12th January every year marks
'National Youth Day'. Coincided with it, India celebrated 150th birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on 12th January, 2013.
Vivekananda is synonymous with rousing enthusiasm and
youthful energy. Though the soil of Bengal has given birth to so many spiritual
masters like Ramakrishna, Lahiri Mahasaya, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Rabindranath
Tagore, Arabindo Ghosh, no other had huge public outreach like Swami
Vivekananda. This darling child of Mother India propagated the message of
Indian Spirituality beyond national boundaries.
Whoever remembers Vivekananda, they are engraved with
his famous Chicago Speech in the Parliament of Religions on 11th September,
1893. It had an electrifying effect on American minds of that time and
literally created waves in their society.
Narendranath Datta (Vivekananda's family name) was born on
Monday January 12, 1863 to Bhuvaneswari Devi and Viswanath Datta in Kolkata.
Naren soon showed a precocious mind and developed a keen memory. Vivekananda in
his later years once said to an audience that " I am indebted to my
mother for whatever knowledge I have acquired.' At the age of
fifteen he experienced his first spiritual ecstasy.
Naren had first heard about Sri Ramakrishna from a relative,
Ramachandra Datta who was one of the foremost householder disciples of the
Master. Having understood his spiritual bent of mind, he was advised to
visit Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar. Naren met Ramakrishna for the first
time in November 1881 in the house of the Master's devotee Surendranath Mitra.
He was invited there to entertain the visitors with his melodious music.
Having been impressed, Ramakrishna asked Narendra to visit him at Dakshinewar.
During the meeting when Naren posed Ramakrishna a question "Sir, have
you seen God ? the master replied without a moment's hesitation " Yes,
I have seen God.’’ He further said him that ‘’ I had seen God like I saw
you.’’ Narendra was astounded with the master’s reply. Ramakrishna in
fact waited the eager arrival of Narendra to whom he transferred his spiritual
energy thereby, he became a World Teacher with his first visit to America and
later to Europe and other countries.
Ramakrishna knew the energies of Vivekananda. The master in
his own words said that “among lotuses, Narendra is a thousand-petaled one”.
Naren assumed the name of Vivekananda at the time of his departure for America
in 1893.
Vivekananda's famous Chicago speech at Parliament of World's
Religions on 11th Sept., 1893 with his starting salutation "Brothers &
Sisters of America" enthralled the seven thousand packed audience. His
extempore talk captivated the audience and sprouted the seeds of eastern
spirituality on American minds.
The influence of Swamiji on stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi and
Subhash Chandra Bose not only enriched their personal lives but contributed
immensely in liberating India from British clutches. What we need to learn from
Swamiji's life is his inquisitive mind.
Reading his literature stirs the blood with mystical
spiritual energy. The core philosophy of Vivekananda centers on divinity within
us. While defining education, he says that it is the manifestation of
perfection already in man.
Vivekananda in his brief sojourn of 39 years on this planet
has literally brought a spiritual revolution. He is the first Indian who
propagated the Message of India on Western soil. Swamiji's words are like live
ammunition which trigger us into deep thought process, sharpening our intellect
and bring utmost humility. Swamiji is a hardcore pragmatist. What he taught, he
lived through. He exemplified the life of Advaita philosophy.
He is a living embodiment of what an ordinary man could
achieve even without sufficient ways and means but only an iron will to spread
the message of his Master.
As long as Indian philosophy lives through this civilization,
Vivekananda remains the torch-bearer of that Wisdom at world at the world stage.
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