Narendra is another name for Swami Vivekananda. He was a great thinker, orator, and ardent patriot. On the 12th of January, National Youth Day is held to commemorate Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary.
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Swami Vivekananda was born in Kolkata on January 12, 1863. (earlier Calcutta). He was a religious leader as well as a social reformer. His speeches, writings, letters, poems, and thoughts inspired not only Indian youth but also people all over the world. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission and Belur Math in Calcutta, both of which continue to serve the poor. He was a wise man and a down-to-earth individual.
Life and Education of Swami Vivekananda
Narendranath Dutta, Vivekananda's birth name, came from a wealthy Bengali family in Calcutta. Vishwanath Dutta and Bhuvneshwari Devi had eight children, and he was one among them. He was born on the 12th of January, 1863, on Makar Sankranti. His father was an attorney and a well-known figure in society. Vivekananda's mother was a devout Christian who had a profound influence on her son.
Vivekananda enrolled at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Institution at the age of eight in 1871, and afterward at the Presidency College in Calcutta. Western philosophy, Christianity, and science were all introduced to him. He was interested in both instrumental and vocal music. He participated in gymnastics, wrestling, and bodybuilding as well as other sports. He enjoyed reading as well, and by the time he graduated from college, he had amassed a broad understanding of a variety of disciplines. Do you know that he read Hindu writings such as the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads on the one hand, and western ideas and spirituality by David Hume, Herbert Spencer, and others on the other?
Spiritual Crisis and met with Ramakrishna Paramhansa
He grew up in a religious home, but his studies of religious materials caused him to doubt God's existence, and he occasionally believed in Agnosticism. However, he was unable to entirely dismiss God's supremacy. In 1880, he became a member of Keshab Chandra Sen's Nava Vidhan and of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, which was led by Keshab Chandra Sen and Debendranath Tagore.
Unlike idol worship, the Brahmo Samaj recognized only one God. Vivekananda had several questions on his mind during his spiritual crisis, and it was from William Hastie, the Principal of the Scottish Church College, that he first learned of Shri Ramakrishna. He finally met Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, and Vivekananda asked him, "Have you seen God?" a question he had asked many spiritual masters but had not received a satisfactory answer to. When he asked Ramakrishna, though, he received such a straightforward response that he was taken aback "Yes, I did. I see God in the same way I see you, but in a far more profound way ". Following this, Vivekananda began visiting Dakshineshwar, where he received various solutions to the concerns that had been bothering him.
When Swami Vivekananda's father died, the entire family was thrown into financial ruin. He approached Ramakrishna and requested that he pray for his family, but Ramakrishna declined and ordered Vivekananda to pray in front of Goddess Kali himself. He couldn't ask for wealth or money, so he prayed for conscience and seclusion instead. On that day, he experienced a spiritual awakening and began his ascetic life. It was at this stage in his life that he adopted Ramakrishna as his Guru.
Ramakrishna was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1885 and was sent to Calcutta, then to a garden home in Cossipore. Vivekananda and other Ramakrishna disciples looked after him. Shri Ramakrishna gave up his mortal body on August 16, 1886. Narendra was taught that the most effective way to worship God was to serve others. After Ramakrishna's death, fifteen of his pupils, including Narendranath, began to live together at Ramakrishna Math in Baranagar, North Calcutta. In 1887, all of Narendranath's disciples took monastic vows, and he became Vivekananda, which means "the happiness of perceiving wisdom." They all practiced yoga and meditation. Furthermore, Vivekananda left the math and resolved to walk throughout India, a journey that became known as 'Parivrajak.' He witnessed a variety of social, cultural, and religious aspects of the people, as well as what ordinary people encounter in their daily lives, such as their hardships.
The World Parliament of Religions was attended by Swami Vivekananda.
When he learned about the World Parliament in Chicago, America, he was ecstatic. He was eager to represent India and his Guru's views at the gathering. He went to the Religious meeting after a series of misfortunes. He entered the stage on September 11, 1893, and astonished everyone by saying, "My brothers and sisters of America." He earned a standing ovation from the audience for this. He explained Vedanta's ideas, their spiritual meaning, and so on.
He stayed in America for almost two and a half years and created the Vedanta Society of New York. He also preached Vedanta's theories, spiritualism, and values throughout the United Kingdom.
Ramkrishna Mission
He returned to India about 1897 and settled in Calcutta, where he launched the Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, 1897, at Belur Math. The mission's goals were founded on Karma Yoga, and its principal goal was to help the country's destitute, suffering, or disturbed people. This goal also includes the establishment of schools, colleges, and hospitals, among other social services. Conferences, seminars, and workshops, as well as rehabilitation work, were used to spread Vedanta teachings across the country.
Death
He prophesied that he would not live to be 40 years old. As a result, he died on July 4, 1902, while meditating. On the banks of the Ganga, he is supposed to have attained 'Mahasamadhi' and was cremated.
Some Great Quotes Of Swami Vivekananda
"All the powers in the universe are already our. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark."
"Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is achieved."
“Take risks in your life. If you win, you can lead, if you lose, you can guide.”
“Learn everything that is good from others but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.”
“A man is not poor without a rupee but a man is really poor without a dream and ambition.”
“Take up one idea, make that one idea your life, think of it, dream of it, let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
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