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Question 62 of 84 · Socio-Religious Reform Movements
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The original (pre-monastic) name of Swami Vivekananda was:

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Answer: Option B — Narendranath Datta

Detailed Solution

The original name of Swami Vivekananda was Narendranath Datta (Narendra Nath Dutta), popularly called "Naren".

About his early life:

  • He was born on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta, in a well-to-do Bengali Kayastha family.
  • His father, Vishwanath Datta, was a lawyer of the Calcutta High Court, and his mother, Bhubaneswari Devi, was a pious woman.
  • He was a brilliant student, interested in philosophy, history, literature, music and sports.
  • He studied at the Presidency College and the Scottish Church College (General Assembly's Institution) in Calcutta, and graduated in 1884.
  • He studied Western philosophy, including the works of thinkers such as Herbert Spencer, John Stuart Mill and Hegel.
  • He was a member of the Brahmo Samaj for some time.

Meeting his guru:

  • He was searching for someone who had directly experienced God.
  • In 1881, he met Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at Dakshineswar, and asked him, "Sir, have you seen God?"; Ramakrishna replied that he had.
  • He became Ramakrishna's devoted disciple.

Becoming a monk:

  • After Ramakrishna's death in 1886, Narendranath and other young disciples took vows of sannyasa and formed a monastic brotherhood.
  • He travelled across India as a wandering monk (parivrajaka) from 1888 to 1893, using various names.
  • He took the name "Vivekananda" ("the bliss of discriminating wisdom") shortly before going to America in 1893; the name is said to have been suggested by the Raja of Khetri.

His later work:

  • He spread the message of Vedanta in America and Europe.
  • He founded an organisation for service and spiritual work after returning to India.
  • He died on 4 July 1902.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Bhupendranath Datta was his younger brother, a revolutionary; Mool Shankar was the original name of Dayananda Saraswati; Nityananda was a companion of Chaitanya.

Quick tip

Remember: Swami Vivekananda = Narendranath Datta (born Calcutta, 12 January 1863; met Ramakrishna in 1881; name "Vivekananda" suggested by the Raja of Khetri).

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Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Socio-Religious Reform Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

In the 19th century, reformers worked to remove social evils and revive Indian society. This topic covers organisations such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Theosophical Society, Satyashodhak Samaj and the Aligarh Movement, along with their founders and the social reforms they achieved. Questions usually ask who founded an organisation and when, or which reformer is linked to a reform. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj and campaigned against sati, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar championed widow remarriage, and Jyotiba Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj. A table of organisation, founder, year and place covers most questions. Practise the socio-religious reform movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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