thus
made Indians learn to be proud of those priceless things of which they had come to
be needlessly ashamed. The greatest of the political leaders, Balgangadhar Tilak
and Mahatma Gandhi came to her and paid their respects.
Niveditas life was thus a real saga of service and sacrifice, of achievement and
fulfillment.
Bhagini Niveditas health had really detoriated due to lack of rest. The last words
that came out of the mouth of this noble soul were, This frail boat of mine if
sinking, but I can yet see the sunrise. However it was not, just a boat that had
sunk, but a mighty ship. She passed away on Oct 13, 1905.

In the lap of the Himalayas rests the earthly form of this great lady. Over her grave
is erected a humble memorial, which bears this simple epitaph.
"Here reposes Sister Nivedita who gave her all to India".