Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached

Last updated
Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached
Kalighat Yama.jpg
In the 1.3.14 chapter of Katha Upanishad, the first words of this phrase can be found, where Yama (pictured) is teaching Nachiketa the methods of Yoga.
CharacterYama
First used inLectures of Swami Vivekananda.

"Arise awake and stop not till the goal is reached." is a slogan popularized in the late 19th century by Indian Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda, who took inspiration in a sloka of Katha Upanishad . [1] It was his message to the world to get out of their hypnotized state of mind. [2] This shloka is the basis of the title of the book The Razor's Edge and the 1946 film and the 1984 film, and also of various music albums in the west by bands like AC/DC, Dave Holland, etc.

Contents

In Katha Upanishad

Nachiketa, the child protagonist of Katha Upanishad, was sent to Yama, the Hindu god of death, by his father Vajashrava. In the abode of Yama, he answered Nachiketa's questions and taught him Self-knowledge and the methods of Yoga . The words "Arise, awake..." can be found in the 1.3.14 chapter of the book, where Yama is advising Nachiketa— [3]

Sanskrit (Devanagari)TransliterationEnglish translation

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत,
क्षुरासन्न धारा निशिता दुरत्यद्दुर्गम पथ: तत् कवयो वदन्ति
|

Uttisthata Jagrata Prapya Varannibodhata
Kshurasanna Dhara Nishita Durataya durgama Pathah tat kavayo Vadanti

Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn.
Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path,
so the wise say—hard to tread and difficult to cross.

In Swami Vivekananda's teachings

Swami Vivekananda widely used this quote in his teachings. Swami Vivekananda in London 1895.jpg
Swami Vivekananda widely used this quote in his teachings.

The inspirational sloka was Swami Vivekananda's message to the Indians to get out of their hypnotized state of mind. [2] The sloka was meant as a call to his countrymen to awaken their "sleeping soul" and propagate the message of peace and blessings given by the "ancient Mother" to the world. "Awake" also denotes the awakening of one's real nature and the consequent ushering in of prosperity. [2]

On 24 April 1897 Vivekananda wrote a letter to Sarala Ghoshal. In that letter, he stressed giving the public only positive education, because of his belief that negative thoughts weaken men. In that letter, he also reiterated this sloka. [4]

Vivekananda quoted this sloka in several lectures and discourses. In a lecture delivered on 12 November 1896 at Lahore, he said: [5]

Therefore, young men of Lahore, raise once more that mighty banner of Advaita, for on no other ground can you have that wonderful love until you see that the same Lord is present everywhere. Unfurl that banner of love! "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached." Arise, arise once more, for nothing can be done without renunciation.

In her essay Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda, Sister Christine wrote that Vivekananda wanted to see men striving to find the Supreme. She wrote: [6]

All else might be false, this alone was true. He realized it. After his own great realization, life held but one purpose—to give the message with which he was entrusted, to point out the path and to help others on the road to the same supreme goal. "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached."

"Arise" was meant as a passionate call for national awakening to obtain political freedom for the country from colonialism, and to not to "stop" until the "goal" was achieved. This was essential in the social, economic and political fields. "Arise" was also intended to mean to get out of the state of helplessness. His emphasis was on freedom to the nation, as in the US on 4 July 1776. [7] Swamiji also urged people to learn from Hindu sacred scriptures, which he felt contained all the instructions to arise out of the "hypnotism of weakness" and which indicated that no individual is inherently weak. [8]

Influence

The 1998 film Swami Vivekananda , directed by G. V. Iyer, ends with this quote where Mammootty gives a brief speech on Vivekananda and his ideals and concludes the speech with this quote. On 12 January 2013, on the 150 birth anniversary, then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and now prime minister of India, wrote a blog post on his personal website to pay tribute to Vivekananda. He named the post "Commemorating Swami Vivekananda: Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached". [9] The sloka is inscribed on the main stage of an auditorium of Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata, a branch of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, an Indian author, called this a "life-transforming line" and wrote a book named Stop Not Till the Goal is Reached in 2010. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swami Vivekananda</span> Indian Hindu monk and philosopher (1863–1902)

Swami Vivekananda, born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion. Vivekananda became a popular figure after the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where he began his famous speech with the words, "Sisters and brothers of America...," before introducing Hinduism to Americans. He was so impactful at the Parliament that an American newspaper described him as “an orator by divine right and undoubtedly the greatest figure at the Parliament”. After great success at the Parliament, in the subsequent years, Vivekananda delivered hundreds of lectures across the United States, England and Europe, disseminating the core tenets of Hindu philosophy, and founded the Vedanta Society of New York and the Vedanta Society of San Francisco, both of which became the foundations for Vedanta Societies in the West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gambhirananda</span>

Swami Gambhirananda (1899–1988), born as Jatindranath Datta, was a Hindu sanyasi associated with Ramakrishna Mission. He was born at Sadhuhati in today's Bangladesh. He graduated from Scottish Church College, Calcutta (Kolkata).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranganathananda</span>

Swami Ranganathananda was a Hindu swami of the Ramakrishna Math order. He served as the 13th president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhuteshananda</span>

Swami Bhuteshananda was born on 8 September 1901 at Somsar in Bengal Presidency. His premonastic name was Vijay Chandra. His father was Purna Chandra Roy and his mother Charubala Devi. In his student life, he met Jnan Maharaj. Under influence of his and some other spiritual young boys, he started to go to Belur Math frequently and he met many of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. He graduated from Government Sanskrit College where he mastered Bengali, English and Sanskrit. Due to his visits to the Math, one day he went to the Math to become Monk (Sannyasi), but as his studies was not completed, he was asked to come later. This made him leave his residence and he built a Shiva temple in Baghbazar (Calcutta) and lived there like a renunciate monk, practicing intense Tapasya. He was present during the funeral of Sri Sarada Devi, in December 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramakrishna Math</span> Monastic organization part of the Ramakrishna Order

Ramakrishna Math is the administrative legal organization of the Ramakrishna Order, considered part of the Hindu reform movements. It was set up by sanyasin disciples of Ramakrishna Paramhansa headed by Swami Vivekananda at Baranagar Math in Baranagar, a place near Calcutta, in 1886. India. The headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and its twin organisation, Ramakrishna Mission is at Belur Math.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nachiketa</span> Character in Hindu literature

Nachiketa, also rendered Nachiketas and Nachiketan, is a character in Hindu literature. He is the son of the sage Vājashravas, or Uddalaki, in some traditions. He is the child protagonist of an ancient Indian, dialogical narrative, about the nature of the atman (soul).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vedanta Society</span>

Vedanta Societies refer to organizations, groups, or societies formed for the study, practice, and propagation of Vedanta, the ultimate aim of Vedas. More specifically, they "comprise the American arm of the Indian Ramakrishna movement", and refer to branches of the Ramakrishna Order located outside India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adbhutananda</span> Indian monk (died 1920)

Adbhutananda, born Rakhturam, was a direct monastic disciple of Ramakrishna, a Yogi of nineteenth century Bengal. He is familiarly known as Latu Maharaj among the followers of Ramakrishna. Adbhutananda was the first monastic disciple to come to Ramakrishna. While most of Ramakrishna's direct disciples came from the Bengali intelligentsia, Adbhutananda's lack of formal education made him unique amongst them. He was a servant boy of a devotee of Ramakrishna, and he later became his monastic disciple. Though unlettered, Adbhutananda was considered as a monk with great spiritual insight by Ramakrishna's followers, and Vivekananda regarded him as "the greatest miracle of Ramakrishna".

Pavhari Baba (1798-1898) was a Hindu ascetic and saint. He was born in Premapur, Jaunpur in a Brahmin family. In his childhood he went to Ghazipur to study under the tutelage of his uncle who was a follower of Ramanuja or Shri sect. After finishing his studies he travelled to many places. At Girnar in Kathiawar he was initiated into Yoga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advaita Guru Paramparā</span> Traditional list historical teachers of Advaita Vedanta

The Advaita Guru-Paramparā is the traditional lineage (parampara) of divine, Vedic and historical teachers of Advaita Vedanta. It begins with the Daiva-paramparā, the gods; followed by the Ṛṣi-paramparā, the Vedic seers; and then the Mānava-paramparā, with the historical teachers Gaudapada and Shankara, and four of Shankara's pupils. Of the five contemporary acharyas, the heads of the five Advaita mathas, four acharyas trace their lineage to those four pupils and one to Adi Shankara himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teachings and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda</span>

Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu monk from India. His teachings and philosophy are a reinterpretation and synthesis of various strands of Hindu thought, most notably classical yoga and (Advaita) Vedanta, with western esotericism and Universalism. He blended religion with nationalism, and applied this reinterpretation to various aspect's of education, faith, character building as well as social issues pertaining to India. His influence extended also to the west, and he was instrumental in introducing Yoga to the west.

Viveka is a Sanskrit and Pali term translated into English as discernment or discrimination. Viveka is considered as first requirement for the spiritual journey. The next requirement in the joureny in Vedanta, vairagya as known as detachment is a natural extension of viveka. Advaita Vedanta Darshana interprets viveka as discrimination between the real and the unreal while Visistadvaita Vedanta Darshana interprets viveka as discrimination of food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibliography of Swami Vivekananda</span>

Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) was an Indian Hindu monk and a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world. He was one of the most influential philosophers and social reformers in his contemporary India and the most successful and influential missionaries of Vedanta to the Western world. Indian Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore's suggested to study the works of Vivekananda to understand India. He also told, in Vivekananda there was nothing negative, but everything positive.

<i>Khandana Bhava–Bandhana</i> Bengali song composed by Swami Vivekananda

Khandana Bhava–Bandhana, or Sri Ramakrishna Aratrikam, or Sri Ramakrishna Arati, is a Bengali song composed by Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda. The song, dedicated to the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna, was composed in 1898. It is a prayer song, based on Raga Mishra Kalyani, Tala Ferta used in Indian classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influence and legacy of Swami Vivekananda</span>

Swami Vivekananda, the nineteenth-century Indian Hindu monk, is considered one of the most influential people of modern India and Hinduism. Rabindranath Tagore suggested to study Vivekananda's works to learn about India. Indian independence activist Subhas Chandra Bose regarded Vivekananda as his spiritual teacher. Mahatma Gandhi said that after reading the works of Vivekananda, his love for his nation became a thousand-fold.

Meditation played a very important role in the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. He was interested in meditation from his childhood. His master Ramakrishna found him a dhyana - siddha . On 24 December 1892, Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari and meditated for three days on a large rock and took the resolution to dedicate his life to serve humanity. The event is known as the Kanyakumari resolve of 1892. He reportedly also meditated for a long time on the day of his death.

<i>Rousing Call to Hindu Nation</i> Compilation of Swami Vivekanandas work

Rousing Call to Hindu Nation or Swami Vivekananda's Rousing Call to Hindu Nation (1963) is a compilation of Indian Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda's writings and speeches edited by Eknath Ranade the leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The book was published in 1963, in the birth centenary of Vivekananda. Ranade dedicated the book as a "personal homage to the great patriot-saint" Swami Vivekananda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relationship between Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda</span> Relationship between Ramakrishna and Vivekananda beginning in November 1881

The relationship between Ramakrishna and Vivekananda began in November 1881, when they met at the house of Surendra Nath Mitra. Ramakrishna asked Narendranath to sing. Impressed by his singing talent, he invited him to Dakshineswar. Narendra accepted the invitation, and the meeting proved to be a turning point in the life of Narendranath. Initially Narendra did not accept Ramakrishna as his master and found him to be a "mono maniac", but eventually he became one of the closest people in his life. Ramakrishna reportedly shaped the personality of Narendranath and prepared him to dedicate his life to serve humanity. After the death of Ramakrishna, Narendra and his other monastic disciples established their first monastery at Baranagar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swami Vivekananda's prayer to Kali at Dakshineswar</span>

Vivekananda's prayer to Kali at Dakshineswar is an event which occurred in September 1884 when Swami Vivekananda, following the suggestion of Ramakrishna, went to the Kali temple of Dakshineswar with the intention to pray for financial welfare, but ultimately prayed for pure knowledge, devotion and renunciation. This event has been a subject of scholarly studies and is considered as a significant event in the life of Vivekananda, who initially revolted against idol-worship but now accepted and prayed before an idol of Kali. This incident added a new change to Narendra's devotion and knowledge.

In 1888, Swami Vivekananda left the monastery as a Parivrâjaka— the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk, "without fixed abode, without ties, independent and strangers wherever they go". His sole possessions were a kamandalu, staff and his two favourite books: the Bhagavad Gita and The Imitation of Christ. Narendra travelled extensively in India for five years, visiting centres of learning and acquainting himself with diverse religious traditions and social patterns. He developed sympathy for the suffering and poverty of the people, and resolved to uplift the nation. Living primarily on bhiksha (alms), Swami Vivekananda travelled on foot and by railway. During his travels he met, and stayed with Indians from all religions and walks of life: scholars, dewans, rajas, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, paraiyars and government officials.

References

Citations

  1. CCMT 2007 , p. 110
  2. 1 2 3 Vivekananda 2009, p. 166.
  3. "Kath Upanishad". Swami Krishnanda The Divine Life Society. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  4. Wikisource:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Translation: Prose/The Education that India needs
  5. Wikisource:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Lectures from Colombo to Almora/The Vedanta
  6. Sister Christine. "Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda" . Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  7. Bhuyan 2003, p. 308.
  8. Natesan 1948, p. 150.
  9. Narendra Modi. "Commemorating Swami Vivekananda: Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached". Narendra modi official website. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  10. Kumar 2010 , pp. preface

Sources