Swami Vivekananda, the nineteenth-century Indian Hindumonk, 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.
Barack Obama, the former President of the United States, quoted Vivekananda's words in his speech delivered in India in November 2010. Jayalalitha, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said that Vivekananda inspired her to enter politics.
Vivekananda's birthday, on 12 January, is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India. In 2012, a three-day world conference was organised by the Institute of World Religions to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda to mark the days Vivekananda delivered his historic lectures in 1893. In 2013, Indian Railways started Vivek Express, four pairs of express trains as a tribute to Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary.
Influence on notable Indian people
Vivekananda, after he became a "sanyasi of high intellect, action, and devotion" in 1886, had a deep desire to spread the message of “divine unity of existence and unity in diversity’ throughout the country.[1] Vivekananda then as a Parivrajaka, meaning: "a wandering monk", travelled the length and breadth of the country. For nearly two years, he travelled all over India from north to north, and befriended many notable people and influenced them with his Advaita-Vedanta philosophy and many of them even encouraged and supported him to travel to the US to attend the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago; some of the prominent names are Ajit Singh of Khetri of Rajasthan, Dewan of Porbandar and Junagadh in Gujarat, Raja of Ramnad of Madras,[2]K. Seshadri Iyer, Dewan of Mysore and Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysore.[3]
Left: Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920) said that Swami Vivekananda preached Hindu religion in the length and breadth of the world. Right: Mahatma Gandhi said that after reading the works of Vivekananda, his love for his nation became a thousand-fold.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the Indian nationalist, journalist, teacher, social reformer, lawyer and an independence activist who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement observed:”Twelve centuries ago Sankaracharya was the only great personality, who not only spoke of the purity of our religion, not only uttered in words that this religion was our strength and wealth, not only said that it was our sacred duty to preach this religion in the length and breadth of the world– but also brought all this into action. Swami Vivekananda is a person of that stature—who appeared towards the last half of the 19th century." [4]
Rabindranath Tagore suggested "If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative."[5]Sri Aurobindo has said: "Vivekananda was a soul of puissance if ever there was one, a very lion among men, but the definite work he has left behind is quite incommensurate with our impression of his creative might and energy.[6]Brahmabandhav Upadhyay told, Vivekananda and his mission encouraged him to go to England and propagate Hinduism and Vedanta there. Bal Gangadhar Tilak praised Vivekananda for taking the responsibility to re-establish the glory of Hinduism.[7]Bipin Chandra Pal felt, Vivekananda's message was "the message of modern humanity".[8]
On 6 February 1921, Mahatma Gandhi came to Belur Math and paid homage to Vivekananda. On this occasion he said: [9]
I have come here to pay my homage and respect to the revered memory of Swami Vivekananda, whose birthday is being celebrated today. I have gone through his works very thoroughly, and after having gone through them, the love that I had for my country became a thousand-fold.[10] I ask you, young men, not to go away empty-handed without imbibing something of the spirit of the place where Swami Vivekananda lived and died.
He also told that Vivekananda's writings needed no introduction.[11]
In 1893, during the journey from Yokohama to Canada on the ship Empress, Vivekananda accidentally met Jamsetji Tata who was also going to Chicago. During the conversation Vivekananda told Tata about the necessity of establishing a world-class scientific Institution in India and this encouraged Tata to establish the Indian Institute of Science, which gradually became one of India's best-known research university of India.[12]Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of Independent India, praised Vivekananda's personality and dignity and said that his heart carried fire: "it was no empty talk he was indulging in. He was putting his heart and soul into the words he uttered." Nehru also recounted that "his generation" was widely influenced by Vivekananda.[9]
Left: Rabindranath Tagore (left) suggested to read Vivekananda's writing to learn about India. Right: C Rajagopalachari told, Vivekananda saved Hinduism and India.
Indian independence activist Subhas Chandra Bose considered Vivekananda as his spiritual teacher. He called Vivekananda a "full-blooded masculine personality– and a fighter to the core of being". Bose told, under the "sacred influence" of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda his own life got awakened.[13]
Jawaharlal Nehru India's first Prime Minister was also very much inspired by Vivekananda. Nehru was influenced a great deal by the modern outlook of Vivekananda’s teachings since they blended science and spirituality.[14]
Vinoba Bhave praised Vivekananda's contribution to make Indians' conscious of their strength and said that he showed them their shortcomings and defects and taught them to overcome these. He further mentioned that at the time of Vivekananda people of India were shrouded in tamas, ignorance and unwisdom, and failed to distinguish between weakness and non-attachment and peace. In such a situation Vivekananda brought new light, and he taught "The same Soul resides in each and all" and suggested to serve mankind considering them manifestations of God daridranarayan (meaning: "poverty stricken god").[15]
According to Indian independence activist and social worker C. Rajagopalachari who became the first Indian Governor General of India, Vivekananda saved Hinduism and India.[16] He stated that we owe everything to Vivekananda. The first vice-president and the second President of independent India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan said that Vivekananda's was born in a "critical period" when the nation and her people were collapsing in "despair, frustration and hopelessness" and in such circumstances Vivekananda's teachings gave them new hope and taught them to rely on spiritual resources.[17] Indian historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar told, Vivekananda preached the best parts of Hinduism and Indian spirituality to the world.[18] According to Majumdar's studies, Vivekananda's ideals added spiritual basis in the Indian nationalism. Majumdar also noted, though Vivekananda was an ascetic, his patriotism was remarkable. He said:[19]
Though an ascetic, Vivekananda was a patriot of patriots. The thought of restoring the prehistoric glory of India by resuscitating among her people the spiritual vitality which was dormant, but not dead, was always the uppermost though in his mind...
Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India, suggested in a speech delivered on 31 May 2013 at the Convocation Hall, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, to remember the call of Vivekananda to reconstruct India's national character. He also told:—
Swamiji unhesitatingly appreciated the positive aspects and accomplishments of the Western Societies– and refrained from being dogmatic as he made his point, he was able to build a robust new bridge of understanding and goodwill for India. In so doing, he also opened a new dialogue between our peoples based on mutual acceptance.[20]
Narendra Modi, the Prime minister of India, is an ardent admirer of Vivekananda. In April 2013, he visited Belur Math and meditated at the room of Vivekananda.[21]Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu told, Vivekananda inspired her to enter politics. She said:[22]
She further said that there are "some people who made public life a profession. The profession can be transformed into service, but service cannot be turned into a profession. As far as I am concerned, Swami Vivekananda was a great inspiration for me to enter politics. When I took the first step into politics in 1982, I mentioned Swami Vivekananda in an interview."
Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal was inspired by Vivekananda's writings which she said helped her in the difficult times of her political career. Banerjee stated:[23]
In the course of the several movements that I led, there would be moments of doubt. There were some who were critical of me and even I wondered that there were so many people who had pinned their hopes on me. What if I were to fail them? I would read books written by Swami Vivekananda to gather my strength.
In 2013, YogaguruRamdev told he feels Vivekananda spread "India's cultural message" to the world.[24]
Social activist Anna Hazare was motivated by the works of Swami Vivekananda and took inspiration for all the social work he did from Swami Vivekananda only.[25]
Arvind Kejriwal read about Swami Vivekananda during his IIT days and was very much inspired from him.
American industrialist John D. Rockefeller reportedly made his first large donation for public welfare and later became a notable philanthropist after a meeting with Vivekananda. Vivekananda succinctly explained to Rockfeller that his philanthropy would only be a channel to help the poor and distressed people.[31]
Vivekananda influenced French Opera singer Emma Calvé, who wrote in her autobiography:[32]
It has been my good fortune and my joy to know a man who truly "walked with God," a noble being, a saint, a philosopher, and a true friend. His influence upon my spiritual life was profound. He opened up new horizons before me, enlarging and vivifying my religious ideas and ideals, teaching me a broader understanding of truth. My soul will bear him an eternal gratitude.
Vivekananda's life and works have influenced many scholars, writers, politicians worldwide. French writer Romain Rolland wrote that Vivekananda was "energy personified". Rolland felt "kingliness" was Vivekananda's characteristics, "He was a born king and nobody ever came near him in India or America without paying homage to his majesty."[33] American writer, historian, philosopher Will Durant told, the speeches of Vivekananda were more "virile" than the ones delivered in the Vedic times.[16]
The nationalist leader and the first president of independent Indonesia Sukarno said that it was Swami Vivekananda who inspired him to become strong and to serve God and mankind.[34] Historian and IndologistArthur Llewellyn Basham compared Vivekananda with other eminent religious figures of India such as Kabir, Adi Shankara, Chaitanya.[16] Russian academician and public figure Eugene Chelyshev was an ardent admirer of Swami Vivekananda. He said:[35]
Reading and re-reading the works of Vivekananda each time I find in them something new that helps deeper to understand India, its philosophy, the way of the life and customs of the people in the past and the present, their dreams of the future...
Chelyshev also predicted that the memory of Vivekananda will never fade away.[36] Chinese scholar Huan Xin Chuan stated that Vivekananda was the most renowned social figure of modern China and Chinese socialists carefully study the works of Vivekananda.[37]
Barack Obama, the President of the United States, quoted Vivekananda's words in his speech delivered in India in November 2010. He said:[38]
Instead of succumbing to division, you have shown that the strength of India—the very idea of India—is its embrace of all colors, castes and creeds. It's the diversity represented in this chamber today. It's the richness of faiths celebrated by a visitor to my hometown of Chicago more than a century ago—the renowned Swami Vivekananda. He said that, "holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character."
Swami Vivekananda's birthday, i.e. 12 January, is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India. On 17 October 1984, the Indian Government officially declared the birthdate of Vivekananda as the National Youth Day, which was to be celebrated 1985 onwards. The circular stated: "it was felt that the philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth."[39]
Universal Brotherhood Day
The "Universal Brotherhood Day" is observed on 11 September, on the day when Vivekananda delivered his first speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions Chicago in 1893 and addressed the American people and his audience as "Sisters and brothers of America".[40]
150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
The 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated in India and abroad during 2013. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India officially made an official declaration in this regard.[41] Year-long events and programs have been organised by branches of the Ramakrishna Math, the Ramakrishna Mission, the central and state governments in India, educational institutions and youth groups. Bengali film director Tutu (Utpal) Sinha made a film, The Light: Swami Vivekananda, and Indian American Bengali animator and laserist Manick Sorcar created a laser show, Swamiji,[42] as a tribute for his 150th birth anniversary.[43]
Swami Vivekananda delivered his famous lectures at the Parliament of the World's Religions, Chicago in 1893. In 2012, a 3-day World conference was organised by the Institute of World Religions (of the Washington Kali Temple), Burtonsville, Maryland, in association with the Council for Parliament of World Religions, Chicago, Illinois to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.[44]
Vivekananda on a 2013 stamp of India
Posts of India and Sri Lanka issued several commemorative stamps of Vivekananda in 2013. Vivekananda was also featured on other stamps of India in 1963, 1993 and 2015 and of Sri Lanka in 1997. In 2018, India and Serbia issued joint stamps devoted to Vivekananda.[45][46]
Vivek Express
In 2011—2013 Railway Budget, Indian Railways announced four pairs of new express trains on the Indian Railways network. These new trains were started as a tribute to Vivekananda on his 140th birth anniversary.[47]
Public Notice 3
To mark the anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's landmark address at the Chicago Art Institute, and in remembrance of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon 108 years later on that very date, 11 September, Indian artist Jitish Kallat created Public Notice 3, a site-specific installation on the Art Institute's Woman's Board Grand Staircase.
On 28 January 2012, the Art Institute of Chicago, in conjunction with the Republic of India, reinstalled a plaque commemorating Vivekananda's landmark speech outside Fullerton Hall.[48]
In popular culture
Films
Bengali Swami Vivekananda has been the primary topic of many films, dramas ad folk-plays. Bengali film director Amar Mullick made two different movies: Swamiji (1949) and its adaptation in Hindi, Swami Vivekananda (1955). The film Swami Vivekananda (1955) is considered a "faithful and memorable documentation feature" on Vivekananda.[49]
The Swami Vivekananda was released on 12 June 1998. The film was premiered on India's public service broadcaster Doordarshan on 15 August 1998 as a part of Doordarshan's celebration of 50th year of India's Independence.[50] The film has been appreciated for blending the role of "eccentric middle-aged mystic, nominally a Brahmin priest, claiming nothing short of godhood role “of Paramahmsa very well with that of the“ young non-Brahmin agnostic modernist role" of Vivekananda.[51]
In 2013, Utpal (Tutu) Sinha directed The Light: Swami Vivekananda which was a tribute to Vivekananda on his 150th anniversary of his birth.[52][53][54] Indian American animator and laserist Manick Sorcar created a laser show, Swamiji,[42] in honor of the anniversary.
Birieswar Vivekananda is a 1964 Indian Bengali-language film directed by Modhu Bose, starring Amaresh Das in the titular role. Indian filmmaker Bimal Roy made a documentary about Vivekananda, titled Life and Message of Swami Vivekananda, in the same year.[55]
Bengali theatre group Lokkrishti staged a drama Biley to commemorate the birth anniversary. Bengali theatre actor Debshankar Haldar played the role of Swami Vivekananda in this drama.[57] In 2013 Belgharia Shankhamala theatre group staged the drama Bireswar. The drama was written by Basab Dasgupta and directed by Debesh Chattopadhyay.[58]
Related Research Articles
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 the father of modern Indian nationalism who is credited with raising interfaith awareness and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late nineteenth century.
Shuddhananda who was the fifth president of the Ramakrishna Order, was a direct monastic disciple of Vivekananda. He joined the Ramakrishna Math in 1897. He became a trustee of Ramakrishna Math and a member of the governing body of Ramakrishna Mission in May 1903. He also took up the editorship of the Bengali magazine called Udbodhan for sometime. He was appointed as the secretary of the math and the mission in 1927 and as the vice president in 1937. In 1938, he became the president of the order. His tenure was short, as he died in 1938. He is renowned in the literary circles to have translated most of Vivekananda's original works from English to Bengali.
Belur Math is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located in Belur, West Bengal, India on the west bank of Hooghly River. Belur Math was established in January 1897, by Swami Vivekananda who was the disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda returned back to India from Colombo with a small group of disciples and started work on the two one at Belur, and the others at Mayavati, Almora, Himalayas called the Advaita Ashrama. The temple is the heart of the Ramakrishna movement. It is notable for its architecture that fuses Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian art and motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions. In 2003, Belur Math railway station was also inaugurated which is dedicated to Belur Math Temple.
Sister Nivedita was an Irish teacher, author, social activist, school founder and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She spent her childhood and early youth in Ireland. She was engaged to marry a Welsh youth, but he died soon after their engagement.
Swamiji is a 2012 laser show and documentary film directed and produced by Manick Sorcar. Based on the life story of Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), it is the first laser documentary made on an individual and the first full-length laser documentary ever to be shown in a performing arts center.
Ramakrishna (1836–1886) is a famous mystic of nineteenth-century India. Ramakrishna never wrote down the details of his own life. Sources for his life and teachings come from the writings of his disciples and live witnesses. Ramakrishna's recorded sayings mainly come from the last four years of his life.
Raja Ajit Singh Bahadur was the ruler of the Shekhawat estate (thikana) of Khetri at Panchpana in Rajasthan between 1870 and 1901. He was born on 16 October 1861 at Alsisar. His father was Thakur Chattu Singh, a resident of Alsisar. Ajit Singh was later adopted to Khetri and after the death of Fateh Singh, he became the eighth king of Khetri in 1870. In 1876, he married Rani Champawatiji Sahiba and the couple had one son and two daughters. He died on 18 January 1901 due to an accident at the tomb of Akbar in Sikandra near Agra and was cremated at Mathura.
Swami Vivekananda is a 1998 Indian biographical film directed by G. V. Iyer and produced by T. Subbarami Reddy. It took Iyer 11 years to finish the research work required for the film and to write the screenplay.
Josephine MacLeod was an American friend and devotee of Swami Vivekananda. She had a strong attachment to India and was an active participant in the Ramakrishna Vivekananda movement. She was given the nicknames "Tantine" and "Jo Jo" by Vivekananda. She considered Swami Vivekananda to be her friend and helped him with his finances. MacLeod was not a sanyasin, unlike many others such as Sister Nivedita or Sister Christine. She was instrumental in spreading Vivekananda's message on Vedanta in the West. She made many contributions to the initial and the later phases of the development of the order of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. She was a contributor to many causes espoused by Sister Nivedita, the most famous disciple of Vivekananda, including that of contributing financially towards the development of the Indian National Movement especially in Bengal and elsewhere in India.
Swami Vivekananda represented India and Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions (1893). India Celebrates National youth day on birth anniversary of the Great Swami. This was the first World's Parliament of Religions, and it was held from 11 to 27 September 1893. Delegates from all over the world joined this Parliament. In 2012 a three-day world conference was organized to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda.
The Light: Swami Vivekananda (2013) is a bilingual film directed by Utpal (Tutu) Sinha and produced by Tri Colour productions private limited. The film is based on the life and teaching of Swami Vivekananda. The film was a tribute to Vivekananda on the 150th anniversary of his birth. The film was dubbed in 18 languages.
Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world. The 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated all over India and in different countries in the world. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports of India decided to observe 2013 as the year of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Year-long events and programs were organised by different branches of Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, central government and different state governments of India, education institutions, youth groups etc. Bengali film director Tutu (Utpal) Sinha made a film The Light: Swami Vivekananda as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. The movie was released on 23 August 2013.
My Master is an English book combined from two lectures delivered by Swami Vivekananda in New York and England, published in 1901.
"Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached" is a slogan popularized in the late 19th century by Indian Hindu monk and philosopher Swami Vivekananda, who took inspiration in a sloka of Katha Upanishad. It was his message to the world to get out of their hypnotized state of mind and discover their true nature. 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.
"Religion not the crying need of India" was a lecture delivered by Indian Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda on 20 September 1893 at the Parliament of the World's Religions, Chicago. In the lecture, Vivekananda criticized Christian missionaries for ignoring the needs of starving people in India. He said that Indians did not need any religious education, as there was already a surfeit of religion in the East. Instead, Vivekananda pushed for humanitarian support for the hungry.
"Buddhism, the Fulfilment of Hinduism" is a lecture delivered by Indian Hindu monk and expounder Swami Vivekananda on 26 September 1893 at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago. In this lecture, he expressed his opinion that "Buddhism was the fulfilment of Hinduism."
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.
Sri Ramakrishna Darshanam is a 2012 Tamil-language biographical film based on the life and philosophy of 19th century Bengali mystic saint Ramakrishna. The film was directed by G N Dass produced by G.N.D. Vision International Private Limited. The film had screened in Chennai before being shared 17 August as a part of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Swami Vivekananda.
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.
Swami Tathagatananda, was a Hindu monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He was the Minister and Spiritual Leader of the Vedanta Society of New York from November 1977 to June 2016, which was the first Vedanta Society in the United States, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1895.
Vivekananda, Swami; Lokeswarananda, Swami (1996). My India: the India eternal (1sted.). Calcutta: Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. ISBN81-85843-51-1.
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