Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863
– 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta was an Indian Hindu monk. He was a
chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key
figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to
the Western world, and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing
Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He
was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India, and contributed to the
concept of Indian nationalism as a tool to fight against the British empire in
colonial India. Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna
Mission. He is perhaps best known for his speech which began with the words
"Sisters and brothers of America ...," in which he introduced
Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.
Early Life
Born into an aristocratic Bengali
Kayastha family of Calcutta, Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He
was influenced by his guru, Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living
beings were an embodiment of the divine self; therefore, service to God could
be rendered by service to humankind. After Ramakrishna's death, Vivekananda
toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired first-hand knowledge of
the prevailing in British India. He later travelled to the United States,
representing India at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions. Vivekananda
conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating
tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe. In India,
Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic saint, and his birthday is celebrated as
National Youth Day.
In 1888, Narendra left the monastery as a Parivrajaka— the Hindu religious life of a wandering monk. He is perhaps best known for his speech which began with the words - "Sisters and brothers of America ...," in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.