Swami Vivekananda awakened India: Adityanath

Lucknow, Jan 12 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday hailed Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary, saying he awakened India's self-awareness, which had then been dormant.

He was addressing a programme in Lucknow on the occasion of National Youth Day.

"Swami Vivekananda represented that India which, at that time, due to its dormant consciousness, had almost lost its self-awareness. If you want to understand what slavery truly means, you can learn about it by looking at India of that time, which had lost its self-awareness to the extent that a handful of foreign invaders succeeded in enslaving the country. India was being plundered by a few people; its civilisation, culture, and traditions were being insulted," Adityanath said.

He said that the "young ascetic" played a crucial role in awakening the country's self-consciousness then.

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, as Narendranath Dutta in then Calcutta. His birth anniversary is celebrated as National Youth Day.

Adityanath said that the entire journey of Swami Vivekananda from Narendra to Vivekananda is the journey of a spiritual seeker (saadhak) to that of a transformer (yug parivartak).

"His message was: focus on the goal, steadfastness in resolve, and continuity in action. Until these are achieved, success cannot be achieved," the chief minister said.

Swami Vivekananda declared at the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago (in 1893) that he came from a tradition of India that has always shown the path of human welfare, Adityanath said.

Earlier in a post on X, the BJP leader hailed Swami Vivekananda as the torchbearer of Indian intellectual tradition and one who re-established Sanatana Dharma on the world stage.

"Swami Vivekananda's thoughts proved that Hinduism is the supreme guide for the overall progress and welfare of humanity. On this National Youth Day, let us embrace his ideals in our lives and strengthen our resolve for national service and social upliftment," Adityanath said in his post. PTI NAV VN VN