“If you are pure, if you are strong, you, one man, are equal to the whole world.”
On December 24, 1892, Swami Vivekananda, the Wandering Monk, reached the shores of the Indian Ocean when he set foot in Kanyakumari. After portraying many roles in life: son, brother, student, disciple; he had reached a point in his existence where the only role which mattered to him was being the ideal son to Bharat Mata and to work towards her best interest, saving her from all turmoil. So, on the 25th day of December, 1892, Swami Vivekananda sat down on a mid-sea rock (to be later known as Sri Pada Parai or Vivekananda Rock) in search of realization of his life’s mission. Three days and three nights, and he emerged as his country’s noble son, distraught with his motherland’s state and ready to serve her.
India’s Wandering Monk was not born with the identity. He was born as Viswanath Dutta and Bhubaneswari Devi’s son, Narendranath Dutta. Fondly called Biley by family and friends, Naren was born on January 12, 1863, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Born into a prosperous family, he had a safe and somewhat eventful childhood. But he discovered his purpose to live when he met Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He was a youthful 18-year-old, no doubt. But he was extremely devoted towards his guru. It was around that time when his iridescent Master gave him the name, Vivekananda. And in July, 1890, he departed for Bharat Parikrama as the Wandering Monk. Two years later, with the vision of his motherland’s deteriorating state fresh in his mind, on December 24, 1892, Swami Vivekananda, the Wandering Monk, reached the shores of the Indian Ocean when he set foot in Kanyakumari…
And so began the tremendously legendary journey. For the next eight years, Swami Vivekananda worked tirelessly towards arousing the spiritual feelings in the country’s youth, succeeding. But, even the brightest of stars have been known to lose their shine. Vivekananda succumbed to a terrible illness in the late 1901 or early 1902, and finally on July 4, 1902, gave his heart, mind, body and soul to his Bharat Mata, after living the life of a selfless saint.
