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158th birthday of Swami Vivekananda

A man who personified wisdom and always relevant

Published : Tuesday, 12 January, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 616
Chinmay Prasun Biswas
12th January, 2021 is the 158th birthday of Swami Vivekananda. He died in 1902 but during this sort span of 39 years he became an iconic figure. Even after 119 years of death his messages on religion, education, knowledge, work and devotion are still relevant. He is said to be the pioneer of modern India in thought. He was against all forms of discrimination, superstition and ignorance.

Swami Vivekananda is known as an ideal human being in Bengalee's life. Pushing away all negative thoughts he has highlighted the enlightened sense of life. Reason and spirituality are the main preoccupations of his life. In his speech to the Congress of the World Religions held in Chicago on 11th September, 1893, he delivered his great speech on different topics which is still remembered. He declared all religions to be true and requested everyone to be tolerant. After his eloquent speech the whole conference centre applauded, participants stood up and showed their respect to him. Even today his time-honored speech is analysed and researched all over the world. The main tone of this speech was human beings, human society and world peace. He is still relevant in this turbulent and tumultuous world of religious insanity, racism and refugee crisis.

Swami Vivekananda was against all kinds of superstitions. He saw life from the bottom of his heart and wanted to awaken the inner feeling and power of man. He emphasised the sense of life and kindness. In the same way, he has shown the path of success and happiness but in all cases he has seen human beings at the centre. He has always asked us to abandon superstition, conflict and destruction. He has given more importance to coordination and peace. His unforgettable utterance- 'Strength and courage are religion. Weakness and cowardice are sins. It is a religion to love another; it is a sin to hate others. As a result, this road is very desirable to live a healthy life.
 
Naren (his childhood name) met Ramkrishna at Dakshineswar in 1881 when he was passing through a spiritual and family crisis. Inspired by Ramakrishna, Vivekananda was simultaneously a speaker, a monk, a philosopher, a writer and the founder of Ramkrishna Mission. He began to explore the Indian subcontinent well and tried to gain a first-hand knowledge about the socio-economic condition of British India  After travelling to the West he arrived at Colombo (the then Ceylon, at present Sri Lanka) on 15th January, 1896. He then went to Ramnad in South India. On 20th January of the same year he reached Calcutta via Chennai. Vivekananda travelled to different states of India. He drew attention to the pervasive poverty in India and said that a national renaissance is essential India to eradicate this poverty. His nationalist ideas influenced Indian philosophical and political leaders.  Sri Arvind said, "Vivekananda awakened India to spiritual consciousness."

His important message on religion and superstition is - "Religion without philosophy leads to superstition and philosophy without religion turns into atheism". About lifestyle he said - "Unrestricted and indisciplined mind will take us from bad to worse and will ruin us. Restricted and controlled life will save and salvage us." Regarding success he said - "Perseverance and strong will force is required for success. Be determined and you will get success."

What to do in despair? Anybody may fall in danger but Swami Vivekananda has shown the way to overcome it -- "Pull out yourself from danger, you have to rescue yourself. Don't be afraid and frustrated. Work endlessly. March ahead. Expose your force. Light will come." Inspiring youths he said - "My heroic youths, believe that you are born to perform great deeds. Wake up, no more sleep. Strength of removing all sorrows and deficits are within you. Believe these and that strength will wake up. Work for your countrymen. They will also help you and will stand behind you. Be courageous. Man dies only once."

How to change the world? He said, "Unless human nature is changed sorrows will come and all sorrows of the world can't be removed only with physical strength. The only solution to this problem is to purify and sanctify human beings. All the sorrows and evils we see evolve from ignorance. Enlighten people with knowledge, let people be spiritually educated. Only then sorrows will disappear from the world. We can fill the country with hospitals but if nature is not changed sorrows must remain."

Considering Bengalee's sentiment for Vivekananda, Amit Shah, union home minister of India, visited the birthplace of Vivekananda on 19th December and said," Swami Vivekananda is still relevant today." Moreover, his another tour of West Bengal has been scheduled on 12th January, birthday of Swami Vivekananda. However, enlightened persons of West Bengal think that ahead of state assembly polls it is a political stunt of ruling BJP. Not devotion but winning (please read - capturing West Bengal) in election is their only target.

Whatever be the aim of politicians, it is beyond dispute that Swami Vivekananda is always relevant for his messages and works for youths, common people and distressed humanity.  
 The writer is a former
Commissioner of Taxes







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