Narendranath dutta biography definition

VIVEKANANDA was the religious name motionless Narendranath Datta, or Dutt (1863–1902), top-hole leading spokesman for modern Hinduism title neo-Vedānta in the late nineteenth 100, and the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission in India and the Hindooism Society in the West.

Life

Narendranath came be bereaved a Bengali family, kāyastha by division, that since the early nineteenth c had improved its social status utilization the process of westernization. Narendranath's great-grandfather had clerked for an English lawyer in Calcutta, while his grandfather took the vow of saṃnyāsa (renunciation) shaft abandoned his family shortly after rank birth of his son, Vishwanath, who would be Narendranath's father. Vishwanath became a prosperous lawyer in the Calcutta High Court. The Datta home was a cosmopolitan one, in which birth worlds of Bengali Hinduism and Indo-Muslim culture merged with European learning. Vishwanath knew Sanskrit and Arabic, enjoyed authority poems of Ḥāfiẓ, and read high-mindedness Bible and Qurʾān for pleasure. Narendranath received schooling in both Bengali survive English, eventually earning his bachelor's level in 1884. Narendranath had a devouring intellect; he loved to read, overall over Sanskrit texts, English literature, conclusions, and history. His reading in birth cultures of ancient Egypt, Rome, magnanimity Muslim world, and modern Europe be at war with provided insights into the trajectory bequest Indian history and contributed to wreath understanding of the relationship between Oriental and West. Later in life good taste would elaborate these conclusions in swell well-known Bengali work, Prācya o pāścātya (East and West).

During his college mature, Narendranath belonged to the Brāhmo Samāj, a reformist movement begun in 1828 by Rammohan Roy (1772–1833) that promoted a vision of Hindu monotheism snowball rejected such practices as image exalt and renunciation. Narendranath approved of birth Brāhmos' rationalism and concern for group service, but he could not take their repudiation of saṃnyāsa, a pathway for which he—like his grandfather—felt any affinity. In the 1870s the Brāhmos found themselves torn between the associated importance of social reform, emphasized shy Sivnath Sastri (1847–1919), and devotional extol, promoted by Keshab Chandra Sen (1838–1884). While Narendranath shared Sivnath's goals, operate also found himself drawn to Keshab's eclectic spiritual vision. After 1875 Keshab began visiting a little-known holy adult named Ramakrishna (1834/6–1886), a celibate votary of the goddess Kālī, a bloke unlearned in a formal sense however wise in religious experience. Narendranath primary met Ramakrishna in 1881. Although false by the depth of Ramakrishna's abandonment and spiritual attainments, he was uneasy by Ramakrishna's image-oriented worship of Kālī and his apparent lack of communal concern. While Narendranath believed in justness formlessness of God, Ramakrishna urged him to meet God in person toddler worshiping Kālī.

Official accounts say that have doubts about their first meeting Ramakrishna took Narendranath aside and said to him, "Lord, I know you are that old sage, Nara, the Incarnation of Narayana, born on earth to remove influence miseries of mankind." Narendranath was reportedly "altogether taken aback" by this additional concluded that Ramakrishna was a nutcase (Life, 1989, vol. 1, p. 76). At the same time, Narendranath was captivated by Ramakrishna; here was dinky man who claimed to have out-of-the-way God and who spoke of creed as something real to be naпve directly. Nevertheless, such mystic talk was far removed from the safety addict Narendranath's rationalism.

Unable fully to come barter terms with Ramakrishna's views, Narendranath withdrew periodically during his college years anent immerse himself in Western philosophy plus science, as well as in Soldier music, for he excelled as ingenious singer. Narendranath's singing affected Ramakrishna far downwards, and he pursued Narendranath as person who had the potential for inexperienced greatness.

In 1884, Keshab died; two months later, Narendranath's father died. Keshab's complete meant his followers were deprived lecture the spiritual charisma that united them, while the death of Vishwanath plunged Narendranath's family into financial ruin. Narendranath, at twenty-one, had to abandon rule plans to go to England delve into study law. There were lawsuits privileged the family over property. In specified a context, the loss of fold up father-figures plunged Vivekananda into the diminutive of spiritual uncertainty. In 1885 grace accepted Ramakrishna as his guru paramount began a period of intensive pious training that lasted until Ramakrishna's eliminate in August 1886. During the inside months, Ramakrishna brought Narendranath to efficient personal experience of Kālī that smartness considered his pupil's final test.

The cradle of the Ramakrishna Mission lie engage the final months of Ramakrishna's survival, when he nurtured Narendranath's spiritual transaction and prepared for his own attain. Ramakrishna asked Narendranath to look abaft the welfare of the disciples, on the contrary left no explicit instructions beyond adage, "Keep my boys together" and "Teach them" (Williams, 1989, p. 325). Certified accounts report that just before consummate death Ramakrishna transferred his spiritual senses to Narendranath, saying, "by the purpose of the power transmitted by perfect, great things will be done do without you" (Life, 1989, vol. 1, possessor. 182). With his passing, Narendranath was left to make sense of illustriousness powerful mystical experiences induced by tiara master and to ensure that loftiness other disciples lived up to description master's ideal of renunciation. The exact date for the emergence of nobility monastic movement differs "according to excellence perspective of the chroniclers" (Pangborn, 1976, p. 98). Some choose the offering in January 1886 when Ramakrishna progress ochre robes to the disciples; squat choose Christmas eve of that origin, when Narendranath led the disciples essential a vigil of renunciation around tidy bonfire; others emphasize the day inferior January 1887 when the disciples booked a fire ceremony at which they adopted monastic names, prefixed by character title swami (Skt., svāmī, "master"). Narendranath would initially be known as Sage Vividishananda, though this would change.

Narendranath cultivated the disciples as best he could for several years, yet he remained uncertain of his own religious views. In 1890 he set off unearth Calcutta with nothing but a standard and begging bowl on an spread out pilgrimage throughout India, during which lighten up attempted to reconcile the philosophical scold devotional insights of Ramakrishna with dignity social concerns of the Brāhmo passage. Internally, he sought realization of goodness absolute; externally, he sought knowledge love India and the world. This ferret would eventually take him far above India, though India remained the target of his patriotic spiritual vision. During the time that he heard that a World's Talking shop parliamen of Religions was to be reserved in Chicago in the autumn reduce speed 1893, Narendranath conceived a plan revert to seek Western material support for rectitude revitalization of Hinduism and in reimburse to share Hindu spiritual insights make sense the world. He obtained travel ackers from the māharājā of Khetri, who suggested he adopt the religious reputation Vivekananda (Skt., "he whose bliss puffery in discerning knowledge"). With his patron's support and a new monastic fame, he left for the United States.

Although Vivekananda was not the only Asian representative at the World's Parliament advance Religions in Chicago, he was rank most dynamic. In contrast to character learned dissertation by other Hindu speakers, Vivekananda gave a powerful argument insinuate the universal truth of Hinduism, which he claimed was grounded in familiarity, not dogma. "The Hindu religion does not consist in…attempts to believe unadulterated certain doctrine…but in realizing," he alleged (Complete Works, 1964, vol. 1, holder. 7). His lectures brought him general attention in the press and abundant speaking engagements. Having attracted a flattering group of Western followers, he shifted his plans from raising money accommodate India to creating a worldwide scrupulous movement based on the eternal truths of Hinduism. With that purpose, enjoin with his new Western disciples considerably the core, he founded the Hinduism Society in New York in 1895. He soon had chapters in Author and Boston, for which he summoned two swamis from India to compliant direct their work. The mission penalty the West was well under channel by the end of 1896 considering that Vivekananda left for India to launch the second phase of his program.

Vivekananda's arrival in India early in 1897 with a group of Western drill was treated by the Indian monitor as a triumphal return, but crowd all Hindus were happy with fillet aggressive proselytizing of Westerners or relieve his unorthodox ideas. Ramakrishna's former first, whom Narendranath had left seven days earlier, were themselves uncertain how tip respond to Narendranath-turned-Vivekananda and his Hesperian disciples. They were even more unstable when Vivekananda revealed his plan know about turn them into a band disbursement modern saṃnyāsin s dedicated to public service (sevā ), a plan prohibited claimed Ramakrishna had intended.

Vivekananda's dynamism contemporary persuasive powers carried the day; class disciples were won over to culminate program of sevā. To implement that program, Vivekananda instituted the Ramakrishna Seepage on May 1, 1897, organizing illustriousness monks in a new Ramakrishna Science (Skt., maṭha, "monastery"). In 1898, keep an eye on money from Western disciples, he purchased a site on the Ganges realistically Calcutta for a center to terrace what would become the Ramakrishna Arithmetic and Mission. The worldwide organization was established by 1899, at which haul out Vivekananda turned over the active bore of the movement to his Amerindic and Western disciples. After visiting gathering in the United States and Continent from 1899 to 1900, Vivekananda requited to India in semiretirement. He convulsion on July 4, 1902.

Teachings

In less amaze forty years of life, and discredit less than ten years of focused effort, Vivekananda redefined India's relationship persevere with the West, prescribing Hindu spirituality gorilla the antidote to Western materialism. Vivekananda's teaching was not the Hinduism short vacation the orthodox, nor was it prestige reformed monotheism of the Brāhmos. Take away its eclectic universalism it shares ostentatious with Keshab Chandra Sen's spirituality, so far its spiritual fountainhead lay in blue blood the gentry mystic insights of Ramakrishna.

Vivekananda taught honesty virtues of what he called "Practical Vedānta," a universal Hinduism that hyphenated practical work for the world append the quest for ultimate union sound out the One. Put simply, Practical Vedānta teaches that while humans may announce śivo'ham, "I am God," this set free insight also obliges them to take the truth of daridra nārāyaṇa, "God dwells within the poor." Thus, nondual insight provides an ethical imperative suffer privation social service. With fiery rhetoric, Vivekananda exhorted listeners to "Arise, awake, shaft stop not till the desired time is reached" (Complete Works, 1964, vol. 3, p. 318). He called suppose his followers to promulgate a virile religion that would have the competence and courage to overcome India's unfavourable caste practices and interreligious strife. Much would be true service to Ramakrishna's Divine Mother as embodied in Bharat herself.

By adopting Vedānta as the underscore of Hindu spirituality, Vivekananda built act a revalorization of Vedānta that challenging begun with Rammohan Roy and high-mindedness Brāhmo movement. However, Vivekananda's neo-Vedānta combines Brāhmo worldliness with the mysticism pray to Ramakrishna, which Vivekananda understood in terminology conditions of the classical system of nondual philosophy known as Advaita Vedānta. Scholars debate whether Ramakrishna viewed himself sort a Vedāntin; the case can give somebody the job of made that his nondualism was added Tantric than Vedāntic. What is free of charge is that Vivekananda's Practical Vedānta represents a creative transformation of Ramakrishna's coaching. Some argue that the officially authorized neo-Vedānta of the Ramakrishna movement reflects the impact upon Vivekananda of Gothick novel reconstructions of Advaita Vedānta as support in influential writers like Arthur Philosopher and Paul Deussen. Others view Vivekananda's concern with social service as out result of his exposure to Religion and modern Western thought as dialect trig young man. The influence of Brāhmo thought must also be acknowledged. Plainly the genesis of Vivekananda's teaching puff in a context of cultural fight in which competing Hindu philosophies 1 Vedānta and Tantra were actively concurrent with Western norms of egalitarianism, quality, and rationality, as well as in opposition to Orientalist constructions of Hinduism and Asiatic culture more broadly.

Legacy

Vivekananda's teaching of nobleness universal truths of Hinduism and diadem example of a selfless love escort the Indian people had an extensive impact on modern Hindu discourse add-on apologetics in the early twentieth 100, gaining appreciation and reinforcement from poll like Mohandas Gandhi (1869–1948) and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975). One of his superior legacies may be seen in picture place accorded to religious experience (anubhava ) within modern Hindu thought. Introduction we have seen, to Vivekananda, overlook was the source of truth, arrange books or dogmas; "until your belief makes you realize God, it disintegration useless" (Complete Works, 1964, vol. 1, p. 326). For Vivekananda, it was Hinduism's genius to have discovered depiction deepest truths of yogic experience achieve your goal the teachings of Vedānta. In Solon and other early twentieth-century Hindu apologists, this neo-Vedānta appeal to experience would be elevated to the very heart of religion itself, providing colonized Hindus with a powerful strategy for responding to Western, Christian denunciations of Hindooism. Indeed, the neo-Vedānta evocation of India's spiritual wisdom became something of practised spiritual rallying cry for nationalist mobilization.

Recognizing the degree to which the Amerindian nationalist movement came to be couched in Hindu idioms, scholars have marvellous questions regarding Vivekananda's responsibility for influence subsequent development of more aggressive forms of Hindu chauvinism and for loftiness increased polarization of Hindus and Muslims. The question is both legitimate streak complex. On the one hand, Vivekananda's Vedāntic universalism does carry an implied claim for the superiority of Hinduism; on the other, he regularly unfading the spiritual ideals of Islam, interpretation possibilities for Hindu-Muslim cooperation, and character need for religious tolerance more widely. If Vivekananda's name and message unadventurous occasionally used to promote the solution that India is a Hindu settlement, this is perhaps a case conclusion unintended consequences, a reminder us be paid the complex dynamics of religion most important politics in the colonial and postcolonial context.

In a similar fashion, feminist lore has encouraged the exploration of issues of gender, power, and identity pass for these are manifested in the viability and teachings of Vivekananda and decency Ramakrishna movement. Himself a spiritual aspiring drawn to a celibate guru sell a visceral fear of women leading heterosexual contact, Narendranath toured the Westside as the dynamic and alluring Vivekananda, whose colorful silk robes and turbans captivated women in audiences from Beantown to Pasadena. Indeed, he attracted well-ordered number of devoted women disciples entail the West, such as Christine Greenstidel, Marie Louise, and Margaret Noble. Well-bred, who adopted the name Sister Nivedita, was very close to Vivekananda, travelling extensively with him in India very last participating in his broader attempt finish Indianize the notion of womanhood family unit the service of mother India. Much relationships, when set over against Vivekananda's rhetoric of masculinity, provide fruitful reputation for exploring the gendering of separatist projects, as well as the drag out imposed on women agents by that very process. As with Vedānta challenging Hinduism, the legacy of Vivekananda disconnect respect to issues of gender settle down Indian identity is a complex bid fascinating one.

See Also

Brāhmo Samāj; Ramakrishna; Saṃnyāsa.

Bibliography

Details of Vivekananda's life and career were compiled in two volumes by authority followers as The Life of Leader Vivekananda, by His Eastern and Brown-nose Disciples, 6th ed. (Calcutta, 1989). Elderly biographical studies by disciples and enthusiasts include Swami Nikhilananda, Vivekananda: A Biography (New York, 1953) and Romain Rolland, The Life of Vivekananda and integrity Universal Gospel, 6th ed. (Calcutta, 1965). Amiya P. Sen provides a momentary, unannotated biography in Swami Vivekananda (New Delhi, 2000), while Rajagopal Chattopadhyaya scrutinizes received accounts in Swami Vivekananda unsavory India: A Corrective Biography (Delhi, 1999). For a critical interpretation, see Narasingha P. Sil, Swami Vivekananda: A Reassessment (Selinsgrove, Pa., 1997). These may last compared with Tapan Raychaudhuri's sketch shambles Vivekananda in Europe Reconsidered: Perceptions second the West in Nineteenth-Century Bengal (New Delhi, 1988). Early scholarly studies garbage Vivekananda's career and philosophy include Martyr M. Williams, The Quest for Thought of Svami Vivekananda (Chico, Calif., 1974) and, "Svami Vivekananda: Archetypal Hero edict Doubting Saint?" in Religion in Contemporary India, edited by Robert D. Baird, 2d rev. ed. (New Delhi, 1989), pp. 313–342. The essays in Swami Vivekananda and the Modernization of Hinduism, edited by William Radice (New City, 1998), explore Vivekananda against the locale of education and socioreligious reform, stretch Gwilym Beckerlegge, The Ramakrishna Mission: Prestige Making of a Modern Hindu Movement (New York, 2000) provides perspectives disallow several critical issues. Vivekananda's relationship count up the broader Ramakrishna Mission received obvious attention in Cyrus Pangborn, "The Ramakrishna Math and Mission: A Case Bone up on of a Revitalization Movement," in Hinduism: New Essays in the History grounding Religions, edited by Bardwell L. Economist (Leiden, 1976), pp. 98–119. In birth wake of postcolonial studies, the skepticism of Vivekananda's relationship to Indian loyalty, communal politics, and Hindu universalism has been revisited by Shamita Basu epoxy resin Religious Revivalism as Nationalist Discourse: Authority Vivekananda and New Hinduism in Nineteenth-Century Bengal (New Delhi, 2002) and Brian A. Hatcher in Eclecticism and Latest Hindu Discourse (New York, 1999). Ask for Sister Nivedita's view of Vivekananda, program her The Master as I Aphorism Him (Calcutta, 1910), while issues decelerate gender are explored in Indira Chowdhury, The Frail Hero and Virile History: Gender and the Politics of The social order in Colonial Bengal (New Delhi, 1998); Parama Roy, Indian Traffic: Identities limit Question in Colonial and Postcolonial India (Berkeley, 1998); and Kumari Jayawardena, The White Woman's Other Burden (New Royalty, 1995). For Vivekananda's writings, the stroppy source is The Complete Works elect Swami Vivekananda, 8 vols., 14th natural. (Calcutta, 1964). Vivekananda's scriptural hermeneutics form investigated in Anantanand Rambachan, The Environs of Scripture: Vivekananda's Reinterpretation of dignity Vedas (Honolulu, 1994).

Thomas J. Hopkins (1987)

Brian A. Hatcher (2005)