A Patriotic Saint: Swami Vivekananda

  •   Mon, Jan 12 2026
  •   By Roshan D'Souza

January 12, 2026 

Vivekananda was a rare character in the history of India. He was born on January 12, 1863, as Narendranath Datta in Kolkata, into an aristocratic Bengali family with a progressive lawyer father, Vishwanath Datta, and a deeply religious mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, who prayed for a son like Shiva, and Narendra Datta was born. 

Once, young Narendra was travelling in a bullock cart along with his parents amidst the fields. His father asked him what he would become in life. Narendra replied that he would become a “cart man.” His father was very disappointed with this reply, as he expected an answer such as becoming a lawyer or pursuing another prestigious profession. However, his mother remained quiet. She took Narendra to their prayer room and showed him a picture of Arjuna and Krishna, where Arjuna was bowing before Krishna and Krishna was the charioteer. His mother told Narendra that he could become a charioteer, but he should become like Krishna. Vivekananda later said that this was one of the main events that turned his life and mentioned it many times.

Nationalism was a prominent theme in his thoughts. He is the legend who took India to the world and is best known for his speech that began with the words, “Sisters and Brothers of America.” At these words, Vivekananda received a two-minute standing ovation from a crowd of seven thousand. He highlighted the need to give up luxury and urged everyone to come forward to uplift humanity. 

Vivekananda was very kind-hearted. One of his visions in sleep was that one man lived a luxurious and well-settled life, while in another vision, a person left everything and started walking on the path of God. The process of becoming a sanyasi began right from his childhood. He was very brilliant, a favourite of his teachers, and straightforward in nature. He was not very religious at the beginning. Later, his Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa inspired him and told him that he had given him all the knowledge and education, and that it was now his responsibility to spread it to the nation. Vivekananda completed his mission in a remarkable way. 

When he went to America, he was warmly welcomed and provided with comfortable accommodation. However, when he chose to sleep on the floor, the host asked him why he was not using the facilities provided. Vivekananda’s reply astonished him. He said that when his brothers and sisters in India were sleeping without beds and blankets, how could he sleep comfortably there. If anyone else had been in his place, they would most probably have used the facilities without thinking about others. Such was the greatness of Swami Vivekananda. 

There are many books written on Vivekananda. These books are like the Bible. Each time one reads them, new knowledge and different experiences emerge. Even today, new books on Vivekananda continue to be published. His achievements still cannot be fully captured in writing. Many have said that while reading his books, their minds remain peaceful and happy for as long as they read; what follows is a different story. 

He travelled to England, France, Germany and Italy to spread his teachings. People were electrified, and many became his disciples. He also founded the Vedanta Society in New York. He played an important role in building harmony between India and Western countries and introduced India’s rich culture to the entire world. 

Several eminent personalities have spoken about Vivekananda. Dr B R Ambedkar said, “The greatest man India produced in recent centuries was not Gandhi alone, but Vivekananda also.” Rabindranath Tagore said, “If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing is negative.” The first Governor General of independent India, C Rajagopalachari, said, “Vivekananda saved Hinduism, saved India.” Subhas Chandra Bose said, “Vivekananda is the maker of modern India.” Mahatma Gandhi said, “After reading his life journey, my love for the country increased a thousandfold.” 

His lifespan was just 39 years, and his achievements are unbelievable. It is hard to imagine how he could accomplish so much. In 1899, he again travelled to the West and India, but his health kept declining, and he knew that his final time was approaching. He had already announced that he would not see his 40th birthday and felt that his mission on Earth was complete. In his last days, he was completely immersed in God through meditation. Finally, while in samadhi, he attained salvation in 1902 at the age of 39. All wept like children, but a sudden breeze assured everyone that angels never die. Vivekananda will remain forever in everyone’s heart and will never die. 

In his own words, “On a day when you do not come across any problems, you can be sure that you are travelling on the wrong path.” May Vivekananda be a role model for all of us. If we follow his teachings, there is no room for disappointment, and nobody can stop us from being happy and peaceful.

 

 

 

 
By Roshan D'Souza
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