Swami Vivekananda:Short Notes

on
Swami Vivekananda

(1863-1902)

This post provides a short note on the life, achievements, and posthumous honors of one of India's greatest spiritual leaders and social reformers, Swami Vivekananda.

Life & Times of Swami Vivekananda

  • Birth – 12 January 1863 (Makara Sankranthi), Kolkata.
  • Original name – Narendranath Datta.
  • Nicknames – Cyclonic Hindu Monk of India, Intellectual Monk of India, The Patriot Saint Of India.
  • Parents – Vishwanath Dutta & Bhuvaneshwari Devi.
  • Teacher – Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
  • Took the vow of Sannyasa in 1886.
  • Name "Vivekananda" – suggested by Ajit Singh of Khetri.
  • Slogan – "Go back to Gita."
  • Founder of Ramakrishna Mission.
  • Represented India in the First Parliament of Religious in Chicago (September 11, 1893).
    • Famous introductory speech – "Sisters and brothers of America..", earning him 2min standing ovation of 7,000 people.
  • Established Vedanta Society in New York (1894).
  • Propagated Hindu philosophies of Advaita Vedanta & Yoga in the West.
  • First public speech in the East – Colombo (1897).
  • Attended the Congress of History of Religions in Paris (1900).
  • Spiritual Father of the Modern Nationalist Movement – Subhas Chandra Bose.
  • Disciples – Swami Abhayananda, Alasinga Perumal,  Sister Nivedita, Swami Sadananda
    • The Spiritual Daughter of Swami Vivekananda – Sister Nivedita.
  • Death – July 4, 1902, Belur Math (West Bengal).

Literary works & Publications

  • My Master.
  • Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action.
  • Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge.
  • Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature.
  • Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Love and Devotion.
  • Magazines – Prabudha Bharat (English), Brahmavadin  &Udbodhan (Bengali).

Biographies & Memorials

  • The Master as I Saw Him – Sister Nivedita
  • The Life of Vivekananda – Romain Rolland.
  • National Youth Day – January 12.
  • Memorial – Belur Math (West Bengal).
  • Vivekananda Rock Memorial (Kanyakumari, 1970).
    • Eknath Ranade played an instrumental role in the construction.
  • Honorary Swami Vivekananda Way, Chicago (November 11, 1995).
  • West Bengal Police Training College was renamed as Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy (2011).
  • The Raipur airport was renamed Swami Vivekananda Airport (2012).
  • State technical university in Chhattisgarh was renamed as the Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University.
  • Bengali film, The Light: Swami Vivekananda to celebrate 150th birth anniversary in 2013.
  • Stamps – India, Sri Lanka & Serbia.
    • First Vivekananda stamp issued in India  – 1963.
The Indian Government in 1985 decided to celebrate January 12, Vivekananda's birthday as the national youth day.

    Ramakrishna Mission

    • Established on May 1, 1897.
    • Headquarters – Belur Math (1899).
    • Motto – Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya (for the salvation of our individual self and for the well-being of all on earth, Rigveda).
    • Also known as Vendanta Movement.
    • First monastery – Baranagar Math.
    • Woman wing of Ramakrishna Mission – Sri Sarada Math (1954).
    • First Sri Ramakrishna Math in Kerala – Haripad (by Swami Nirmalananda, 1913).

    Swami Vivekananda & Kerala

    • Visited Kerala in 1892.
    • Called Kerala – a lunatic asylum.
    • Dr. Palpu
      • During his wandering monk days in Bangalore, Vivekananda stayed with Dr. Palpu.
      • Advice to Dr. Palpu –"If you want to speak of politics in India, you must speak through the language of religion."
      • On his advice, Dr. Palpu decided to associate with some spiritual person in his effort to fight for the rights of the Ezhavas.
    • Chattampi Swami
      • met at Ernakulam.
      • gave a detailed explanation of Chinmudra to Swami Vivekananda.
      • Remarked on Chattampi Swami as "Here I met a remarkable man."

    📝 SideNotes:

    • International Youth Day – August 12.
    • Universal Brotherhood Day – September 11.
    • Kerala Vivekanandan – Swami Agamananda. (Previous PSC Question: 10th Preliminary Exam, 2021)
    • Original Name of Sister Nivedita – Margaret Elizabeth Noble (Irish).
    • Swami Abhayananda – Marie Louise.
    • First Person in the West to write Sri Ramakrishna's biography – Max Muller.
    • Max Muller of Karnataka – Dr. Phakirappa Gurubasappa Halakatti.
    • Brahmavadin was later renamed as – The Vedanta Kesari.
    • Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020 – Jadav Payeng.
    • Forest Man of India – Jadav Payeng.
    • Kumaranasn translated "Raja Yoga" to Malayalam and published it in SNDP's Vivekodayam.