swami vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Here is a collection of writings on Swami Vivekananda . If you have an article
on himself or his lectures/teachings,
please send it for addition.Swami
Vivekananda was very fluent in Sanskrit . There are few of his letters
poems which were written in Sanskrit . The complete works have some
of them with translations . These letters would decorate this collection
further . If you have access to the second/third columes of complete works,
please work on encoding and proofreading the letters . If you need any help
in understanding the encoding scheme or any related item please contact
sai@cs.utah.edu or mgiridhar@ucdavis.edu .
sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ödSwami Vivekananda
by Kedar Naphade
j:an:ðv:ari m:as:sy: ¾adS:H edv:s:H Â:i ev:v:ðkan:ndsy: j:nm:edn:H K:l:Ø .
The twelvth day of January is the birth day of ShrI Vivekananda.
Â:iev:v:ðkan:ndH m:an:v:D:m:üsy: m:han:Î up:dðS:kH . Aehös:a Ov: p:rm::ð
D:m:üH,S:aent:rðv: m:ag::ðü,n: y:عö Eet: D:m:üsy: m:ht:Î t:¶v:ö s:H
up:edS:et: . An:ðkñ p:aÁ:aty:aH t:sy: eS:\y:aH B:v:ent: . t:ð\:Ø B:eg:en:
en:v:ðedt:adðv:i t:sy: p:rm:a eS:\y:a . Awð\:Ø,p:ieRt:ð\:Ø,din:ð\:Ø c:
ev:v:ðkan:ndH At:iv: esn:Êet: . n:v:y:Øg:ð m:an:v:D:m:üö G::ð\:y:et:,
ev:Ã:ð|esm:n:Î B:art:ö )T:y:et: c: . s:H ev:v:ðkan:ndH B:art:sy:
B:Ü\:N:ö Ov: .
Shri Vivekananda was a great preacher of philanthrophy . He advised the great
principle that only non-violence was the greatest relegion, and peace, not war
was the path . Many westerners were his disciples . Among them Sister Nivedita
was the principal disciple . Vivekananda had a lot of love for the oppressed,
the ignorant and the helpless . He proclaimed the religion of humanism in the
new age and made India prominent in this world . That vivekananda is indeed an
ornament to India.
sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ndsm:rN:ö
by Bijoy Misra (bmisra@husc.harvard.edu)
January 12, 1996-
p:aÁ:aty:p:öej:kam:t:ð A½ sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ndm:haB:ag:sy:
Oks:t:e*:et:öS:et:t:m:H s:öv:ts:erkj:nm:et:eT:H B:v:et: .
e*:s:¯ö UDv:ðü AÄaS:t:ð Oks:h+ð s:öv:ts:rð t:sy:
A:ev:B:aüv:H B:art:v:\:ðü v:ög:dðS:ð kael:kt:n:aemn: n:g:rð AB:v:t:Î .
B:Üm:öRl:ð B:art:iy:D:m:ü)c:araT:ðü t:sy: b:hÞen:
kay:aüeN: s:v:ðüBy:H At:iv: )S:ös:n:iy:aeN: . s:Øpt:B:art:ð
n:Üt:n:j:ag:rN:en:em:¶:ð t:sy: u¾:ðD:n:aen: A½aep: sm:ert:vy:aen: .
l::ðks:ðv:akaöex:vy:H t:sy: j:iv:n:c:ert:ö A:dS:üp:ÜN:üm:Î .
D:m:üej:was:ØBy:H t:sy: D:m:aün:ØS:il:n:ö s:Øc:a,Dy:ðy:m:Î .
According to the western calendar, today is the one hundred thirtythird
birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda . He was born in Calcutta in
State of Bengal in India in 1863-His work to spread the message of
India's philosophic heritage around the world is extremely commendable.
His addresses to arouse Indians from their slumbering state is
memorable even today . For people who wish to do public servce, his life
is a cherished ideal . For people who cherish spiritual knowledge, his
analysis of religions is well worth the exploration.
sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ndsy: b:aly:n:am: n:rðndÓH A:es:t:Î . ev:½al:y:ð s:H
u¶:m:H Ca*:H AB:v:t:Î . AÄadS:v:\:ðü k:òt:Økkát:ð s:H
ram:ká\N:p:rm:hös:ö Aem:l:t:Î . p:rm:hös:sy: s:ödS:ün:ð
t:sy: l::òekkec:nt:a -p:ant:ert:v:et: . p:rm:hös:)ðrN:ay: s:H
B:g:v:t:Îec:nt:n:ö Akr:ðt:Î . n:an:aE S:as*:aeN: ADy:ey:tv:a
B:art:iy:s:öskáet:)s:ög:ð s:H s:m:Øec:t:wan:ö )apt:v:an:Î .
p:rm:hös:sy: p:rl::ðks:m:y:ð ev:dðS:ð v:at:aü)c:araT:ðü s:H
n:rðndÓö Aen:v:ðdy:t:Î . n:rðndÓH sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ndn:am: en:tv:a
B:art:v:\:ðü p:erv:Òaj:kH AB:v:t:Î . t:t:Î p:Á:at:Î eS:kag::ðn:g:rð
ev:Ã:D:m:üs:emm:l:ny:aö ehndÙD:m:üev:\:y:ð )aöj:l:aen: B:a\:N:aen:
d¶:v:an:Î . p:aÁ:aty:dðS:ð An:ðkaH D:m:ü)aeN:n:H t:sy: eS:\y:H
AB:v:n:Î . p:nT:an:H ev:ÀaH s:ty:ö Okö Eet: p:rm:hös:sy: v:at:aü
sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ndH s:v:ü*: )c:aert:v:an:Î .
Swami Vivekananda's childhood name was Narendra . He was a good student
in school . At the age of eighteen, for curiosity and fun, he happened to
meet Ramakrishna Paramahamsa . With such meetings, his worldly thoughts
changed and with the encouragement of Sri Ramakrishna he delved more and
more into the spiritual realm . He studied various texts thoroughly and
gained knowledge about Indian culture and philosophy . During the time of
his death, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa requested Narendra to spread the
vedantic message in the western world . Narendra took the name of Swami
Vivekanada and toured around India . Then he came to attend the World
Parliament of religions in Chicago . There he gave eloquent speeches
about hindu religion and announced the unity of faith . Many westerners
were attracted to him because of his message and became his disciples.
He pronounced everywhere Sri Ramakrishna's observation that the paths
could be different, but Truth is always One.
B:art:v:\:ðü )ty:av:t:ün:ö kátv:a dðS:ð j:n::ðtp:iRn:ö dÙev:üp:akö c:
dáÄÏv:a s:H AeD:rH AB:v:t:Î . l::ðks:ðv:aT:ðü
s:H ram:ká\N:s:ðv:aÂ:m:n:am:
An:ØÅan:ö )et:eÅt:v:an:Î . An:ðkaH uts:aehn:H y:Øv:kaH t:sy: A:dS:ðü
An:Ø)aeN:t:aH AB:v:n:Î . sv:aem:n:H n:ðt:àtv:ð s:v:ðü j:n:eht:krkay:ðü
en:y::ðej:t:v:nt:H . Â:¹as:mm:aeÀtv: sv:c:ðÄay: s:v:ükay:ües:e¹H
B:ev:t:vy:H Eet: v:ðd:ðVt:v:at:aü t:ðBy:H kát:ð dðS:ð )c:aert:a .
n:Øt:n:B:art::ðnm:ð\:N:ð Ot:dÏ )T:m::ðe·raN:am:Î .
After returning to India, he became distressed with the grief and tragic
life of his countrymen . To do public good, he established the Ramakrishna
Mission as a social service organization . Many young men were influenced by
his ideals to join him in his movement . Under his leadership, everyone was
engaged in public service . The Vedic statement that with faith one can
triumph by one's own efforts was the cornerstone of his message . This
was the first energizing of Indian psyche after a long period of ineptitude.
¾ð uDv:ðü n:v:S:t:ð Oks:h+ð s:öv:ts:rð j:Øl:òy:aö m:aes: c:t:Øedüv:s:ð
sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ödH p:rl::ðk)apt:H . A:ögl:B:a\:ay: v:ög:B:a\:ay: c:
s:öskát:B:a\:ay: c: t:sy: b:hv:H kát:y:H AD:Ün:a )kaeS:t:aH .
Ot:an:Î p:eYtv:a s:v:ðü t:sy: B:av:n::ðe¾p:k)kaS:ð ev:m::ðeht:aH c:
udÏb:عaH B:v:nt:Ø Eet: )aT:üey:t:vy:m:Î .
On July 4, 1902, he passed away from earth at the young age of 39-
His speeches and writings in English, Bengali and Sanskrit have now
been published . Let everyone be enthralled and regenerated by the
illumination and depth of his thoughts is our prayer on this
auspicious day.
vy:akrN:d:ð\:aH x:m:eN:y:aH uVtv:a Ot:dÏ sv:am:i ev:v:ðkan:ndsm:rN:ö
A½ p:ØNy:v:as:rð B:v:nt:H ,cy:aT:ðü )ðe\:t:m:Î . ev:j:y:m::ðhn:em:+ðN:
kñöb:Òij:n:g:rð Edö el:eK:t:m:Î .
S:ØB:m:st:Ø .
By seeking forgiveness for any grammatical errors, this text on
the memory of Swami Vivekanda is being sent . This was written by
Bijoy Misra in the city of Cambridge.
Let all be well ..
From: THE DISCOVERY OF INDIA
by: Jawaharlal Nehru
About the same period as Swami Dayananda, a different type of person lived in Bengal and his life influenced many
of the new English-educated classes . He was Shri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a simple man, no scholar but a man
of faith, and not interested in social reform as such . He
was in a direct line with Chaitanya and other Indian saints.
Essentially religious and yet broad-minded, in his search
for self-realization he went to Moslem and Christian
mystics and lived with them for years, following their strict
routines . He settled down at Dakshineshwar near Calcutta,
and his extraordinary personality and character gradually
attracted attention . People who went to visit him, and
some who were even inclined to scoff at this simple man of
faith, were powerfully influenced, and many who had been
completely westernized felt that here was something they
had missed . Stressing the essentials of religious faith, he
linked up the various aspects of the Hindu religion and
philosophy and seemed to represent all of them in his own
person . Indeed he brought within his fold other religions
also . Opposed to all sectarianism, he emphasized that all
roads lead to truth . He was like some of the saints we read
about in the past records of Asia and Europe; difficult to
understand in the context of modern life, and yet fitting
into India's many-colored pattern and accepted and revered
by man of her people as a man with a touch of the divine
fire about him . His personality impressed itself on all who
saw him, and many who never saw him have been
influenced by the story of his life . Among these latter is Romain
Rolland, who has written a story of his life and that of his
chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda.
Vivekananda, together with his brother disciples,
founded the nonsectarian Ramakrishna Mission of service.
Rooted in the past and full of pride in India's heritage,
Vivekananda was yet modern in his approach to life's
problems and was a kind of bridge between the past of India
and her present . He was a powerful orator in Bengali and
English and a graceful writer of Bengali prose and poetry.
He was a fine figure of a man, imposing, full of poise and
dignity, sure of himself and his mission, and at the same
time full of a dynamic and fiery energy and a passion to
push India forward . He came as a tonic to the depressed
and demoralized Hindu mind and gave it self-reliance and
some roots in the past . He attended the Parliament of
Religions in Chicago in 1893, spent over a year in the U.S.A.,
traveled across Europe going as far as Athens and
Constantinople, and visited Egypt, China, and Japan . Wherever
he went, he created a minor sensation not only by his
presence but by what he said and bow he said it . Having seen
this Hindu sanyasin once, it was difficult to forget him or
his message . In America he was called the ``cyclonic
Hindu.'' He was himself greatly influenced by his travels
in Western countries; he admired British perseverance, and
the vitality and spirit of equality of the American people.
``America is the best field in the world to carry on any idea,''
he wrote to a friend in India . But he was not impressed
by the manifestations of religion in the West, and his faith
in the Indian philosophical and spiritual background
became firmer . India, in spite of her degradation, still
represented to him the Light.
He preached the monism of the Advaita philosophy of
the Vedanta, and was convinced that only this could be the
future religion of thinking humanity . For the Vedanta was
not only spiritual but rational and in hannony with
scientific investigations of external nature . ``This universe has
not been created by any extra-cosmic God, nor is it the
work of any outside genius . It is self-creating,
self-dissolving, self-manifesting, One Infinite Existence, the Brahma.''
The Vedanta ideal was of the solidarity of man and his
inborn divine nature; to see God in man is the real
Godvision; man is the greatest of all beings . But the abstract
Vedanta must become living-poetic-in everyday life; out
of hopelessly intricate mythology must come concrete
moral forms; and out of bewildering Yogi-ism must come
the most scientific and practical psychology.'' India had
fallen because she had narrowed herself, gone into her shell
and lost touch with other nations, and thus sunk into a
state of ``mummified'' and ``crystalled'' civilization . Caste,
which was necessary and desirable in its early forms, and
meant to develop individuality and freedom, had become
a monstrous degradation, the opposite of what it was meant
to be, and had crushed the masses . Caste was a form of
social organization which was and should be kept separate
from religion . Social organizations should change with the
changing times . Passionately Vivekananda condemned the
meaningless metaphysical discussions and arguments about
ceremonials, and especially the touch-me-notism of the
upper castes . ``Our religion is in the kitchen . Our God is
the cooking-pot, and our religion is: `don't touch me, I am
holy.'''
He kept away from politics and disapproved of the
politicians of his day . But again and again he laid stress on
the necessity for liberty and equality and the raising of the
masses . ``Liberty of thought and action is the only
condition of life, of growth and well-being . Where it does not
exist, the man, the race, the nation must go.'' ``The only
hope of India is from the masses . The upper classes are
physically and morally dead.'' He wanted to combine
Western progress with India's spiritual background: ``Make
a European society with India's religion . . . . Become an
Occidental of occidentals in your spirit of equality,
freedom, work and energy, and at the same time a Hindu to
the very backbone in religious culture and instincts.''
Progressively Vivekananda grew more international in outlook:
``Even in Politics and Sociology, problems that were only
natianal twenty years ago can no longer be solved on
national grounds only . They are assuming huge proportions,
gigantic shapes . They can only be solved when looked at in
the broader light of international grounds . International
organizations, international combinations, international
laws are the cry of the day . That shows solidarity . In
science, every day they are coming to a similar broad view
of matter.'' And again: ``There cannot be any progress
without the whole world following in the wake, and it is
becoming every day clearer that the solution of any problem
can never be attained on racial, or national, or narrow
grounds . Every idea has to become broad till it covers the
whole of this world, every aspiration must go on increasing
till it has engulfed the whole of humanity, nay the whole
of life, within its scope.'' All this fitted in with
Vivekananda's view of the Vedanta philosophy, and he preached
this from end to end of India . ``I am thoroughly convinced
that no individual or nation can live by holding itself apart
from the community of others, and wherever such an
attempt has been made under false ideas of greatness, policy
or holiness-the result has always been disastrous to the
secluding one . . . . The fact of our isolation from all the
other nations of the world is the cause of our degeneration
and its only remedy is getting back into the current of the
rest of the world . Motion is the sign of life.''
He once wrote: ``I am a socialist not because I think it is
a perfect system, but half a loaf is better than no bread.
The other systems have been tried and found wanting . Let
this one be tried, if for nothing else, for the novelty of the
thing.''
Vivekananda spoke of many things, but the one constant
refrain of his speech and writing was abhaya - be fearless, be
strong . For him man was no miserable sinner but a part of
divinity; why should he be afraid of anything? ``If there
is a sin in the world it is weakness; avoid all weakness,
weakness is sin, weakness is death.'' That had been the
great lesson of the Upanishads . Fear breeds evil and
weeping and wailing . There had been enough of that, enough of
softness . What our country now wants are muscles of iron
and nerves of steel, gigantic wills which nothing can resist,
whith can penetrate into the mysteries and the secrets of
the universe, and will accomplish their purpose in any
fashion, even if it meant going down to the bottom of the ocean
and meeting death face to face.'' He condemned occultism,
and mysticism . . . these creepy things; there may be great
truths in them, but they have nearly destroyed us . . . .
And here is the test of truth - anything that makes you
weak physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject as
poison, there is no life in it, it cannot be true . Truth is
strengthening . Truth is purity, truth is all-knowledge . . . .
These mysticisms, in spite of some grains of truth in them,
are generally weakening . . . . Go back to your Upanishads,
the shining, the strengthening, the bright philosophy, and
part from all these mysterious things, all these weakening
things . Take up this philosophy; the greatest truths are the
simplest things in the world, simple as your own existence.''
And beware of superstition . ``I would rather see everyone
of you rank atheists than superstitious fools, for the atheist
is alive, and you can make something of him . But if
superstition enters, the brain is gone, the brain is
softening, degradation has seized upon the life . . . .
Mysterymongering and superstition are always
signs of weakness.''Most of these extracts have been
taken from Lectures from
Colombo to Almora by Swami Vivekananda (1933) and Letters
of Swami Vivekananda (1942) , both published by the Advaita
Ashrama, Mayavati, Almora, Himalayas . In the Letters, P-390,
there is a remarkable letter written by Vivekananda to a Moslem
friend . In the course of this he says:
``Whether we call it Vedantism or any ism, the truth is that
Advaitism is the last word of religion and thought and the only
position from which one can look upon all religions and sects
with love . We believe it is the religion of the future enlightened
humanity . The Hindus may get the credit of arriving at it earlier
than other races, they being an older race than either the Hebrew
or the Arab; yet practical Advaitism, which looks upon and
behaves to all mankind as one's own soul, is yet to be developed
among the Hindus universally.
``On the other hand our experience is that if ever the followers
of any religion approach to this equality in an appreciable degree
in the plane of practical work-a-day life-it may be quite
unconscious generally of the deeper meaning and the underlying
principle of such conduct, which the Hindus as a rule so clearly
perceive - it is those of Islam and Islam alone . . . .
``For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems,
Hinduism and Islam.-Vedanta brain and Islam body-is the
only hope.
``I see in my mind's eye the future perfect India rising out of
this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with Vedanta brain
and Islam body.'' This letter is dated Almora, 10th June, 1898-
footnote
So Vivekananda thundered from Cape Comorin on the
southern tip of India to the Himalayas, and he wore
himself out in the process, dying in 1902 when he was
thirtynine years of age.
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