In order to have better understanding about Swami Vivekananda we have to think on the following issues also with unbiased mind:

• What Swami Vivekananda wrote or said about the British rule in India?

• Had he worked directly or indirectly to liberate India from the British rule?

• Had he contributed or supported for national freedom to national congress existing & working during his time ?

• Had he inspired any revolutionary Indians to fight for the national freedom?

• Was he really upset for the political bondage of our nation?

• During his foreign tours of Europe – America did he try to raise the issue of our national freedom?

• Had he worked for other issues of national importance like cow-protection & national language (Hindi)?

• Had he worked for the removal of superstitions from our nation?

• Didn’t he believe his master Sri Ramkrishna Paramhansa as the greatest incarnation of Lord?

• Doesn’t the account given in his biography of his visit of Kshir-Bhavaani temple show that he himself was superstitious?

For further reading, I quote below a chapter “PATRIOTISM AND SOCIAL REFORMS” from the English book “The Gospel of Swami Vivekanand” (edition: 1992, page: 22-24, Publisher: Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha-N Delhi) written by great scholar Sri Swami Vidyananda Saraswati:

PATRIOTISM AND SOCIAL REFORMS

 

It is said that – “Ramakrishna and Vivekananda were the first awakeners of India’s national consciousness; they were India’s first nationalist leaders in the true sense of the term… The movement for India’s liberation started from Dakshineswar.” (Bio, 231)

But facts refute this tall claim. In Vivekananda’s own words – “Let no political significance ever be attached falsely to my writings or sayings. What nonsense!” (Bio, 232) He said this as early as September 1894. A year later he wrote – “I will have nothing to do with cowards or political nonsense. I do not believe in any politics. God and truth are the only politics in the world, everything else is trash.” (Bio, 232)

As a matter of fact, neither Vivekananda nor his Guru had any thing to do with India. Vedanta was their only obsession.

“First and last, he (Vivekananda) was the boy who had dedicated his life to Ramakrishna… The policy of the Ramakrishna Order has always been faithful to Vivekananda’s intention. In the early twenties, when India’s struggle with England had become intense and bitter, the Order was harshly criticized for refusing to allow its members to take part in Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement.” (Teachings of Swami Vivekananda, xxxviii)

Vivekananda said – “It has ever been my conviction that we shall not be able to rise unless the Western countries come to our help. In India no appreciation of merit can be found, no financial support.” (Bio, 255)

He wrote in a letter to an Indian disciple – “What is the use of going back to India? India cannot further my ideas. This country (USA) takes kindly to my ideas.” (V, 77) In other letter he wrote – “You have remarked well; my ideas are going to work in the West better than in India… I have done more for India than India ever did for me.” (V, 92)

He did not like India because it could not give him what America could. He clearly wrote back – “Here in America I have all the comforts – food, clothing etc. Why then should I come back to a country of ungrateful people?” (Letters of Swami Vivekananda, p. 17)

He wrote it when he was in America, waiting for recognition in India. With a view to please the British Government he had given standing instructions to his associates not to forget to eulogize Queen Victoria while preparing any speech for him. (Letters of Swami Vivekananda, P. 385)

According to Dr. V.V. Majumdar, “Vivekananda received so much publicity in England for his glorifying the British government. This was a reward for his loyalty to the throne.” (History of Social and Political Ideas, P. 267)

“I do not bother about child-marriage, widow remarriage etc. I admit that child marriage makes the nation physically as well as morally strong.” (India Women, P. 34, 53)

“I also believe that child-marriage has helped the Hindus in maintaining the chastity of their women-folk.” (Gyana Yoga, P. 30)

“The Hindus can really promote their culture by grasping the basic ideal which developed the institution of child-marriage.” (Vivekananda in India, P. 430)

I do not know how Vivekananda, who always condemned social reformers (See Vivekanand in India, P. 126, 127, 153), could write – “But for Kabir, Nanak, Chaitanya and Arya Samaj, Muslims and Christians would have out-numbered Hindus in India.” (Modern India, 27)

According to Vivekananda, his source of inspiration, Ramakrishna “never recognized any sin or misery in the world, no evil to fight against.” (VII, 16)

In the words of Dr. Bhawanilal Bharatiya – “Ramakrishna was a self-cantered and emotional man. Social service, patriotism and social reforms had no place in his life. At times he would not hesitate to ridicule those who stood committed to help people in distress at the cost of their personal interests.”

Vivekananda was himself an idolater. He considered material worship to be the lowest stage, but, as has already been mentioned, he stood there into the last. But, though himself engaged in idol worship, he advised others to the contrary, saying – “He who is high and the low, the saint and the sinner, the god and the worm, Him worship, the visible, the knowable, the real, the omnipresent, break all other idols. In whom there is neither past life nor future birth, nor death nor going or coming, in whom we always have been and always will be one, Him worship, break all other idols.” (V, 136) “If you want to remain happy, throw away all your bells etc. into the Ganges and worship God in men. Opening and closing of gates and with that bathing, clothing and feeding of God is all humbug. God in the idol changing dress several times, while the living Thakurs outside be shivering in cold is mockery of worship.” (Patravali II, P. 199)

While Ramakrishna and Vivekananda fed themselves with the flesh of innocent creatures, they asked their followers to treat all beings as their own self! When in one of his lectures in Chicago Vivekananda gave a philosophical interpretation of image-worship, those in the audience ridiculed him, saying, “He is trying to mislead people in the West. No Hindu in his own country would be prepared to accept his interpretation.” (Vivekananda Charita, P. 193)

[“The Gospel of Swami Vivekanand”, edition: 1992, page: 22-24, Publisher: Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha-N Delhi, by: Swami Vidyananda Saraswati]

 AUTHOR : BHAVESH MERJA