Swami Vivekananda Biography

Swami Vivekananda Biography

Swami Vivekananda is one of the famous Indian Philosophers, and his entire life has been dedicated to serving his motherland India. He vigorously worked and used his philosophical ideologies to bring back the glory of India in eastern countries. His endeavours made him become an eternal personality in Indian history. He was born on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta at his ancestral house. The house was located at Gour Mohan Mukherjee Lane, Simla street Calcutta. His father was Viswanath Dutta, a well-known attorney-at-law in Calcutta High Court, and his Mother was Bhuvaneswari Devi, a holy household. At first, he was named Narendra Dutta and the sixth child of his parents.

Early Life

Since his childhood days, Narendra has had exceptional abilities. He was brilliant in the subjects, had good memory ability and had leadership qualities from his school days. His melodious voice made him a good orator and attracted the listeners with great enthusiasm. He was also very active in rowing, swimming, wrestling and riding. However, he didn’t neglect his studies and acquired knowledge from ancient Hindu books and scriptures.

At the age of sixteen in 1880, Vivekananda joined Presidency College. There he studied English, History, and Mathematics. Besides these subjects, he studied Logic, Psychology, and Philosophy. During their education, he doubted spirituality and God’s existence. He learnt the English language profoundly and read the spiritual books of eastern writers. Swami Vivekananda understood Western ideas and found that their accusers of India were wrong.

Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ramakrishna

After he completed B, a degree, he was haunted by two opposite visions. One led a worldly life of luxury, and the other was a renunciation monk. He had a great desire to know the existence of God. However, he chooses the path of austere life to see the presence of God. Since then, he has travelled everywhere to know God’s existence. But the answers of some scholars and swamis didn’t satisfy him. Finally, he came across Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and asked him about God’s presence in physical nature. Ramakrishna confidently answered his question and said he had seen God also.

Then surprised, Vivekananda accepted him as his guru. In Dakshineshwar, Naren served his guru for five years; during this period, he listened to the teaching, understood Ramakrishna’s principles, and became his famous disciple. Ramakrishna succeeded in appeasing all doubts of Naren and enlightening him on the concept of Hindu spirituality.

Ramakrishna Math

After the death of Ramakrishna in 1886, Swami Vivekananda and other disciples strongly wanted to spread the concept of Ramakrishna’s teachings worldwide. So they started Ramakrishna Math in Belur to bring back the glory of Hinduism and serve the people to realize God. ForTo spread all these thoughts, Narendranath left Math in July 1890 and started travelling all the corners of India.

On his journey, he met so many monks and discussed the doctrines of Hinduism to enlighten his knowledge. He also met the princes and maintained friendly nature with them. Vivekananda’s thoughts were awe-inspiring, and I came forward to help him spread Indian spirituality. After two years of travelling, he reached Kanyakumari, where the peace of nature and fresh breezing air made him know his life mission.

First, he wanted to bring consciousness among the masses in India about the spirituality of Hinduism. They even liked the youth to know their strength and get an intense desire among the youth that makes India proud. Then only the West acknowledges India’s strength in the realm of spirituality. Such awareness was most important among the masses because the Western countries believed that the omnipotent power could conquer anything. Still, Swami Vivekananda wanted to prove the Spiritual power of India was essential.

Swami Vivekananda Influence

With a strong desire, Vivekananda travelled for three years in India by giving speeches about the glory of India among the masses. To spread his message of India’s greatness and spirituality in the West. He wanted to participate in the World Parliament of Religions, which could be held in Chicago in 1893. Vivekananda intends to utilize this Parliament as his platform in the West to spread the ideology of Indian spirituality and the glory of Hinduism. Their Vivekananda’s preachings impressed the Westerners and removed their gloomy thoughts of Westerners. Especially his address to the gathering as ‘Sisters and Brothers of America’, the impressed Americans gave a standing ovation to Swami Vivekananda that lasted for minutes. With his speeches in Chicago, he became worldwide famous and assured.

In the later years, Swami Vivekananda’s preachings were held on the essence of Hinduism and Vedanta Philosophy in several cities across the United States of America. In 1895 he received invitations from England for lectures to the British. Then Swami Vivekananda left for London and gave a series of studies to the British, bringing awareness among the British about the Philosophy of India. He travelled between USA and England during his years in Western countries. Vivekananda’s thoughts made other European countries spread the seeds of Vedanta farther and deeper into the views of foreigners.

Swami Vivekananda Return to India:

After completing his works successfully, Swami Vivekananda returned to India in 1897. He received great applause from all in India and many felicitated programs conducted by so many. His continuous lectures about the success and complex tasks in America affected his health. He took a few months’ rest from the guidance of doctors. After his recovery, he again started his mission, guided his disciples to set up more centres in different parts of India, and served the people in calamities.

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Swami Vivekananda Final Days

After spending two years in India, Vivekananda planned to travel to Western countries. I again the second phase. Also, he travelled between USA and England to spread his mission of spreading the ideology of his concept of Hinduism and India. In the second phase, Swami Vivekananda attracted many disciples from western countries. He also started some missionary centres in western countries.

In late 1900, he returned to India and continued his ongoing work. Swami Vivekananda’s health worsened, and the doctors advised him to rest thoroughly, although Swami Vivekananda did not stop working and continued travelling to the extreme boundaries of India. His physical body was distressed, and his health worsened; Swami Vivekananda breathed his last on 4 July 1902 at the Belur Math. But still, his thoughts have been carried by the Ramakrishna Math—Swami Vivekananda, His Birthday, is on 12 January, Celebrated as National Youth Day in India. The Indian Government declared National Youth Day in 1984, and since then, the day has been celebrated in India every year to honour Swami Vivekananda’s achievements.

Swami Vivekananda’s lectures and writings on Jnana-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga and Raja Yoga gave specific knowledge to the readers. He wrote many inspired letters to his friends and disciples. He composed numerous poems, guided many seekers and successfully ran Ramakrishna Math. These magnificent activities did just during the age of thirties only.