Swami Vivekananda Research Articles

Caste Discrimination and Social Change in India

The origin and traces of the caste system and discrimination on its basis can be traced back to the ancient period of India. Social changes have taken place to a great extent due to the practice of caste discrimination in India. We find roots of caste and racial system with the arrival of Aryans in India. The society got divided into two segments, i.e., Dasayas and Dasuyas, i.e., original inhabitants and the Aryans. During the Vedic period we find the existence of caste system reflected in the Varna system, i.e., Brahmins,Kshatriya, Vaishyas and Sudras. It was based on the type of profession one adopted in his life, and a person could change profession, i.e., a warrior could become a priest, or a priest could become a ruler.With the passage of time during the ancient period, one more class in the society emerged, i.e., Chandals. They were treated as untouchables, and they did not find any place in the Varnas system. The social injustice on the basis of caste system and discrimination has affected the Indian society of Hinduism to a great extent. It has affected the unity and communal harmony among different sections of the Indian society, especially Hinduism. Only privileged classes were given the education and honored jobs. It led to the deplorable condition of the masses, which belonged to lower strata of society. Ultimately these sections of the society were ignored and became socially and economically backward. During modern times the British Govt. tried to encash every possible opportunity to make their rule lasting and stable by divide and rule policy. After 1857 the British government designed the army on the basis of caste, religion and regional basis. Many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Jyotiba Phule, Swami Vivekananda and other social reformers tried to reform caste system in India by promoting education among the Sudras and Dalits.Dr. B.R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, also tried to bring the socially and economically weaker section of the society at par with the other privileged sections of the society by spreading education and awareness among them. Special provisions have been made in the constitution for their social and economic upliftment through the reservation system. There has been a great change in social and economic status of the deprived sections of Indian society. But, their social and economic status has not improved to the desired level. We often come across through electronic and other media cases of discrimination and atrocities committed on the people based on the Caste system.

Caste Discrimination and Social Change in India

The origin and traces of the caste system and discrimination on its basis can be traced back to the ancient period of India. Social changes have taken place to a great extent due to the practice of caste discrimination in India. We find roots of caste and racial system with the arrival of Aryans in India. The society got divided into two segments, i.e., Dasayas and Dasuyas, i.e., original inhabitants and the Aryans. During the Vedic period we find the existence of caste system reflected in the Varna system, i.e., Brahmins,Kshatriya, Vaishyas and Sudras. It was based on the type of profession one adopted in his life, and a person could change profession, i.e., a warrior could become a priest, or a priest could become a ruler.With the passage of time during the ancient period, one more class in the society emerged, i.e., Chandals. They were treated as untouchables, and they did not find any place in the Varnas system. The social injustice on the basis of caste system and discrimination has affected the Indian society of Hinduism to a great extent. It has affected the unity and communal harmony among different sections of the Indian society, especially Hinduism. Only privileged classes were given the education and honored jobs. It led to the deplorable condition of the masses, which belonged to lower strata of society. Ultimately these sections of the society were ignored and became socially and economically backward. During modern times the British Govt. tried to encash every possible opportunity to make their rule lasting and stable by divide and rule policy. After 1857 the British government designed the army on the basis of caste, religion and regional basis. Many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Jyotiba Phule, Swami Vivekananda and other social reformers tried to reform caste system in India by promoting education among the Sudras and Dalits.Dr. B.R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, also tried to bring the socially and economically weaker section of the society at par with the other privileged sections of the society by spreading education and awareness among them. Special provisions have been made in the constitution for their social and economic upliftment through the reservation system. There has been a great change in social and economic status of the deprived sections of Indian society. But, their social and economic status has not improved to the desired level. We often come across through electronic and other media cases of discrimination and atrocities committed on the people based on the Caste system.

Caste Discrimination and Social Change in India

The origin and traces of the caste system and discrimination on its basis can be traced back to the ancient period of India. Social changes have taken place to a great extent due to the practice of caste discrimination in India. We find roots of caste and racial system with the arrival of Aryans in India. The society got divided into two segments, i.e., Dasayas and Dasuyas, i.e., original inhabitants and the Aryans. During the Vedic period we find the existence of caste system reflected in the Varna system, i.e., Brahmins,Kshatriya, Vaishyas and Sudras. It was based on the type of profession one adopted in his life, and a person could change profession, i.e., a warrior could become a priest, or a priest could become a ruler.With the passage of time during the ancient period, one more class in the society emerged, i.e., Chandals. They were treated as untouchables, and they did not find any place in the Varnas system. The social injustice on the basis of caste system and discrimination has affected the Indian society of Hinduism to a great extent. It has affected the unity and communal harmony among different sections of the Indian society, especially Hinduism. Only privileged classes were given the education and honored jobs. It led to the deplorable condition of the masses, which belonged to lower strata of society. Ultimately these sections of the society were ignored and became socially and economically backward. During modern times the British Govt. tried to encash every possible opportunity to make their rule lasting and stable by divide and rule policy. After 1857 the British government designed the army on the basis of caste, religion and regional basis. Many social reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Jyotiba Phule, Swami Vivekananda and other social reformers tried to reform caste system in India by promoting education among the Sudras and Dalits.Dr. B.R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, also tried to bring the socially and economically weaker section of the society at par with the other privileged sections of the society by spreading education and awareness among them. Special provisions have been made in the constitution for their social and economic upliftment through the reservation system. There has been a great change in social and economic status of the deprived sections of Indian society. But, their social and economic status has not improved to the desired level. We often come across through electronic and other media cases

Prevalence of normal weight obesity in young adults of Western Uttar Pradesh – A community-based study

Background: Obesity is described as a build-up of abnormal or excessive fat that risks life. A body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool for overweight and obesity. For a long time, BMI has been used as a marker to measure obesity. However, a significant limitation of using BMI is its failure to differentiate between a high body fat content and preserved or increased lean mass, especially in patients or subjects with a BMI <30 kg/m2. Normal weight obese (NWO) is such individuals who have high fat content but a normal BMI. To identify such individuals and to save them from morbidity associated with obesity, this study was carried out. Aims and Objectives: The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of NWO in healthy young adults (aged between 18 and 30 years) and to suggest the methods of primary prevention for obesity. Materials and Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study, the 324 subjects were selected randomly from the residents, students, and employees of Swami Vivekananda Subharti University. Subjects were chosen according to the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria and also, based on the self-structure questionnaire. A general and systemic examination was carried out. The body composition of these subjects was done by bioelectric impedance analyzer BODY STAT QUAD SCAN 4000. Data were analysis using R-software (1.25 version), and unpaired t-test was applied. P < 0.05 was taken as significant in this study. Results: The prevalence of NWO in males was found to be 24.6% and females to be 13.4%. The body composition parameters of NWO and NWNO differed significantly. Conclusion: The increase rate of NWO is reason for concern and routine screening of body composition parameters should be done at health setups to identify that these NWO individuals and timely interventions can be made.

Free Papers Compiled

Many experts believes this undoubtedly that Panic is dangerous than pandemic. Fear, stress, anxiety, depression and obsession out of continuous panic state of mind would be more dangerous than the infection caused by covid19 corona virus during pandemic because if one member of a family is infected by infection than all other members of same family were found to be suffering from the stress and fear of being infected next. This situation give a clue that numbers of people having fear and panic of infection is more than sufferer of actual pandemic due to covid infection.During years 2019,2020,2021 pandemic and post covid pandemic periods , there were sudden raising pattern is seen in the psychological disorder noted worldwide as per the panelists of different organization and private research analysts. It has shaken every one from individual to institutes .Sudden application of break in the modern life style and prolong home bounded situation exacerbated the mental health issue beyond the expectation of experts. Pandemic has hampered the life style of all age group specially children ,adolescents and young who are captivated at home . Prolong sitting front of computer for school from home,work from home , different on line courses from home . This forced home living situation creating many psychological disorder among different age group .This is why application of yoga and mediation has raised in treatment of psychological disorder . Modern psychiatry is still far away from the application of ancient knowledge of yoga ,meditation and holistic understanding of human psychological nature its constitution and disorders . Therapeutic approach of meditation and yoga is only at surface level and need to be explored up to deep .Lack of deep knowledge and ignorance of same is the reason for that modern psychiatry is unable to provide the holistic approach for treating psychological disorder in comprehensive away . It has been got evident that yoga and meditation has helped many people who were kept in their houses for long time to stay healthy and to create mental well-being too .In this scientific paper application of knowledge,skill,approach,perception ,hidden intellect from ancient books on yoga sutra and meditation is done for treating different psychological disorders .Many experts either lack the idea or ignore to accept about different approaches written for treating differ psychological disorders in many books like swami Vivekananda translation of patanjali yoga sutra that’s written by by maharishi Patanjali 600bc , the Veda,the Upnishad ,The Bhagwat Gita and many more ancient books and ancient philosophy of yoga and meditation .By application of these skill , knowledge and perception and holistic approach towards the cessation of mental waves that common in mental disorder. As the modern age is the age of psychological disorders. Hence the holistic approach towards the study of human mind, its nature and disorders is the crucial need of the day. Efforts for this are going on in eastern as well as western countries. In western countries modern psychology developed as the branch of natural sciences is also trying to find out the solution for the problem at its own level. However due to its materialistic prejudices and single sided vision towards the human mind and nature it is unable to reach at the root cause of the problem and adopt the holistic approach for its therapy. for ANCIP2022 -BYDR.SANTOSH KUMAR PANDIT, Email-Panditsant79@gmail.comMobile-7980309435.

Immediate Effect of Ujjayi Pranayama on Attention and Anxiety among University Students: A Randomised Self-control Study

Introduction: Elevated level of anxiety and low attention in university students has detrimental effects on their academic performance and well-being. The practice of pranayama is considered to enhance the attention and reduce anxiety of individuals. Though, ujjayi pranayama has a relaxing and tranquilising effect, its effects on attention and anxiety in students has not been explored yet. Aim: To assess the immediate effect of ujjayi pranayama on sustained attention, selective attention and state-trait anxiety in university students. Materials and Methods: The present study was a randomised self-control study in which 34 students were randomly divided into group A and group B using the lottery method. Inclusion criteria were students in the age range of 18-35 years, conversant in English, willing to participate and having at least two years of proficiency in pranayama practice. The assessment and intervention were conducted at the yoga hall of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anausandhana Samsthana, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, in the month of April 2015. The duration of intervention was for 10 minutes. On day one, group A practiced ujjayi pranayama for eight minutes and two minutes of breath observation. Students in group B were asked to sit in a meditative posture with eyes open. The order was reversed on the day second. Students from both groups were assessed just before and immediately after the intervention using the Digit Letter Substitution Test (DLST), Six Letter Cancellation Test (SLCT), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Statistical analysis showed, a significant difference in STAI scores (9.00±3.05 vs. 10.29±3.23, p=0.005). No significant difference was observed in other variables in between group comparison. Likewise, the within group analysis showed a significant difference in pre and post scores of DLST (53.68±9.35 vs 59.65±9.66, p<0.001), SLCT (30.21±10.29 vs 33.71±11.67, p=0.007), and STAI (11.5±3.40 vs 9.00±3.05, p<0.001) in the group A as well as a significant difference in pre and post scores of DLST (55.82±10.44 vs 60.00±9.51, p=0.002) and STAI (10.94±3.19 vs 10.29±3.23, p=0.024) in the group B. Conclusion: The present study suggested that ujjayi pranayama improves sustained and selective attention and reduces the state-trait anxiety of university students. However, further studies to assess the chronic effect of ujjayi pranayama with greater sample size and advanced tools are required to support the present finding.

An analytic interpretation on the importance of India's soft power in international cultural diplomacy over the centuries

India’s Soft Power which is part of Smart Diplomacy or cultural diplomacy in India. India’s soft power diplomacy can be traced back to the time when Swami Vivekananda visited Chicago Parliament of Religion and spoke about Hinduism and India, which attracted many Indians and Foreigners who visited India and learnt about the Indian culture and the Sanskrit, his book on Raja Yoga influenced Western countries to practice Yoga who came to India and visited asharams, India’s main soft powers include spiritualism, yoga, Ayurveda, the world is shifting towards organic method of treatment which has its trace in India. There is culture exchange of arts, music, dance. Indian Diaspora and Young youth are the weapons for the spread of Indian culture across the globe, People are interested in Indian culture and epics of Ramayana and Mahabharat and studying on Kautliya. India literature and craft have received international recognition, countries abroad have included Sanskrit as part of their educational curriculum. India has also emerged has an export of herbs medicine to many foreign countries like Middle East, Europe, Africa etc. and this soft power of India will help in creating a massive influence across the world but before that Indian should have ample knowledge about their own history and culture and languages.

Constructing Religious Harmony through Rhetoric: An Analysis of Vivekananda's Selected Speeches

This research article reports how rhetorical elements used in the speeches of Swami Vivekananda at World Parliament of Religions supports to construct the religious harmony in the world. This study is based on qualitative interpretative research design and employs the theoretical ideas based on Richard Andrews to interpret the various rhetorical devices in his selected speeches. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the use of arguments in his speeches by using the idea developed by Stephen Toulmin and his visual rhetoric is analyzed using the idea based on Tracey Owens Patton. Findings show that use of rhetorical elements in his speeches contributes to make his arguments stronger to construct the religious harmony among the world religions despite the apparent contradiction among them. He incorporated rhetorical devices in his speeches such as metaphors, similes, parallelism, appropriate dictions and repetitions to persuade the audience to establish his claim more effectively by making simple and understandable. His rhetoric of spiritualization of religions with the support of interpretation of Vedic philosophy contributes to integrate the world religions by stating that every human being has been created equally having the body and immortal spirit with them. His visual rhetoric including attractive bodily appearance, confidence and commanding voice helped him to attract the attention of the large mass of audience towards him. Findings of this article contribute to a better understanding that appropriate use of rhetorical elements supports to make effective communication and helps to persuade the audience to achieve the goal.

NATIONALISM: THE VIVEKANANDA WAY

Nationalism is a contested concept. It is used both positively and negatively to either unite a people or whip up jingoistic passions among people. In the context of India, nationalism holds a different connotation that defies all western categorizations as India is not a nation in the traditional sense of the term; rather it is a ‘supranation’ consisting of multiple nations. Culture plays the most vital role in uniting people in India having diverse races, religions, languages, ethnicities and life-styles and gives them a sense of togetherness. It was Vivekananda, who during the early years of nationalistic resurgence, gave India’s quest for identity a definite direction by striving to revive the country’s age old traditional values and inclusive cultural ethos. His efforts immensely helped in drawing the attention of the western world towards the unique aspects of India’s cultural heritage. This paper would offer a politico-cultural view of Indian nationalism and specifically discuss Swami Vivekananda’s contributions to enrich it.

Educational Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda and the Bengali Bhadralok’s search for cultural identity during the second half of the Nineteenth Century

The British government introduced Western education first in Bengal during the nineteenth century to produce clerks to run the administration cheaply and create a group of loyal servants. However, the educated Bengali bhadralok or the elites of Bengali society, who emerged as a renter class during the British period, soon became the object of racist ridicule by the British. As a result, a critique against blind imitation of western civilization was developed among a section of the Hindu Bengali bhadralok. In the light of these developments, this article tries to evaluate the educational ideas of Swami Vivekananda (original name Narendranath Datta, 1863-1902), a great Hindu monk of India, and attempts to find out how his educational philosophy contributed to the socio-cultural rejuvenation of the Bengalis. This article found that his critique of the colonial educational policy and his ideas on Man-making education enlightened the Bengalis and contributed significantly to the national awakening of the Indians. Moreover, his educational philosophy does not lose its validity even today.Pemerintah Inggris memperkenalkan pendidikan Barat pertama kali di Bengal selama abad kesembilan belas untuk menghasilkan juru tulis untuk menjalankan administrasi dengan murah dan menciptakan sekelompok pelayan yang setia. Namun, bhadralok Bengali terpelajar atau elit masyarakat Bengali, yang muncul sebagai kelas penyewa selama periode Inggris, segera menjadi objek ejekan rasis oleh Inggris. Akibatnya, kritik terhadap tiruan buta peradaban barat dikembangkan di antara bagian bhadralok Hindu Bengali. Berdasarkan perkembangan tersebut, artikel ini mencoba mengevaluasi gagasan pendidikan Swami Vivekananda (nama asli Narendranath Datta, 1863-1902), seorang biksu Hindu besar India, dan mencoba untuk mengetahui bagaimana filsafat pendidikannya berkontribusi pada sosial- peremajaan budaya Bengali. Artikel ini menemukan bahwa kritiknya terhadap kebijakan pendidikan kolonial dan ide-idenya tentang pendidikan penciptaan manusia mencerahkan orang Bengali dan berkontribusi secara signifikan pada kebangkitan nasional orang India. Selain itu, filosofi pendidikannya tidak kehilangan validitasnya bahkan hingga hari ini.

Exploring the Socio Economic Segment of Swami Vivekananda's Work Perspective

Exploring the Socio Economic Segment of Swami Vivekananda's Work Perspective

The Concept of Shraddha - Unflinching Faith for Character Building

India is a multifaceted country having diverse cultural background. National integration is of paramount importance where different ethnically groups are co-existing. Character Building is a solution to the problem. Seventeenth chapter of Bhagavad Gita, exclusively deals with concept ofS hraddha (the trust or faith). The attribute oft his trust has been elaborated by the great personality, namely Adi Shankaracharya, and Swami Vivekananda, who have defined and used the word Shraddha to project their understanding as an attribute of Character Building. The student community and those imparting or moulding the Character of the youth are required to understand this concept of trust for development of Nation.

Cutting the Knot of the World Problem: Sri Aurobindo’s Experiential and Philosophical Critique of Advaita Vedānta

This article proposes to examine in detail Aurobindo’s searching—and often quite original—criticisms of Advaita Vedānta, which have not yet received the sustained scholarly attention they deserve. After discussing his early spiritual experiences and the formative influence of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda on his thought, I outline Aurobindo’s philosophy of “realistic Adwaita”. According to Aurobindo, the sole reality is the Divine Saccidānanda, which is not only the static impersonal Brahman but also the personal, dynamic Cit-Śakti (Consciousness-Force), which manifests as everything in this universe. At various points in his corpus, Aurobindo criticizes Advaita Vedānta on three fronts. From the standpoint of spiritual experience, Aurobindo argues that Śaṅkara’s philosophy is based on a genuine, but partial, experience of the Infinite Divine Reality: namely, the experience of the impersonal nondual Absolute and the corresponding conviction of the unreality of everything else. Aurobindo claims, on the basis of his own spiritual experiences, that there is a further stage of spiritual experience, when one realizes that the impersonal-personal Divine Reality manifests as everything in the universe. From a philosophical standpoint, Aurobindo questions the logical tenability of key Advaitic doctrines, including māyā, the exclusively impersonal nature of Brahman, and the metaphysics of an illusory bondage and liberation. Finally, from a scriptural standpoint, Aurobindo argues that the ancient Vedic hymns, the Upaniṣads, and the Bhagavad-Gītā, propound an all-encompassing Advaita philosophy rather than the world-denying Advaita philosophy Śaṅkara claims to find in them. This article focuses on Aurobindo’s experiential and philosophical critiques of Advaita Vedānta, as I have already discussed his new interpretations of the Vedāntic scriptures in detail elsewhere. The article’s final section explores the implications of Aurobindo’s life-affirming Advaitic philosophy for our current ecological crisis.

Transatlantic Rhetoric: Speeches from the American Revolution to the Suffragettes ed. by Tom F. Wright

Reviewed by: Transatlantic Rhetoric: Speeches from the American Revolution to the Suffragettes ed. by Tom F. Wright Gero Guttzeit Tom F. Wright, ed. Transatlantic Rhetoric: Speeches from the American Revolution to the Suffragettes. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020. 312 pp. ISBN: 9781474426268 For the study of oratory, the long nineteenth century from the American Revolution to World War I is a particularly fruitful period, in which the expansion of democratic rights transformed the public sphere and emerging [End Page 470] print capitalism functioned as a catalyst for the distribution of the spoken word. Building on such collections as Lift Every Voice: African American Oratory, 1787–1900 1998 and Women at the Podium: Memorable Speeches in History 2000, Tom F. Wright’s anthology Transatlantic Rhetoric: Speeches from the American Revolution to the Suffragettes presents a novel, multifaceted canon of speechmaking that enables its readers to construct a history of the momentous political, social, and cultural changes of the period. It stands out especially because of its methodological integration of transnational perspectives. Wright is well-known to scholars of the period because of two publications closely related to Transatlantic Rhetoric: his edited collection The Cosmopolitan Lyceum: Lecture Culture and the Globe in Nineteenth-Century America (University of Massachusetts Press, 2013) and his monograph Lecturing the Atlantic: Speech, Print, and an Anglo-American Commons 1830- 1870 (Oxford University Press, 2017). The anthology continues this approach of the nineteenth-century practice of eloquence in its production, performance, and reception from a transatlantic viewpoint. Like its predecessors, the collection reframes comparisons between British and American eloquence and also extends to such issues as “the varying tone of Irish, Haitian and American nationalisms” and “the shared metaphors of abolition and the women’s movement” (10). For instance, it illustrates how the struggle for Irish Home Rule provoked a backlash in American nativist discourses against the Irish diaspora (219–228), and how the reception in Britain and France of Alexander Stephens’ white supremacist arguments for the Secession of the American South in his so-called “Cornerstone Speech” (1861) influenced Europe’s refusal to recognize the Confederacy as an independent state (260–263). Putting together a revisionist anthology such as this comes with particular challenges with regard to the length of the book and the necessity for selection. Wright’s departure from the ‘great speeches’ model is certainly commendable. In contrast to the latter, the chapter structure for his selection of seventy-three speeches in total is based on the “great ‘questions’ of the century” (2); for him, these are Nationalisms and Independence (ch. 1); Gender, Suffrage and Sexuality (ch. 2); Slavery and Race (ch. 3); Faith, Culture and Society (ch. 4); Empire and Manifest Destiny (ch. 5); and War and Peace (ch. 6). Speeches on what French and German call the ‘social question’ (question sociale, soziale Frage)—that is, issuer relating to class, poverty, and the proletariat—appear as a subsection of chapter four, called “Society and Class” (178–195). The selection includes what have become mainstays of speechmaking in the period, such as the two printed versions of Sojourner Truth’s “Speech to the Women’s Rights Convention” (1851), Frederick Douglass’s “What to the slave is July 4th?” (1852), and Emmeline Pankhurst’s “Freedom or Death” (1913). But it also ranges from Jean-Jacques Dessalineo “Haitian Declaration of Independence” (1804) and Nanye’hi and others’ “Cherokee Women Address Their Nation” (1817) to Swami Vivekananda’s “Address at the World’s Parliament of Religions (1893). Overall, the focus is quite clearly on political speech, although the collection also touches on other [End Page 471] issues popular on the nineteenth-century lecture circuits, such as education and literature. What makes Wright’s anthology stand out from among its peers is the detailed editorial matter, which proposes an argument of its own about the period in question. Each of the six chapters features an introduction, contextualizing headnotes for the speeches or excerpts, and explanatory annotations. Taken together with the introduction to the volume, the illustrations, the suggestions for further reading, and the index, these elements make Wright’s book an important contribution to research on public speaking in the long nineteenth century. Wright argues that “the antique...

A review article: Religion for a Secular Age: Max Müller, Swami Vivekananda and Vedānta

A review article: Religion for a Secular Age: Max Müller, Swami Vivekananda and Vedānta

William James and Swami Vivekananda: Their Relationship and the Conceptual Resemblance of Vedānta and Pragmatism

Abstract William James considered Swami Vivekananda the paragon of monists. Yet he comes to reject Vivekananda's philosophy as a result of monism's ineluctable philosophical conundrums and because it ultimately did not suit his active temperament. James's simplified assessment of Vivekananda's philosophy, however, reveals he had only a limited understanding of Vedānta. It can be speculated that James's understanding of Vedānta was mainly the aspect of rāja yoga (the science of psychic control)—which is evinced by the fact that he disagrees with what he perceives as a lack of ability to justify meliorism and a zestful life. But this conception of James's leaves out of consideration karma yoga—or the active principle of Vedānta—which advocates work as the means to realize the divine. Contra James's conception, it is more illustrative to understand Vedānta not as a doctrine of extreme “monism” but rather an attitude that cultivates every particular temperament and disposition. With this rectification, it becomes much clearer that there are significant parallels in viewpoints between James and Vivekananda that have been underappreciated.

The Socio-Political Magnitude of Humanism of Swami Vivekananda

Between 1872 and 1886, when Sri Ramakrishna took his last breath, Belur became a new pilgrimage for people from all walks of life, from the upper classes of English educated Bengalis to the completely uneducated, and Sri Ramakrishna filled the spiritual thirst of everyone who came with true desire. But it was unusual that Sri Ramakrishna's first pick was young people, mostly English educated, and he became the backbone of his spiritual teachings and disseminated his message to the entire globe. Sri Ramakrishna selected Narendra Nath Datta, or simply ‘Noren,' as their leader, and he charged all of these young people with forming a new band of Sanyasins to disseminate the word of Vedanta to every part of the globe. Swami Vivekananda was inducted into his new function by Sri Ramakrishna following a roughly six-year spiritual training from 1881 to 1886. Armed with all of Sri Ramakrishna's divine energy, which he received at Kashipur when he took a vow to fulfill the work of 'Mother' (Divinely ordained task), he ready himself for the new chosen duties, the task of spreading the forest philosophy of Vedanta, the man-making philosophy of the old Indian system, which was held hostage by a few Sanskrit-knowing priests. Swami Vivekananda was a bridge figure among both East and West because of his English education, prior Brahma Samajist connection, and spiritual instruction under Sri Ramakrishna. After reviewing the existing socio-religious and economic situation for nearly seven years (August 1886-May 1893) and visiting every nook and cranny of the country, he discovered that the country was drenched in deep dogmatism, superstition, and ignorance spread in the name of religion, and was more dead than alive. People's thoughts were captivated with local rituals and superstitions in the guise of spirituality and religion, and they were thoroughly immersed in lethargy and unable to accomplish any real work. Slavery for hundreds of years and the imparting of British education had permanently shattered their confidence. People's physical power has been reduced by abject poverty, preventing them from having higher and noble thoughts.

Review: Swami Vivekananda and Non-Hindu Traditions: A Universal Advaita, by Stephen E. Gregg

Review: <i>Swami Vivekananda and Non-Hindu Traditions: A Universal Advaita</i>, by Stephen E. Gregg

Brahma Sutra and Vedadikara Nirupanam (Authoritarian Critique of Vedas)

The Vedas are one of the oldest manuscripts in the world literature. The word Veda is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘vid’ which means knowledge, but it could be attributed as a bundle of knowledge of the Vedic period. All the Indian chronicles and myths extol the Vedas. There is not even a single mantra anywhere in the sacred text repudiating anyone the right to become versed in Vedas but the authority to study and teach the Vedas abounding with knowledge, has been interpreted as the right of a monopolized community gradually. Prominent social reformers like Dayananda Saraswati and Swami Vivekananda who visited India in the late 19th century argued that everyone has the right to study the Vedas. Meanwhile, Chattambi Swami wrote Vedadhikara Nirupanam, proclaiming that the right to study Veda belongs to everyone in Kerala. In this book, Chattambi Swami analyses extensively the question of who is qualified to study the Vedas and has explicitly established that everyone who has the desire to study the Vedas and the customs in rapport with it are eligible for the study. The dissension created by this work was tremendous during the time when the elite castes and scholars of the society strongly believed and argued that only Brahmins had the dominion to study the Vedas. Vyaptheshcha Samajasam is elaborated in the Brahma Sutras as follows. Para brahma swaroopi, Parameswaran (Lord Shiva) is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and absolute. On account of this, it is equitable to say that even if there is a disparity in the name or context of the theosophical form of knowledge, the objective serves as the same. The purpose of all techniques is to illustrate the essence of God in copious ways. They all have similarities in it. Therefore every theosophy is analogous. After reflecting the Vedic forms and significance of the Vedas, Chattambi Swami encompasses the principles of Shruti(what is heard), Yukti(logic) and Anubhavam (experience) and depicts his own perceptions. Similarly, Swami meticulously discusses who is a Brahmin. For instance, Swami examines whether any of these qualities like pure knowledge, birth, noble action and self knowledge make a person a Brahmin or a combination of all these. From this discussion it is implicit that a Brahmin is only one who has wisdom and associated noble deeds. The dogma that the Shudrascannot be educated ‘nasthrishudrau vedamathiyatham’, this verse is neither a Veda nor a Smriti, it is just a sutra (aphorism).It is not accepted or studied anywhere in Shruti (what is heard) Smriti (what is recollected) mythological texts. Therefore, it does not have to be accepted as a doctrine. The verse means that women and Shudras need not have to study but it cannot be interpreted that they are incapable to learn. Even if it is argued that Shudras (lowest ranked of the four varnas of Hindu caste system) have no authority to study the Puranas, many of the authors of the Puranas are Shudras. The veracity of the matter cannot be denied. Most people know that the author of the Suta Samhita is also a Shudra. Ergo, the eminence of that book cannot be deemed as inferior. Parasaran, the son of Odakkari, and Vyasa, the son of Mukuvathi (fisherwoman) compiled the Vedas and were also Brahmins.

EMPOWERING FEMALES THROUGH FIT INDIA MOVEMENT PROGRAM

Fit India Movement is a nation-wide movement in India to encourage people to remain healthy and fit by including physical activities and sports in their daily lives. It was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August 2019 (National Sports Day). At present there are significant disparities in the gender distribution in India with a clear preponderance for males. At this juncture the government is taking all steps to improve the scenario. But the fact remains that there are very few initiatives being implemented to make the girl child stronger and healthier. Physical activity is important for everybody, including all teenagers, but especially for girls who are generally less active than boys in the same age. As teens juggle the transition from primary school to high school there are other pressures that come with it: socially, at home, and at school. Issues such as body image, the onset of menstruation, and general feelings of insecurity about the changing body can surface in these years. Physical activity sometimes takes a back seat to other priorities. However, physical activity is an important part of health and wellbeing, and girls should remain active as they grow up. The purpose of the research article is to shed light on the benefits which women and girls gain through participation in sports. The word Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, educational, gender, or economic strength of individuals and communities. Today sports and physical activity as a strategy for the empowerment of girls and women has been gaining recognition worldwide. Women could be empowered through education, sports and physical activities and by giving them equal opportunities in different walks of life. A woman is both Mahamaya and Maha Shakti and holds the key of the world. As Swami Vivekananda wrote that it is very difficult to understand why in this country so much difference is made between men and women, whereas the Vedanta declares that one and the same Conscious self is present in all beings. In short, woman empowerment is the breaking of personal limitations. Sports and Physical Education play important and major role in all these segments of women Empowerment.