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UNIT 2 Compiled and edited by

DON BOSCO COLLEGE KOHIMA (Pol Sc)

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta was an
Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian
mystic Ramakrishna. Born into an aristocratic Bengali Kayastha family in Calcutta, Vivekananda
was inclined from a young age towards religion and spirituality. At the age of 18 he met
Ramakrishna, later becoming a devoted follower and sannyasin (renunciate). After the death of
Ramakrishna, Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent as a wandering monk and acquired
first-hand knowledge of the often terrible living conditions of Indian people in then British India.
In 1893 he traveled to the United States where he participated in the Parliament of Religions in
Chicago.

Vivekananda is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures of modern India. He was one of
the most influential philosophers and social reformers of his time. He was a major force in
contemporary Hindu reform movements and in the development of nationalism in colonial India.
He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is
credited with raising interfaith awareness and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world
religion in the late nineteenth century

WORKS

Sangeet Kalpataru (1887), Karma Yoga (1896), Raja Yoga (1896 [1899 edition]),
Vedanta Philosophy: An address before the Graduate Philosophical Society (1896),
Lectures from Colombo to Almora (1897), Bartaman Bharat.

IDEAL SOCIETY

‘’Society is a Divine creation, an aggregate of different individuals, with religion as the

The ‘Ideal Society’, to be understood, first and foremost, has to begin with the Practical
Vedanta. Vivekananda’s Practical Vedanta has the characteristic of a two dimensioned
theory. His Practical Vedanta can be rendered and understood both as an abstract as
well as concrete, spiritual and, at the same time, societal. In fact, Vivekananda can be
named, in Rustau’s term, ‘the first among Indian philosophers from whom social
philosophy constituted an integral part of his philosophical system.’ He continues to say
that Vivekananda was also the first in the history of Indian philosophy, who, at least in
rough outlines drew the picture of the ‘Ideal Society He was also, according to Rustau,
the first Indian to develop a social utopia.

This is indicative of the fact that Vivekananda was conscious of the presence of caste,
and also its importance. His ‘Ideal Society’ was based on caste. In order to simplify it,
Vivekananda divided society into two castes —the higher caste (Brahmin, Kshatriya and
Vaishya) and the lower caste (Shudra). He justifies his contention by saying that in the
history of the world, the three upper castes had, in succession, ruled the society. But,
for him, caste, which is opposed to the Vedanta philosophy, is a social custom, the
outgrowth of political institutions and a hereditary trade guild. For Vivekananda, in his
concept of the ‘Ideal Society’, there will exist only one caste, for the lower will be raised
to the level of the higher i.e, all the castes will be elevated to the highest level of the
Brahmin. Here, virtues of all the 4 rules- knowledge of priest rule, culture of military rule,
distributive spirit of commercial rule and egalitarianism of Shudra rule are kept intact
and their evils eliminated.

In his ideal society, he prioritized the position of women .It gave more emphasis on motherhood
over wifehood for women. It is impractical to anticipate that the husband will prioritize his wife
over his mother. He suggested that problems related to women will be solved by women only. In
his opinion no man shall dictate a woman or a woman to a man. All mischief has come because
the man undertook to shape the destiny of the women. According to him , self reform was to
precede the reform of the society thus education played a very important role.

Humanism

According to humanism man is the highest being in this world. Humanism does not believe in
God as a centre of truth and any kind of supernatural entities.

In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “ Man is the highest being that exists, and this is the
greatest world. We can have no conception of God higher than man, so our god is man, and
man is God. When we rise and go beyond and find something higher, we have to jam out of the
mind, out of the body and the imagination and leave this world; when we rise to be the absolute,
we are no longer in this world. Man is the apex of the only world we can ever know. All we know
of animals is only by analogy, we judge them by what we do and feel ourselves.”

Men making is the important task to Vivekananda. This message was delivered by Swamiji at
the turn of the 19th century. A total man, man-making religion, man-making education,
man- making theories, Naranarayan, Daridra narayana - Vivekananda pronounced these
words many times. In the ancient times the hermits shut themselves in caves and temples and
spent their time in meditation only for freeing themselves. But Vivekanand is not that kind of
Sannyasins. who squats in a temple,shut their eyes and keep themselves busy with worship of
God, rather he keeps his eyes open, looks at the outside world,dedicates himself and his life
with the background of this society, with the help of religion and Science in the service of man
for arousing awareness in him.

Swamiji's love for others was not common human love. His humanism was much dipper and
more comprehensive than the common ideal of Humanism, seeing Shiva in the weak, poor and
deceased. Vivekananda says, " The only God to worship is the human soul in the human body.
Of course all animals are temples too, But man is the highest, the Taj Mahal of temples. If I
cannot worship in that, no other temple will be of any advantage. Vivekananda was influenced
by Buddha philosophy. Buddha had an intensely practical outlook. He was a great lover of
mankind and was profoundly moved at the site of the sea of human miseries. The humanist
Buddha after realizing 'Bodhi' or 'Saimyak Jnana', returned to human habitation leaving behind
his self meditated deep forest or solitary hill life and dedicated his life for the well being of
mankind. He spent the rest of his life in preaching the four Noble truths for the salvation of men
from clutches of worldly suffering. The teaching and message of Lord Buddha is a solace for
mankind. To Swamiji "He (Buddha) reached the most tremendous truths. He taught the very gist
of the Vedas to one and all without distinction, he taught it to the world at large, because one of
his great messages was the equality of men. Men are all equal. No concession there to anybody
! Buddha was the great preacher of equality. Every man and woman has the same right to attain
spirituality -- that was his teaching. The difference between the priests and the other castes will
be abolished. Even the lowest were entitled to the highest attainments, he opened the door of
Nirvana to one and all.