Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902),
born Narendra
Nath Datta ,
was an Hindu
monk and chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna.
He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to
the Western world and
is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to
the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He
was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in
India, and contributed to the concept of nationalism in colonial India. Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna
Math and
the Ramakrishna
Mission. He
is perhaps best known for his inspiring speech which began, "Sisters and
brothers of America ...,"
in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament
of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.
Born
into an aristocratic Bengali family
of Calcutta,
Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his Guru,
Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living beings were an embodiment of
the divine self; therefore, service to God could be rendered by service to
mankind. After Ramakrishna's death, Vivekananda toured the Indian
subcontinent extensively
and acquired first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in British
India. He later travelled to the United States, representing India at the 1893
Parliament of the World Religions. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and
private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu
philosophy in
the United States, England and Europe. In India, Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic
saint and
his birthday is celebrated as National
Youth Day in India.
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