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Swami Vivekananda

India has given birth to a variety of saints and Godmen. People who have achieved salvation through the paths of prayer, action and duty - bhakti, karma and dharma. Swami Vivekananda, was also a saint. With one major difference. He worked towards the upliftment of his people, and not just towards his own salvation. He was a ' Karmayogi' in the true sense of the word.

Birth of A Saint

Born in Calcutta, on January 12th, 1863 to Vishwanatha Datta and Bhuvaneshwari, young Narendranath (which he was originally called) was extremely devoted to God. He was also extremely attached to his mother, who had a profound influence on his life. She used to tell him mythological stories, which he loved to hear. He often said that it was his mother who had been the constant inspiration of his work and life.

He graduated from Christian College, Calcutta. The Principal, Mr. Hastie, was known to have remarked "Narendranath is really a genius. I have traveled far and wide, but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German Universities among philosophical students. He is bound to make his mark in life". His interests ranged from sports and music to wrestling, philosophy and poetry. He loved reading Shelley, Wordsworth, Herbert Spencer and John Stuart Mill.

Meeting With Ramakrishna Parmahansa

Narendra was not interested in worldly pleasures or acquiring possessions. He was looking for something beyond worldly pleasures. His life changed on meeting Sri Ramakrishna, by whose thoughts he was very impressed.

The second meeting was even more stimulating, as when Sri Ramakrishna touched Narendra with his foot, he was blessed with a divine experience that made him renounce the world and become Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna's disciple

His Mission and Work

Swami Vivekananda traveled the length and breadth of the country, spreading His master's message. His path did not include religious superstitions and rituals, but strived towards a 'region beyond reason'

In September 1893, Swami Vivekananda participated in 'Parliament of Religions' held in Chicago, U.S.A. He spoke on the Hindu religion and left his audience spellbound. After this, he spread his master's message in Switzerland and England, and had a great following abroad. One of his most famous disciples was Margaret Noble, who later assumed the name of Sister Nivedita.

Swami Vivekananda wrote several letters expressing his social, religious and spiritual views. His book 'Raja Yoga' is famous till today. This great exponent of the Vedanta strove to uplift the masses out of their misery. He believed that the neglect of the masses led to the downfall of the nation, and so injected his country with his infectious vitality. Swami Vivekananda also established two monasteries in the name of Sri Ramakrishna. One at Baranagar and the other at Belur, near Calcutta. Till today his work is carried out in these Missions.

The Sad Demise

Long hours and diabetes won out in the end, and the great Swami passed into the beyond on July 4th, 1902 at his monastery in Belur. But his name and his teachings, as well as that of his master lives on in the hearts and the minds of the masses.

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Lal Bahadur Shastri

India's second Prime Minister, he assumed office at a time of turmoil in the country. Pandit Nehru had just expired and Pakistan's hostility towards the Indians led to a war in 1965. The country was under heavy pressure due to drought and other internal problems. Quite a tough task for a new Prime Minister to handle.

But as he had been tempered by the freedom struggle and had served in Nehru's cabinet, he took it all in his stride.

His Role In The Freedom Struggle

At the age of 17, he was very impressed with Gandhiji's call for freedom through non - violence and so took part in the Non - co-operation Movement of 1921. He courted arrest but was let off because of his age. But he was not so lucky when he followed Gandhiji in the Satyagraha Movement and spent approximately 8 years in jail over a period of time. Even though he was made to undergo tremendous hardships, he survived with the help of his prayers and physical exercises. He spent this time reading different authors like Hegel, Kant, Marx, Russell and Lenin. He also did some translations and wrote about the Quit India Movement.

Post Independence

He served the Congress in various positions before becoming Prime Minister. He was First General Secretary, and then Home-Minister. In U.P. he made some progressive reforms in the police department, and in 1962, Pandit Nehru invited him to join the Union cabinet as a Minister for railways. A post from which he resigned after taking responsibility for a railway mishap, that happened during his tenure.

Lal Bahadur Shastri showed remarkable abilities of oratorship and courage during the Indo - Pakistan War. He inspired his people through his leadership and offered them a slogan that has been passed down the ages - 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. The Indo - Pak war would have continued, but fortunately, the Russian Government intervened and both India and Pakistan were forced to sign the 'Tashkent Agreement' on January 11, 1966. A day that saw the passing away of this great leader, just a few hours after signing this historic agreement.

He was awarded the 'Bharat Ratna' posthumously, in light of the services rendered to the country. His memorial 'Vijayghat' in delhi is a constant reminder of a great administrator and a fantastic human being.

Written By : Ajit Hari Sahu

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Mother Teresa

About 20 years before India gained its freedom, Christian missionaries from Yugoslavia came to India to render humanitarian services. They were extremely affected by the conditions of poverty rampant in India and so invited people from their country to serve here. Amongst these was a special girl called Agnes Goxa Bojaxiu, who is today known as Mother Teresa.

Arrival In India

Agnes was born on August 27, 1910 and was just 19 years when she came to Calcutta on January 6, 1929. And she never left this country. Her aim in life was to serve the sick and the poor and she dedicated her full life towards this purpose. She would roam the dangerous dark and dirty streets of Calcutta at night, covering the cold and offering food and shelter to the poor. When she first arrived in Calcutta, she had just Rs. 5.00, and was helped by a priest. She lived in a small room for 9 years, where she nursed the ill back to health. Compassion, dignity and sympathy marked her every action.

Mission Of Charity

Through her efforts she managed to open several institutions to help the downtrodden e.g. 'Missionaries of Charity', ' Nirmal Hriday', and 'Shishu Bhavan' whish houses the mentally and physically challenged children. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. Besides these she also received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Peace (1972), Ramon Magsaysay Award (1962) and the Templeton Foundation Award (1973). As the Mother- General of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa has a thousand Missionary institutions working under her.

Despite all the public acclaim, national and international honours, mother Teresa remained humble, kind and generous till the end. The Florence Nightingale of India passed away in September 1997.