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National Youth Day (12th January) is held every year to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda’s 161st Birth Anniversary: Inspiring Generations in 2024

• 2024 marks 161st anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.

Swami Vivekananda: Birth, Transformation, and Legacy

• Born: Swami Vivekananda was born as  Narendra Nath Datta, to father  Vishwanath Datta and mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi.
• Guru / Teacher: Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
• New name: In 1893, he took the name ‘Vivekananda ’ at the request of Maharaja Ajit Singh of the Khetri State.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had called Vivekananda the “maker of modern India.”

Swami Vivekananda’s Revolutionary Vision of Religion and Spirituality

• New Understanding of Religion: 

• • Swami Vivekanand’s Religion was an amalgamation of Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual teachings of Divine manifestation and his personal internalization of the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
  • Religion as ‘science of consciousness’: He  interprets religion as a universal experience of transcendent Reality, common to all humanity. 
  • Universal conception of Religion: It frees religion from the hold of superstitions, dogmatism, priestcraft and intolerance, and making it  the highest and noblest pursuit ie. of supreme Freedom, supreme Knowledge, supreme Happiness.
  • Path: He embarked on a path  to achieve divinity of soul by undertaking selfless work, worship and mental discipline. 

• Bridge Between East and West: 

  • He introduced the philosophies of Yoga and Vedanta to the West and  thus became popular as the ‘messenger of Indian wisdom to the Western world’.
  • Western teachings: Swamiji has taught Indians to master Western science and technology and at the same time adapt to the new age values of Western humanism (especially the ideas of individual freedom, social equality and justice and respect for women) to Indian ethos.

• Ethical values and life lessons: 

  • New theory of ethics based on intrinsic purity and oneness of the Atman: Swamiji believes to strive for purity as the ultimate goal because PURITY is the True attribute of the real human nature, our true divine Self or Atman. 
  • Morality based on love and service: He believed in the oneness of all  therefore everyone should be treated with love and respect because we are all one in the Supreme Spirit known as Paramatman or Brahman.
  • Importance of Education: He emphasised on gaining knowledge, secular ( to improve one’s economic condition) and spiritual (to infuse faith in oneself and to strengthen one’s moral sense).
  • Idea of Antyodaya ie Until the upliftment of the last poor person in the country is ensured, development is meaningless.

Swami Vivekananda’s Impact: Founding Ramakrishna Mission, Chicago Speech, and Literary Legacy

• Ramakrishna Mission: 

  • Founded: Swami Vivekanand founded the Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, 1897 at Belur Math near Calcutta.

• World’s Parliament of Religions Chicago 1893: 

  • He  describes the principles of Vedanta and their spiritual significance, putting Hinduism and Sanatan Dharma on the map of World Religions.
  • Themes of the speech: Vishwabandhutva (universal brotherhood), tolerance, cooperativeness, participation, religion, culture, nation, nationalism and the collective India-Indianness.
• He founded the Vedanta Society of New York in 1894.
• Literary works: Raja Yoga’, ‘Jnana Yoga’, ‘Karma Yoga’ 

Swami Vivekananda: Nationalism Rooted in Humanism and Karma Yoga

• Swami Vivekananda’s nationalism: His nationalism is based on Humanism, Universalism and spiritualism, cardinal features of Indian culture. 
• Principle of Karma Yoga: Freedom for Swami Vivekanand is both political and spiritual to be attained through selfless service and harbouring deep concern for masses. He was a torchbearer for the values of  freedom and equality through which one expresses self, and attains spiritual upliftment.

News Source: PIB