National Youth Day - 12th January

National Youth Day

In 1984, the Government of India declared and decided to observe the Birthday of Swami Vivekananda(12 January, according to the English calendar) as National Youth Day every year from 1985 onwards. To quote from the Government of India's Communication, ‘It was felt that the philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth.


Swami Vivekananda


Swami Vivekananda(January 12, 1863–July 4, 1902), born Narendranath Dutta[2]is the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission.[3]He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Vedantaand Yogain Europeand America[3]and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduismto the status of a world religion during the end of the 19th century.[4]Vivekananda is considered to be a major force in the revivalof Hinduismin modern India.[5]He is best known for his inspiring speech beginning with "sisters and brothers of America",[6][7]through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicagoin 1893.[2]

* Swami Vivekananda was born in an aristocratic Kayasthafamily of Calcuttain 1863. His parents influenced the Swami's thinking – the father by his rationalmind and the mother by her religioustemperament. From his childhood, he showed inclination towards spiritualityand God realization. While searching for a man who could directly demonstrate the reality of God, he came to Ramakrishna and became his disciple. As a guru, Ramakrishna taught him Advaita Vedantaand that all religions are true, and service to man was the most effective worship of God. After the death of his Guru, Vivekananda became a wandering monk, touring the Indian subcontinentand getting a first-hand account of India's condition. He later sailed to Chicagoand represented India as a delegate in the 1893 Parliament of World Religions. An eloquent speaker, Vivekananda was invited to several forums in United Statesand spoke at universities and clubs. He conducted several public and private lectures, disseminating Vedanta, Yogaand Hinduismin America, England and a few other countries in Europe. He also established Vedanta societiesin Americaand England. He later sailed back to India and in 1897 he founded the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, a philanthropic and spiritual organization. Swami Vivekananda is regarded as one of India's foremost nation-builders. His teachings influenced the thinking of other national leaders and philosophers, like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Aurobindo Ghosh, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Birth and Childhood

Bhuvaneshwari Devi (1841-1911).
"I am indebted to my mother for the efflorescence of my knowledge."[9]—Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was born in Shimla Pally, Calcutta at 6:33 a.m on Monday, 12 January 1863, during the eve of Makra Sankrantifestival[10]and was given the name Narendranath Datta.[11]His father Vishwanath Datta was an attorneyof Calcutta High Court. He was considered generous, and had a liberal and progressive outlook in social and religious matters.[12]His mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi was pious and had practiced austerities and prayed to Vireshwar Shivaof Varanasito give her a son. She reportedly had a dream in which Shiva rose from his meditationand said that he would be born as her son.[10]

Narendranath's thinking and personality were influenced by his parents—the father by his rational mind and the mother by her religious temperament.[8][13]From his mother he learnt the power of self-control.[13]One of the sayings of his mother Narendra quoted often in his later years was, "Remain pure all your life; guard your own honor and never transgress the honor of others. Be very tranquil, but when necessary, harden your heart."[11]He was reportedly adept in meditation and could reportedly enter the state of samadhi.[13]He reportedly would see a light while falling asleep and he reportedly had a vision of Buddhaduring his meditation.[14]During his childhood, he had a great fascination for wandering ascetics and monks.[13]

Narendranath had varied interests and a wide range of scholarship in philosophy, history, the social sciences, arts, literature, and other subjects.[15]He evinced much interest in scriptural texts, Vedas, the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharataand the Puranas. He was also well versed in classical music, both vocal and instrumental and is said to have undergone training under two Ustads, Beni Gupta and Ahamad Khan.[16]Since boyhood, he took an active interest in physical exercise, sports, and other organizational activities.[15]Even when he was young, he questioned the validity of superstitious customs and discrimination based on caste[17]and refused to accept anything without rational proof and pragmatic test.[8]

College and Brahmo Samaj

Narendranath started his education at home, later he joined the Metropolitan Institution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagarin 1871[18]and in 1879 he passed the entrance examination for Presidency College, Calcutta, entering it for a brief period and subsequently shifting to General Assembly's Institution.[19]During the course, he studied western logic, western philosophyand history of Europeannations.[17]In 1881 he passed the Fine Arts examination and in 1884 he passed the Bachelor of Arts.[20][21]

Narendranath is said to have studied the writings of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Baruch Spinoza, Georg W. F. Hegel, Arthur Schopenhauer, Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, John Stuart Mill, and Charles Darwin.[22][23]Narendra became fascinated with the Evolutionismof Herbert Spencer, and translated Spencer’s book on Educationinto Bengali for Gurudas Chattopadhyaya, his publisher. Narendra also had correspondence with Herbert Spencer for some time.[24][25]Alongside his study of Western philosophers, he was thoroughly acquainted with Indian Sanskrit scriptures and many Bengali works.[23]According to his professors, student Narendranath was a prodigy. Dr. William Hastie, the principal of Scottish Church College, where he studied during 1881-84,wrote, "Narendra is really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students."[22]He was regarded as a srutidhara—a man with prodigious memory.[26][27]After a discussion with Narendranath, Dr. Mahendralal Sarkarreportedly said, "I could never have thought that such a young boy had read so much!"[28]

Narendranath became the member of a Freemason's lodge and the breakaway faction from the Brahmo Samaj led by Keshab Chunder Senanother Freemason.[19]His initial beliefs were shaped by Brahmo concepts, which include belief in a formless God and deprecation of the worship of idols.[29]Not satisfied with his knowledge of Philosophy, he wondered if God and religion could be made a part of one's growing experiences and deeply internalized. Narendra went about asking prominent residents of contemporary Calcutta whether they had come "face to face with God".[30]but could not get answers which satisfied him.[31]

His first introduction to Ramakrishnaoccurred in a literature class in General Assembly Institute, when he heard Principal Reverend W. Hastie lecturing on William Wordsworth's poem The Excursion and the poet's nature-mysticism.[32]In the course of explaining the word trancein the poem, Hastie told his students that if they wanted to know the real meaning of it, they should go to Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar. This prompted some of his students, including Narendranath to visit Ramakrishna.[19][33][34]

With Ramakrishna

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

"The magic touch of the Master that day immediately brought a wonderful change over my mind. I was astounded to find that really there was nothing in the universe but God! … everything I saw appeared to be Brahman. … I realized that I must have had a glimpse of the Advaitastate. Then it struck me that the words of the scriptures were not false. Thenceforth I could not deny the conclusions of the Advaita philosophy."[35]

His meeting with Ramakrishna Paramahamsain November 1881 proved to be a turning point in his life.[36]About this meeting, Narendranath said, "He [Ramakrishna] looked just like an ordinary man, with nothing remarkable about him. He used the most simple language and I thought 'Can this man be a great teacher?'– I crept near to him and asked him the question which I had been asking others all my life: 'Do you believe in God, Sir?' 'Yes,' he replied. 'Can you prove it, Sir?' 'Yes.' 'How?' 'Because I see Him just as I see you here, only in a much intenser sense.' That impressed me at once. […] I began to go to that man, day after day, and I actually saw that religion could be given. One touch, one glance, can change a whole life."[36][37]

Even though Narendra did not accept Ramakrishna as his guru initially and revolted against his ideas, he was attracted by his personality and visited him frequently.[38]He initially looked upon on Ramakrishna's ecstasies and visions as, "mere figments of imagination",[8]"mere hallucinations".[39]As a member of Brahmo samaj, he revolted against idol worship and polytheism, and Ramakrishna's worship of Kali.[40]He even rejected the Advaitist Vedantismof identity with absolute as blasphemy and madness, and often made fun of the concept[39]

Though Narendra could not accept Ramakrishna and his visions, he could not neglect him either. It had always been in Narendra's nature to test something thoroughly before he would accept it. He tested Ramakrishna, who never asked Narendra to abandon reason, and faced all of Narendra's arguments and examinations with patience—"Try to see the truth from all angles" was his reply.[38]During the course of five years of his training under Ramakrishna, Narendra was transformed from a restless, puzzled, impatient youth to a mature man who was ready to renounce everything for the sake of God-realization. In time, Narendra accepted Ramakrishna as guru, and when he accepted, his acceptance was whole-hearted and with complete surrendering as disciple.[38]

In 1885 Ramakrishna suffered from throat cancerand he was shifted to Calcutta and later to Cossipore. Vivekananda and his brother disciplestook care of Ramakrishna during this final days. His spiritual education under Ramakrishna continued here. At Cossipore, Vivekananda reportedly experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi.[41]During the last days of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and some of the other disciples received the ochre monastic robes from Ramakrishna, which formed the first monastic order of Ramakrishna.[42]Vivekananda was taught that service to men was the most effective worship of God.[8][43]It is reported that when Vivekananda, doubted Ramakrishna's claim of avatara, Ramakrishna reportedly said, "He who was Rama, He who was Krishna, He himself is now Ramakrishna in this body."[44]During his final days, Ramakrishna asked Vivekananda to take care of other monastic disciples and in turn asked them to look upon Vivekananda as their leader.[45]Ramakrishna's condition worsened gradually and he expired in the early morning hours of August 16, 1886 at the Cossipore garden house. According to his disciples, this was Mahasamadhi.[45]

Baranagar Monastery

After the death of their master, the monastic disciples led by Vivekananda formed a fellowship at a half-ruined house at Baranagarnear the river Ganga, with the financial assistance of the householder disciples. This became the first Math or monasteryof the disciples who constituted the first Ramakrishna Order.[36]

The dilapidated house at Baranagorewas chosen because of its low rent and proximity to the Cossipore burning-ghat, where Ramakrishna was cremated. Narendra and other members of the Math often spent their time in meditation, discussing about different philosophies and teachings of spiritual teachers including Ramakrishna, Shankaracharya, Ramanuja, and Jesus Christ.[46]Narendra reminisced about the early days in the monastery as follows, "We underwent a lot of religious practice at Baranagore Math. We used to get up at 3:00 am and become absorbed in japaand meditation. What a strong spirit of dispassion we had in those days! We had no thought even as to whether the world existed or not"[46]In the early part of 1887, Narendra and eight other disciples took formal monastic vows. Narendra took the name of Swami Vividishananda.[47]

Parivrâjaka— Wandering monk

Swami Vivekananda's first photo as a Wandering monk at Jaipur.[48]

In 1888, Vivekananda left the monastery as a Parivrâjaka—the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk, "without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go."[49]His sole possessions were a kamandalu (water pot), staff, and his two favorite books—Bhagavad Gitaand The Imitation of Christ.[50]Narendranath travelled the length and breadth of India for five years, visiting important centers of learning, acquainting himself with the diverse religious traditions and different patterns of social life.[51][52]He developed a sympathy for the suffering and poverty of the masses and resolved to uplift the nation.[51][53]Living mainly on Bhikshaor alms, Narendranath traveled mostly on foot and railway tickets bought by his admirers whom he met during the travels. During these travels he gained acquaintance and stayed with scholars, Dewans, Rajasand people from all walks of life—Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Pariahs (low caste workers), Government officials.[53]

Northern India

In 1888, he started his journey from Varanasi. At Varanasi, he met pandit and Bengali writer, Bhudev Mukhopadhyayand Trailanga Swami, a famous saint who lived in a Shiva temple. Here, he also met Babu Pramadadas Mitra, the noted Sanskrit scholar, to whom the Swami wrote a number of letters asking his advice on the interpretation of the Hindu scriptures.[54]After Varanasi he visited Ayodhya, Lucknow, Agra, Vrindaban, Hathrasand Rishikesh. At Hathrashe met Sharat Chandra Gupta, the station master who later became one of his earliest disciples as Sadananda.[55][56]Between 1888-1890, he visited Vaidyanath, Allahabad. From Allahabad, he visited Ghazipur where he met Pavhari Baba, a Advaita Vedanta ascetic who spent most of his time in meditation.[57]Between 1888-1890, he returned to Baranagore Math few times, because of ill health and to arrange for the financial funds when Balram Bose and Suresh Chandra Mitra, the disciples of Ramakrishna who supported the Mathhad expired.[56]

The Himalayas

In July 1890, accompanied by his brother monk, Swami Akhandananda, he continued his journey as a wandering monk and returned to the Mathonly after his visit to the West.[56][58]He visited, Nainital, Almora, Srinagar, Dehra Dun, Rishikesh, Hardwarand the Himalayas. During this travel, he reportedly had a vision of macrocosm and microcosm, which seems to be reflected in the Jnana Yoga lectures he gave later in the West, "The Cosmos—The Macrocosmand The Microcosm". During these travels, he met his brother monks —Swami Brahmananda, Saradananda, Turiyananda, Akhandananda, Advaitananda. They stayed at Meerutfor few days where they passed their time in meditation, prayer and study of scriptures. In the end of January 1891, the Swami left his brother monks and journeyed to Delhialone.[58][59]

[edit] Rajputana

At Delhi, after visiting historical places he journeyed towards Alwar, in the historic land of Rajputana. Later he journeyed to Jaipur, where he studied Panini's Ashtadhyayi from a Sanskrit scholar. He next journeyed to Ajmer, where he visited the palace of Akbar and the famous Dargahand left for Mount Abu. At Mount Abu, he met the Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri, who became his ardent devotee and supporter. He was invited to Khetri, where he delivered discourses to the Raja. At Khetri, he also became acquainted with Pandit Narayandas, and studied Mahabhashya on Sutras of Panini. After two and half months at Khetri, towards end of October 1891, he proceeded towards Rajasthanand Maharastra.[53][60]

Western India

Continuing his travels, he visited Ahmedabad, Wadhwan, Limbdi. At Ahmedabad he completed his studies of Mohammedanand Jainculture.[53]At Limbdi, he met Thakore Sahed Jaswant Singh who had himself been to England and America. From the Thakore Saheb, the Swami got the first idea of going to the West to preach Vedanta. He later visited Junagadh, Girnar, Kutch, Porbander, Dwaraka, Palitana, Baroda. At Porbander he stayed three quarters of a year, in spite of his vow as a wandering monk, to perfect his philosophical and Sanskrit studies with learned pandits; he worked with a court pandit who translated the Vedas.[53]

He later traveled to Mahabaleshwarand then to Pune. From Poona he visited Khandwaand Indorearound June 1892. At Kathiawarhe heard of the Parliament of the World's Religionsand was urged by his followers there to attend it. He left Khandwa for Bombay and reached there on July 1892. In a Punebound train he met Bal Gangadhar Tilak.[61]After staying with Tilak for few days in Poona,[62]the Swami travelled to Belgaumin October 1892. At Belgaum, he was the guest of Prof. G.S. Bhate and Sub-divisional Forest officer, Haripada Mitra. From Belgaum, he visited Panjimand Margaoin Goa. He spent three days in the Rachol Seminary, the oldest convent-college of theology of Goa where rare religious literature in manuscripts and printed works in Latinare preserved. He reportedly studied important Christian theological works here.[63]From Margao the Swami went by train to Dharwar, and from there directly to Bangalore, in Mysore State.[64]

Southern India

At Bangalore, the Swami became acquainted with Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, the Dewanof Mysore state, and later he stayed at the palace as guest of the Maharaja of Mysore, Shri Chamarajendra Wadiyar. Regarding Swami's learning, Sir Seshadri reportedly remarked, "a magnetic personality and a divine force which were destined to leave their mark on the history of his country." The Maharaja provided the Swami a letter of introduction to the Dewan of Cochin and got him a railway ticket.[65]

VivekanandaTemple on Vivekananda rock at Kanyakumari, India

From Bangalore, he visited Trichur, Kodungalloor, Ernakulam. At Ernakulam, he met Chattampi Swamikal, the guru of Narayana Guru in early December 1892.[66]From Ernakulam, he journeyed to Trivandrum, Nagercoiland reached Kanyakumarion foot during the Christmas Eve of 1892.[67]At Kanyakumari, the Swami reportedly meditated on the "last bit of Indian rock", famously known later as the Vivekananda Rock Memorialfor three days.[68]At Kanyakumari, Vivekananda had the "Vision of one India", also commonly called "The Kanyakumari resolve of 1892".[69]He wrote,

"At Cape Camorin sitting in Mother Kumari's temple, sitting on the last bit of Indian rock - I hit upon a plan: We are so many sanyasis wandering about, and teaching the people metaphysics-it is all madness. Did not our Gurudeva used to say, `An empty stomach is no good for religion?' We as a nation have lost our individuality and that is the cause of all mischief in India. We have to raise the masses."[69][70]

From Kanyakumari he visited Madurai, where he met Raja of Ramnad, Bhaskara Setupati, to whom he had a letter of introduction. The Raja became the Swami's disciple and urged him to go to the Parliament of Religions at Chicago. From Madurai, he visited Rameshwaram, Pondicherryand he travelled to Madras and here he met some his most devoted disciples, like Alasinga Perumal, G.G. Narasimhachari, who played important roles in collecting funds for Swami's voyage to America and later in establishing the Ramakrishna Mission in Madras. From Madras he travelled to Hyderabad. With the aid of funds collected by his Madras disciples and Rajas of Mysore, Ramnad, Khetri, Dewans, and other followers Vivekananda left for Chicago on 31 May 1893 from Bombay assuming the name Vivekananda—the name suggested by the Maharaja of Khetri.[71][72]

] First visit to the West

His journey to America took him through China, Japan, Canadaand he arrived at Chicago in July 1893.[73]But to his disappointment he learnt that no one without credentials from a bona fideorganization would be accepted as a delegate. He came in contact with Professor John Henry Wrightof Harvard University.[74]After inviting him to speak at Harvard and on learning of his not having credential to speak at the Parliament, Wright is quoted as having said, "To ask for your credentials is like asking the sun to state its right to shine in the heavens." Wright then addressed a letter to the Chairman in charge of delegates writing, "Here is a man who is more learned than all of our learned professors put together." On the Professor Vivekananda himself writes, "He urged upon me the necessity of going to the Parliament of Religions, which he thought would give an introduction to the nation."[75]

[edit] Parliament of World's Religions

Swami Vivekananda on the Platform of the Parliament of Religions

The Parliament of Religions opened on 11 September 1893 at the Art Institute of Chicago. On this day Vivekananda gave his first brief address. He represented India and Hinduism.[76]Though initially nervous, he bowed to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and began his speechwith, "Sisters and brothers of America!".[74][77]To these words he got a standing ovation from a crowd of seven thousand, which lasted for two minutes. When silence was restored he began his address. He greeted the youngest of the nations in the name of "the most ancient order of monks in the world, the Vedic order of sannyasins, a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance."[78]And he quoted two illustrative passages in this relation, from the Bhagavad Gita—"As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take, through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee!" and "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths that in the end lead to Me."[78]Despite being a short speech, it voiced the spirit of the Parliament and its sense of universality.[78][79]

Dr. Barrows, the president of the Parliament said, "India, the Mother of religions was represented by Swami Vivekananda, the Orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors."[77]He attracted widespread attention in the press, which dubbed him as the "Cyclonic monk from India". The New York Critique wrote, "He is an orator by divine right, and his strong, intelligent face in its picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting than those earnest words, and the rich, rhythmical utterance he gave them." The New York Heraldwrote, "Vivekananda is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionariesto this learned nation."[80]The American newspapers reported Swami Vivekananda as "the greatest figure in the parliament of religions" and "the most popular and influential man in the parliament".[81]

He spokeseveral more times at the Parliament on topics related to Hinduism and Buddhism. The parliament ended on 27 September 1893. All his speeches at the Parliament had one common theme—Universality and stressed religious tolerance.[82]

Lecturing tours in America, England

"I do not come", said Swamiji on one occasion in America, "to convert you to a new belief. I want you to keep your own belief; I want to make the Methodista better Methodist; the Presbyteriana better Presbyterian; the Unitariana better Unitarian. I want to teach you to live the truth, to reveal the light within your own soul."[83]

After the Parliament of Religions, held in Sept. 1893 at The Art Institute of Chicago, Vivekananda spent nearly two whole years lecturing in various parts of eastern and central United States, appearing chiefly in Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and New York. By the spring of 1895, he was weary and in poor health, because of his continuous exertion.[84]After suspending his lecture tour, the Swami started giving free and private classes on Vedantaand Yoga. In June 1895, for two months he conducted private lectures to a dozen of his disciples at the Thousand Island Park. Vivekananda considered this to the happiest part of his first visit to America. He later founded the "Vedanta Societyof New York".[84]

During his first visit to America, he traveled to England twice—in 1895 and 1896.
Irishlady, who later became Sister Nivedita.[84]During his second visit in May 1896, while living at a house in Pimlico, the Swami met Max Müllera renowned Indologistat Oxford Universitywho wrote Ramakrishna's first biography in the West.[79]From England, he also visited other European countries. In Germany he met Paul Deussen, another famous Indologist.[86]

He also received two academic offers, the chair of Eastern Philosophyat Harvard University
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