Swami Vivekananda
“If you want to find God, serve man”
~Swami Vivekananda
At the end of the nineteenth century, Swami Vivekananda burst onto the Indian scene. His presence helped restore the nation’s self-confidence and self-respect—qualities that had suffered through colonialism.
Named Narendranath, and affectionately called Biley, Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863 to an intellectual, compassionate father and a deeply religious mother. He was so bright and full of energy that his mother found him restless and hard to manage. “I prayed to God for a son, but He sent me one of His demons,” she sometimes said in frustration.
Little did she know that one day her son would be a light to the whole country-and to the world. Biley’s mother read to him from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and other spiritual texts. These great epics no doubt helped shape the boy’s imagination and character. From an early age he showed signs of benevolence, strength, and intelligence. One day, his mother noticed that some household items were missing. She asked Biley about them and he said he had given them to some sadhus (holy men) who had come by begging for alms. The mother was not happy about this. The next morning, when she saw the sadhus approaching, she sent Biley to his room. He watched from the window as his mother gave the men food. Then, feeling left out, the boy searched the room for something to give them. But what could he do? He was alone in the room where his mother kept her clothes. “That’s it!” he cried. “I’ll give them saris.” He jumped up and began tossing saris to the sadhus below. Grateful, they thanked the compassionate young child.
Biley was fascinated by the wandering monks who are common in India. Watching them, he began to practice meditation as a game and taught his friends to play, too. One day they were playing “meditation” when one of the boys suddenly noticed a snake coming toward the group. He yelled, “A snake! Run!” But what had started as a game for Biley had became a reality. He was completely immersed within himself. Though his friends screamed for him to run, it was useless. The snake slithered up to him, stopped, then crawled quickly away—as if it were ashamed of its actions. Spiritual greatness was already budding in little Biley.
As he grew older, Narendra—now called Naren—amazed his teachers with his ability. He excelled in everything–athletics, academics and music. His father, Vishwanath, began to realize his son’s extraordinary talents. Already very close to the boy, Vishwanath did everything in his power to help mold his son’s character with constant understanding and friendship. Father and son spent long hours talking about every conceivable topic. Vishwanath encouraged Naren to go deep into a subject, to analyze it objectively, to understand its basic premise? Through their talks, Naren developed a keen analytical mind.
Vishwanath, a man of sharp intellect, was also extremely generous. He gave help to all who asked; he never questioned whether or not they deserved it. Once, Naren asked his father why he did this. Vishwanath gently answered, “My dear son, one day you will realize how full of sorrow human life is.” The statement left a deep impression on Naren; he would return to it again and again throughout his life.
When Naren began college, western philosophy and logic intrigued him. An exceptional student, he also showed keen interested in India’s social problems. The teachings of the Brahrno Samaj (a movement within Hinduism that discards ritualism and idol worship) attracted Naren. He became a firm believer in the Samaj and felt it would solve the individual, social, and national problems of India. Prayer, singing, and analyzing the hidden meanings in the scriptures filled Naren with joy and bliss. Every night, before he went to sleep, he saw two ideals of his future before him. In one, he saw a rich, powerful man with all the world’s luxuries; in the other he saw a simple, pious sage, wearing a loincloth and eating Whatever came his way. For Naren, the life of the ascetic held greater attraction.
Over time, Naren came to feel that his spiritual practices needed to intensify. He longed for that “special something” that would give him ultimate bliss and constant peace. He firmly believed that to achieve his goal, he had to see God. Unsure how to accomplish this, he began asking people whether or not they had seen God. No one could say he had actually had such an experience. Naren began to believe his quest was impossible when, in class one day, the words of a professor struck him. The teacher, while analyzing the poem “Excursion,” by William Wordsworth, mentioned the phrase “momentary trance.” He spoke of a deep meditation, adding that he knew of only one person who had reached that state: Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar.
Shortly afterward, Naren was invited to sing in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna at the home of a devotee. Ramakrishna heard Naren’s beautiful, melodic voice and felt deeply touched by the young man’s devotion and sincerity. He asked him to visit. Naren eagerly accepted and soon made the trip to Dakshineswar. The moment Sri Ramakrishna—known as the “Master”—saw Naren, he exclaimed, “My child, why have you waited so long to come to me? I have waited, yearning to unburden my mind to someone who understands my thoughts!” He went on like this for some time. Then Naren asked, “Sir, have you seen God?” The Master replied, “Not only have I seen God, but I see him more clearly than I see you.” Naren was touched by the confidence and conviction of the answer. He knew that his search had ended. At last he had come face to face with a true saint. He felt sure this man would be his guiding light.
Naren accepted Sri Ramakrishna as his spiritual guide, but his scientific side had lingering doubts. He made a point of testing his teacher regularly. Once the Master said that the touch of money made his whole-body burn. As a test, Naren slipped a coin under his Master’s cot and anxiously awaited his arrival. The instant Sri Ramakrishna lay down, he jumped up as if stung by a scorpion. Instead of scolding Naren, he was delighted. “I am very pleased with you. You cannot accept me as your true spiritual guide unless you have tested me thoroughly.”
The Master similarly tested Naren. One day, when the young man came to Dakshineswar for the day, Sri Rarnakrishna neither spoke to nor looked at Naren. He continued that kind of indifference for an entire month. At last Sri Ramakrishna asked, “Why do you keep coming; I don’t even pay attention to you?” Naren looked into the eyes of the Master and said, “I love you. I want to see you. That is why I come.” Overjoyed, Sri Ramakrishna said, “Only a true aspirant of your quality could put up with so much neglect and indifference. Anyone else would have left me a long time ago.”
Eventually, Naren’s father passed away leaving the family in debt because of his unfailing generosity. Naren looked for a job. When he did not find one, he asked Sri Ramakrishna to pray for his family’s well-being. “Go and pray to Kali,” the Master replied. “She will grant you anything you ask.” Obediently, Naren prayed to mother Kali, but instead of asking for the well-being of his family, he asked her to grant him everlasting devotion. He returned and told the Master what had happened. “Go back again,” the Master replied. But the same thing happened a second time. Naren asked Kali for everlasting devotion. He reported this to Sri Ramakrishna who asked him to go a third time. The third time, when Naren reached the Kali temple, he asked for renunciation. This time when Naren returned to the Master, Sri Ramakrishna simply said, “Your family will never lack food or clothing.”
In 1885, the unthinkable happened. Sri Ramakrishna developed throat cancer. He was moved to Calcutta for treatment and all his disciples entered a period of intense training in service. When Sri Ramakrishna lay on his deathbed, Naren was at his side. He thought to himself, “ls my master really an incarnation of God?” Reading Naren’s mind, the Master smiled gently and said, “Oh Naren, aren’t you convinced yet? He who was once born as Rama and Krishna, is now living as Ramakrishna within this body.” The Master proclaimed that Naren would one day be the one to keep his message alive. Sri Ramakrishna passed away on August 15, 1886.
In time, Naren undertook a pilgrimage all around India. Traveling by foot, he visited holy places and met a wide range of people. Throughout India, he observed poverty and caste discrimination. He began to ask himself: What can be done? How can the people of India awaken to the truth of their great heritage? After six years of wandering, Naren came to Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip of India. As he meditated, sitting on a rock, the heritage and history of India flashed before him. He realized what he must do to make India great again: take her message to the West. Immediately Naren—now known as Swami Vivekananda—made plans to attend an International Conference of the Parliament of Religion as a delegate of Hinduism. He sailed to the United States on May 31, 1893.
The Parliament of Religions brought the leaders of all major religions together to discuss each faith’s fundamentals. When it was Swamiji’s turn to speak, he began with his famous line, “Sisters and brothers of America.” The sincerity and force of his words had such an impact that the audience gave him a standing ovation. Overnight, he became famous. Crowds of people flocked to hear his message of love, tolerance, and harmony. In one speech, he said, “Show by your lives that religion does not mean words, names, or sects; religion is realization.” Working constantly to erase the typical westerner’s stereotype of India’s customs and religion, Swamiji preached throughout America for two years. He continued on to England where he was greeted warmly by hundreds who came for his teachings and lectures.
When he finally returned home, thousands greeted him, showering him with flowers and cheers of joy. He turned to the group of western disciples who had come with him and said proudly, “This is India. This reception is not for a politician, not for a millionaire. It is for a sanyasin. That is the greatness of India.” His speeches in India differed from those in the west. He strongly urged people to act, not to be lazy-and to prepare to serve their homeland, even if it meant great sacrifice. He told them they must make their mark in the world; otherwise they would be no different from rocks or trees. They would simply come into existence and then die. People responded with great enthusiasm. They came forward, ready to serve their country. Swamiji told the energetic youth, “I see as clear as daylight that you all have infinite power within you. Awaken that. Arise, arise! It is better to wear out than rust out–especially through doing good to others!” To promote service to India, Swamiji established the Belur Math to provide the youth with a life of service and universal harmony. He set up special facilities to help the sick and the poor. He established schools to educate children.
In 1899, Swamiji was invited to return to the U.S. This time he worked incessantly to set up many centers. Though the work exhausted him, when he returned to India, he felt he had finished what was needed of him in his lifetime. He continued to inspire people and give guidance to seekers. Sri Ramakrishna had once said, “Narendra will give up his body when he realizes who he really is. He will refuse to stay on this earth.” The prediction came true. On July 4, 1902, Naren felt that his time had come. Confident that he had accomplished his life’s work, he left his body behind and entered the realm of eternal peace. He was just under 40 years old.
Swamiji’s great accomplishment was to inspire a new generation to combine western thought and eastern heart—a harmony of spiritual values and heritage. He often used these words of inspiration, “Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached… Strive for and achieve the ultimate; bring pride to your motherland!”
~Vivek Kocharlakota
Sources: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Vols. I-VIII.
Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1977
The Life of Swami Vivekananda by His Eastern and Western Disciples.
Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1981
Sarada Krishnamurthy, “Biography of Swami Vivekananda.”
Sapling 1 no. 3 (1988)
