FOUNTAIN OF YOUTHFUL ENERGY

12th January every year marks the '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 iron will to spread the message of his Master : Ramakrishna.

As long as Indian philosophy lives through this civilization, Vivekananda remains the torch-bearer of Indian Wisdom to the world at large.