Swami Vivekananda Death Anniversary: Remembering His Motivational Quotes, and Thoughts

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA DEATH ANNIVERSARY: July 4 is the death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, recognised as one of the greatest spiritual leaders. He is well-known for his vast knowledge of science and religion. Vivekananda pushed our nation’s youth to become better by living a pure life and setting an example for the world. He was also instrumental in bringing yoga and Vedanta philosophies to the West.

In the 19th century, he was credited with increasing interfaith consciousness and introducing Hinduism to a global platform. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda to the Western world illustrated how the two may coexist peacefully. He is primarily remembered for his speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, which began with – “My brothers and sisters of America.”

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in a Bengali family; he was originally named Narendranath Datta. His father, Vishwanath Datta, was an advocate in the Calcutta High Court, while his mother, Bhubaneswari Devi was a homemaker.

Vivekananda was interested in spirituality from an early age and would meditate in front of representations of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He also took keen interest in religion and spirituality. In 1893, at the behest of Maharaja Ajit Singh (ruler of the small state of Khetri in Rajasthan), he acquired the name ‘Vivekananda’.

As we observe his death anniversary, here are some of Vivekananda’s greatest quotes:

1. “There is nothing beyond God, and the sense enjoyments are simply something through which we are passing now in the hope of getting better things.”
2. “To worship God even for the sake of salvation or any other reward is equally degenerate. Love knows no reward. Give your love unto to God, but do not ask anything in return even from Him through pray.”
3. “GOD is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life.”
4. “YOU know, I may have to be born again, you see, I have fallen in love with mankind.”
5. “In one word, this ideal is that you are divine.”
6. “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so, we have to know how to act.”
7. “GOD is the ever-active providence, by whose power systems after systems are being evolved out of chaos, made to run for a time and again destroyed.”