Swami Vivekananda

A Brief life-sketch
(1863-1902)

                 Swami   Vivekananda  is  just  another  name  for the phenomenon that exploded on the Indian scence towards the end of the nineteenth century and restored the self-confidence and self-respect of a nation that had been badly mauled for a millennia. Born on the 12th January 1863, of an intellectual  but  compassionate  father  and  a  deeply religious mother,  Narendranath-that was the original  name-got  a  good  education and cultural training under them.  An innate desire for spiritual perfection brought him into contact with Sri Ramakrishna in the early part of 1882. The next four and a  half  years-until  the Mahasamadhi of Sri Ramakrishna-were marked by turbulence and turmoil,  the direct  result  of  the  perfect  Master  chiselling  and shaping the perfect disciple, but ending in total submission of the latter at the feet of the former.  As per the specific direction of his guru, Narendra, along  with  the  other  young  men who were his co-disciples, took to monastic order and founded a monastery  in  his guru's name at Baranagore (Calcutta) in 1886. Setting out on pilgrimage, mostly as    a  wandering  monk,  he finally arrived at Kanyakumari, the southetnmost tip of the Indian soil, during december  1892.  There,  while  meditating  on  the  rock  inside  the sea,  the mission of his life was revealed  to  him.  Then,  things  moved  quickly.  Setting  sail  for America on the 31st May 1893 he created  history  at  the  World Parliament of Religions held at Chicago during September of the same year. After whirlwind  tours in America and England, he triumphantly returned to India via Colombo on
the  15th  January  1897.  During  the  next  five  years  he  literally  shook  the  Indian  nation to its foundations,  electrifying  it  to  dynamic  self-expression,  through  his speeches and writings as also conversations. These have been compiled and published in eight volumes, now well-known as the The complete  Works  of  Swami  Vivekananda  They  contain,  as  he  himself  once remarked, enough messages for a millennia. He formally established the Ramakrishna  Mission 1897  and  conecrated  the newly built Belur Math, the Head quarters of the Ramakrishna Monastery, in 1899. He visited the west again during 1899-1900. He shuffled off the mortal coil on the 4th of July 1902.His was a multifaceted personality-a prophet, a patriot, a monk, a yogi, a social reformer, an educationist,  an artist,  a poet and  a humanist-all  rolled   into  one.  His  dynamic  life  and  message  gave  a  new direction to the resurgent India. His work is being continued even today.

A small article from his complete works: "Secrate of Work"; It gives the better understanding of help.