Holy Mother Sarada Ma: Naren (Swami Vivekananda) was travelling in the Himalayas for three days without any food. He was about to faint when a Mussulman Fakir gave him a cucumber. It saved his life that time.
After his return from America, Naren was one day addressing a meeting at Almora. He saw that Mussulman seated in a corner. Naren at once went to him, took him by the hand, and made him sit in the centre of the gathering. The audience was surprised. Naren said, ‘This gentleman saved my life once.’ He then narrated the whole incident.
He also gave the Fakir some money. But at first, he refused to accept the gift. He said, ‘What have I done that you are so anxious to make me a gift?’ Naren did not yield and pressed some money into his pocket.
Source: The Gospel of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, p. 139
Details of the Incident of Swami Vivekananda’s Fainting from Exhaustion & Lack of Food
The incident that Sarada Ma is referring to is captured in the book: Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples – Chapter: Wanderings in the Himalayas. According to this book, in July 1890, Swami Vivekananda set off for the Himalayas. As a monk he was travelling on foot. He had no money in his pocket. For food he would beg from door to door as sannyasins did and eat whatever he got. On the days when he received no food he went hungry.
He and his brother monks were about two miles from Almora. Having gone for many hours without food, they sat down on the roadside opposite a Muslim cemetery. Swamiji almost fainted with hunger, and sank to the ground from sheer exhaustion. Akhandananda went to fetch water at a distance.
The keeper of the cemetery, a fakir named Zulfikar Ali, lived in a hut near by. Happening to see the plight of the Swami, he offered him a cucumber, which was the only thing in the shape of food that he could provide. The Swami asked the fakir to put the cucumber into his mouth, saying that he was too weak to do so himself. The man remonstrated, saying, “Holy sir, I am a Muslim!” “That does not matter at all,” said the Swami with a smile; “are we not all brothers?” After having been fed by the fakir, the Swami felt refreshed. Speaking of this incident, he used to say, “The man really saved my life: I had never felt so exhausted.”
