Thoughts Live, They Travel Far: Swami Vivekananda

By Ravi Valluri

Barely thirty years of age, the young monk from India rose on September 11, 1893 at Chicago, where his baritone voice resonated thus, “Sisters and Brothers of America. It fills my heart withjoy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks of the world;   I thank you  in the name of the mother of all religions, and   I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects….”

These were the talismanic words and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, the intrepid evangelist. Born Narendranath in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on January 12, 1863, he lived barely  39 years. A few years prior to the memorable speech made in Chicago the mind of the Swami was gripped with fear as he could barely speak.

However, his unwavering surrender to his Guru, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa metamorphosed his personality into a mettlesome one. And he provided the audacity of hope  to those suffering in the tenebrosity of caste, creed and other predilections.

Pt. Nehru observed that, “Swami Vivekananda came as a tonic to the depressed and demoralised Hindu mind and gave it the self-reliance and some roots in the past.”The dynamic and resplendent personality of Swami Vivekananda was representative of the socio-political-cultural- religious renaissance which occurred in the second half of 19th century India. The Gods were kind to Bengal as illuminated minds like those of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar, Keshub Chandra Sen and several others dotted the landscape.

Perhaps one can trace it back to several anatomical events: the influence  of  Christian  Missionaries,  the  establishment  of the East India Company,  the  failed  mutiny,  the  work  of the evangelicals to emancipate Indian women living under woeful conditions, abolition of Sati in particular, rise of the Brahmo Samaj, the catholic contribution of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the spread of western education in Bengal and, not the least, the establishment of the Calcutta Presidency, that led to the proliferation of individuals blessed with such elastic and fertile minds.

Narendranath’s early struggle in coursing for jobs where he was unsuccessful made him sceptical and scornful of the rigmarole of daily existence. His personality transfigured radically upon meeting Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is widely believed that the mystic saint transmitted his spiritual powers to Swami Vivekananda, which evolved  the latter’s personality in no uncertainmeasure.

Like Ananda was to Buddha, St Paul to Jesus, Swamiji became the torch bearer to carry forward the legacy of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He went on to establish the Ramakrishna Mission in the year 1897, an institution which has provided yeoman service to the country in not only spreading the knowledge of Vedanta but also serving mankind selflessly.

The clairvoyant saint and his obedient tutee were bound by one cardinal principle. This was service or seva to mankind. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa staunchly advocated that religion isnot meant for empty bellies and his favourite disciple, too, endorsed that God could be discovered only by serving man. One can reckon that they borrowed the concept and tradition ofservice from Islam and Christianity as the Hindu religion, however esoteric and established it may have been, did not lay prominence on attendance or service.

Swami Vivekananda, like  the  Buddha,  comes  across  as  a powerful reader of the human mind by adopting a less visceral approach to attend to the muddles and complications confrontinghumans.

He went on to say, “We are what our thoughts have made  us; so, take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live, they travel far.”

Swami Vivekananda was full of vitality and zest, infinite dynamism, with high prana and energy levels. He scorned at inertia, antipathetic thoughts and a passive or ho-hum approach to life. Many a time, to encourage hardiness, he even approved of certain traits present in the tyrant Genghis Khan and the military acumen of Napoléon.

As an itinerant monk, he traversed the entire country and several parts of the world extensively. His schedule was packed with intense meditation and spreading the gospel of Vedanta. He wrote at length – books, articles, poems, critiques, appraisals – and delivered intense lectures and discourses. He was a man possessed, with little time for rest, in order to fire the imagination of people ingeneral and the youth in particular. Swami Vivekananda was markedly influenced by the characters of Sita, Savitri and Damayanti of Hindu mythology. He was inspired by their contribution toIndian womanhood, which he believed was a living embodiment of Universal Motherhood.

The undaunted seva warrior trained in Vedanta and deeply spiritual, fumed at inertia. He exhorted his fellow monks and others to cast away the Bhagvad Gita and play football instead. He aspired for muscular minds and bodies. He once famously remarked, “I want men whose muscles are of iron and nerves made of steel, and who possess minds wrought from thunder.”

Swami Vivekananda was razor sharp and he was fully abreast of the latest political currents of socialism, anarchism and nihilism sweeping across the globe. The minds of the youth  of Congress, who were fervently participating in the Swadeshi movement, were ignited by the philosophy and  approach  of the fearless Swami. So much so, Pandit Nehru was compelled to draw a parallel between Swami Vivekananda’s brand of socialism and the old Vedanta.

The indomitable Swami was on the forefront of the cultural and spiritual renaissance of the country. His mind was unsettled by the prevailing poverty, caste system and the social mores of the times. He dreamt of contemporary India rising from the huts of the impoverished peasantry, cobblers, fishermen and other deprived sections of the society.

However, what really stood out in his personality was the pristine quality of humility. His modesty made him accessible to all. He never appropriated the movement. He was very clear in his mind that after him, several more Vivekanandas would rise to serve the motherland and each one of them would be greater than him.

There may be many who would try to appropriate his contribution to India today, but would appear weak mimics.

Romain Rolland, the renowned philosopher has aptly written, “If this man is not a God-man, who else is?”