Swami Vivekananda is among the few leaders who have left a strong impact on the minds of Bharatiya youth. He was bold, honest, and inspiring. He spoke openly, and his criticism was often sharp. At the same time, he strongly believed in staying connected to one’s roots. He encouraged young people to be patriotic and to take pride in their culture.
Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendranath and later became the most beloved disciple of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa. After his Guru passed away, he founded the Ramakrishna Mission. It is a spiritual organisation that aims to serve society. They run schools and take part in many charitable activities.
On 24 December 1886, Swami took informal vows of sannyasa at Antpur and in January 1887, he formal vows of sannyasa at the Baranagar Monastery. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari marks the place where he meditated after a long journey.
In 1893, he introduced Hindu Dharma to the world at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. In his famous speech, Swami Vivekananda proudly said that Hindu Dharma teaches both tolerance and universal acceptance, and that it believes all religions are true. Wearing saffron robes, he spoke with great confidence and clarity.
He was a strong nationalist and a key teacher of Hindu philosophies like Vedanta. He believed true nationalism begins with serving the poor and the oppressed. With this purpose, he founded the Ramakrishna Mission in honour of his Guru. The organisation continues to carry out various social service activities even today.
Let us learn from his quotes and try to use them in our own lives. The best tribute to this great Swami is to follow his example and act upon his teachings:
1) Arise, awake, sleep no more; within each of you there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries. Believe this, and that power will be manifested
2) Be free; hope for nothing from anyone. I am sure if you look back upon your lives you will find that you were always vainly trying to get help from others which never came
3) Do not be afraid of a small beginning. Great things come afterwards. Be courageous. Do not try to lead your brethren, but serve them. The brutal mania for leading has sunk many a great ships in the waters of life. Take care especially of that, i.e. be unselfish even unto death, and work
4) I hate cowardice; I will have nothing to do with cowards or political nonsense. I do not believe in any politics. God and truth are the only politics in the world, everything else is trash.
5) I want each one of my children (Bharatiyas) to be a hundred times greater than I could ever be. Every one of you must be a giant— must, that is my word. Obedience, readiness, and love for the cause— if you have these three, nothing can hold you back
6) Know that every time you feel weak, you not only hurt yourself but also the cause. Infinite faith and strength are the only conditions of success
7) Let people say whatever they like, stick to your own convictions, and rest assured, the world will be at your feet. They say, ‘Have faith in this fellow or that fellow’, but, I say, ‘Have faith in yourself first’; that’s the way
8) Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. I never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is only a cow— never a man. So never mind these failures, these little backslidings; hold the ideal a thousand times, and if you fail a thousand times, make the attempt once more
9) Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced
10) Religion is realization; not talk, not doctrine, nor theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes. Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man
11) Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads and dare to carry that out in your life
Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in and in your own way absorb it; do not become others
12) You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul
13) The greatest sin is to think yourself weak
Swami Vivekananda was a true patriot and lived the life of a Yogi. He questioned blind beliefs and urged others to do the same. His speech at the Chicago Parliament of Religions was not only historic but also revolutionary.
In his short life of 39 years, Swami travelled across Bharat and the world to awaken people and help Bharatiyas realise their true potential. Even decades after his death, his words continue to inspire people. His teachings are still relevant today, and he remains a role model for both the young and the old.
Swami Vivekananda had great faith in the youth and urged them to dedicate themselves to the service of the nation. His birth anniversary is aptly celebrated as National Youth Day. He is an inspiration for several generations to come. May his thoughts and view inspire us to take up the path shown by him and like he said instill a spirit of inquiry within us. Let us pledge to do our best to serve our nation and be proud of our roots at the same time like Swamiji himself was.
