Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)

Swami Vivekananda was a well-known monk who was born in India on 12^th January 1863 in Calcutta. His original name was Narendranath Datta or Narendra.He was a spiritual Leader and reformer who attempted to combine both Indian Spirituality and Western Lifestyle into one. He joined Brahma Samaj and dedicated in withdrawing Child Marriage, illiteracy and spreading education to the women and lower caste.

 

Born into an upper-middle-class family of the Kayastha caste in Bengal, he was educated at a Western-style university where he was exposed to Western philosophy, Christianity, and science.He became the follower of Ramakrishna who believed in unity of all religions.

 

William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the "paragon of Vedantists." 

 

Swami led his mission at both national and international level. He promoted peace and brotherhood based on the Oneness of existence. A great yogi he had direct and intuitive experience  of real life. He conveyed his message of Vedantic oneness through talks and soul stirring language of poetry

 

Like his master Ramakrishna Vivekananda also wanted to forget himself in the absolute one. But sometimes the sight of human plethora  in the east and west made him to do service to mankind. He chose service to man as his mission and he was endeared by people of West , Americans in particular.

 

In short span of life (39 years) , in the middle of acute sufferings .he gave 4 classics-Jnana yoga , Bhakti Yoga , Karma Yoga and Raja Yoga and devoted 10 years into public lecturers. He wrote inspiring letters to many disciples and wrote numerous poems and was a spiritual guide .He organised the Ramakrishna Math which is the most outstanding religious cult of modern India.

 

In America, Swami led many Spiritual teachings and was India’s spiritual ambassador and combined the east and west through his teachings and inspiring talks.

 

His famous speech in Chicago in 1893, as an invitee to the World Conference of Religions, starting with "My dear brothers and sisters of America" stunned the audience and was received with great applause.

 

Vivekananda was a patriotic saint and his birthday is celebrated as the National Youth Day.

 

Vivekananda died at 9.20 pm on July 4 1902 ,while meditating and according to his disciples , he attained Maha Samadhi. His disciples believed rupture of blood vessel in his brain was due to opening of crown of his head being pierced when he attained Maha Samadhi

 

His teachings says to honour every Indian as a brother irrespective of whether he is poor or born in a lower caste.