Patriotism of Swamiji:
The famous editor of Hitavadi, Pandit Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar, came to see Swamiji along with two friends, one of whom was a Punjabi. Knowing this Swamiji talked with them very earnestly about the grim food situation facing Punjab. Swamiji's mind at that time was so occupied with the terrible famine going on in India that he did not discuss spiritual matters with Deuskar and his friends. Before taking leave the Punjabi gentleman said to Swamiji, 'Sir, we expected to hear something spiritual from you today. But unfortunately, our conversation drifted towards mundane matters. I believe it was a mere waste of time.'
On hearing this, Swamiji become very serious and said, 'Sir, as long as even a stray dog of my country remains without food, my religion will be to feed and take care of him. All else is either non-religion or false religion!' The three visitors were struck dumb by Swamiji 's flaming words. Years after his passing away, Pandit Deuskar, when relating the incident, said that those words remained ever grafted on his mind and made him realize, for the first time, what true patriotism meant.
-My India, the India Eternal
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