SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

A saint philosopher Swami Vivekananda was the first Indian who with his patriotic zeal and eloquence made the Western world aware of India’s great spiritual and cultural heritage. In 1893, he won thunderous applause at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago with his vary first words. “Sisters and Bothers of America” and boldly proclaimed that religions were not meant to spread hate and discord but to foster love and brotherhood. He glorified the Hindu religion and the Indian culture.

This great saint was born in Kolkata on 12 January, 1863. He was named Narendra. His father was Vishwanath Datta, a respectable figure and his mother was Devi Bhuvaneshwari, devout women with great ability for training her children.

Swami Vevekananda was very scientific in his attitude and never accepted anything without proof of knowledge. During college days once his professor told him to go to Shri Ramakrishna at Dakshineshwar Temple if he wanted to know true meaning of trance or Samadhi.

This opened up a new relationship of Teacher and Disciple unparalleled in the history of spirituality. This wise man of Dakshineshwar with his simplicity and immense knowledge of Advaita Vedanta won over the mind and heart of this young boy Narendra once for all. There Narendra learnt and realized true spirit of Eternal Vedantic Religion Sanatana Dharma, and gradually evolved in Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda was a great disciple of Remakrishna Paramhansa, a great saint who believed in humanism and urged the people to imbibe the spirit of equality, liberty and free thinking. Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1896 after his return from America to propogate the teaching of his master Ramakrishna Paramahansa. This Mission carries out educational and charitable work throughout India and has branches in Asia, Europe and the United States. Belur Math, eight Kilometers from Kolkata, is the International headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission. Its architecture represents a church, a temple and a mosque when viewed from different angles. It is truly symbolic of Vivekananda’s University of belief. His statue of Kanyakumari where the waters of the Arabian sea, the Bay of Bangal and the Indian Ocean merge. Is a place of pilgrimage for millions of people.

Vivekananda lived a very short physical life. He died on 4 July, 1902. He was only Thirty Nine years and a few months, Thus fulfilling a prophecy which was frequently on his lips, “I shall never live to see forty”.

Swami Vivekananda possessed a illuminated intellect, a vast and retentive memory, a heart devoted to God that was full of compassion for his fellow human beings and an ever present realization of his true nature, whether working, worshipping, meditation.
He devoted his life to working for social reforms such as eliminating child marriage and illiteracy and encouraging case of the poor and the sick.

He was the icon of youth whose birth anniversary ie. January 22 is celebrated as National Youth Day every year through out the country.