Jesus said, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own place.” This was more than true in the case of Vivekananda than that of any other prophet. Panchkori was a brilliant journalist and a famous writer attached to Bangbasi, the most influential Bengal journal at that time. He was a boyhood friend of Narendanath and had met Sri Ramakrishna a few times at Dakshineshwar. He was drawn in his younger days by Narendranath’s stupendous intellect, boldness and charming personality. But when Narendranath returned to India as Swami Vivekananda, a triumphant champion of Hinduism, Panchkori stood against him as a powerful writer and as the Chief Editor of the famous journal Bangbasi. He campaigned underrating the contribution of Vivekananda and tried to spoil the Calcutta reception that was being arranged in his honour after his return from Western nations.

The creative mutation of Narendanath into Vivekananda, the metamorphosis of the Calcutta boy into a world prophet at whose feet the West had literally sat to learn of the ancient Indian wisdom was too great a fact for this Bengali conservative to act without heart-burn. He emerged as a powerful anti-Vivekanandist his pen writing denouncing of the Swami. It read in part, “When it is claimed that Vivekananda is the saviour of Hinduism, he is a monk, a dandi, a yogi or a Paramahamsa, the only we are compelled to raise a protest. But if Vivekananda is presented to us in his previous name, Babu Narendranth, we shall welcome him with all due ceremony.” Thus Panchkori succeeded in creating detractors.

The Maharaja of Darbhanga who had earlier agreed to preside over the Calcutta reception now declined. The Bangabasi tried to create a public opinion against the Calcutta public’s official recognition of Vivekananda’s success. But somehow the meeting went on successfully.Panchkori’s attacks, nevertheless, continued. The next explosion came when Vivekananda visited the Dakshineswar temple along with the Maharaja of Khetri. Under the influence of Panchkori, Trailokyanath Biswas, the owner of the temple, arranged cold reception for the Maharaja and Swamiji. He absented himself from receiving the Maharaja, in spite of Swamiji’s previous request. Immediately after this visit, Panchkori almost launched a war on “Shudra Vivekananda” who had defiled himself by crossing the seas and eating with the Mlechhas, by arrogating the power of calling himself a swami, which was so far allowed to no shudra. The Bangabasi published a distorted report of the Swami’s visit to the temple. It again compelled Babu Trailokyanath Biswas to publish a statement which reported how he was seriously concerned to protect the temple and Hinduism from the evil influence of Vivekananda, who was an outcaste on account of Western travels, and who had defiled the image of Mother Kali by his unholy presence.

The tail-end of this episode is worse than shameful. The image was reconsecrated and purified after this “unholy” visit of Vivekananda who was the embodiment of holiness itself. Bangbasi had won the battle at last. Bengali conservatives were crowned with the ineffaceable shame of banishing Vivekananda’s entry into the Dakshineswar Kali temple for the rest of his life. And all this happened due to the power of Panchkori ‘s pen. Swami Vivekananda’s heart was pained to learn that he can no more see his mother at Dakshineswar, that he can no more visit the place where he had first met Sri Ramkrishna and was so much transformed by his personality.Vivekananda, on his part, not only spurned the very idea of prayaschitta or purificatory penance after the sea-voyage, but held his ground with adamantine firmness. He quoted scriptures in his support. The conservative reaction increased. Numerous Bengali journals joined Bangabasi and attacked Vivekananda openly in the most perverse manner. But Swamiji treated them with an air of total indifference and sometimes even with humour. He never replied to their attacks.

It was for history and posterity to decide of Sri Ramakrishna had led him along the right way for the welfare of his countrymen or not. When the matter of attack was pointed out to him by a disciple, he spoke of the calm equanimity that a monk should possess with regard to worldly praise or blame. On an earlier occasion, when Vivekananda was warned to be cautious and compromising with the Christian missionaries, Swamiji replied, “The duty of an ordinary man is to obey the commands of the society. But the children of light never do so. This is an eternal law. The ordinary men accommodate themselves to the surroundings and social opinions and get all the things that are good from the society in return. But children of light draw the society up towards them. The ordinary man finds a path of roses. The spiritual man finds the path of thorns. Ultimately the ordinary men go to annihilation in a moment. But the children of light live for ever.”

These wonderful words, which Swamiji had uttered years back, now found practical demonstration in his own life at this stage.But Swamiji had irresistible power of attracting towards him all sincere souls who came into his contact. It is said in the Bhagavata that the Gopikas attained Sri Krishna through the love of Him, Kamsa attained him through constant fear and Sisupala through intense hatred. Such is the magnetic power of God and God-man with those who come in contact with them. Gradually all their passions are transmuted into one continuous absorption in God. The same thing happened to Panchkori. Constant friction with the world-force Vivekananda brought him the revelation of truth. He saw now in his boyhood Narendra, a new being transformed by the touch of Sri Ramakrishna. It was no more possible for Panchkori to continue in Bangabasi anymore. His period of conflict was coming to an end.

When Vivekananda passed away he was free to look at him with a clear conscience. He wrote in the obituary: “Bengal will not have, in ages to come, another jewel as that which it lost in Vivekananda. I remember his strong, well formed angelic body, the songs from his soft, cuckoo-like melodious voice, his pride, his dignity and radiance of knowledge. And above all, his fascinating power, simplicity and love of ascetic life. Slowly, one by one, memories are coming up and crowding my mind only to make me more tormented. We have to bear with the lot of common mortals. He who was divine left us in no while.”His opinion about Swami Vivekananda took the opposite turn gradually. He wrote his most stirring reminiscences on Vivekananda every word of which was charged with sincerity and pathos from a heart which knew not how to react to the happy return of this long rejected friend.

Panchkori wrote: “Vivekananda, who could make the luxurious baboos of Calcutta sit by the bedside of pox-afflicted patients unafraid, is verily the son of God, no, he must be God incarnate in man. He has passed away scattering abroad the seeds of his master and sounding the drums of his master’s glory. He has passed away after spelling out with thunderous solemnity the gospel of the great harmony of life in the ears of his people. The time to understand him and preach him has not yet come. That is why, buried in his memories, I am waiting for his coming. Come, my friend. It is said that you come when they call you with the fullness of their hearts. That is why I am calling you. Come in a different guise and fulfil your mission divine”