SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, a name that we all must have come across in our lives even before we could meet him in our philosophy books. From roads to designated institutes, Indians have been giving tributes to this vibrant, robust and divine character whose spiritual teachings have given direction to our conception of divinity till date. Born in 1863 in Kolkata, Narendranath datt, later known as swami vivekananda belonged to a rich hindu family. He renounced his household life at the tender age of 25, as if he knew that he was going to transform the world around him during 39 years of his life.
Swami Ji begins with categorizing 3 limbs that every great religion of world consists of :
PHILOSOPHY : Includes the basic principles and ideas
MYTHOLOGY: Includes the legends of metaphysical beings
RITUALS: Includes the external ceremonies, grants and extravagant representations of their faith.
While we study each great religion including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and so on, it is easy to navigate that none of these limbs are corresponding . While a phallus symbol is considered vulgar or sexual in Christianity, It is being prayed as a symbol of The Great Shiva in Hinduism. While the standpoints are conflicting in each religion, how can peace be established? Swami Ji answers : It is the conflict and friction in thoughts that awakens the thought and leads to progression, otherwise if there would be no clashes , there would be no life at all and there would be undisturbed harmony of a grave. Moreover, while the religions seem contrary, they actually supplement each other since the inner essence of each is towards one ultimate truth, that is, YATO MAT TATO PATH.
RAMAKRISHNA MISSION:
THE EARLY HISTORY OF RAMAKRISHNA MOVEMENT is a book that ought to be read by each individual that follows or is inclined towards his great ideas. It consists of the root reality of stumbling blocks that passed through his way. He did not renounce the world for meditating in caves, rather he immersed himself in the difficulties and challenges that life threw towards him. It is indeed surprising that common sources that consist of his lifetime journey never tell us what we Indians did to our scholars. The book consists of a set of letters which Swami Ji wrote to his fellows in India.
A person of such matured conscience and authentic knowledge rebelled for being dragged down by Indians. He wrote that Indians have not contributed a penny to our mission and when it comes to criticism they are standing first in the line. They judge me for my attire and eating habits for if we succeed in our mission of accessing true spirituality to masses, their radicalism will no more be entertained
Often times it is taken quite literally how Vivekananda elaborated that realizing oneself as conscious soul or Atman is the ultimate realization and path towards transcendental bliss. Now, what we miss in our understanding here is that to be an Atman and live like one, requires renounciation of fear from big and small difficulties of life while dealing with them, it includes absence of sorrow for worldly losses for atman’s true nature is ANANDA. When Swami Ji assert that one has to realise oneself as ATMAN, he means one has to get rid of all the traits of ANATMA, as Buddha describes. Such is the subtle yet deep philosophy of Vivekananda which often gets misinterpreted as literally easy.
Vivekananda was often criticized by people for the choices he made in his lifestyle which according to them did not adhere to the ritualistic guidelines of vaishnavism :
1.Non-vegetarianism : Being a spiritual reformer, Swami ji’s journey was not a conventional one. Born and brought up in Bengal, meat was a part of his everyday meals. However, he denounced it during the last years of his life on the realization that violence in any manner should be condemned. Evolving, changing and constantly inclining towards the path defines his character. For a meat eater we criticize today is not a definitive , static or ego driven person who never changed.
2. Atheism : It is really funny how a weak,sick and petite man came to vivekananda to seek spiritual knowledge and he asked the man to leave spirituality and play football. Why would he choose football over Brahman ? The answer is, if a person is Sick and weak, his weakness would come in the way of mukti from his bodily existence. It is a matter of physical and mental strength that one can develop in a healthy body.
EKNATH JI RANADE :
Take up one purpose and make it your life
-Swami Vivekananda
A magnificent personality who had lived by this quotation of Swami ji, devoting his life for the formation of Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Vivekananda Kendra, Eknath Ranade ji was born in an ordinary family on 19th November, 1914. Born and brought up in a small village of Amravati in Maharashtra, Eknathji’s zeal was beyond the narrow confines of worldly difficulties.
His passionate vision could set the vivid target of his life between the confluence of 3 oceans in Kanyakumari. Such was the precision of his eye, that he endeavored to dive deep into the intricacies of his work. Taking up the position of Organizing secretary in the construction of Vivekananda Rock memorial, Eknathji had traveled and worked beyond the constraints of his labeled roles. On Vivekananda’s birth anniversary in 1963, the fire was ignited amongst the masses to develop a structure, not merely with cement and bricks, but with the unity and passion of lakhs and lakhs of Indians.
The confined island between the sea was marked by goddess parvati’s penance in one of her incarnations. Swami ji too had realized the purpose of his life, that is to empower the youth by education and spiritual strength, at the same place. At the age of 50, when lethargy overpowers passion for the ordinary people, Eknath jitook up the weight of responsibility for erecting the spectacular structure. Neither too wealthy, nor too famous, all Eknath ji had during the beginning of this task was a massive ocean of challenges in front of him. Before putting the first brick of memorial, Eknath ji had taken permission from three hundred and twenty three members of the parliament.
Shree SK Achari was appointed as the chief architect for its construction. From wage laborers to delegates, a sense of prideful duty drove in the hearts of everyone, they worked day and night being unmindful of the clock’s ticking. Both the central and all state governments actively participated in erecting the structure. More than 60 lakh Indians had contributed ₹1 despite their financial status, to present their unity and devotion for Swami ji’s Ideals. Eknath ji was indeed a human synonym for a thread that binds all the beads together to form an extravagant and glorious ornament. There are an approximate of 25,000 letters that Eknath ji had written during the process of its construction.
Inauguration of Vivekananda Rock Memorial:
The fourth president of independent India, V.V. Giri inaugurated the Rock Memorial. This celebration lasted for a stretched period of more than two months. The voyage from Initial resistance to conclusive acceptance, wasn’t a cakewalk for Eknath ji, however the strength of his character and delicacy of his work combined with Swami ji’s boons of Karma Siddhanta, made him the inspiration of Young Indians.
The structure of Rock Memorial:
The laccadive sea link where the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean forms a Confluence, surrounds Vivekananda Rock Memorial at the southern tip of Bharat, Kanyakumari. It consists of the following significant structures along with a broze statue of Swami ji :
1.Vivekananda Mandapam
2.Shripada Mandapam
3.Dhyana Mandapam
The tale of Vivekananda Kendra :
Swami ji’s aspiration of making Bharat a Jagat Guru with the sparkling force of Education and Self discipline, had been the focal point of Eknath ji’s life. After the prolonged hard work of 9 years, Vivekananda Kendra, alongside the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari was established on 7 January, 1972.
From Academic Research activities that acknowledge and gather the nectar from diverse Indian traditions, to providing Health services at negligible costs, the kendra has been functioning in 1030 bodies of 24 Indian states and Union Territories.
Moreover, Anandalayas have been formed for cultural education of children of the tea field workers in Assam. Henceforth, the fire that was ignited by Eknath ji decades ago, is still spreading the light and warmth in the hearts of lakhs and lakhs of young Indians. Swami Ji’s ideals have lived beyond his lifetime.
Eknath Ji’s essential contributions for the overall development of remote areas of Northeastern states and coastal regions including Andeman, are unforgettable.
Conclusion:
Swami ji’s karma oriented life influenced the sum and substance of Eknath Ranade ji’s mission of Bharat’s development and youth empowerment, which had consecutively influenced our current Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji during his early adulthood. May this hierarchy of Swami ji’s patriotic influence ignite our hearts for the generations to come.
Introduction of Author of The Article
I am Tunisha Thareja, a 20 years old philosophy enthusiast. I am pursuing my graduation from Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi. I have been an eager admirer of artistic contemplation on life and its common aspects that are experienced by all of us. My first encounter with the observation of my own self happened during a Theatre workshop, where we were guided to release all our personal emotions by various activities and afterwards to become an empty vessel for the wholesome acceptance of character’s emotions. When I witnesses the uselessness of the mind’s games, the very moment I entered the whole spectrum of philosophy, of question as to why something is, as it is.
