Fool, do you not remember that I have carried even your shoes!

During his travels in India as an itinerant monk, Swami Vivekananda happened to be at the Hathras railway station. (Hathras is a town near Hardwar.) He was on his way to Hardwar. The station-master of the railway station, Sharat Chandra Gupta, was a Bengali who spoke Hindi and Urdu more fluently than his mother tongue Bengali. As he was going about performing his tasks he happened to notice a young monk seated on the floor of the station. He was instantly attracted by the magnetic personality of the monk and went up to him and asked him, "Swamiji, are you hungry?" The monk replied, "Yes, I am." At this Sharat invited Swami Vivekananda to his home. With the simplicity of a child Vivekananda asked him, "But what will you give me to eat?" At this Sharat quoted from a Persian poem, "O beloved, you have come to my house. I shall prepare the most delicious dish for you with the flesh of my heart." Of course Vivekananda accepted the invitation. 

During the course of the meal Vivekananda learnt from Sharat that an old acquaintance of his by the name Brajen Babu lived near by. After the meal he went to meet him. Brajen Babu on meeting Vivekananda insisted the he stay with him. During his stay at Hathras the whole Bengali population of the town came to see him. They were deeply influenced by the spirituality that literally exploded from Vivekananda’s personality. Evenings were generally spent in music and singing devotional songs. Everybody was charmed by Vivekananda’s sweet voice. The more they heard from him, the more they aspired to hear from him. Sharat and his friend, Nata Krishna, were constant visitors and became deeply attached to Vivekananda.

Then one day Swami Vivekananda decided to leave Hathras. Sharat and Nata Krishna were beside themselves with grief. Swami Vivekananda said to them, "I cannot stay here any longer. We who are sannyasins should not remain long in any place. Besides, I am becoming attached to all of you. This is also a bondage in spiritual life. Do not press me!" When they requested him to accept them as his disciples he was not willing to. But Sharat was adamant about the Swami accepting him as his disciple. Finally Vivekananda initiated him. Sharat gave up his job and accompanied Swami Vivekananda to Hrishikesh. Now Sharat realized that the life of a Sannyasin was filled with uncertainties and hardships. Much later he recounted, "Once in our wanderings in the outlying districts of the Himalayas I fainted with hunger and thirst. The Swami cared for me and thus undoubtedly saved me from certain death... He risked his life several times for my sake. How can I describe him, friends, except by the word Love, Love, Love! When I was too ill to do anything but stagger along, he carried my personal belongings, including my shoes." It was for this reason that once when Sharat was feeling very low in his spiritual life he asked the Swami if he was going to give him up. Vivekananda answered with a sweet severity, "Fool, do you not remember that I have carried even your shoes!"