Swami Vivekananda BIOGRAPHY - mother-father name , Date of birth, Education , Life history,Guru , Death

Swami Vivekananda ( 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta , was an Indian Hindu monk, a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic 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. Swamiji is one of the youngest  great leaders ever in world. Let's learn more about his early life,education,work,philosophy...etc..

Quick overview:

• Name: Narendranath Dutta
• Born: 12 January, 1863
• Place of Birth: Kolkata, India
• Father: Vishwanath Dutta
• Mother: Bhuvaneshwari Devi
• Education: Calcutta Metropolitan School; Presidency College, Calcutta
• Religion: Hinduism
• Guru: Ramakrishna
• Founder of: Ramakrishna Mission (1897), Ramakrishna Math, Vedanta Society of New York
• Philosophy: Advaita Vedanta
• Literary works: Raja Yoga (1896), Karma Yoga (1896), Bhakti Yoga (1896), Jnana Yoga, My Master (1901), Lectures from Colombo to Almora (1897)
• Death- 04 July 1902
• Place of Death: Belur Math, Belur, Bengal
• Memorial: Belur Math. Belur, West Bengal

"All the powers in the universe are already our. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark."- Swami Vivekananda

Early life and education:

Vivekananda childhood name was Narendranath Dutta, belonged to an affluent Bengali family in Calcutta. He was one of the eight children of Vishwanath Dutta and Bhuvneshwari Devi. On the occasion of Makar Sankranti he was born on 12 January, 1863. His father was an attorney and an influential personality in the society. Narendranath was interested in spirituality from a young age and used to meditate before the images of deities such as Shiva Rama, Sita,and Hanuman He was fascinated by wandering ascetics and monks. Naren was naughty and restless as a child, and his parents often had difficulty controlling him. His mother said, "I prayed to Shiva for a son and he has sent me one of his demons".

In 1871, at the age of eight, Narendranath enrolled at Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's  Metropolitan Institution, where he went to school until his family moved to Raipur in 1877.In 1879, after his family's return to Calcutta, he was the only student to receive first-division marks in the Presidency Cololege entrance examination. He was an avid reader in a wide range of subjects, including philosophy, religion, history, social science, art and literature. He was also interested in Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharat and the Pura. Narendra was trained in Indian classical music, and regularly participated in physical exercise, sports and organised activities. Narendra studied Western logic, Western philosophy and European history at the General assembly's Institution (now known as the Scottish Church College). In 1881 he passed the Fine Arts examination, and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1884. Narendra studied the works of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Baruch Spinoza, Georg W.F. Hegel, Arthur Schopenhauer, Auguste Cumte, John Stuart Mill and Charles Darwin.He became fascinated with the evolutionism of Herbert Spencer and corresponded with him,translating Spencer's book Education (1861) into Bengali. While studying Western philosophers, he also learned Sanskrit scriptures and Bengali literature.

William Hastie (principal of Christian College, Calcutta, from where Narendra graduated) wrote, "Narendra is really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students. He is bound to make his mark in life"

Spiritual Crisis and met with Ramakrishna Paramhansa:

He had grown up in a religious family but studied of several religious books and knowledge led him to question the existence of God and some time he believed in Agnoticism. But he could not completely deny the fact about the supremacy of God. In 1880, he joined Keshab Chandra Sen's Nava Vidhan and also became a member of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj led by Keshab Chandra Sen and Debendranath Tagore.

Brahmo Samaj recognised one God unlike idol-worship. Several questions were running in the mind of Vivekananda and during his spiritual crisis he first heard about Shri Ramakrishna from William Hastie, the Principal of the Scottish Church College. He finally met Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa at Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and Vivekananda asked him a question, "Have you seen God?" which he had asked so many spiritual leaders but was not satisfied. But when he asked from Ramakrishna, he gave such a simple answer that "Yes, I have. I see God as clearly as I see you, only in a much deeper sense". After this Vivekananda started visiting Dakshineshwar and got several answers of the questions that were in his mind.

When Vivekananda's father died, whole family faced financial crisis. He went to Ramakrishna and asked him to pray for his family but Ramakrishna refused and told Vivekananda to pray himself in front of Goddess Kali. He could not ask for wealth, money but instead of it he asked for conscience and reclusion. That day he was marked with spiritual awakening and a way of ascetic life was started. This was the turning point in his life and accepted Ramakrishna his Guru.
In 1885, Ramakrishna developed throat cancer and was transferred to Calcutta and then later to a garden house in Cossipore. Vivekananda and other disciples of Ramakrishna took care of him. On 16 August, 1886, Shri Ramakrishna gave up his mortal body. Narendra was taught that the service to men was the most effective worship of God. After the demise of Ramakrishna, fifteen of his disciples including Narendranath began to live together at Baranagar in North Calcutta, which was named as Ramakrishna Math. In 1887, all the disciples took vows of monkhood and Narendranath emerged as Vivekananda that is "the bliss of discerning wisdom." All of them performed yoga and meditation. Further, Vivekananda left the math and decided to tour whole India on foot which was came to be known as 'Parivrajak'. He saw several social, cultural and religious aspects of the people and also saw what common people faced in their daily life, their sufferings etc.
Swami Vivekananda attended World Parliament of Religions:

When he came to know about the World Parliament that was organised in Chicago, America. He was keen to attend the meeting, to represent India and his Guru's philosophies. After various troubles, he attended the Religious meeting. On 11 September, 1893, he came up on the stage and stunned everyone while saying "My brothers and sisters of America". For this he received a standing ovation from the audience. He described the principles of Vedanta, their spiritual significance etc.

He stayed around two and half years in America itself and founded the Vedanta Society of New York. He also travelled to United Kingdom to preach the philosophies, spiritualism and principles of Vedanta.

He founded Ramakrishna Mission:

Around 1897, he returned to India and reached Calcutta where he founded Ramakrishna Mission on 1 May, 1897 at Belur Math. The goals of the mission were based on the Karma Yoga and its main objective was to serve the poor and suffering or disturbed population of the country. Several social services are also performed under this mission like establishing schools, colleges and hospitals. Teachings of Vedanta were also provided through conference, seminars and workshops, rehabilitation work across the country.Let us tell you that Vivekananda's teachings were mostly based on the Ramakrishna's spiritual teachings of Divine manifestations and his personal internalisation of the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy. According to him, the ultimately goal of life is to achieve the freedom of soul and that encompasses the entirely of one's religion.

Death:

He predicted that he will not live till the age of 40. Therefore, on 4 July, 1902, he died while doing meditation. He is said to have attained 'Mahasamadhi' and was cremated on the Banks of river Ganga.