Swami Vivekananda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Swami Vivekananda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Later, In 1888, Vivekananda left the monastery as a Parivrâjaka—the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk, "without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go."[52] His sole possessions were a kamandalu (water pot), staff, and his two favorite books—Bhagavad Gita and The Imitation of Christ.[53] Narendranath travelled the length and breadth of India for five years, visiting important centers of learning, acquainting himself with the diverse religious traditions and different patterns of social life.[54][55] He developed a sympathy for the suffering and poverty of the masses and resolved to uplift the nation.[54][56] Living mainly on Bhiksha or alms, Narendranath traveled mostly on foot and railway tickets bought by his admirers whom he met during the travels."