Jan 13, 2005, 12.00am IST
Pranav Khullar.
Moorless in cyberspace and shackled by technologies like multimedia messaging, the youth today are sorely in need of an icon they can look up to. In fact, this is a good time to revive the memory of modern India's most popular youth icon: Vivekananda.
Vivekananda exhorted the young to "arise" and "awake", to reject all doctrines and dogmas that were based on superstition and prejudice. Instead, he encouraged youngsters to mine the wisdom of ancient philosophy and tradition. In spite of his fondness for drawing on ancient thought to aid modern living, he was hugely popular, especially among the young and impressionable.
"Jiva is Shiva", he would often say, encapsulating all Vedantic thought in that simple precept that conveyed the importance of treating all humans as equals. Sanyas, for him, was a mere calling. He did not allow it to become an ivory-tower pursuit for himself and his band of brothers. The roadmap to Narayana was through "Daridra Narayana", or service to the poor and the needy. Nirvana was not an escape route to personal salvation; it was a goal to be achieved through collective social uplift.
Brought up in the intellectual climate of late 19th century Calcutta, and touched by the simplicity of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Vivekananda focused on social uplift — he was deeply perturbed by the terrible poverty of rural India. His dynamism and motivation woke up the youth from a self-induced slumber. Vivekananda advocated body- building and exercise to help boost one's morale and strength. He said: "It would be better to play football than read the Gita..." and the statement was a powerful metaphor for the way he wanted the youth of his time to evolve — fearless, strong and independent in the right sense. It was a call to action, to karma, rather than passivity and inaction.
Vivekananda saw the world as a gymnasium where one learns to become strong and fearless. He dared to attempt to revamp all that was rotting in Indian society, and to enrich and learn from all that was noble. He was a man with a mission, and he was the first to present Vedantic thought in the most simple terms possible. Romain Rolland said of him: "...his words are like great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven...".
Vivekananda's days as a wandering monk shaped his social vision as he came into contact with ground realities in a diverse India. This was to inspire Mahatma Gandhi later to go on a Bharat Darshan to acquaint himself with the 'real' India. "Give me 100 energetic young men and I shall transform India", Vivekananda would say and this led to the founding of the Ramakrishna Order of monks, young men committed to bring about common good.
Vivekananda's message to the West was that we in India were in possession of an enduring and altruistic philosophical legacy that was crucial to keep humans connected not only with one another but also with their environment. He highlighted the unique and redeeming features of Indian culture, but he was also aware that India was slipping in basic socio-economic issues. That's why he felt the need to inspire the young to stir them to act.
Rabindranath Tagore once told a group: "If you want to know India, read Vivekananda". He could well have said to the youth of today: "It is time to read Vivekananda again". Maybe some of his enthusiasm and vigour to bring about a transformation — in the way we relate to one another, think and act — will motivate those among us who need just that little bit of inspiration to start ticking right.
Pranav Khullar.
Moorless in cyberspace and shackled by technologies like multimedia messaging, the youth today are sorely in need of an icon they can look up to. In fact, this is a good time to revive the memory of modern India's most popular youth icon: Vivekananda.
Vivekananda exhorted the young to "arise" and "awake", to reject all doctrines and dogmas that were based on superstition and prejudice. Instead, he encouraged youngsters to mine the wisdom of ancient philosophy and tradition. In spite of his fondness for drawing on ancient thought to aid modern living, he was hugely popular, especially among the young and impressionable.
"Jiva is Shiva", he would often say, encapsulating all Vedantic thought in that simple precept that conveyed the importance of treating all humans as equals. Sanyas, for him, was a mere calling. He did not allow it to become an ivory-tower pursuit for himself and his band of brothers. The roadmap to Narayana was through "Daridra Narayana", or service to the poor and the needy. Nirvana was not an escape route to personal salvation; it was a goal to be achieved through collective social uplift.
Brought up in the intellectual climate of late 19th century Calcutta, and touched by the simplicity of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Vivekananda focused on social uplift — he was deeply perturbed by the terrible poverty of rural India. His dynamism and motivation woke up the youth from a self-induced slumber. Vivekananda advocated body- building and exercise to help boost one's morale and strength. He said: "It would be better to play football than read the Gita..." and the statement was a powerful metaphor for the way he wanted the youth of his time to evolve — fearless, strong and independent in the right sense. It was a call to action, to karma, rather than passivity and inaction.
Vivekananda saw the world as a gymnasium where one learns to become strong and fearless. He dared to attempt to revamp all that was rotting in Indian society, and to enrich and learn from all that was noble. He was a man with a mission, and he was the first to present Vedantic thought in the most simple terms possible. Romain Rolland said of him: "...his words are like great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven...".
Vivekananda's days as a wandering monk shaped his social vision as he came into contact with ground realities in a diverse India. This was to inspire Mahatma Gandhi later to go on a Bharat Darshan to acquaint himself with the 'real' India. "Give me 100 energetic young men and I shall transform India", Vivekananda would say and this led to the founding of the Ramakrishna Order of monks, young men committed to bring about common good.
Vivekananda's message to the West was that we in India were in possession of an enduring and altruistic philosophical legacy that was crucial to keep humans connected not only with one another but also with their environment. He highlighted the unique and redeeming features of Indian culture, but he was also aware that India was slipping in basic socio-economic issues. That's why he felt the need to inspire the young to stir them to act.
Rabindranath Tagore once told a group: "If you want to know India, read Vivekananda". He could well have said to the youth of today: "It is time to read Vivekananda again". Maybe some of his enthusiasm and vigour to bring about a transformation — in the way we relate to one another, think and act — will motivate those among us who need just that little bit of inspiration to start ticking right.
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