He was a renowned and influential spiritual teacher of Vedanta. His real name was Narendra Nath Dutt. He represented Sanatan Dharma on behalf of India in the World Dharma Mahasabha held in 1893 in Chicago, USA. The Vedanta of India reached every country of America and Europe only because of the oratory of Swami Vivekananda. He had established The Ramakrishna Mission which is still doing its work. He was an able disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He is best known for opening his speech with “My American brothers and sisters”. This first sentence of his address won everyone’s heart.
Biography:-
Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta. His childhood name was Narendranath. His father Shri Vishwanath Dutt was a famous lawyer of Calcutta High Court. His father believed in western civilization. He also wanted to run his son Narendra on the lines of western civilization by teaching English. His mother Smt. Bhuvaneshwari Deviji was a woman of religious views. Most of his time was spent in worshiping Lord Shiva. Narendra’s intellect was very sharp since childhood and the longing to attain God was also strong. For this he first went to ‘Brahma Samaj’ but there his mind was not satisfied. He wanted to make a significant contribution to the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga in Western culture.
Vishwanath Dutt died by accident. The burden of the house fell on Narendra. The condition of the house was very bad. Narendra was a great guest-servant even in extreme poverty. He himself used to feed the guest while being hungry, he himself kept getting wet and chilled all night outside in the rain and put the guest to sleep on his bed.
Swami Vivekananda had dedicated his life to his Gurudev Sri Ramakrishna. During the days of Gurudev’s death, without worrying about the critical condition of his home and family, without worrying about his own food, he was constantly engaged in the service of the Guru. Gurudev’s body had become very sick.
Vivekananda was a great dreamer. He had envisioned a new society, a society in which there was no distinction between human beings on the basis of religion or caste. He put the principles of Vedanta in this form. Even without getting into the controversy of spiritualism versus materialism, it can be said that the basis of the principle of equality which Vivekananda gave, can hardly find a strong intellectual basis. Vivekananda had great hopes from the youth. For the youth of today, the author has tried to present this biography of this virtuous monk in the context of his contemporary society and historical background.
Since childhood, Narendra was very intelligent and naughty. He used to do mischief with his fellow children, when given a chance, he did not miss to mischief with his teachers as well. In Narendra’s house, daily worship was done regularly, due to religious nature, Mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi was very fond of listening to the stories of Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata etc. The narrators used to come regularly to his house. Bhajan-Kirtan was also held regularly. Due to the influence of the family’s religious and spiritual environment, the values of religion and spirituality were deeply ingrained in the mind of child Narendra since childhood. Due to the rituals and religious environment of the parents, the yearning of knowing and attaining God was visible in the child’s mind since childhood. In the eagerness to know about God, sometimes he used to ask such questions that even his parents and narrator Panditji used to get confused.
Chicago Religion conference Speech:-
American sisters and brothers,
My heart fills with indescribable joy as I stand to express my gratitude to you for the cordiality and affection with which you have welcomed us. I thank you on behalf of the oldest tradition of ascetics in the world; Give thanks on behalf of the Mother of Religions; And I also thank you on behalf of all categories of Hindus of all sects and religions.
I would also like to thank some of the speakers from this forum who, while mentioning Prachi’s representatives, have told you that these people from faraway countries can claim the pride of spreading the spirit of tolerance in different countries.
I take pride in being a follower of a religion that has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We do not only believe in tolerance towards all religions, but accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a country which has given shelter to the oppressed and refugees of all religions and countries of this earth. I am proud to tell you that we have placed in our bosom the purest remnant of the Jews, who came to South India and took refuge in the same year their holy temple was reduced to dust by the tyranny of the Roman race. I take pride in being a follower of such a religion, which has given refuge to the remnant of the great Zarathustra caste and which it is still following.
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Swami Vivekananda’s Journeys:-
At the age of 25, Narendra wore ocher clothes. After that he traveled all over India on foot. In 1893, the World Council of Religions was being held in Chicago (USA). Swami Vivekananda reached there as the representative of India. The people of Europe-America looked at the people of that time with a very inferior look. There people tried a lot that Swami Vivekananda did not get time to speak in the Sarva Dharma Parishad.
He got some time with the efforts of an American professor, but all the scholars were astonished to hear his thoughts. Then he was highly welcomed in America. There was a large community of his devotees. For three years he lived in America and continued to provide wonderful light of Indian philosophy to the people there. Given his oratory style and knowledge of the media there Saiclonik Hindu named him. “Without spirituality and Indian philosophy the world would be an orphan” was the firm belief of Swami Vivekananda.
In America, he established many branches of Ramakrishna Mission. Many American scholars accepted his discipleship. He died on 4 July 1902. They always address themselves as servants of poor. He always tried to make India’s pride bright in the country and longitudes. Whenever he went anywhere, people were very happy with him.
Contribution and importance of Swami Vivekananda for India:-
The work that Swami Vivekananda accomplished in a short life span of forty-nine years will continue to guide generations for many centuries to come.
At the age of thirty, Swami Vivekananda represented Hinduism at the World Conference of Religions in Chicago, USA and brought it universal recognition. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore once said, “If you want to know India, read Vivekananda. In him you will find everything positive, nothing negative.”
Romain Rolland said of him, “It is impossible to even imagine that he is second. Wherever he went, he was the first. Everyone would refer to their leader in them. He was the representative of God and it was his specialty to achieve sovereignty over all. Once in the Himalayan region, an unknown traveler stopped by seeing him and shouted in amazement, ‘Shiva!’ It was as if that person’s adored God had given his name. written on his forehead.
He was not only a saint, he was also a great patriot, speaker, thinker, writer and human lover. Returning from America, he had called upon the countrymen and said, “New India has come out from Modi’s shop, from the hustle and bustle, from the factory, from the haat, from the market; Came out of the bushes, forests, mountains, mountains.” And the public answered Swamiji’s call. She left with pride.
In this way he also became a major source of inspiration for the Indian freedom struggle. He believed that holy India is the holy land of religion and philosophy. It is here that great sages and great sages were born, this is the land of renunciation and renunciation, and it is here – only here – that the highest ideal of life and the door of liberation have been opened for man from time immemorial to the present day. His statement – “Arise, wake up, wake up yourself and wake up others. Make your male birth successful and do not stop till the goal is achieved.
Vivekananda’s philosophy of education:-
Swami Vivekananda was opposed to the English education system propounded by Macaulay and prevailing at that time, because the aim of this education was only to increase the number of babus.
He wanted such an education which could lead to all round development of the child. The aim of the child’s education is to make him self-reliant and make him stand on his feet.
Swami Vivekananda has termed the prevailing education as ‘prohibitive education’ and said that you consider a person educated who has passed some examinations and who can give good speeches, but the reality is that the education which helps the common man to struggle for life. What is the benefit of such education, which does not build character, which does not develop the spirit of social service and which cannot develop courage like a lion?
Swamiji wants to prepare for both worldly and transcendental life through education. In relation to education from the secular point of view, he has said that ‘we need such education, by which character is formed, the strength of the mind increases, the intellect is developed and the person becomes self-supporting.’ From the transcendental point of view, he has said that ‘Education is the expression of the inherent perfection of man’.
Following are the basic principles of Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy of education:-
- Education should be such that the physical, mental and spiritual development of the child is possible.
- Education should be such that the character of the child is formed, the mind is developed, the intellect is developed and the child becomes self-reliant.
- Equal education should be given to both boys and girls.
- Religious education should not be given through books but through conduct and rituals.
- Both temporal and transcendental subjects should be given place in the curriculum.
- Education can be obtained in the Guru Griha.
- The relationship between teacher and student should be as close as possible.
- Education should be promoted and spread among the general public.
- Technical education should be arranged for the economic progress of the country.
- Humanitarian and national education should start from the family itself.
chronic sleep(death):-
His eloquent and succinct lectures are famous all over the world. On the last day of his life he interpreted the Shukla Yajurveda and said “one more Vivekananda is needed, to understand what this Vivekananda has done so far.” According to eyewitnesses, even on the last day of his life, he did not change his ‘meditation’ routine and meditated for two to three hours in the morning. Apart from asthma and sugar, other physical ailments surrounded him. He had also said, ‘These diseases will not allow me to cross the age of forty’. His disciples and followers built a temple there in his memory and established more than 130 centers to spread the messages of Vivekananda and his guru Ramakrishna throughout the world.
January 12, 1863 : Born in Calcutta
In 1879: Admission to Presidency College
In 1880: Entered the General Assembly Institution
November 1881: First meeting with Sri Ramakrishna
From 1882-86 : Associated with Sri Ramakrishna
In 1884: Graduated examination passed; father’s death
In 1885: Last illness of Sri Ramakrishna
August 16, 1886: Sri Ramakrishna died
In 1886: Establishment of Varaha Nagar Math
January 1887: Formal vow of sannyasa at Varaha Nagar Math
From 1890-93 : India tour as Parivrajak
December 25, 1892 : In Kanyakumari
February 13, 1893: First public lecture at Secunderabad
May 31, 1893 : Left for America from Bombay
July 25, 1893: Arrived in Vancouver, Canada
July 30, 1893: Arrival in Chicago
August 1893: Harvard University Prof. meeting with john wright
September 11, 1893: First lecture at the World Conference of Religions, Chicago
September 27, 1893: Final lecture at the World Conference of Religions, Chicago
May 16, 1894: Speech at Harvard University
November 1894: Establishment of Vedanta Committee in New York
January 1895: Religious classes started in New York
August 1895 : in Paris
October 1895 : Lecture in London
December 6, 1895 : Back to New York
March 22-25, 1896 : Back to London
May-July 1896: Lecture at Harvard University
April 15, 1896 : Back to London
May-July 1896: Religious classes in London
May 28, 1896: Meeting with Max Müller at Oxford
December 30, 1896: From Naples to India
January 15, 1897 : Arrival in Colombo, Sri Lanka
February 6-15, 1897 : In Madras
February 19, 1897 : Arrival at Calcutta
May 1, 1897: Establishment of Ramakrishna Mission
May-December 1897: Visit to North India
January 1898: Return to Calcutta
March 19, 1899: Establishment of Advaita Ashram in Mayawati
June 20, 1899: Second visit to the West
July 31, 1899: Arrival in New York
February 22, 1900: Establishment of the Vedanta Committee in San Francisco
June 1900: Last class in New York
July 26, 1900 : Leaves Europe
October 24, 1900: Visit to countries like Vienna, Hungary, Kustuntunia, Greece, Egypt etc.
26 November 1900 : Left for India
December 9, 1900: Arrival at Belur Math
January 1901: Mayawati’s visit
March-May 1901: Pilgrimage to East Bengal and Assam
January-February 1902: Visit to Bodh Gaya and Varanasi
March 1902 : Return to Belur Math
July 4, 1902: Mahasamadhi.
Why we celebrate International Yuva Diwas?
It is celebrated annually on ’12 August’. The youth of any country is a strong basis for the development of that country, but when this youth forgets his social and political responsibilities and wastes his time in luxuries, then the country starts moving towards ruin. International Youth Day was organized for the first time in the year 2000. Celebrating International Youth Day means that the government should pay attention to the issues of youth and their point of view. According to the decision of the United Nations, 1985 AD was declared as the International Youth Year.