(The British ruled the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947. India under the British was made up of two types of territory: British India and the Native States (or Princely States). The expression "British India" meant all territories and places that were directly governed by the Queen through the Governor-General of India. The expression Native States (or Princely States) meant territories of any native prince or chief under the suzerainty of Her Majesty. (Suzerainty means a nation that controls another nation in international affairs but allows it domestic sovereignty.))
Sometime in the beginning of February, 1891, Swami Vivekananda was travelling through the princely states (that existed then) in the present day state of Rajasthan. As usual he was travelling mostly by foot. Occasionally he took a train. His only possessions were a few books tied up in a blanket, a piece of yellow cloth, a Kamandalu (water pot) and a staff.
The first princely state he visited was Alwar. He put up in a room meant for wondering Sannyasins like him. This small room was located in the upper storey of one of the shops in the market. Attracted by his royal bearing and magnetic personality lot of local people started visiting him. Not only the Swami's room but even the verandahs were crowded. Among the people who visited him were Hindus, Muslims, men of wealth and learning as well as the poor and the illiterate. The Swami treated them all alike. During his stay in Alwar, Vivekananda remained in prayer and meditation from early morning until nine. Then he spoke to the people who had assembled there. His discourses were interspersed with the singing of Urdu devotional songs, Hindi Bhajanas, and sometimes Bengali Kirtans. He even recited passages from the Vedas and the Upanishads, from the Bible and the Puranas. He illustrated his talks with inspiring stories from the lives of saints like Buddha, Shankara, Ramanuja, Guru Nanak, Chaitanya, Tulsidas, Kabir, and Ramakrishna. To one Muslim gentleman who became very devoted to him Vivekananda said, "There is one thing very remarkable about the Koran, Even to this day, it exists as it was found eleven hundred years ago. It retains its pristine purity and is free from interpolations."
Finally the prince of Alwar, Mangal Singh, came to know of Swami Vivekananda. The prince decided to meet the Swami. The Swami was invited to the house of Mangal Singh’s prime minister and the prince met him there. After the usual greetings the prince asked, "Well, Swamiji Maharaj, I hear that you are a great scholar. You can easily earn a handsome sum of money every month. Why then do you go about begging?" Vivekananda instead of answering the question, himself asked, "Maharaj (i.e. prince), tell me why you spend your time constantly in the company of Westerners and go on shooting excursions and neglect your duties to the State." The courtiers present were absolutely shocked. They thought, "What a bold Sadhu! He will repent of this,". The prince after a little thought replied, "I cannot say why, but no doubt because I like to!" "Well, for that very same reason do I wander about as a fakir (a wondering monk)," said the Swami. Then the prince asked, "Well, Babaji Maharaj (addressing Vivekananda with respect), I have no faith in idol-worship. What is going to be my fate?" The prince smiled as he spoke. Vivekananda appeared slightly annoyed and exclaimed, "Surely you are joking!" The prince replied "No, Swamiji, not at all! You see, I really cannot worship wood, earth, stone or metal, like other people. Does this mean that I shall fare worse in the life hereafter ?" Vivekananda answered, "Well, I suppose every man should follow his religious ideal according to his own faith! " At that very instance his eyes alighted on a picture of the prince that was hanging on the wall. Vivekananda asked for the picture to be passed to him. Holding it in his hand he asked the prime minister, "Whose picture is this?" The prime minister answered, "It is the likeness of our Maharaja (i.e. prince)." Then the Swami commanding the prime minister to spit upon it "Spit upon it!" commanded the Swami. "Any one of you may spit upon it. What is it but a piece of paper? What objection can you have to do so?" The prime minister was frightened and all the while Vivekananda was commanding him to "Spit upon it ! I say, spit upon it !" Finally the prime minister in fear cried out, "What! Swamiji! What are you asking me to do? This is the likeness of our Maharaja'. How can I do such, a thing?" "Be it so," said the Swami, "but the Maharaja is not bodily present in this photograph. This is only a piece of paper. It does not contain his bones and flesh and blood. It does not speak or behave or move in any way as does the Maharaja. And yet all of you refuse to spit upon it, because you see in this photo the shadow of the Maharaja's form. Indeed, in spitting upon the photo, you feel that you insult your master, the Prince himself." Turning to the Prince he continued, "See, Your Highness, though this is not you in one sense, in another sense it is you. That was why your devoted servants were so perplexed when I asked them to spit upon it. It has a shadow of you; it brings you into their minds. One glance at it makes them see you in it! Therefore they look upon it with as much respect as they do upon your own person. Thus it is with the devotees who worship stone and metal images of gods and goddesses. It is because an image brings to their minds their Ishta, or some special form and attributes of the Divinity, and helps them to concentrate, that the devotees worship God in an image. They do not worship the stone or the metal as such. I have travelled in many places, but nowhere have I found a single Hindu worshipping an image, saying 'O Stone! I worship Thee! O Metal! Be merciful to me!' Everyone is worshipping, O Maharaja (i.e. Prince), the same one God who is the Supreme Spirit, the Soul of Pure Knowledge. And God appears to all even according to their understanding and their representation, of Him. Prince, I speak for myself! Of course, I cannot speak for you!" Mangal Singh, who had been listening attentively all this time, said with folded hands, "Swamiji! I must admit that according to the light you have thrown upon image-worship, I have never yet met anyone who has worshipped stone, or wood, or metal. Heretofore I did not understand its meaning! You have opened my eyes! But what will be my fate? Have mercy on me!" Vivekananda answered, "O Prince, none but God can be merciful to one, and He is ever-merciful! Pray to Him. He will show His mercy unto you!” After the Swami had taken leave, Mangal Singh remained, for a while and then said, "Dewanji (addressing the prime minister), never have I come across such a Mahatma (a great soul)! Make him stay with you for some time." The prime minister promised to do so but added, "I will try my best; but I do not know if I shall succeed. He is a man of fiery and independent character." In the beginning Swami Vivekananda refused to stay with the prime minister. But after repeated requests he agreed on the condition that all those poor and illiterate people who often came to him should have the right to see him freely whensoever they desired, even as the rich and those of higher positions. The prime minister readily agreed and the Swami consented to stay on with him for some time.
