By prayer, one's subtle powers are easily roused, and if consciously done, all desires may be fulfilled by it; but done unconsciously, one perhaps in ten is fulfilled. Such prayer, however, is selfish and should therefore be discarded. Swami Vivekananda, spiritual luminary and the foremost disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa encapsulates the essence of prayer in these words.

1. LIFE JOURNEY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
By prayer, one's subtle powers are easily roused, and if consciously done, all
desires may be fulfilled by it; but done unconsciously, one perhaps in ten is
fulfilled. Such prayer, however, is selfish and should therefore be discarded.
Swami Vivekananda, spiritual luminary and the foremost disciple of Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa encapsulates the essence of prayer in these
words.
Born on 12th January 1863 into an affluent Bengali family in Calcutta (now
Kolkata) as Narendranath Datta, he inherited a legacy of intellect and spiritual
quest from his mother Bhubaneswari Devi, and father Vishwanath Datta. His
father was a barrister while his grandfather was a scholar in Sanskrit and
Persian. From a tender age, Narendra was drawn to the mystique of saints
and monks and was also said to be a handful. It is said that on one occasion,
exasperated by his antics, his mother remarked, “I prayed to Lord Shiva for a
son and he has sent me one among his demons.”
As a young boy, Narendra was noted for his exceptionally sharp memory
power, grasping skills, and ability to read very quickly. In 1871, at the tender
age of eight, Vivekananda started his education at Ishwar Chandra
Vidyasagar's Metropolitan Institution. He continued his studies there until his
family's relocation to Raipur in 1877. Upon their return to Calcutta in 1879,
Vivekananda emerged as the sole pupil to earn first-division marks in the
Presidency College entrance exam.
He had an avid interest in subjects such as religion, history, spirituality,
literature, social science, Western philosophy, logic, world history, the
Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Puranas, philosophy, and the Vedas.

2. Additionally, he was trained in Indian classical music and actively participated
in sports.
How did Narendranath become Swami Vivekananda?
Many turning points in young Narendra’s life led him to become a seeker of
knowledge and eventually, an icon of inspiration for the world.
Meeting with Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa:
One day during a lecture, Narendra’s Professor William Hastie encouraged his
students to call on Sri Ramakrishna at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple to
grasp the real meaning of the word ‘trance’. Although he had met the saint
before, this visit, along with two classmates, marked the beginning of
frequenting Dakshineshwar for intellectual discussions with Ramakrishna.
Death of his father:
In 1884, Vishwanath Datta passed away, leading his family to financial
despair. Narendra found himself answering creditors threatening eviction from
his home. Desperate for solace, he increased his visits to Dakshineshwar and
entreated Ramakrishna to pray to Kali on his behalf. After three visits, he
returned a ‘renewed’ man with a newfound connection with Kali, having taken
Ramakrishna as his Guru.
Passing of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa:
In 1886, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa passed away due to throat cancer.
Narendra, along with eight disciples, turned an old house in Baranagar into a
monastery. After taking formal monastic vows, Narendranath formally
changed his name to ‘Swami Vivekananda’.
Swami Vivekananda’s Travels:
The historic speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 is
what comes to mind about Vivekananda, the dynamic spiritual leader who
traveled across India and the world. He visited Japan, China, and Canada
before entering America in 1893. His iconic speech on 11 September 1893,
starting with ‘My brothers and sisters of America’, received a standing ovation.
Swami Vivekananda stayed in America for about two and a half years, setting
up the Vedanta Society of New York. He also visited the United Kingdom to
preach Vedanta.
In the year 1888, he left Math as a wandering monk with his Kamandalam
(water pot) and his favorite books - the Bhagavad Gita and the Imitation of
Christ. His journey was marked by a deep quest to learn about society, meet
people from all walks of life, preach and teach people, and eventually uplift the
country.
Vivekananda visited Varanasi, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Haridwar, Vrindavan,
Rishikesh, Agra and later the Himalayas, Delhi, Alwar, Jaipur, Ahmedabad,
Wadhwan, Porbandar, Baroda, Dwaraka, Mahabaleshwar, Pune, Indore,
Kathiawar, Belgaum, Goa, Bengaluru, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Trivandrum and
Nagercoil.
On the eve of Christmas in 1892, he reached Kanyakumari, the southernmost
tip of India. There, he meditated on the ‘last bit of Indian rock’ which would go
on to be called “Vivekananda Rock Memorial”.

3. From there, he left for Madurai, Rameswaram, Pondicherry, and Madras. It
was during his meeting with the raja of Ramnad, Bhaskara Sethupathi, that
the latter encouraged him to take part in the Parliament of Religions in
Chicago. It is worth mentioning here that the idea of taking the philosophy of
Vedanta to the West was seeded in Narendra’s head when he met Thakur
Saheb Jaswant Singh who had just returned from England and America. The
king helped raise funds, along with the support of many other kings, Diwans,
disciples, and patrons for him to go to America. Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri
suggested his new name ‘Vivekananda’, which means one who would
perceive bliss in wisdom.
Founding of Ramakrishna Mission:
When he returned to India in 1897, Swami Vivekananda established the
Ramakrishna Mission on 1st May 1897 at the Belur Math. The objective of this
mission was to serve the poor and the mission was centered on Karma Yoga.
Ramakrishna Mission has been instrumental in running several social services
like setting up schools, educational institutions, and hospitals.
Death of Swami Vivekananda:
In 1884, Vishwanath Datta passed away, leading his family to financial
despair. Narendra found himself answering creditors who threatened them
with eviction. Desperate for employment and solace, the young man increased
his visits to Dakshineshwar. Narendra, who had hitherto opposed idol worship
and the worship of Goddess Kali, entreated to Ramakrishna to pray to Kali on
his behalf. The latter suggested that he visit the temple and pray to the
goddess himself. The young man went to the Dakshineshwar temple thrice to
pray for respite from his bankruptcy. Each time he saw the deity, he was
overcome by a feeling of Bhakti (devotion) and love and ended up praying for
knowledge.
He perceived a sense of shame when he wanted to ask for worldly things from
the goddess. After the third visit, he returned a ‘renewed’ man with a
newfound connection with Kali and took up Ramakrishna as his Guru. The
Guru predicted that his young disciple’s family would never lack in basic
necessities.
Important works of Swami Vivekananda:
Some of the important works of Swami Vivekananda include The Complete
Works of Swami Vivekananda, Letters of Swami Vivekananda, Jnana Yoga:
the Yoga of Knowledge, Swami Vivekananda’s Speeches at the Parliament of
Religions, Chicago 1893, Raja Yoga: the Yoga of Meditation, and Yoga: The
Yoga of Love and Devotion.
Quotes by Swami Vivekananda
1. Take up one idea, make that one idea your life, think of it, dream of it, let
the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea,
and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.
2. Be not Afraid of anything. You will do marvelous work. It is Fearlessness
that brings Heaven even in a moment.
3. In a day, when you don't come across any problems - you can be sure that
you are traveling in the wrong path.

4. 4. Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in, and in your own
way adsorb it; do not become others.
5. You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make
you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
6. Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come
back to you but do not think of that now.
7. All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our
hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.
8. Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached.
9. When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual
physical or mental state.
10. Take risks in your life, if you win, you can lead! If you lose, you can
guide!?
Swami vivekananda jayanti date - 12th January 2024
https://www.cycle.in/Swami-vivekanand-thoughts