SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AND BUILDING OF NATION
Md.
Najibur Rahman, Assistant Professor, JEMTEC School of Law, (Affiliated
to G.G.S.I.P. Univ., Delhi& Approved by Bar Council of India), Greater
Noida
In making of
modern India the names which appeared prominently are not only the nationalist
leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel,
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, contributed greatly to India’s struggle for freedom
against the mighty British, but large number of spiritual leaders, social
reformer and thinkers also galvanized India with their spiritual, social and
political thoughts. These spiritual leaders, social reformer and thinkers included
some personalities like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand, Ram Krishna
Pramhansa, Aurobindo Ghosh and the very dynamic personality Swami Vivekananda.
Swami
Vivekananda emerged as the icon of youth and young India, was striving hard to
stand up its feet and face the mighty British Empire which has exploited the
country to its fullest. Vivekananda, a philosopher, had emerged as a vocal
exponent of Indian philosophy. He had burning zeal in his heart and mind to do
something for India, under the subjugation of the British Rule. He wanted
Indians to understand what India holds as the greatest civilization of the
world and wanted to show that India could emerged as a leader in all spheres of
life, if its youth could understand their potentialities and work for relieving
the mother country from the bondage of slavery to the British Empire. According
to him the future of India depended upon the youth of country and their energy
and he always favoured strong and energetic youth. It is visualize in one incident when Vivekananda
was surrounded by football playing youth who wanted that Vivekananda teach them
some lesson of philosophy, Vivekananda replied them go and play, India need
strong youth like you.
Swami
Vivekananda or Narendranath Dutta, was belong to north Calcutta (Kolkata) and born
in an upper middle class of Kayastha family. Narendranath’s father was an
Attorney at the Calcutta High Court. Swami Vivekananda, (Narendranath), had not
taken education in Indian Pathshala but admitted for education in mission
school - Presidency College and after one year in the General Assemblies
Institution (nowadays called Scottish Church College) from where he passed the
Final Arts and Bachelor of Arts examinations in 1881 and 1884 respectively.
After graduation he started studying law from the Metropolitan Institution (now
Vidya Sagar College) but did not appear in the final examinations. During student-life,
main stream of Narendranath’s energy was diverted through the channel of searching for God- the Absolute Truth.
He used to practice continence (self- restraint) and concentration of mind as
prescribed by Indian Seers, and studied voraciously for an intellectual understanding
of the problem like the Western philosophers. Swami Vivekananda had delivered hundreds
of lectures during his four and a half month work on the pacific coast. A young
woman, Ida Ansell —had attended
Swami’s lectures, taken shorthand notes of these lectures, and later
incorporated in the complete works of Swami Vivekananda in 1963.
Sense of
patriotism is evident from the entire Swami’s writings. His dream was- to restore
India to the glory of its past days; to achieve this, he exhorted the youth to
dedicate themselves selflessly to the service of their country, to do away with
disagreements and come together on the basis of a common spiritual heritage for
a great cause that was “the freedom of India
from alien yoke”. The young revolutionaries of Bengal were inspired by his
teachings and one of his disciples, Sister Nivedita (Originally, Margaret
Noble), later served on the executive committee of the Revolutionary Society.
Dr. R.C. Majumdar and R.G. Pradhan rightly said that, ‘the nascent nationalism of India received a great momentum from the
life and activities of Swami Vivekananda”. He “might be called the father of modern Indian Nationalism: he largely
created it and also embodied in his own life its highest and noblest elements.”
Swami
Vivekananda wanted the spread of education to the masses, both men and women,
but not at the cost of Indian ideals. He emphasized on technical education in
one side and on learning Sanskrit on the other side. He had focused on the integrity of India.
Regarding social customs he wanted the combination of all healthy customs of
the East and the West. He wanted the caste-system to be based on qualities; he
said, “The modern system (based on
heredity) is a barrier to Indian progress.” Therefore, he never supported
the custom of untouchability. He felt that a school of Indian historian is needed
“to strike out an independent path of
historical research for ourselves with scientific accuracy and for the revival
of Indian art”. His idea is based on universality. He loved India because he
thought that India alone has the potentiality to bring about a synthesis of the
East and West — spirituality and material progress — and inspire other nations
to do so. He said, if India fails to do this, the whole world “will reign the
duality of lust and luxury..”
Thus, Swami
Vivekananda’s idea of nationalism rest on four solid rocks: 1. the awakening of
the masses that form the bases of the nation; 2. development of physical and
moral strength; 3. unity based on common spiritual ideas; 4. Consciousness and
pride in the ancient glory and greatness of India . His ideal of reform was
based on improving the condition of woman; overhauling the education system
abolishing caste system, distinctions. He offered a synthesis of old and new
ideas regarding India’s progress and its march towards future.
REFERENCES
1. The
Prophet of Modern India: A Biography of Swami Vivekananda by Gautam Ghosh, New
Delhi, 2003.
2. Dictionary
of National Biography, Vol. IV, (S-Z) by Dr. S.P. Sen, Calcutta, 1974.
3. Swami
Vivekananda: A Historical Review by R.C. Majumdar, Calcutta, 1965.
4. Swami
Vivekananda: Patriot prophet Bhupendranath Dutta, Calcutta, 1954.
5. History
of the Freedom Movement in India, Vol. I by R.C Majumdar, Calcutta, 1967.
6. Swami
Vivekananda (Narayani Gupta ed.), by Amiya Sen, New Delhi, 2003
7. Indispensable
Vivekananda by Amiya Sen, Orient Blackswan, 2006
8. Life
and Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda by G.S. Banhatti, Atlantic Publishers &
Distributors, 1995.
9. The
Dispute Over Swami Vivekananda’s Legacy by Rajni Bakshi, 1993.
10. God
lived with them: life stories of sixteen monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna
by Swami Chetananda, 1997.
11. “Profiles
of famous educators: Swami Vivekananda” by Swami Prabhananda Prospects, XXXIII
(2), 2003.
12. Complete
Works of Swami Vivekananda, by Swami Vivekananda, 2001.
13. The
Life of Vivekananda and the Universal Gospel (24 ed.) by Romain Rolland, 2008.
14. “Swami
Vivekananda Centenary”, Philosophy East and West by Swami Nikhilananda, 1964.
15. Vivekananda:
A Biography by Swami Nikhilananda.
16. Life of
Swami Vivekananda by Eastern and Western Disciples (6th ed.) Advaita
Ashram, 2006.
17. A
Dictionary of Modern Indian History — 1707-1947 by Proshotam Mehra, New Delhi,
1985.
18. Udlyaman
Bhartiya Samaj Mein Shikkchak (Teacher in Developing indian Soclety) by Dr. Ram
Shakal Pandey, Agra, 2005.
19. Swami
Vivekananda in America by Marie Louise Burke, Calcutt
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