Swami Vivekananda : A spiritual leader and a Hindu monk of India.
Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual leader and a Hindu monk of India. He was living a simple life with high thinking. He was a great philosopher with great principles and devout personality. He was a principal disciple of Ramkrishna Paramhansa and his philosophical works comprise of ‘Raj Yoga’ and ‘Modern Vedanta’. He was the founder of Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math in Calcutta.
Swami Vivekananda was born in Calcutta as Narendranath Dutta on 12th January 1863 during the British Government. He belonged to the Bengali family in Calcutta. Vishwanath Dutta was the father of Vivekananda, a successful attorney. Bhuvaneshwari Devi was the mother of Vivekananda, a strong character, good qualities with deep devotion. She was a woman who believed in God and it impacted a lot on his son. He enrolled at Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar’s Institution at the age of 8. After that, he studied at the Presidency College in Calcutta. In 1984, he completed his graduation from the University of Calcutta.
Vivekananda was born with a yogic nature, always used to do meditation which provided him the mental power. He had a strong memory power since his childhood, so he used to quickly grasp all his school teaching. He gained knowledge in various subjects including History, Sanskrit, Bengali Literature, and Western Philosophy. He had in-depth knowledge of Hindu scriptures like Bhagwat Geeta, Vedas, Ramayan, Upanishads, and Mahabharat. He was a brilliant boy and excelled in music, studies, swimming, and gymnastics.
Vivekananda contributed to the literary field with his works Bhakti Yoga, My Master, Raja Yoga, etc. His modern Vedanta and Raja Yoga became the Youth’s great inspiration. His teachings and valuable ideas became the greatest philosophical asset of India. He founded Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission on the name of his guru in 1897. He also founded Belur Math that disseminated the religious and spiritual teachings of Vivekananda. It also engages in educational and social work.
He also established the branches of Ramakrishna Mission in other countries. He never allowed a woman to enter his monasteries. He met Margaret Elizabeth Noble during his visit to the UK. Later she became his disciple and known as Sister Nivedita. He became famous globally due to his speech in Chicago. Many Indian leaders were attracted by his nationalist views and great thoughts. Sri Aurobindo praised him for awakening the Indian spirituality. Mahatma Gandhi also said to him one of the great Hindu reformers promoting Hinduism.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose also said, ‘Vivekananda harmonized the east and the west, science, religion, past, and the present, so he is great’. He wanted to fill the young brains with the power of self-realization by his teachings. Also, emphasize on character formation, service to others, optimistic look, recognition of inner strength, tireless efforts, and many more. He taught us the importance of nationalism in his bold writings. He wrote, ‘our sacred motherland is the land of philosophy and religion’. Swamiji’s famous quotation is, ‘Arise, awake, awaken others and stop not till the goal is reached’. He spread the true goal of scriptures and message of divinity.
Swami Vivekananda took his last breath on 4th July 1902 at Belur Math. He announced that he would not reach the age of 40. He left his mortal body at the age of 39 and attained ‘Mahasamadhi’. People said that he suffered from 31 diseases. He spread Hinduism within and outside of India.
Swami Vivekananda was a great spiritual man and philosopher around the world. He wanted global spirituality, harmony, universal brotherhood, and peace across the world. His teaching and philosophy still exists in the present day and guides the modern era youth. His founded organizations are spreading his teaching and philosophy and working for the improvement of society and the nation. He promoted Vedanta and many social services. He will be an inspiration for the youth of the world forever.
