Spiritual leader of India Swami Vivekanand was Born on January 12,1863, on the occasion of makar sankranti, Kolkata in West Bengal. He studied at Kolkata Metropolitan School; Presidency College. Swami Vivekanand was the eight child of Vishwanath Dutta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi. Vivekanand's real name was Narendranath Dutta. Vivekanand Mind was very sharp. He was very active in wrestling, gymnastics, sports and bodybuilding. He was very excited to do everything.
He studied the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads as well as Western Philosophy, History and Spirituality by David Hume, Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Herbert Spencer. Swami Vivekananda's mother was devout women and he grew up in this environment at home.
Spiritual Crisis and Heard about Ramkrishna Paramhansa:
Vivekananda had a very good knowledge of spirituality. But Vivekanand got knowledge after studying well in the beginning, that knowledge forced him to raise the question on God. For some time, he associated with the Brahmo Movement led by Keshab Chandra Sen.
The Bhrahma Samaj recognized a God opposite to the Hindu religion who believed in idol worship and superstition. During this spiritual crisis, Vivekananda first heard about Sri Ramakrishna from William Hastie who is the Principal of the Scottish Church College.
Swami Vivekanand visited prominent spiritual leaders from all religions, asking them a single question, “Have you seen God?” But every time he came back without getting any satisfying answer.
Once he asked the same question to Ramakrishna in his Dakshineswar Kali temple. Sri Ramakrishna replied that- - Yes, I have I see God as clearly as I see you as clearly as I am able to see you in a deeper sense. Vivekananda was shocked by this answer. Ramakrishna won the heart of Vivekananda with his love and patience.Vivekanand as much as going to Dakshineswar he was getting all the answers.
He faced a lot of challenges after his father’s death. Because responsibility to his mother and sister fell on his head. He always said to Ramakrishna to pray to the goddess for the financial welfare of his family. But Once he faced Goddess. Since then he never asked for money, instead he asked for ‘Vivek’ (conscience) and ‘Bairagya’ (reclusion). He found himself attracted to life as an ascetic.
Life of a Monk:
On 16 August, 1886 Sri Ramakrishna died by suffering from throat cancer. Vivekananda, along with 15 of his disciples, took an oath to become a monk at Baranagar in northern Kolkata, renouncing all his relatives whose name was Ramkrishna Math. Hence his name changed from Narendranath to Vivekananda. In 1856, Vivekananda left Math and went on a tour of India as “Parivrajak”.
While traveling to India, Vivekananda saw the diseases and miseries that the common man was facing. Seeing this, Vivekananda took a vow to dedicate his life to get relief from these sorrows.
He explained to the western people about Hindu scriptures, philosophy and the way of life. He made everyone feel that India contributed a lot to world culture despite its backwardness and poverty. He introduced yoga and vedanta to the whole world. Vivekananda believed that if our youth is determined to do anything, then nothing is impossible for them.
Death :
Swami Vivekanand had predicted that he would not live long. On July 4, 1902, after teaching Sanskrit grammar to the children at Belur Math, he went to his room to meditate. He died during meditation at around 9 o'clock.
21 Amazing Motivational Swami Vivekanand Quotes that always give us Goose Bumps when we heard these.
Check out the list of quotes from Uday Kotak.
1. Take risks in your life, If you win, you can lead.
2. GOD is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life.
3. Strength is life; weakness is death.
4. When I asked god for peace, he showed me how to help others.
5. Talk to yourself once in a day.. otherwise you may miss meeting an excellent person in this world.
6. You know, I may have to be born again, you see, I have fallen in love with mankind.
6. Experience is the only teacher we have.
8. Meditation can turn fools in to sages but unfortunately fools never meditate.
9. In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.
10. Purity,patience, and preserverance are the three essentials to success, and above all: love
12. That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.
16. Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.
18. We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary Thoughts live; they travel far.
19. That which is selfish is immoral, and that which is unselfish is moral.
20. Take up one idea, make that one idea your life.
