Sri Ramakrishna Ashrma.Yadavagiri,Mysore

Swami Vivekananda

Life History | Teachings | Tributes

In an aristocratic Hindu home of Calcutta, was born a child who was destined to revolutionize the thought-current of the world. This was Narendranath Datta, afterwards known as Swami Vivekananda. Under the liberal education of his parents, the boy grew into a strong built youth whose intellectual powers were matched by his moral and aesthetic qualities, all of which made him the idol of his fellows. Gifted from an early age with a high degree of concentration, he showed a marked predilection for religion even while he was in his teens, and was a member of the Brahmo Samaj, the Protestant wing of Hinduism. His favourite question during his college days to anyone credited with particular religious attainments was, 'Sir, have you seen God?' He was long disappointed in his quest, till one day in 1881, he put the same question to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the Saint of Dakshineswar-a place four miles to the north of Calcutta and was amazed to get the reply: 'Yes, I see him just as I see you here, only in a much more intense sense.' That was the turning point in Narendranath's life. He began to visit Dakshineswar and was more and more struck by the Saint's extraordinary spiritual powers, his frequent complete absorption in God-or samadhi, as it is called-his childlike purity, his absolute non-attachment to wealth or possession, his wonderful catholicity of view and , capacity of expounding the most abstruse truths in the simplest way, his power of reading a person's mind through and through, and, above all, his superhuman love and compassion. At his touch, Narendra one day almost lost his body consciousness and begged to be restored to the normal state for the sake of his parents, a request which the Saint granted with a smile. No wonder that Narendranath gradually surrendered himself to Sri Ramakrishna.

The Master (Sri Ramakrishna), as was his wont, fathomed the rare potentialities of his disciple from the very beginning, and accordingly, trained him along the line of least resistance for the highest form of truth, the Advaita, or the absolute oneness of Existence. Narendra, at first, ridiculed the idea of everything being of the essence of God, but he soon came to grasp the truth of this ancient teaching of the Vedas through personal experience. Thus, under the watchful and loving guidance of Sri Ramakrishna, he understood the full import of the teachings of the Hindu scriptures, and accepted all forms of discipline prescribed in them as helpful to particular types of aspirants. Getting over his earlier beliefs as a Brahmo, he realized that God could be with form as well as without form, nay He was unconditioned as well as conditioned. His tutelage lasted till August 1886, when Sri Ramakrishna after a protracted illness gave up his mortal body. The last two years of this period were years of great struggle for him; for shortly before he got his B.A. degree, he suddenly lost his father who died of a heart attack, which left the family in dire poverty. He had to maintain his mother and brothers and sisters, and at the same time, to allay his burning thirst for God-realization. Particularly, during the last year, Sri Ramakrishna's illness required his constant attendance as a nurse. Yet, so great was his spirit of renunciation that he failed to beg material things from the Divine Mother, although he was thrice sent to the Kali temple for this purpose by the Master.

On Sri Ramakrishna's passing away, Narendra with his brother disciples moved to a dilapidated house at Baranagore, near Calcutta, which was the first monastery of the Ramakrishna Order, founded by him to carry out in everyday-life the teachings of the Master. Here, inspired by Narendranath, now sannyasins under the name of Swami Vivekananda, the monks led a life of great asceticism, combined with a supreme effort for realization. Within two years, he left the monastery to lead a wandering monk's life, which he continued till destiny beckoned him to the distant shores of America in 1893. The intimate knowledge which these five years of travel from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari gave him of the conditions obtaining in the different strata of Indian life, stood him in good stead when, later, he started the work of regeneration for his motherland.

At the request of some enthusiastic admirers, Swami Vivekananda took upon himself the task of representing Hinduism at the Parliament of Religions, held in connection with the World's Fair at Chicago in 1983. Although not equipped with the necessary credentials, he providentially got an opportunity to deliver his message. The ovation, which greeted him when he addressed that vast gathering as 'Sisters and Brothers of America', is a matter of common knowledge now. Suffice it to say that this unknown man from India made history for his country that day. There was something in his very appearance that had captivated the audience. His speeches on this occasion touched the inmost core of their hearts by their freshness of approach to the problems of life. During the three years of his stay in that country, he lectured continually from one place to another, and was uniformly appreciated. All homes were thrown open to him. He made numerous friends in respectable circles and had many disciples. His two visits to England were also a great success. In both countries, it was the loftiness of his message, combined with the manner of its presentation, as also his unsullied life that produced this effect. Although beauty and wealth vied with each other to lure him, he was proof against both, the true child of Sri Ramakrishna that he was, Was it for nothing that the Saint would often go into samadhi at the very sight of him?

In the West, Swami Vivekananda preached only those great, life giving, unifying principles for which Hinduism ever stands. The majesty of the Atman, the real Self of man, Its transcendence of the chain of birth and death, its infinite power, its eternal purity and freedom, these were his themes. Of his great Teacher he spoke only once in public. He did not believe in conversion; he would only ask a Christian to be a better Christian, a Mohammedan to be a better Mohammedan, and so on; for, to him, each great faith was a path unto one and the same God, all roads led to Rome, He never imposed his own will on his listeners, although he felt that he had the power to alter their thoughts if he liked, He wanted everyone to develop along his or her particular line, which was the natural way of growth.

While in America, he kept up correspondence with his Indian disciples and admirers, and encouraged them to work for the uplift of their country. The appalling poverty and ignorance, under which these countless millions of Indians laboured, drew blood from his tender heart. He was determined to do something for them, In fact, this was one of his main reasons for going to America-to get some funds for the Indian work. The first famine relief work of the Ramakrishna Mission in Rajputana, was initiated at his instance in 1894. Feeling the need of his presence in India, he returned home early in 1897, leaving two of his brother disciples to look after the Vedanta work in the West.

The news of his success as a preacher in America and England having long preceded him, the nation rose as one man to do him honour. From Colombo, where he landed, to Almora in the Himalayas, he received innumerable addresses of welcome, and his replies thereto comprise one of his marvellous series of lectures. Through these, he sought to rouse his countrymen from their age-long lethargy, telling them again and again that the country was living, that spirituality was its soul, and that they must shake off their self-hypnosis to realize the immortal truths, which their forefathers had left for them and share them with the rest of the world. This last was India's special mission, and once again, she must carry it out to save the world from the poison of materialism. His prophecy that the whole of the Western world was on a volcano, which might burst any day and break it to pieces, has already came true. To save itself, the West, he said, must reconstruct its life on a spiritual foundation, taking a cue from India. While praising his countrymen for their innate spiritual bent, he called upon them to get rid of their tamas or inertia, which they in their ignorance were mistaking for sattva or serenity. The two, he said, were as the poles asunder, like pitch darkness and dazzling light, which are similar in their blinding effect. The way to reach sattva was through rajas or activity. He exhorted all to have burning faith in themselves and struggle for the emancipation of the masses, to give them back their lost individuality. Realizing that the abject poverty and ignorance of the people were mainly responsible for their degraded condition, he tried to set up an organization that would work whole-heartedly in a spirit of service to eradicate them. This was the origin of the Ramakrishna Mission, pledged to carry out the national ideals of renunciation and service. To feed the hungry, clothe the naked, treat the sick, educate the illiterate, comfort the afflicted, in short, in every possible way to help people to help themselves-this was the great task before the country. It was not to be mere social service; it was to be a regular worship of God in the many, irrespective of caste, creed or sex. 'The poor, the illiterate, the downtrodden-let these be your God,' he cried. That the country has taken up the idea is a patent fact today. Many organizations have sprung up in India, which are trying to work on similar lines.

The Swami lived only five more years. Incessant labour had undermined his health, and his second trip to the West in 1899, which lasted for a year and a half, failed to restore it. In the course of this, also, he continued his beneficent work of ministration on a somewhat modified scale. Finally, after a short tour in East Bengal and Assam, and further efforts for the consolidation of his work, he burst the bonds of his body at the Belur Math, the headquarters of his organization, on 4th July 1902. It was the anniversary of the American Independence Day - a day which he loved so much and had even commemorated in a poem. He was barely thirty-nine years of age. But his life-work is not to be measured by the number of years he lived. His was a dynamic personality, which chafed at the very idea of rest. 'It is better to wear out than rust out,' he often said. His desire was to die in the field of battle like a hero, and this he did.

On the last day, after meditating in the chapel, behind closed doors, which was an unusual occurrence. For three hours in the morning, he explained a verse from the Shukla Yajur-Veda in his original way, and took a class on Panini's Sanskrit grammar for his monks, for about three hours in the afternoon. Sixteen years ago, after he had tasted the bliss of Nirvikalpa-samadhi, the highest state of mergence in the supreme Brahman, his Master had said to him: 'Now you know what you are. But the key to this shall be with me, and only when you have finished the Divine Mother's work, will you have it.' Evidently, that condition was fulfilled that evening.