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Swami Vivekananda, Originally named Narendra Nath Dutta, was a renowned Hindu yogi and spiritual leader. He was a dear disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and had a significant impact on society through his teachings on Vedanta and Yoga Tattva Shastras. He is a prominent figure in the history of Hindu philosophy and India. Additionally, he founded Ramakrishna Math
Early Life of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863, in Kolkata.Vivekananda’s original name was Narendranath Dutta.His father, Vishwanath Datta, was a successful attorney with interests in a wide range of subjects, and his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, was endowed with deep devotion, strong character and other qualities.
Education
When Vivekananda was eight years old in 1871, he started studying at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Institution in Calcutta, and later at the Presidency College.He graduated from Calcutta University. During his education, he was exposed to Western philosophy, Christianity, and science. He was interested in both instrumental and vocal music, as well as sports such as gymnastics, wrestling, and bodybuilding.
Swami Vivekanand’s meeting with Sri Ramakrishna
Swami first heard about Sri Ramakrishna from one of his English professors while he was in college. One day in November 1881, Narendra decided to pay a visit to Sri Ramakrishna, who was staying at the Kali Temple in Dakshineshwar. Upon meeting him, Narendra asked Sri Ramakrishna a question that he had already asked several others, but had not received a satisfactory answer to: “Sir, have you seen God?” Without any hesitation, Sri Ramakrishna replied by saying, “Yes, I have. I see Him as clearly as I see you, only in a much more intense sense”.
After this Vivekananda started visiting Dakshineshwar and got several answers to the questions that were in his mind. He accepted Ramakrishna as his Guru after being convinced of the philosophy.
Swami Vivekananda’s Speech in Chicago
Vivekananda travelled to the United States to represent India at the World’s Parliament of Religions, Chicago, America in 1893. He has made India proud when he gave his most famous speech.
Swami took the stage and addressed the American public with the words, “My brothers and sisters of America”. The audience was surprised by his words and gave him a standing ovation. He went on to explain the fundamental ideologies of the Vedas, their spiritual meaning, and more.
His words effectively conveyed the significance of Indian culture to the world. That day, Vivekananda effectively conveyed the importance of India and its culture to the entire world.
He stayed in America for the following 2.5 years, travelling across the United States and Europe. He spread the teachings of Hindu Spiritualism and Vedanta to the Western world. In 1894, Vivekananda founded the Vedanta Society of New York. In 1897, he returned to India to establish the Ramakrishna Mission.
Deth of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda had predicted that he wouldn’t live beyond the age of forty. On July 4, 1902, he went about his daily work at the Belur Math, teaching Sanskrit grammar to his pupils. In the evening, he retired to his room and passed away during meditation. He is said to have attained ‘Mahasamadhi’ and was cremated on the Banks of the river Ganga.
