Swami Vivekananda

12 January 2023 marked the 160th birth-anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

This great being, the ansha-avatar of one of the Sapta Rishis, appeared to fulfill the work of Shri Ramkrishna Paramhansa, who was an incarnation of the Divine Himself! The Holy Mother, Sarada, was his consort. This Trinity ushered in a new age of spiritual consciousness on the planet, the waves of which will continue to flow for ages.

A being of his stature comes only rarely. The last time such a being came, it was Jagadguru Shri Adi Shankaracharya. And before that, it was Bhagawan Buddha. I am drawing this comparison on the basis of the impact that they created. But this is entirely hypothetical.

Although he lived for only 39 years, his work and impact is bound to last many centuries at least. See na, it’s already been one and a quarter century almost since he died and we are still re-discovering him as if he is still very much now.

He had extraordinary qualities. Fearless in questioning, deeply compassionate at heart for the poor and the downtrodden, the attitude of selfless sacrifice and raging with a deep spiritual yearning—distinguish him uniquely. All this makes him kind of Superhuman! And legitimately so. If there was a League of Superhumans somewhere on a spiritual plane, he would be one of the most glorious beings to behold!

Now, what is he the symbol of? Well, if we were to sum up all his teaching in just one word, that word would be—STRENGTH!

He called upon us in literally thunderous voice to overcome all weakness and roar like a lion because we are “Children of Immortal Bliss”, deathless and not just this frail frame of flesh and bone. —That was his message.

He declared:

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy—by one or more or all of these—and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines or dogmas or rituals or books or temples or forms are but secondary details.”

This is the essence of his teaching.

He symbolizes the Vedic proclamation that without strength, ‘Atman’ or the ‘Self’ cannot be realized.

नायमात्मा बलहीनेन लभ्यो न च प्रमादात्‌ तपसो वाप्यलिङ्गात्‌।

एतैरुपायैर्यतते यस्तु विद्वांस्तस्यैष आत्मा विशते ब्रह्मधाम ॥

Mundaka Upanishad, 3.2.4

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Feature Image Credit: Vedanta Society of New York & partially edited by me.