“If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative.”
— Rabindranath Tagore
The destiny of a nation is determined by the quality of the young population. If the youths are creative, vibrant, dynamic, and open-minded having a scientific temperament can take the nation to a new height. India is considered to be the country having the largest youth population, where 65 percent population represents the age group between 15-45. So having such a huge demographic dividend we do have the potential not only to make India a developed nation but also to stand as ‘Viswa-Guru’ among the international community. And to actualize this goal the youth need to take inspiration from the ideals and principles of some great personalities born on this earth. In such a context, there can’t be a better figure than Swami Vivekananda.
Life and Inspiring Philosophies of Swamiji:
Vivekananda (Narendranath Datta), an iconic ambassador of Indian culture and teaching was born on 12 January 1863 at Gourmohan Mukherjee Street in Calcutta, the then national capital of British India. He imbibed a rational attitude from his father Vishwanath Datta, who was an attorney at the Calcutta High Court, and a religious temperament from his mother Bhubaneswari Devi, who was a pious lady. He used to Meditate before the images of deities on daily basis and took immense interest in Hindu scriptures from his childhood days. Religious yet naughty and restless, Narendra’s parents often had difficulty controlling him.
Possessing a prodigious memory and being a voracious reader he started exploring a wide range of disciplines including philosophy, logic religion, history, social science, art, and literature from his early youth days. He studied many scriptures like Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas. He was also proactive in co-curricular activities like classical music, debate, sports, physical exercise, etc. Vivekananda’s life is evident enough to prove that extra-curricular activities are very essential for all-round development of youth. A prosperous nation not only requires good educationally qualified man powers, but also creative artists and sportspersons.
Being well-educated man, Swamiji always kept education as the top priority for the progress of humanity. Vivekananda didn’t confine the definition of education within the contour of fact learning or classroom teaching rather he considered it as a process of character building, the instillation of human values, and an instrument of social change. He always believed that education is the best weapon to defeat social evils and empower mankind for betterment of the society.
Having immense curiosity from his childhood regarding the existence of God, he wondered here and there asking the same question i.e., “Have you seen God?” He was disappointed by many before meeting Rama Krishna Paramhansa in 1882. This meeting proved to be a turning point in Vivekananda’s life. When the then Narendra asked Paramhansa the same question, Ramakrishna replied, “yes, I have seen God. I can see God, as I can see you.” As it is said Paramhansa not only replied this way but also made him realize the feelings of supernatural power. He accepted Ramakrishna as his spiritual Guru. Before his death, Ramakrishna chose Swamiji as his successor and advised him to spread the rich values and ideas of Hinduism in the world.
Being associated with Brahmo Samaj at some point in time, Swamiji was very rational and pragmatist in his approach. According to De Michelis (a prominent historian), “Vivekananda was more influenced by the Brahmo Samaj’s and its new ideas, than by Ramakrishna.” Swamiji used to say, “service of mankind is service to God.” He further went on to say, “Bread! Bread! I do not believe in a God, who cannot give me bread here, giving me eternal bliss in heaven! Pooh! India is to be raised, the poor are to be fed, education is to be spread…”.
After the demise of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda traveled across the country for five years as a Parivrâjaka(monk) to have a better insight into the motherland and its people. He met people across all walks of life: rich, poor, scholars, dewans, rajas, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, paraiyars (low-caste workers), and government officials, etc. He understood the problems and suffering of people and committed to doing something for the motherland. He also spread the rich ideas and values of Hinduism among the Indian masses. People were amazed and convinced by the strong logic and oratorial skill of Vivekananda.
India is a rich nation with soft powers like Yoga, Classical Music, Vedanta Philosophy, etc. In the age of globalization, nation-building requires a prominent position in the international community. Vivekananda is one of the best ambassadors that India has produced ever. He was the first person to talk about the true meaning and significance of Hinduism and Vedanta philosophy to the world. His speeches in the parliament of the world’s religions in 1893 mesmerized the audience. Referring to Hinduism he said that he is proud to belong to a religion that has taught tolerance and universal acceptance. He further said India is the hub for religious tolerance and universal brotherhood that has given shelter to all religions. During his brief speech, he said God is one and that each religion is like a different river flowing towards a common sea. Later on, he traveled to various parts of the to propagate the same to the cosmopolitan population.
He was offered academic positions by two most prominent American universities which he declined since his duties would conflict with his commitment as a monk. His popularity in the west could be gauged from the instance that an Irish lady called Margaret Elizabeth Noble left everything and devoted her life to fulfilling the ambition of Ramakrishna Mission. She along with Swamiji made a significant contribution to women’s education in India. In 1897, he established Ramkrishna Mission at Belur which has been actively involved in social service to the poor and helpless.
What Indian Youth Can Learn from Swamiji to Build a Prosperous India?
The life and philosophies of Swami Vivekananda have inspired many great leaders such as Aurobindo Ghose, Hemchandra Ghosh, Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and have been inspiring millions of youths across the globe including India. Below we shall try to know what the present youth could learn from the life of Swami Vivekananda.
• Indian youth should learn the philosophy of pragmatism i.e., a practical approach to dealing with things. If we want to worship the almighty, we should devote our time and energy to serving the people.
• The youth of the country need to be curious, critical, and rational. Like Swamiji youth need to have an inquisitive mind to understand things from multiple perspectives. Vivekananda always advocated for the richness of Indian culture abroad but simultaneously spoke against social evils like casteism, communalism, racism, and illiteracy inside the country. We as Indian need to be proud of our national assets and heritage, yet need to be self-critical of all wrong practices in our society.
• Youth needs to become educated in the true sense. An educationally qualified person can’t be called educated unless he/she has purified his/her character.
• A nation can’t progress without the contribution of women. Vivekananda said, “All nations have attained greatness by paying proper respect to women. That country and that nation which does not respect women have never become great”. The patriarchal Indian society needs to give women the dignified life that they deserve.
• Youth needs to have equal respect for all religions. Vivekananda used to say, philosophy and Vedanta will make a Christian a better Christian and a Hindu a better Hindu. The secular principle of Swamiji is a great lesson for those who have hatred for other religions.
• Youth needs to develop a scientific temper that is crucial for national progress. Vivekananda’s seriousness for scientific education is evident from the instance when he suggested Jamsetji Tata to set up a research and educational institution when they traveled together from Yokohama to Chicago on Vivekananda’s first visit to the West in 1893. As a result of which The Tata Institute of Science was established in 1909.
Vivekananda once told a group of journalists at the University of Michigan, “This is your century right now, but the 21st century is India’s century”. Vivekananda always visioned a golden India: An India where no one is deprived of basic necessities, an India where no one is illiterate, an India where no human hates other humans based on cultural differences, and an India which could teach the value of love, tolerance and universal brotherhood to the world. And the youth having full of energy, enthusiasm and innovative ideas is the greatest asset to our nation and has the greatest responsibility too. Just youths need to channelize their energy in the right direction to lead the country on the path of progress. Let’s arise, awake, and stop not till the vision of Swamiji is fulfilled.