‘Swami Vivekananda’s thoughts are still relevant’
   Date :13-Jan-2020
Swami Vivekanandas though
 Vijay Phanshikar making a point while delivering a lecture on National Youth Day in AIOC 2020 on Sunday at Kavivarya Suresh Bhat auditorium.
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Urging educationists not to be swayed by the western values, Vijay Phanshikar, Editor, The Hitavada, said, “The thoughts of Swami Vivekananda are still relevant for the youths today. No doubt we would earn prosperity, have lot of wealth, but without Oriental values to steer the society the country might end-up as a nation without soul.
 
The need today is to balance oriental with occidental education to achieve the best of results.” Phanshikar was delivering a special lecture on National Youth Day at All India Oriental Conference 2020 (AIOC) held at Kavivarya Suresh Bhat auditorium, Reshimbagh, on Sunday. Murlidhar Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Tirupati Sanskrit University, presided. Prof. Srinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor, Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, and Prof Madhusudan Penna, Organising Secretary, AIOC, also were on the dais.
 
Rajendra Mishra, Sanskrit litterateur, was on the occasion released a book brought out by KKSU on Kalidasa. Speaking further, Phanshikar said, “Today’s education is nothing, but an exercise in aping the western philosophy that in itself has limited ambit, whereas our ancient thinking eulogised thought of Wasudev Kutumbakam, the world is one family. Swami Vivekanand’s thoughts are very relevant in today’s context, but sadly we have buried him in our books.” Stating the outreach of Swami Vivekanand’s philosophy, Phanshikar said, “Science is only halfway mark of human progress while Swamiji elaborated on manifestation of perfection of inner-self to achieve fullness.
 
The vastness of oriental education was outlined in our Upanishads and other sacred text, whereas the West only aspired for material well-being and hence the society is reflection of crass commercialisation.” Pressing for radical changes in Indian education system, Phanshikar said, “They are must to attain spiritual fulfillment as espoused about 125 years ago by Swami Vivekananda.” Replying to a question that many Indians ask, he said, the spiritual power of Indian philosophy is one monumental gift that India can offer to world. The power of Oriental thinking that stresses on conquering inner desires is what makes it different from others. “Swami Vivekananda tried to co-ordinate eastern and western thinking.
 
Education that engages itself in developing a human being, character-building and most of all building patience is the biggest virtue of mankind. Ultimately, it’s the values that shape our culture,” he added. “Three great personalities were born in later half of 18th century, Rabridranth Tagore, Swami Vivekanand and Mahatma Gandhi and each of them influenced Indian culture and philosophy in a big way. But as we observed 125th birth anniversary of Swamiji, one cannot help, but be reminded of his famous words wherein he said about muscles of steel and hearts of iron, the two virtues that is needed in 100 men to make India great again,” he said.