National Youth Day and Swami Vivekananda

I have started to write on this very auspicious day, the day on which one of India’s most exalted characters was born. Swami Vivekananda  was born as Narendranath dutta  to  Bhuvaneswari  Devi    and the affluent lawyer of Calcutta of those times , Vishwanath Dutta on January 12th 1863. But What is so special of Jan 12th?


When we digress into the details, we find that January 12th has been declared as The National Youth day by  the Government of India back in 1984. Why only the 12th of January , and not any other day? It’s so because the government of India recognized  our young  Narendranath (swami Vivekananda) as the ideal youth who had the perfect qualities which all the youth of the nation ought to possess! There’s everything positive in Him. So, His birthday is declared and hence since then is being celebrated  as National youth day.

 All in all,  He’s a perfect leader! He proved that a perfect leader is one who knew how to be a perfect servant .  He never stood on a high pedestal and preached  others. He always considered everyone  as His own brother  and sister ! He always wished to serve his fellow brethren! This is how one can be a true leader. His excellent oratory skills and the way in which he could win hearts of the highly learned men of America stands testimony to the fact that he made the entire west spell-bound with his eloquent speech.

Swami Vivekananda’s life is a message of burning love . He had intense love for the Mankind! He is an embodiment of Empathy! He says  that he’s ready  to be  born a thousand times to serve the only God that he would believe in that is, MAN! He did  shed copious tears when he saw entire  India in utter poverty, ignorance and slavery! He dedicated all his life for the good of his fellow  brothers. How is it that one can have such intense love for the Humanity? This could never happen unless we would see the all-glorious omnipresent Lord in each and every man. His life is a message of the truth that “worship of men is worship of  God”! If we serve  those who are in distress and poverty, God would be more pleased than offering huge amount in temples and churches to buy tickets to the so-called heaven!  According to Him, each soul is potentially divine, the lord in Human form.

 Swami  Vivekananda has given the true meaning of Education! He did shed light on the essence of  Education. He says “we want that education by which character was formed , strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and  by which one can stand on one’s own feet.” 

He gave a call for the Universal religion which has its foundation on faith, love and purity! He gave a new definition of Atheist  as thus : “The old religions  said that  he was an atheist who does not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist who doesn’t believe in himself!”  There is infinite strength lurking behind this physical frame of ours. The more you believe in your Divinity, the more it gets manifested! So, this wonderful shraddha or faith is the need of the hour for the youth of our Nation!

Stand up, work, live and die in your own strength; if there’s any sin in the world, it’s weakness avoid all weakness, for weakness is sin: weakness is death- so says swami Vivekananda . He advices us not to touch anything even with our toe that  would make us weak physically, intellectually, or spiritually! He says that the solution to weakness is not to brood over it , but to think of strength!

He had immense faith in the youth of the Nation! In glorious words

He said, “My faith is in the younger generation; out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem like lions.”

Swami Vivekananda hated   weakness and stories of frightening hobgoblins since his childhood! He  gave a clarion call to the entire Nation to be absolutely Fearless!  According to Him, If there is one word that we  find coming out like a bomb from the Upanishads, bursting like a bombshell upon masses of ignorance, it is the word “FEARLESSNESS”!

He emphasized the necessity of strong will-power! He advised  the youth to possess such a will-power that would make us think, “I shall crush the mountains  with my mere will!”

We have got to learn countless lessons from every moment of Swami Vivekananda’s life! He is  truly the Ideal Youth of our Nation! The list is unending. These reasons made swami Vivekananda  the Role Model  to every  aspiring  youth!

Swami  Vivekananda’s  teachings are applicable in all walks of life in solving the problems faced by our Country! The problems like Terrorism, Caste-issue and other paraphernalia can be tackled and healed by taking Swami Vivekananda in the right spirit!

He  gives call for  a practical religion  which is not confined to the limits of mere theories! It’s high time swami Vivekananda’s teachings are included in the regular Academic  curriculum in schools and colleges. It’s possible to bring a cultural change only in this way, at least to some extent!

Constant tagging  and commenting  on facebook is not what Swami Vivekananda wanted! There’s too much of theory everywhere! Alas, less men of practicality! His call is for a practical religion which would help one overcome these shackles of Bondage. Let’s march ahead, never to look back, until we reach our Goal!  God is the goal, Service is our motto and Love is our path!  “Arise , awake and stop not till the Goal is reached!”

Swamiji says that he may find it good to cast-off his body like a worn out garment, but that he would continue to  inspire each and everyone in this world until they would realize that they are one with GOD!

He is, indeed, working, He is working through us, the modern youth and It’s high time we should stop confining ourselves to theories and start working out his Ideals. As He says “millions of teachings for an ounce of practice!"  Even if we could  take some five ideals  and start working on them to integrate them into  our lives, our lives would be blessed !  LET’S MARCH ON AND STOP NOT, TILL THE GOAL IS REACHED!!!

Glory to the Hero whose life continues to inspire everyone  with his burning message of LOVE and FEARLESSNESS !!

Jayatu Swamiji.