One of the most notable personalities of modern India Swami Vivekananda was a spiritual leader, philosopher and social reformer whose teachings have been a continual source of inspiration to people all over the world. Hailed as the “Prophet of Nationalism”, Vivekananda’s soul-inspiring messages on the motherland infused the”nationalists of pre- independence India with a burning patriotism. Though never directly involved in politics, he was the very spirit of courage, self-help and independence.
Advocating the building up of physical and moral courage and pride in the ancient glory of India, he awakened millions to the plight of the motherland and strengthened Indian nationalism. His speeches on foreign soils not only roused the international community to India’s strife for freedom but unveiled to them the glory of India’s ancient religion and culture.
Narendranath Datta or Vivekananda was born on January 12,1863 in Calcutta. He cleared the entrance examination of the Metropolitan Institute and studied in the Scottish Church College in Calcutta. His education included study of western philosophy which he later used to interpret Indian concepts on religion. He became a disciple of the saint Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
After his guru’s death, he became a monk to popularise Ramakrishna’s teachings denouncing priestly domination and rituals, and emphasising renunciation, bhakti and meditation. After taking the vow of sannyasa he travelled all around India. He adopted the name ‘Vivekananda’ at the suggestion of Maharaja Ajit Singh of’ Khetri. Vivekananda opposed child marriage, discrimination on the basis of caste and the poor status of women and supported education and health care for the needy.
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In 1897, he formed the Ramakrishna Mission to carry out charity and work for spiritual welfare. The Mission mainly sought to improve the condition of women, overhaul the education system and fight against caste injustices and belief in superstitions.
While meditating on a rock at Kanyakumari—which now bears the Vivekananda memorial, he decided to spread Indian culture in the West and arouse it to the needs of the poor in India.
In 1893, Vivekananda attended the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago, USA to represent Hinduism. His performance there made history for he astounded the audience by his portrayal of Hinduism as a religion of tolerance and universal acceptance. It was his rhetoric, his showmanship and the manner in which he unveiled the religion in western terms that won him international repute. His lectures abroad on other occasions as well revealed the essential spirit of Hinduism and its relevance in modern times to the western world. As a result, he won many followers abroad.
He wrote the Song of the Sannyasin. The journal Parbuddha Bharat was set up. He was the inspiration behind the setting up of the Advaita Ashram at Pithoragarh, the Shanti Ashram in California and Vedanta Centre in San Francisco.
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For Vivekananda, the Bhagavat Gita bore the supreme goals of mankind. He spread the ideas of universal brotherhood, unity in diversity and unattached karma of the Sanatana Dharma. He believed that true Hinduism was to be found in the Advaita Vedanta which considers all kinds of phenomena as incomplete representations of the one reality. He drew upon western idealistic and evolutionary thoughts to explain that the philosophy of Advaita was a scientific and rational set of principles that could provide the universal cure for problems whethertheybe ofmaterialism or backwardness.
Vivekananda held the Vedanta as the touchstone of reason. He called to the youth of India to draw their inspiration from the Vedanta and strive to free India from political bondage and advance her spiritually. Vivekananda’s spiritual philosophy and nationalistic thoughts influenced Aurobindo Ghose, Radhakrishnan, Aldous Huxley and many others.