Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendranath Datta on the 12th of January of 1863 at Calcutta (Kolkata), which was part of Bengal Presidency in British India. Now, Kolkata is the capital city of the state of West Bengal of free Bharat. He was born as the son of Vishwanath Datta and Bhuvaneshwari.

Narendranath was a born leader with many friends even in his youth. He was both brave and benevolent. He was a restless child. His mother would make chant the sacred name of Bhagawan Shiva to calm him. Narendranath used to very charitable to the Hindu monks (sanyasis).

He became known as the Hindu Cyclonic Monk because of his powerful personality and formidable knowledge about Hinduism and Humanism after delivering a magnificent speech on Hindu religion on the 11th of September of 1893.

Swami Vivekananda was the one, who said that confidence was the most important aspect of an individual’s personality. According to Swami Vivekananda, the history of the world is the history of a few people, who are confident. Swami Vivekananda reiterated that we must have confidence in ourselves. He said that we become what we think. In that, he thought like the Gautama Buddha. Swami Vivekananda said that strength is life whereas weakness is death. Swami Vivekananda said that we must not care about our mistakes or struggles. Swami Vivekananda wanted all people to be brave. Swami Vivekananda told us to take up on thought and make that our entire life’s mission. According to Swamiji, ‘Man proceeds from Truth to Truth and not from Error to Truth.’

Swami ji as a Guide to Our Youth

Swamiji gave some of the best ideas to the youth of Bharat. He told the youth to take up one idea and to make that one idea, their entire life. He believed that every part of the body should be full of that idea. He told to leave every other idea, alone. He exhorted the youth to adopt that as the means to success. Swamiji urged the youth to talk to themselves at least, once a day in order to not miss meeting an intelligent person. Swamiji was, thus aware of the abilities of the individual. Swamiji urged every person to be brave like a hero and enjoy the earth and told to aim for the highest and to achieve the highest. Swami Vivekananda urged the individual to believe in himself or herself. He strongly believed that the power of concentration was vital in achieving the treasure house of knowledge.

According to Swamiji, “A brave, frank, clean-hearted, courageous and aspiring youth is the only foundation on which the future nation can be built.” Swamiji also laid emphasis on spiritual growth and he told people to grow from inside out. He told that none can teach a person from outside unless it is taught to oneself. According to Swami ji, all the powers in the universe are already ours but we not realised them. He emphasised on our powers to make ourselves to be as we want. He said that we are responsible for what we are and whatever we wish ourselves to be. He also told the people of Bharat to take risks. He explained that those who win after taking the risks would be able to lead and those who lost would be able to guide.

According to Swami ji, Truth can be understood only when it is experienced by oneself. He urged the people to arise, awake and stop not until the goal is reached. He told us to be careful about our thoughts. According to him, thoughts are more important than words. He believed that our thoughts live and they travel far. Swamiji told us that the secret of our knowledge was to take what is essential.

According to Swamiji, books are infinite in number whereas time was short. He said that the secret lay in reading the most important books. He not only motivated the youth to take part in nation building but he also gave sensible and sensitive advice to the youth such as asking the youth to follow their heart in a conflict between the Heart and the Brain. He also gave a magnificent piece of advice to our youth asking them to reject anything that would make them weak - physically, intellectually or spiritually. He also told the youth to do one thing at a time and while doing it to put their whole soul into it to the exclusion of all else. He also told to love oneself and others in spite of their faults.

Swamiji as a Patriotic Bharatiya

Swami ji was very attached to our motherland, the Bharatiya land. He had longed to return to his motherland, when he was in the West. Sister Nivedita says this explicitly in her book, ‘The Master as I Saw Him’. Swamiji was deeply convinced of the need for Indian thought in order to enable the religious consciousness of the West to welcome and assimilate the discoveries of modern science and to enable it to survive the destruction of local mythologies. Swami Vivekananda was always longing for the salvation of our people from ignorance.

Swami Vivekananda, the disciple

Swami Vivekananda was a disciple of Shri. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa of Dakshineshwar of Bengal, Bharat. Shri. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa led an inspiring life. Mother Sarada Devi was the wife of Shri. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Swami Vivekananda said the following about his Guru or teacher, Shri. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa – ‘He knew nothing of Vedanta, nothing of theories. He was contented to live that great life and leave it to others to explain.”

Swami Vivekananda, the follower of Kali Ma

Swami Vivekananda was a follower of Kali Ma. He went to the famous Kali temple of Kolkata regularly. He always went and asked for knowledge and never material wealth even he was in urgent need for money.

Swami Ji and Spirituality

Swamiji explains about ‘Maya’ with references from the Svetasvatara Upanishad – ‘Know Nature to be Maya and the Mind, the ruler of the Maya is the Lord Himself.’ Swami Vivekananda explained that every form of Mastery was in fact, a form of Renunciation. He pointed out that it was by renunciation, that is to say, ‘by sustained and determined effort, by absorption in hard problems through lonely hours, by choosing toil and refusing ease that one is able to achieve something really big.” He gave the example of Stephenson, who invented the Steam Engine. According to Swami ji, ‘Maya’ and ‘One’ are the same reality, perceived by the same mind at different times and in different attitudes.

According to Swamiji, Bharat is the birth place of the virtues of discipline and spirituality. Swamiji urged the individual to be both courageous and disciplined.

Swamiji told about ‘The Universe’. Swamiji said that, ‘This is a statement of fact, not a theory that this world is a Tantalus’ Hell, that we do not know anything about this universe; yet at the same time, we cannot say that we do not know. To walk in the midst of a dream, half-sleeping, half-waking, passing all our lives in a haze, this is the fate of every one of us. This is the fate of all sense-knowledge. This is the Universe.’

Swami Vivekananda and His Travels

 Swami Vivekananda travelled all over Bharat. He met varied people from all classes and communities. He found that all human beings were the same. He impressed many including the royalty of Alwar and the Prime Minister of Porbandar. The Prime Minister of Porbandar was impressed by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and urged him to go to the West to spread the values of Hinduism. The Prime Minister of Porbandar had the World Parliament of Religions in mind. The Swamiji was ready to go. He received support from the fishermen of Madras. The Maharaja of Khetri, too stepped forward to help Swami Vivekananda. He became known as Swami Vivekananda after this meeting.

He travelled to Chicago in 1893 via Singapore and Japan. Swamiji was informed that the Parliament of Religions had been postponed to September of 1893, when he reached Chicago in America in July 1893. There was also a condition that he ought to be sponsored by an organization. Thankfully, he met one Miss. Kate Sanborne on his way to Boston, who understood him and his predicament. She introduced him to Professor J.H. Wright, who gave a letter to Swamiji to take to the Parliament. Later, when he came to Chicago, again - he lost his money, papers and the address of the parliament of religions. Again, a benefactor came to his rescue – this time in the form of an old lady, who fed Swamiji and took him to the venue of the parliament of religions. He became a non-official delegate from Bharat for which he was widely resented by the official delegates. However, it is only proper for a person with an extremely bright (a Sun-like blazing quality) personality to rise and shine! And shine, he did – the brightest star in the galaxy of eminent people speaking at the World Parliament of Religions! He began his speech on the 11th of September of 1893 with the endearing words – ‘Brothers and Sisters of America’ and spoke magnificently about Bharat and Hindu religion. His speech is one of the greatest speeches in history alongside the great Gettysburg speech by President Abraham Lincoln of America and Martin Luther King Junior’s ‘I have a Dream’. 

Swami Vivekananda became known as the Hindu Cyclonic Monk after his speech at the World Parliament of Religions. He was lionized, eulogized and celebrated everywhere. He went on to establish Vedantic Societies all over the world including in the United States and in England. In England, a young teacher, Miss Margaret Noble was highly impressed by Swamiji’s personality. She later came to India and was christened as Sister Niveditha. She became a close disciple of The Master. According to sister Nivedita – ‘To the Customs of his own people, Swamiji bought the eye of a poet and the imagination of a prophet.’

Swami Vivekananda’s return to Bharat after the World Parliament of Religions was greatly celebrated. He was honoured by one and all, especially by the Maharaja of Ramanathapuram in erstwhile Madras Presidency in the current day state of Tamilnadu in free Bharat.

After returning to Bharat, Swamiji entrenched himself in the task of serving the poor. He fed them and took care of them. He left for the heavenly abode at the young age of thirty-nine on the 4th of July of 1902. There is a great memorial at Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu dedicated to Swami Vivekananda. His birth anniversary is celebrated as National Youth Day in Bharat.