The message and teachings of Swami Vivekananda, who was one of the most well-known spiritual leaders of India, outlive him. Through his speeches and lectures, Vivekananda worked to disseminate his religious ideas. He preached ‘neo-Vedanta’, an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens, and believed in combining spirituality with material progress.
Quotes such as “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached” have become a source of inspiration for many. That the National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 to commemorate his birth anniversary seems appropriate, as throughout his work he underlined the importance of youth in India. He saw in them the power to lead society towards the path of spiritual growth. The words of famous personalities have become essential topics in the Essay paper of UPSC CSE. Also, quotes have become relevant in the Ethics paper (GS 4), as the syllabus mentions ‘Contribution of Thinkers and Philosophers’. Quotes by Swami Vivekananda have been asked previously in the UPSC exam. This one, aimed at the youth, is of value not only for the Essay section but also for the Ethics questions and case studies on themes of youth and philosophy. We look at the meaning and context of one of his most famous quotes, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached,” which Swami Vivekananda took from the Katha Upanishad. It soon became a clarion call for galvanizing youth to be cognizant of the supreme power within, thus ‘Arise,’ and once conscious of the God within, to hold on to the belief and see the world through this divine self-consciousness, to become ‘Awake.’
Full quote:
Swami Vivekananda used the quote in numerous speeches within and outside the subcontinent. The following is an excerpt from his speech in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu:
“Without respect of caste or birth, weakness or strength, hear and learn that behind the strong and the weak, behind the high and the low, behind everyone, there is that Infinite Soul, assuring the infinite possibility and the infinite capacity of all to become great and good. Let us proclaim to every soul: उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत — Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. Arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness. None is really weak; the soul is infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. Stand up, assert yourself, proclaim the God within you, do not deny Him! Too much of inactivity, too much of weakness, too much of hypnotism has been and is upon our race.”
Meaning of the quote
The quote reflects the basis of Swami Vivekanada’s philosophy, which says human beings have infinite power and strength within themselves. Vivekananda, in his speeches and work, reiterated and exhorted the youth to “take one idea” and make that one idea their life. “Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success,” he proclaimed. Strength and fearlessness were the two keywords he used to urge the youth to imbibe in their lives to achieve their true potential.
The phrase can be expressed through the following markers of his philosophy:
Fearlessness
Swami Vivekananda appealed to the youth to follow the religion of fearlessness, for that is the only way to achieve any goal. He decried inactivity and ‘hypnotism’ of weakness, which he believed are the biggest deterrent to achieving anything. “Arise, awake ! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness,” he urged.
Balance of mind
To remain focused on any goal, Swami Vivekananda claimed that patience, perseverance, and purity are required. He categorically articulated that it is the calm, forgiving, equable and well-balanced mind that does the greatest amount of work.
Swami Vivekananda also stressed the importance of concentration to achieve one’s goals. “The world is ready to give up its secrets if we only know how to knock, how to give it the necessary blow and that can be done through concentration of the powers of the mind. The strength and the force of the blow come through concentration,” he said. The more focused a human mind is, the more power is brought to bear on one point; that is the secret to achieving what one has set out for.
Divinity
To highlight the importance of work, he even said that through work even God can be attained. He called on the youth to wake up from their slumber and be awake to the divinity within themselves, which can lead to their success in every sphere of their lives.
He said that when the sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity, power, glory as well as goodness and purity will naturally follow. “So work, says the Vedanta, putting God in everything, and knowing Him to be in everything. Work incessantly, holding life as something deified, as God Himself. Thus knowing, we must work—this is the only way, there is no other.”
Other prominent quotes by Swami Vivekananda
- “Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.”
- “I stand for truth. Truth will never ally itself with falsehood. Even if all the world should be against me, Truth must prevail in the end.”
- “Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die. Be of good cheer and believe that we are selected by the Lord to do great things, and we will do them.”
