Swami Vivekananda Biography

In observance of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday, it is observed on January 12. It is not necessary to introduce Swami Vivekananda in any way. He is a well-known figure who is recognized for introducing the western world to Hinduism. An unknown Indian monk unexpectedly shot to stardom when he represented Hinduism at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago. To honor Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary, January 12 is designated as National Youth Day. On May 1, 1897, Swami Vivekananda established Ramakrishna Mission with two goals in mind: the world’s well-being and his personal redemption. Are you aware that his writings, letters, lectures, and poetry are collected in a book called The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda? His constant attention is directed towards on imparting universal values as opposed to individual traits. He was really intelligent. His distinct contributions never cease to awaken and enlighten us. He was a social reformer as well as a spiritual guide.

Swami Vivekananda Biography Details

Early life (1863–1888)

In the midst of the Makar Sankranti festival on January 12, 1863, in the Bengali Kayastha family’s ancestral home at 3 Gourmohan Mukherjee Street in Calcutta, the capital of British India, Vivekananda was born as Narendranath Datta, sometimes known as Narendra or Naren. He was one of nine siblings and came from a conventional family. Vishwanath Datta, his father, practiced law at the Calcutta High Court. Narendra’s grandpa, Durgacharan Datta, was a scholar of Sanskrit and Persian who, at the age of twenty-five, left his family to become a monk. Bhubaneswari Devi, his mother, was a devoted housewife.

Narendra’s thoughts and personality were influenced by his mother’s religious disposition and his father’s progressive, pragmatic outlook. From an early age, Narendranath has a keen interest in spirituality. utilized to practice meditation in front of images of Shiva, Rama, Sita, and Mahavir Hanuman. Monks and traveling ascetics captivated him. As a young child, Narendra was naughty and agitated, and his parents frequently struggled to keep him under control. “I prayed to Shiva for a son, and he has sent me one of his demons,” his mother declared.

Travels in India (1888–1893)

After completing his studies in 1888, Narendra became a Parivrâjaka, a Hindu monk who travels the world “without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go”. His only belongings were a staff, a kamandalu (water pot), and his two favorite books, The Imitation of Christ and The Bhagavad Gita. Over the course of five years, Narendra made numerous trips around India, visiting educational institutions and becoming familiar with a wide range of social mores and religious customs. He became sympathetic to the plight and suffering of the populace and made a commitment to improving the country. Primarily subsisting on bhiksha (alms), Narendra journeyed both on foot and by train, using tickets purchased by his followers. He encountered and lodged with Indians from various walks of life and religions during his travels, including scholars, dewans, rajas.

First visit to the West (1893–1897)

31 May 1893 marked the beginning of Vivekananda’s journey to the West. En route to the United States, he stopped in several cities in China, Japan (including Nagasaki, Kobe, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo), and Canada. On July 30, 1893, he arrived in Chicago, where the “Parliament of Religions” was held in September 1893. The Congress was founded by Swedenborgian layman and Illinois Supreme Court judge Charles C. Bonney with the goal of uniting all global religions and demonstrating “the substantial unity of many religions in the good deeds of the religious life.” Known as “an avant-garde intellectual manifestation of cultic milieus, East and West,” it was one of the more than 200 adjunct conferences and congresses of the Chicago World’s Fair, featuring the Brahmo.

Back in India (1897–1899)

On January 15, 1897, a ship from Europe landed in Colombo, British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), where Vivekananda was greeted with great warmth. He delivered his first address in public in the East in Colombo. His voyage to Calcutta was successful after that. Vivekananda gave lectures while traveling from Colombo to Pamban, Rameswaram, Ramnad, Madurai, Kumbakonam, and Madras. Both the common people and the rajas welcomed him with great enthusiasm. People would frequently sit on the train’s rails to make it stop so they could hear him when he traveled. His journey took him from Madras (now Chennai) via Calcutta and Almora. Vivekananda discussed India’s rich spiritual legacy when he was in the West, but he also constantly addressed societal concerns there, such as uplifting the populace, dismantling the caste system, and advancing science.

Death

On his deathbed, July 4, 1902, Vivekananda rose early, went to the Belur Math monastery, and spent three hours in meditation. He instructed students in Shukla-Yajur-Veda, Sanskrit grammar, and yoga philosophy. He then talked with colleagues about the idea of establishing a Vedic college in the Ramakrishna Math. Vivekananda went to his room at 7:00 p.m. and asked not to be disturbed. He passed away while meditating at 9:20 p.m. Vivekananda experienced mahasamādhi, according to his students.

Swami Vivekananda – Quick Info

Born: 12 January, 1863

Place of Birth: Kolkata, India

Childhood Name: Narendranath Dutta

Father: Vishwanath Dutta

Mother: Bhuvaneshwari Devi

Education: Calcutta Metropolitan School; Presidency College, Calcutta

Religion: Hinduism

Guru: Ramakrishna

Founder of: Ramakrishna Mission (1897), Ramakrishna Math, Vedanta Society of New York

Philosophy: Advaita Vedanta

Literary works: Raja Yoga (1896), Karma Yoga (1896), Bhakti Yoga (1896), Jnana Yoga, My Master (1901), Lectures from Colombo to Almora (1897)

Death: 4 July, 1902

Place of Death: Belur Math, Belur, Bengal

Memorial: Belur Math. Belur, West Bengal

Swami Vivekananda Images