Swami Vivekananda: Interesting facts about the philosophical genius of India

Swami Vivekananda's death anniversary is observed every year on July 4th. He is regarded as the finest minds of India and one of the highest intellects the nation has ever produced. In the article below, one would know about the life of the philosophical genius and various interesting facts no one has ever talked about him. 

Swami Vivekananda: 10 Lesser Known Facts 

1. Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863 in a family of Bengal. The interesting fact in this was that he was born at 6.33 minutes and 33 seconds exactly.
2. His original name was Narendranath Datta. His father Vishwanath Datta was an attorney at Calcutta High Court. He was to be named Durgadas, but since his mother had a dream, the child's nick name was Veereshwar. 
3. He is known as one of the best orators of India. His speech in Chicago is famous till today. The funny part is his English grammar skills were very poor in his graduation days and he scored around 50 % only back then. This man later went on to deliver one of the best speeches in English in USA. 
4. His mother was the person in framing and molding his character. As a child Vivekananda was a moody and angry person. His mother used to pour cold water over him and chant ' Om Namah Shivay' which helped him calm down. 
5. After his father passed away, his family entered the phase of extreme poverty. He used to lie to his family members of being invited to other places so as to avoid being a burden at home. 

6. Swami Vivekananda lost his face in God as he was unemployed even after completing his Bachelor's. He once said, "God does not exist."

7. Swami Vivekananda's sister Jogendrabala committed suicide and ceased her life, which broke him emotionally.

8. His monk name was Swami Vividishananda, but once he moved to Chicago, the name was changed to Swami Vivekananda. 

9. Swami Vivekananda's monastery was closed to women. Not even his disciples' mothers could visit his monastery. He became angry at the sight of his rules being broken if they were. 

10. Swami Vivekananda predicted that he would not live beyond the age of 40 and it came true. He went for his heavenly abode at the age of 40.  

Swami Vivekananda is an example of people living their lives short, but to the fullest. His enthusiasm and vision are a benchmark for the youth around the world. The way he saw things was way ahead of his time and that brought him fame and name. His philosophical approach towards Hinduism took the religion across the borders of India and made it known around the world. He needs to be credited with the flow and existence of Hinduism outside India and specially in the West. He was a man born in the 19th century but was centuries ahead of his time. 

Also Read| Swami Vivekananda Biography : Early Life, Education, Works, Teachings and Famous Quotes