12th of January “National Youth Day” marks the 163rd Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda Ji!
AVS
Today 12th of January “National Youth Day” marks the 163rd Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda Ji!
Swami Vivekananda was a great soul who deeply moved the hearts of humanity with his spellbinding speech starting with the famous opening address “My brothers and sisters of America,”. It was the powerful call for ‘Universal brotherhood’ that resounded there, which at that time was a very rare concept in Western thought.
Swamiji delivered his address in 1893, in Chicago at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, held as part of the World’s Columbian Exposition which was in connection with the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in America. The Newspapers and other media had published reports of the event giving significant prominence to Vivekanand ji. This marked the beginning of his triumphant conquest of the West!
Subsequently, Vivekanandaji had delivered nearly a dozen speeches at the exposition. In 1894, Swamiji established the Vedanta Society in New York. Later, he made conviction in the hearts of the public globally about the greatness of Sanatana Dharma through numerous lectures and extensive tours across England and America.
“Does God exist? Can God be seen? How is that possible? What is the true meaning of life?”; likewise questions related to Prapancha and Iswara were those which filled Swamiji’s mind since his childhood. Although he had met many Sannyasis and scholars, none of them could fully satisfy his questions. Swamiji was known as ‘Narendra’ before embracing Sannyasa life.
At that time, it was from his English teacher, Professor Hastie, that Sri Narendra who was a student, came to know about the Mahayogi Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who was living at Dakshineswar.
In 1881, when Narendra arrived in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna ji along with a few friends, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ji received him as if Narendra was someone he had been waiting for for a long time. It was this divine meeting which determined the course of Narendra’s future. The words of Sri Ramakrishna Ji himself proves that it was not a mere casual meeting.
“Why did it take so long for you to come? For how long have I been yearning to share my spiritual experiences and open my heart…!”
God will manifest himself before the one who sincerely longs for the vision of God.” was the answer Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gave for the question “Can we see God?” which had troubled Narendra for a very long time. That meeting with Ramakrishna Paramahamsa ji was a turning point in the life of Narendra. He found his spiritual guru in Sri Ramakrishna Deva Paramahamsa ji and he in turn found in Narendra, his successor.
The discourses of Swami Vivekananda ji had played a vital role in awakening the youth of India. Swamiji was able to inspire followers across the world and create promoters of the message of Sanatana Dharma through idea-rich speeches and fearless discourses.
The selfless, Karma-Yoga–based noble works done by him had illuminated new chapters in the renaissance history of Indian culture and Hindu Dharma.