Social reformers swami vivekananda biography

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On repurposing sites, Vivekananda candidly admitted Hindu absorption of Buddhist structures, noting, “The temple of Jagannath is an old Buddhistic temple.

He interpreted the Hindu scriptures, philosophy and the way of life to the Western people. For Vivekananda, the Upanishads embodied Vedanta’s essence, transcending ritualism and discrimination, and he urged followers to draw from them for genuine reform rather than outdated legalistic texts.

His Criticism of Untouchability

Untouchability was one of Vivekananda’s sharpest targets, which he labeled a “mental disease” and a baseless superstition that eroded India’s social cohesion.

Gathering a few Western disciples, Swami Vivekananda worked to spread Hinduism to the West. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats. Vivekananda emphasized the points of drawbacks of western culture and the contribution of India to overcome those. In 1895, he founded the Vedanta Society in New York City. That day marked the complete spiritual awakening of Narendranath and he found himself drawn to an ascetic way of life.

Life of a Monk

During the middle of 1885, Ramakrishna, who had been suffering from throat cancer, fell seriously ill.

I see God as clearly as I see you, only in a much deeper sense." Vivekananda, initially unimpressed by the simplicity of Ramkrishna, was astonished with Ramakrishna's reply.

References

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• Aleaz, K. P. Harmony of Religions: The relevance of Swami Vivekananda. Calcutta: Punthi-Pustak, 1993.

  In 1890, he traveled around India, and eventually arrived at a personal philosophy that combined Ramakrishna’s bhakti, or devotion, the teachings of the Hindu philosophical school of Advaita Vedanta, and service to humanity. He was given the name Narendranath Dutta. Being raised in a cosmopolitan household, Swami Vivekananda demonstrated interest in culture and philosophy from European and Islamic countries, as well as India.

  Vivekananda condemned it as a priestly fabrication oppressing the masses, proclaiming, “Untouchability is a superstition… It is one of the causes of India’s downfall.” His approach was actionable: he called for education, upliftment, and integration of the marginalized, viewing social equality as vital for India’s renaissance and spiritual integrity.

  Why Brahmins Were Barred from Participating in the Parliament of the World’s Religions in the USA

  The 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago—often called “Dharma Sansad” in Indian parlance—saw limited orthodox Brahmin involvement due to self-imposed taboos enshrined in texts like the Manusmriti.

  He was reported to have entered deep states of meditation as a boy. He retired to his room in the evening and died during meditation at around 9. Before dying in 1886, Ramakrishna instructed Swami Vivekananda to act as a guru to Ramakrishna’s disciples, and to teach the world his message. Yet he could not completely ignore the existence of a Supreme Being.

  Swami Vivekananda was generally critical of the caste system, and advocated education for women and the poor. The Indian media lauded Swami Vivekananda’s travels as triumphant.