Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk and philosopher. He was a chief disciple of the 19th-century mystic saint Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
Vivekananda 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 is best known for his historic speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893, which he opened with the famous greeting: “Sisters and brothers of America…”, introducing Indian universalism to a standing ovation from thousands.
Early Life and Spiritual Quest
Narendranath Datta was born into an affluent Kayastha family in Calcutta. His father, Vishwanath Datta, was an attorney at the Calcutta High Court, and his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, was a deeply religious woman.
Narendranath was highly intelligent, studying Western philosophy, logic, and history at General Assembly’s Institution (now Scottish Church College). During his youth, he went through a period of deep spiritual skepticism. He joined the Brahmo Samaj but remained unsatisfied with theoretical debates, asking every religious teacher he met the same question: “Have you seen God?”
In 1881, he met Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineswar. When Narendranath asked his question, Ramakrishna replied instantly: “Yes, I have seen Him. I see Him as I see you here, only in a much intenser sense.” Narendra was deeply moved by Ramakrishna’s spiritual purity, eventually accepting him as his guru.
Parliament of Religions and West Tour (1893)
Following Ramakrishna’s death in 1886, Vivekananda and his brother-monks took monastic vows. He spent several years as a wandering monk (parivrajaka), travelling on foot across the length and breadth of India, witnessing the extreme poverty, caste discrimination, and ignorance of the masses. He resolved that spiritual regeneration was impossible without first uplifting the material conditions of the poor.
In 1893, funded by the Maharaja of Khetri and disciples in Madras, Vivekananda sailed to Chicago to represent Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions. His opening speech on 11 September electrified the audience. Over the next four years, he toured the United States and Europe, delivering hundreds of lectures on Advaita Vedanta, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, establishing the Vedanta Society in New York and London.
Founder of Ramakrishna Mission
Vivekananda returned to India in 1897, welcomed as a national hero. In May 1897, he founded the Ramakrishna Mission, a unique monastic order that broke away from traditional quietist asceticism, establishing the motto: “Atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya cha” (For the salvation of one’s soul and for the welfare of the world).
The Mission combined spiritual practice with intense social service, opening hospitals, schools, and relief camps for famine and plague victims. In 1898, he established the Belur Math on the banks of the Hooghly River as the permanent headquarters of the order.
Legacy and Impact
Vivekananda died at the young age of 39 on 4 July 1902 while meditating at Belur Math.
His teachings on patriotic self-reliance, moral strength, and spiritual courage served as a primary source of inspiration for generations of Indian freedom fighters (including Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi). In India, his birthday, 12 January, is celebrated annually as National Youth Day.