Life and Teachings of Swami Vivekananda – Q & A
Life and Teachings of Swami Vivekananda – Q & A
Direct Questions From the Book – The Path Divine – Pages 57-75
- What was Swami Vivekananda’s earlier name?
ANS: Narendranath Dutta - Name Swami Vivekananda’s parents.
ANS: Vishwanatha Dutta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi - a. Date of birth
b. Place of birth
c. Father’s profession
d. Swami Vivekananda was born as a result of prayers to ______________.
e. Briefly describe Swami Vivekananda’s mother’s dream before his birth.
ANS:
a. 12th January 1863
b. Calcutta
c. His father was a lawyer practising at Calcutta High Court.
d. Lord Visveswara of Varanasie. Swami Vivekananda’s mother had a dream in which Lord Siva appeared and told her that He would take birth as her son.
- Name the person in Swami Vivekananda’s family who took to sanyasa before he did?
ANS: Swami Vivekananda’s grandfather Durgacharan Dutta took to sanyasa before him. - What was Bramhoism?
ANS:Bramhoism was a popular socio-religious movement during Vivekananda’s time. It believed in a formless God, deprecated the worship of idols and addressed itself to various forms of social reforms.
- Who was the person who first mentioned Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s name to Swami Vivekananda?
ANS: Professor William Hastie - Name the poem and the poet referred to by him.
ANS: Poem: The Excursion and Poet: William Wordsworth - a. What were the first words of Narendranath when he met RKP?
b. What was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s response?c. Describe Swami Vivekananda’s interview with Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (OR)Describe the mystic touch that changed Narendranath into Swami Vivekananda
ANS:
a. His first words were “Sir, have you seen God?”b. RKP’s response was, “Yes, I see him just as I see you, even more intensely. God can be realized and one can see and talk to him as I am doing with you. But who cares to do so? People shed torrents of tears for their wives and children, for wealth or property, but who does so for the sake of God? If one weeps sincerely for Him, He surely manifests Himself”
c. During the second interview, RKP was muttering something and drew nearer to Swami Vivekananda. He then placed his right foot upon Vivekananda’s body. The touch at once gave rise to a novel experience within him. With Vivekananda’s eyes open he could see the walls and everything in the room whirling rapidly and vanishing into nought. And the whole universe along with his individuality was about to merge in an all encompassing mysterious void. He was terribly frightened and thought he was facing death. Unable to control himself he had cried out, “What are you doing to me? I have my parents at home.” RKP laughed at this and then asked him to rest telling him that everything will come at its own time. No sooner had he said this that that everything in the room had become like how it had been before. All this had happened in less time than it took to narrate it. It simply revolutionized Vivekananda’s mind.
- As Narendra kept meeting RKP regularly, he realized that he had to shift himself from the __________
plane to the _________ plane.
ANS: Intellectual to Spiritual - When Narendra’s father passed away suddenly, he tried to pray to Mother Kali for alleviation of family’s distress but standing before her, he could not ask mother for __________, but only for ___________ and ___________.
ANS: Earthly wealth, knowledge and devotion - RKP initiated Swami Vivekananda with __________ mantra during his last few days.
ANS: Rama Nama Mantra - “Shame on you! I thought You would grow like a huge banyan tree sheltering thousands from the scorching misery of the world. But now I see you seek your own liberation.” Who said these words to whom and why?
ANS:When Narendra prayed to RKP that he be blessed with Nirvikalpa Samadhi, RKP said these words to Narendra
- Few days before RKP’s Samadhi, he transmitted to Narendra all his own ___________.
ANS: Spiritual Power - What did RKP say to Narendra, after transmitting his power to Narendra?
ANS:RKP told him that by the force of this power, great things would be done by Narendra and only after that, he would go back to where he came from
- When and where was the foundation for Ramakrishna’s brotherhood laid down?
ANS:After the death of RKP, on 16th August 1886, at an old, dilapidated house at Baranagore, the foundation for Ramakrishna’s brotherhood was laid down.
- When and where did the disciples of RKP take the vow of sanyasa? (OR)
When did Narendranath become Swami Vivekananda?
ANS:At Antpur on Christmas eve (1886), the disciples took the vow of sanyasa. They also took new names appropriate for monks. Narendranath emerged as Swami Vivekananda.
- What type of sanyasi was Swami Vivekananda?
ANS: Parivrajaka - To whom did Swami Vivekananda prove that idol worship was not wrong? How?
ANS: The young Maharajah of Alwar
Refer to para 2 on page 65: “A small anecdote…………….. the Ultimate Reality.” - “The stone is like a patriot, a symbol – a sacred symbol of God, the ultimate reality.” Who said these words to whom & when?
ANS:Swami Vivekananda said these words to the Maharajah of Alwar while trying to teach him that idle worship was not wrong and it need not be abhorred or condemned upon.
- With which great patriot did Swami Vivekananda stay at Puna?
ANS: Bal Gangadhar Tilak - “For me all castes and creeds are the same and all are my own brethren.” Who said these words to whom & when?
ANS:Swami Vivekananda said these words to a Muslim. [Refer to para 3 of Path Divine for details of Vivekanda’s visit to a Muslim’s house at Mount Abu]
- a. Why did Swami Vivekananda want to go to the west?
b. Who offered Swami Vivekananda financial support to go to the west?
c. Where did Swami Vivekananda make his decision of serving his motherland?
ANS:a. To propound the Universal principles of Vedanta among the people in the west.
b. The Maharajah of Mysore
c. At Kanyakumari(Cape Comorin) - a. Who suggested that Swami Vivekananda visit Chicago and why?
b. What was happening at Chicago?
ANS:a.Raja of Ramnad because an idea had sprouted in Vivekananda’s mind when he was at Kanyakumari that he should visit America in order to raise funds to improve the conditions of poor people in India
b. The Parliament of Religions - Briefly describe the symbolic dream that Swami Vivekananda had that made him decide clearly about his visit to America.
ANS:Swami Vivekananda had a symbolic dream in which the Master appeared, started walking over the sea beckoning him to follow. Simultaneously Mother Sarada Devi also got a dream wherein the Master appeared and asked her to bless Vivekananda and send him abroad on the mission
- Who made the arrangements for his travel to Chicago?
ANS: The Rajah of Khetri - From which place and on which day did Vivekananda start on his historic voyage?
ANS: From Bombay on 31st May, 1893 - a. At which place did Swami Vivekananda stay until the programme started?
b. Who invited him to be her guest?
ANS:a. Boston
b. Katherine Sanborn - Who gave Swami Vivekananda a letter of introduction to the Chairman of the programme at Chicago? What did he write in that letter?
ANS:Professor John Henry Wright wrote in his letter of introduction to the Chairman of the programme at Chicago: “Here is a man who is more learned than all our learned professors put together.” He also told Vivekananda that “to ask for your credentials is like asking the sun if he has permission to shine.
- With whom did Swami Vivekananda stay in Chicago and why?
ANS:When Swami Vivekananda reached Chicago, he realized that he had lost the address of the Committee that was providing hospitality for the oriental delegates. He could not make himself understood to German-speaking people. So he rested in a huge box in the railway freight yard. The next day he tried searching for someone who could help him out but in vain. So he sat down on the roadside, resigning himself to the Divine will. Suddenly a lady of regal appearance emerged from the fashionable house opposite, approached him and offered him help. This was Mrs. George.W.Hale whose house was to later become the permanent address for Swami Vivekananda while he was in U.S.A, the Hale family members had become his devoted followers.
- When did the programme at Chicago open?
ANS:11th September 1893 - Where was the programme at Chicago held?
ANS: The spacious hall of the Art Institute - What were his opening words when he began the speech?
ANS: Sisters and brothers of America - What was the response from the audience and how long did it last?
ANS:There was thunderous applause from the audience of about 7000 people, which lasted for two full minutes.
- Swami Vivekananda’s speech lasted for ______minutes. Briefly describe its impact
ANS:Not more than 3 or 4 minutes.
The appeal of his simple words of burning sincerity and his orange robe was so great that the very next day, the newspapers described him as the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. The simple monk with a begging bowl had become a spiritual sovereign. - It is an insult to a starving man to teach him metaphysics said ____________
ANS: Swami Vivekananda - For how many years did Vivekananda stay at America after the Chicago programme?
ANS: Three - Swami Vivekananda always said “God is in each one of us. See no difference between _________ and _________.
ANS: An ant and an angel - Vivekananda said that he did not preach the _______ of RKP but only the ____ of RKP
ANS: Personality, principles - He went on a short visit of 3 months to _______ where he met the great savant ________.
ANS: England, Max Muller - He organized ___society at the city of ___ in America with the aim of preaching Vedanta.
ANS: Vedanta, New York - He wrote books on __________ and __________.
ANS: Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga - He also toured the continent of Europe where he met ________________ and his wife and also
Miss._________________ who is better known as _________________.
ANS: Capt. Sevier, Miss. Margaret Noble, Sister Nivedita - When was Ramakrishna’s mission born?
ANS: 1st May 1897 - Briefly explain the first public service relief work organized by Ramakrishna mission.
ANS:When plague broke out in Calcutta, Swami Vivekananda organized relief work with the help of the monastery and lay disciples and helped the poor people immensely by bringing the plague under control without it creating too much havoc.
- Which were the hill stations visited by Swami Vivekananda and his disciples?
ANS: Nainital, Almora, Kashmir, Amarnath, Srinagar -
a. Another turning point in his spiritual life similar to the meeting with RKP happened on ____________
b. Where did this happen?
c. What exactly happened?
d. What did Swami Vivekananda have to say about this later?ANS:
a. 2nd August 1898
b. At the holy shrine of Amarnath
c. Swami bathed in the ice cold steam beside the cave and entered the shrine of Siva nude except for a loin cloth. A great mystical experience came to him with an overwhelming thrill and permanently dilated his heart. Siva was a deity intimately associated with him as he himself was born as a result of a boon that was given to his mother by Lord Siva since she prayed to Lord Visveswara of Benaras. For days afterwards, he could not speak anything but Siva, Siva.
d. He said later, “Ever since I went to Amarnath Siva himself has entered into me. He will not leave me.” - After this visit, he went to the __________ temple near Srinagar.
ANS: Kshir Bhavani Mata - After all these experiences, Swami Vivekananda got the __________ math constructed.
ANS: Belur - What was the school started by his disciples?
ANS: The Nivedita girls school - Name the magazines that were started.
ANS: Udbodhan, a Bengali monthly and Prabuddha Bharati, an English monthly - Vivekananda’s British disciples _______ and ______ built the ______ ashram at ________.
ANS: Capt. Sevier and his wife, Advaita ashram, Mayavati(Almora) in the Himalayas - Swami Vivekananda inspired the sanyasins saying Atmano ______________________.
ANS: Mokshartham Jagat hitaya cha - On 20th June 1899, Vivekananda set out on his 2nd voyage to America with ________&________.
ANS: Swami Turiyananda and Sister Nivedita - During his visit he set up the ___________ ashram at _________ which he placed under the charge of Swami ____________; he also set up the _______ center at ____________.
ANS:Shanti ashram at Northern California under Swami Turiyananda,
Vedanta center at San Francisco - “My boat is nearing the calm harbor from which it is never to be driven out” who said this to whom and why?
ANS: Vivekananda said this to Miss. Mcdonald as he knew that his end was approaching. - On 1st August 1900 he arrived at ___________ to participate in the _________.
ANS: Paris, Congress of the History of Religions - Swami Vivekananda wrote to Mrs. Bull, “This is one great wish of a Hindu widow” who was he referring to and why did he write this?
ANS:He was referring to his mother and he wrote this because his mother had expressed her desire of visiting holy places and to fulfil this wish, he had taken her to the holy places at East Bengal and Assam.
- “You are Narayana’s manifestatations of God. Today I have offered food to Narayana.” Who said this to whom, when and why?
ANS:Swami Vivekananda said this to the santhal coolies when he had arranged a sumptuous feast for them. He said so because he found these coolies vertitable embodiments of God- such simplicity, sincere and guileless love he had never seen elsewhere.
- When did Swami Vivekananda pass into eternal rest?
ANS: On 4th July 1902 - According to Vivekananda, what was the most practical form of Vedanta? OR According to Vivekananda, what was Vedanta and religion in practice?
ANS:According to Vivekananda, “uplift of masses and relief of their sufferings was the most practical form of Vedanta / Vedanta and religion in practice.
- “If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative”, said ___________.
ANS: Tagore - “I have gone through his works very thoroughly and after having gone through them, the love I had for my county became a thousand fold,” said ____________.
ANS: Mahatma Gandhi