Ramakrishna Paramhansa:
Original Name: Gadadhar Chattopadhyay.
Birth: 1836 (Kamarpukur, Hooghly district, West Bengal).
Spouse: Sarada Devi. She is highly revered and continued his spiritual legacy for 34 years after his death.
Chief Student: Swami Vivekananda (Born Narendranath Datta). He was the one who took Ramakrishna’s message to the West at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Professional Role: He was the head priest of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata, which was built by Rani Rashmoni.
Swami Vivekananda for your records:
1. Personal Profile
- Original Name: Narendranath Datta.
- Birth: January 12, 1863 (Calcutta, Bengal Presidency).
- National Youth Day: His birthday is celebrated annually in India as National Youth Day.
- Death: July 4, 1902 (Belur Math, West Bengal).
- Guru: Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
2. The Chicago Parliament (1893)
- Event: Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.
- Famous Opening: He began his speech with, “Sisters and Brothers of America!”
- Impact: He introduced Hindu philosophy (Vedanta and Yoga) to the Western world and pleaded for religious tolerance and the end of fanaticism.
3. Key Philosophies
- Neo-Vedanta: A modern interpretation of Advaita Vedanta that reconciles spiritual life with social action.
- Practical Vedanta: He believed that religion should be put into practice by serving the poor and the “God in the human” (Daridra Narayana).
- Education: He defined education as “the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”
- Strength: He famously said, “Strength is Life, Weakness is Death,” encouraging youth to be physically and mentally strong.
4. Major Organizations Founded
- Ramakrishna Mission (May 1, 1897): Founded to carry out humanitarian work, social service, and disaster relief.
- Belur Math (1898): Established as the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission on the banks of the Ganges.
- Vedanta Society of New York (1894): The first Vedanta center in the West.
5. Important Literary Works
He authored several books that systematically explained the different paths of Yoga:
- Raja Yoga (On meditation and mind control)
- Karma Yoga (On the path of action and duty)
- Bhakti Yoga (On the path of devotion)
- Jnana Yoga (On the path of knowledge)
- Lectures from Colombo to Almora (A collection of his influential speeches in India)
6. Famous Disciples
- Sister Nivedita: (Margaret Noble), an Irish woman who became his disciple and worked extensively for women’s education in India.
- Swami Abhedananda: A fellow disciple of Ramakrishna who helped Vivekananda spread Vedanta in the US.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati,:
1. Personal Profile
- Original Name: Mul Shankar Tiwari.
- Birth: 1824 (Tankara, Gujarat).
- Guru: Swami Virajanand (A blind scholar from Mathura who instructed him to restore Vedic purity).
- Title: Often called the “Martin Luther of Hinduism.”
2. The Arya Samaj (1875)
- Founded: April 10, 1875, in Bombay (later shifted headquarters to Lahore in 1877).
- Motto: “Krinvanto Vishvam Aryam” (Make the whole world noble/Aryan).
- Key Slogan: “Go Back to the Vedas.” He believed the Vedas were the source of all truth and infallible.
3. Key Philosophies & Reforms
- Monotheism: He rejected idol worship and polytheism, preaching that there is only one God (AUM).
- Social Equality: He strongly opposed the caste system based on birth, arguing instead that caste should be based on merit and occupation (Varna system).
- Women’s Rights: He advocated for female education and opposed child marriage.
- Shuddhi Movement: He started this to bring back people who had converted to other religions into the Hindu fold.
- Education: His followers established DAV (Dayanand Anglo-Vedic) schools and colleges, which combined Western education with Vedic teachings.
4. Major Literary Works
- Satyarth Prakash (1875): His most important book (The Light of Truth). It explains his interpretations of the Vedas and critiques other religions and sects.
- Veda Bhashya Bhumika: An introduction to his commentary on the Vedas.
- Sanskar Vidhi: A guide to the Vedic rituals.
After Dayanand’s death in 1883, the Arya Samaj split into two groups based on their views on education:
- The “College” Party (Moderate): Led by Lala Lajpat Rai and Lala Hansraj. They favored Western-style education and established the DAV (Dayanand Anglo-Vedic) schools.
- The “Gurukul” Party (Radical): Led by Swami Shraddhanand. They insisted on traditional Vedic education and founded the Gurukul Kangri at Haridwar in 1902.