Life of Swami Vivekananda

Narendranath Dutta (Naren) was born in an aristocratic traditional Kayastha family on 12th January 1863 in Calcutta. His mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi, a pious lady underwent austerities and prayed to Lord Shiva to bless her with a son. It is said she had a dream in which Shiva said that he would be born as her son. His father Vishwanath Dutta was a lawyer practicing at Calcutta High Court. His parents influenced his thinking and personality.
From his mother he learnt the power of self-control. One of the sayings of his mother Narendra quoted often in his later years was, "Remain pure all your life; guard your own honor and never transgress the honor of others. Be very tranquil, but when necessary, harden your heart." He was adept in meditation and could enter the state of samadhi.
Narendranath had varied interests and a wide range of scholarship in philosophy, history, the social sciences, arts, literature, and other subjects. He evinced great interest in scriptural texts, Vedas, the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas. He was also well versed in classical music, both vocal and instrumental and is said to have undergone training under two Ustads,
Since boyhood, he took an active interest in physical exercise, sports, and other organizational activities. Even when young, he questioned the validity of superstitious customs and discrimination based on caste refusing to accept anything without rational proof and pragmatic test.
In Raipur he lived with his father and had discussions on spiritual topics. He learned Hindi and for the first time the Question of existence of God came to his mind. The family returned to Calcutta in 1879 but it is believed that the 2 years in Raipur were the turning point in his life.
Naren started his education at home, later he joined the Metropolitan Institution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in 1871 and in 1879 he passed the entrance examination for Presidency College, Calcutta, entering it for a brief period and subsequently shifting to General Assembly's Institution. There he studied western logic, western philosophy and history of European nations. In 1881 he passed the Fine Arts examination and in 1884 the Bachelor of Arts.

He studied the writings of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Baruch Spinoza, Georg W. F. Hegel, Arthur Schopenhauer, Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, John Stuart Mill, and Charles Darwin. Naren became fascinated with the Evolutionism of Herbert Spencer, and translated Spencer's book on Education into Bengali for Gurudas Chattopadhyaya, his publisher. Narendra also had correspondence with Herbert Spencer for some time. Alongside his study of Western philosophers, he was thoroughly acquainted with Indian Sanskrit scriptures and many Bengali works. According to his professors, student Naren was a prodigy. Dr. William Hastie, the principal of Scottish Church College, where he studied during 1881-84, wrote, "Narendra is really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students."He was a man with prodigious memory".Naren went about asking prominent residents of contemporary Calcutta whether they had come "face to face with God" but could not get satisfactory answers.

He first heard about Ramakrishna from Principal Reverend W. Hastie lecturing on William Wordsworth's poem. While explaining the word trance in the poem, Hastie told his students that if they wanted to know the real meaning of it, they should go to Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar. This prompted some of his students, including Naren to visit Ramakrishna.

The magic touch of the Master immediately brought a wonderful change over his mind. He was astounded to find that really there was nothing in the universe but God! He realized that the words of the scriptures were not false. His meeting with Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in November 1881 proved to be a turning point in his life .About this meeting, Naren said, "He [Ramakrishna] looked just like an ordinary man, with nothing remarkable about him. He used the simplest language and I thought 'Can this man be a great teacher?''"I crept near to him and asked him the question which I had been asking others all my life: 'Do you believe in God, Sir?' 'Yes,' he replied. 'Can you prove it, Sir?' 'Yes.' 'How?' 'Because I see Him just as I see you here, only in a much intense sense. "That impressed me at once. I began going to him day after day, and I actually saw that religion could be given. One touch, one glance, can change a whole life."

It was in Naren's nature to test something thoroughly before he would accept it. He tested Ramakrishna, who never asked Naren to abandon reason, and faced all of Naren's arguments and examinations with patience. During five years of his training under Ramakrishna, Naren was transformed from a restless, puzzled, impatient youth to a mature man ready to renounce everything for the sake of God-realization. Naren accepted Ramakrishna as guru, and his acceptance was whole-hearted and with complete surrender

.Naren was taught that service to men was the most effective worship of God. During his final days, Ramakrishna asked him to take care of other monastic disciples and in turn asked them to look upon Naren as their leader. Ramakrishna's condition worsened gradually and he attained Mahasamadhi on August 16, 1886
. Naren and other members of the Math often spent their time in meditation, discussing about different philosophies and teachings of spiritual teachers including Ramakrishna, Adi Shankara, Ramanuja, and Jesus Christ. They used to get up at 3:00 am and become absorbed in japa and meditation. They had no thought even as to whether the world existed or not. In early 1887, Naren took the name of Swami Vivekananda.

Vivekananda left the monastery as a wandering monk. , His sole possessions were a kamandalu (water pot), staff, and his two favorite books'"Bhagavad Gita and The Imitation of Christ. He travelled the length and breadth of India for five years, visiting important centers of learning, acquainting himself with the diverse religious traditions and different patterns of social life. He developed sympathy for the suffering and poverty of the masses and resolved to uplift the nation. Living mainly on Bhiksha or alms, Naren traveled mostly on foot and railway tickets bought by his admirers whom he met during the travels. During these travels he gained acquaintance and stayed with scholars, Dewans, Rajas and people from all walks of life'"Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Pariahs and Government officials. In July 1890, he continued his journey as a wandering monk. At the end of January 1891, the Swami left his brother monks and journeyed to Delhi alone.

In Mount Abu he met Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri, who became his ardent devotee and supporter. He was invited to Khetri, where he spent two and a half months delivering discourses to the Raja. At Kathiawar he heard of the Parliament of the World's Religions and was urged by his followers there to attend it.

At Bangalore, the Swami became acquainted with Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, the Dewan of Mysore state, Regarding the Swami's learning, Sir Seshadri reportedly remarked, "a magnetic personality and a divine force which were destined to leave their mark on the history of his country." The Maharaja of Mysore provided the Swami a letter of introduction to the Dewan of Cochin and got him a railway ticket.

He visited Cochin State. At Ernakulam, he met Chattampi Swamikal, in early December 1892. He travelled to Trivandrum, and reached Kanyakumari on foot during the Christmas Eve of 1892.There, the Swami meditated on the "last bit of Indian rock", famously known later as the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, for three days. He had the "Vision of one India", also commonly called "The Kanyakumari resolve of 1892". He wrote,

"At Cape Camorin sitting in Mother Kumari's temple, sitting on the last bit of Indian rock'"I hit upon a plan: We are so many sanyasis wandering about, and teaching the people metaphysics'"it is all madness. Did not our Gurudeva use to say, 'An empty stomach is no good for religion?' We as a nation have lost our individuality and that is the cause of all mischief in India. We have to raise the masses."
From Kanyakumari he visited Madurai, where he met the Raja of Ramnad, to whom he had a letter of introduction. The Raja became the Swami's disciple and urged him to go to the Parliament of Religions at Chicago. With the aid of funds collected by his Madras disciples and Rajas of Mysore, Ramnad, Khetri, Dewans and other followers he left for Chicago on 31 May 1893 from Bombay assuming the name Vivekananda'"the name suggested by the Maharaja of Khetri.

On his way to Chicago, Vivekananda visited Japan in 1893. He wrote - "The Japanese seem now to have fully awakened themselves to the necessity of the present times. About the industrial progress he observed, "The match factories are simply a sight to see, and they are bent upon making everything they want in their own country."

Contrasting the rapid progress of Japan with the situation back in India, he urged his countrymen - the "offspring of centuries of superstition and tyranny" - to come out of their narrow holes and have a look abroad His journey to America took him through China, Canada and he arrived at Chicago in July 1893.But to his disappointment he learnt that no one without credentials from a bona fide organization would be accepted as a delegate. He came in contact with Professor John Henry Wright of Harvard University. After inviting him to speak at Harvard and on learning from him not having credentials to speak at the Parliament, Wright is quoted as having said, "To ask for your credentials is like asking the sun to state its right to shine in the heavens." Wright then addressed a letter to the Chairman in charge of delegates writing, "Here is a man who is more learned than all of our learned professors put together." On the Professor, Vivekananda himself writes "He urged upon me the necessity of going to the Parliament of Religions, which he thought would give an introduction to the nation."
The Parliament of Religions opened on 11 September 1893 at the Art Institute of Chicago. On this day Vivekananda gave his first brief address. He represented India and Hinduism. Though initially nervous, he bowed to Saraswati, the goddess of learning and began his speech with, "Sisters and brothers of America!" To these words he got a standing ovation from a crowd of seven thousand, which lasted for two minutes
After the Parliament of Religions, held in September 1893 at The Art Institute of Chicago, Vivekananda spent nearly two whole years lecturing in various parts of eastern and central United States, also giving free and private classes on Vedanta and Yoga.

During his first visit to America, he traveled to England twice'"in 1895 and 1896. His lectures were successful there. Here he met Miss Margaret Noble, an Irish lady, who later became Sister Nivedita. He also received two academic offers, the chair of Eastern Philosophy at Harvard University and a similar position at Columbia University. He declined both, saying that, as a wandering monk, he could not settle down to work of this kind.
He attracted several loyal followers and initiated several others into Brahmacharya. Swami Vivekananda ideas were admired by several scholars and famous thinkers From West; he also set his Indian work in motion. Vivekananda left for India on 16 December 1896 from England with his disciples. On the way they visited France, Italy, and set sail for India from the Port of Naples on December 30, The Swami arrived in Colombo on January 15, 1897 and received an ecstatic welcome. Here, he gave his first public speech in East, India, and the Holy Land. From there on, his journey to Calcutta was a triumphal progress. He traveled from Colombo to Madras delivering lectures. People and Rajas gave him enthusiastic reception.

On 1 May 1897 at Calcutta, Vivekananda founded the "Ramakrishna Math"'"the organ for propagating religion and "Ramakrishna Mission"'"the organ for social service. Vivekananda inspired Jamshedji Tata to set up Indian Institute of Science, one of India's finest Institutions. Tata, requested him to head the Research Institute of Science, but Vivekananda declined the offer saying that it conflicted with his spiritual interests He spent a short time in England, and went on to America. During this visit, he founded the Vedanta societies at San Francisco and New York. He also founded "Shanti Ashrama" (peace retreat) at California, with the aid of a generous 160-acre (0.65 km2) The Paris addresses are memorable for the scholarly penetration He left Paris in October 24, 1900 and arrived at the Belur Math in December 9, 1900.

. Henceforth till the end he stayed at Belur Math, guiding the work of Ramakrishna Mission and Math and the work in England and America. Thousands of visitors came to him during these years including In December 1901, he was invited to Japan to participate in the Congress of Religions, however his failing health made it impossible. He undertook pilgrimages to Bodhgaya and Varanasi towards his final days.

His tours, hectic lecturing engagements, private discussions and correspondence had taken their toll on his health. Three days before his death he pointed out the spot for this cremation'"the one at which a temple in his memory stands today. He had remarked to several persons that he would not live to be forty.

On the day of his death, he taught Shukla-Yajur-Veda to some pupils in the morning at Belur Math. He had a walk with a brother-disciple, and gave him instructions concerning the future of the Ramakrishna Math. Vivekananda died at 9.10 P.M. on July 4, 1902 while he was meditating. Vivekananda had fulfilled his own prophecy of not living beyond forty. The Swami Vivekananda temple was built at Belur Math, According to Subhas Chandra Bose, Vivekananda "is the maker of modern India" and for Gandhi, Vivekananda's influence increased his "love for his country a thousand fold." National Youth Day in India is held on his birthday, January 12, to commemorate him. This was a most fitting gesture as much of Swami Vivekananda's writings concerned the Indian youth and how they should strive to uphold their ancient values whilst fully participating in the modern world.