Swami Vivekananda: Inspiration of the youth

Every year, January 12 is observed as the National Youth Day or Yuva Diwas

Every year, January 12 is observed as the National Youth Day or Yuva Diwas. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863 in a very reputed Bengali family as Narendra Natha Datta. His father, Vishwanath Datta, was an attorney, and his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, was endowed with deep devotion, and strong character. Swami Vivekananda was very good in studies, athletics, and music during his childhood. He was an atheist. But at the age of 18 years, he met Swami Ramakrishna who had an ashram in Dakshineshwar near Kolkata. The young Datta was so deeply influenced by Ramakrishna, that he became his chief disciple and this is where his spiritual journey began. He later took sanyas and embarked on a spiritual  journey across India to spread Hindu spirituality.

Why Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary is observed as National Youth Day?

Because of his contributions to social reform, philosophy, spirituality, youth leadership, and their achievements. He introduced Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world, is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bring Hinduism to the world stage during the late 19th century so the National Youth Day is obseved to honour his achievements and ideas to the society.

How did Swami Vivekananda became world famous?

Swami Vivekananda is known for his oration, especially his speeches at the World’s Parliament of Religions in the Art Institute of Chicago USA which was held in September 1893, where he began his address by saying “Sisters and brothers of America, It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects”

Vivekananda’s speech in this forum made him famous worldwide as an ‘orator by divine right’ and as a ‘Messenger of Indian wisdom to the Western world’. After the Parliament speech, Swamiji spent nearly three and a half years spreading Vedanta as lived and taught by Sri Ramakrishna, mostly in the eastern parts of the USA and in London.

When did Swami Vivekananda marry and what is the name of his wife?

In 1883, at the age of 20 years, Swami Vivekananda completed his graduation in BA degree and started preparing for the admission into the law college under the observation of Nimai Chandra Basu, a friend of Vivekananda’s father. At that time, he started receiving marriage proposals but his parents were concerned about the complete of education first. Later on, he met his Guru Swami Ramakrishna, chose the path of divine and spirituality, and he never got married.

There was an interview of Swami Vivekananda, which was published in the Boston Evening Transcript. When the interviewer asked if he had any plan to get married and Vivekananda’s replied:

“Why should I marry, when I see in every woman only the Divine Mother? Why do I make all these sacrifices? To emancipate myself from earthly ties and attachments so that there will be no re-birth for me. When I die I want to become at once absorbed in the divine, one with God. I would be a Buddha.”

 10 Famous Teachings of Swami Vivekananda

1. You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.
2. Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.
3. You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
4. “In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.”
5. “They alone live, who live for others.”
6. “Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.”
7. “Comfort is no test of truth. Truth is often far from being comfortable.”
8. “The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.”
9. “Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you, but do not think of that now.”
10. “Do one thing at a Time, and while doing it put your whole Soul into it to the exclusion of all else.”