Swami Vivekananda and the Panch Parivartan (the Five Transformations)
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Bhagwat Singh
The name Swami Vivekananda immediately reminds us of the powerful message “Arise, awake, and do not stop until the goal is achieved.” Although this thought comes from the Kathopanishad, it became a guiding mantra for millions through Swami Viveka-nanda. Swami Vivekananda was a young person who fearlessly presented the spiritual wisdom of Bharat, Vedanta philosophy, and yoga to the world. He was the first person to firmly establish spiritual thought and eternal culture of our country in the West. His historic speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 made him world-famous.
When he addressed the audience as “Brothers and Sisters of America,” the entire hall stood up and applauded continuously for two minutes. This loud applause was a mark of respect for a monk in ordinary saffron robe who was looked upon with doubts a few minutes ago. During the World’s Parliament of Religions, held from 11 to 27 September 1893, Swami Vivekananda delivered six lectures. His posters were displayed across different states of America, and newspapers around the world praised him. For people who wanted to under- stand India, he became a ray of hope. At the same time, his global success inspired confidence and enthusiasm in India’s freedom movement. Great personalities described him in powerful words. Sri Aurobindo called him the very soul of inspiration. Sister Nivedita said he was concentrated India itself. Rabindranath Tagore said, “If you want to know India, read Vivekananda.”
In 2025, the 162nd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated across the world. India being in the Amrit Kaal of independence and republic, moving towards a century of freedom. India will soon become the country with the largest youth population in the world. In such a golden period, Swami Vivekananda becomes even more relevant. He once said, “Give me a hundred faithful youth, and I will make India the greatest nation in the world.” Today, he may not be physically present among us, but his thoughts, ideas, and wisdom are the guiding light for the youth.
Through his speeches, writings, and travels, he awakened global curiosity about India and inspired confidence among Indians, especially during the freedom movement. To build the India that our great leaders dreamed of; society must undergo positive change. One such path is the concept of the five social transformations (Panch Parivartan) which are samarasta (social harmony), kutumb pravodhan (family awareness and values), swa ka bhav (sense of national identity), nagarik kartavya (responsible citizenship) and prayavaran (environmental protection). Swami Vivekananda’s life itself reflected these ideals.
Swami Vivekananda and Social Harmony
Swami Vivekananda believed that serving the poor is the true way to serve God. From a very young age, he strongly opposed caste discrimination and untouchability which had become ingrained social habits.
When Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda) was only six or seven years old, many kinds of hookahs were kept in his father’s sitting room. One day, young Narendra began smoking from each hookah pipe, enjoying himself. Suddenly his father walked in and asked what he was doing. Narendra replied innocently that he was trying to see how caste differences disappear by sharing the same hookah.
Hearing this unusual yet childlike answer, his father was astonished. From childhood itself, Narendra was playful, curious, and rebellious. He sensed injustice and discrimination in the practice of untouchability. Swami Vivekananda firmly believed that Indian philo- sophy and way of life were among the greatest in the world. Yet, the deep social inequalities caused him immense pain.
Expressing this anguish, he said that above everything else, there is an urgent need for practical action. The first step, he emphasized, is to go to the suffering masses of India, hold their hands, and help them rise. We pray daily to God by calling Him ‘The protector of the poor’, but how do we actually treat the people who are His living form? This question deeply troubled Swami Viveka-nanda.
In a letter to a disciple, Swami advised that if one truly wishes to do good, one should abandon empty rituals and instead serve God directly by serving humanity. Every human being, he said, is a living form of God. The world itself is the visible form of the Divine, and serving people is the true form of worship. Simply ringing bells and performing rituals while ignoring human suffering is nothing but a kind of disease.
Swami warned that the society was sinking into a dangerous swamp. He observed that Hinduism was no longer rooted in the Vedas, devotion, or spiritual liberation, but had been reduced to rigid social customs. Religion had become trapped in food rules and touch-based purity. This obsession with untouchability had become its only support. He cautioned that those who cannot give a hungry person a piece of bread cannot offer spiritual liberation. Those who believe they become impure by another’s breath cannot purify anyone else. Untouchability, he said, is a mental disease, and society must guard itself against it.
In his speeches and writings, Swami Vivekananda consistently stressed that service should have no hidden motive. Service is not a business transaction, nor a way to gain personal or religious merit. He reminded people that the nation lives in its huts, not in palaces, and that the destiny of the country depends on the condition of its poorest citizens. The real challenge, he said, is to uplift them without destroying their faith or dignity, and to help them reclaim their lost identity.
Swami Vivekananda and Family Values
What we become in life is shaped by our thoughts. These thoughts first develop within the family environment, where early values and habits are formed. Such values influence human behaviour and play a major role in building society by balancing action, self-control, and harmony. In Indian society, the family is not just a social unit. It is a moral and spiritual centre where children learn values from a young age. These values strengthen not only the individual but the entire society.
Swami Vivekananda considered the household stage of life the most important among the four stages of Hindu philosophy. He believed that if India had to become strong, families must become strong first, because a healthy family creates a healthy society. The family is where people learn responsibility, love, sacrifice, and social duty. A family truly becomes meaningful when qualities like affection, compassion, self-restraint, discipline, and respect are practiced. For this to happen, women, the foundation of family and society, must be given proper respect and dignity.
Swami Vivekananda strongly supported the empowerment and freedom of women. He believed that a nation moves forward only when its women are educated, confident, and value-driven. According to him, the true measure of a country’s progress lies in how it treats its women. For him, true womanhood meant complete freedom and self-respect. He saw Indian women as symbols of strength, wisdom, and sacrifice, inspired by figures like Sita, Savitri, and Gargi. He emphasized that only a strong woman can build a strong family and, in turn, a strong society.
In Swami Vivekananda’s view, marriage was not merely a social agreement but a sacred bond.
(To be contd)
The name Swami Vivekananda immediately reminds us of the powerful message “Arise, awake, and do not stop until the goal is achieved.” Although this thought comes from the Kathopanishad, it became a guiding mantra for millions through Swami Viveka-nanda. Swami Vivekananda was a young person who fearlessly presented the spiritual wisdom of Bharat, Vedanta philosophy, and yoga to the world. He was the first person to firmly establish spiritual thought and eternal culture of our country in the West. His historic speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 made him world-famous.
When he addressed the audience as “Brothers and Sisters of America,” the entire hall stood up and applauded continuously for two minutes. This loud applause was a mark of respect for a monk in ordinary saffron robe who was looked upon with doubts a few minutes ago. During the World’s Parliament of Religions, held from 11 to 27 September 1893, Swami Vivekananda delivered six lectures. His posters were displayed across different states of America, and newspapers around the world praised him. For people who wanted to under- stand India, he became a ray of hope. At the same time, his global success inspired confidence and enthusiasm in India’s freedom movement. Great personalities described him in powerful words. Sri Aurobindo called him the very soul of inspiration. Sister Nivedita said he was concentrated India itself. Rabindranath Tagore said, “If you want to know India, read Vivekananda.”
In 2025, the 162nd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated across the world. India being in the Amrit Kaal of independence and republic, moving towards a century of freedom. India will soon become the country with the largest youth population in the world. In such a golden period, Swami Vivekananda becomes even more relevant. He once said, “Give me a hundred faithful youth, and I will make India the greatest nation in the world.” Today, he may not be physically present among us, but his thoughts, ideas, and wisdom are the guiding light for the youth.
Through his speeches, writings, and travels, he awakened global curiosity about India and inspired confidence among Indians, especially during the freedom movement. To build the India that our great leaders dreamed of; society must undergo positive change. One such path is the concept of the five social transformations (Panch Parivartan) which are samarasta (social harmony), kutumb pravodhan (family awareness and values), swa ka bhav (sense of national identity), nagarik kartavya (responsible citizenship) and prayavaran (environmental protection). Swami Vivekananda’s life itself reflected these ideals.
Swami Vivekananda and Social Harmony
Swami Vivekananda believed that serving the poor is the true way to serve God. From a very young age, he strongly opposed caste discrimination and untouchability which had become ingrained social habits.
When Narendra (later Swami Vivekananda) was only six or seven years old, many kinds of hookahs were kept in his father’s sitting room. One day, young Narendra began smoking from each hookah pipe, enjoying himself. Suddenly his father walked in and asked what he was doing. Narendra replied innocently that he was trying to see how caste differences disappear by sharing the same hookah.
Hearing this unusual yet childlike answer, his father was astonished. From childhood itself, Narendra was playful, curious, and rebellious. He sensed injustice and discrimination in the practice of untouchability. Swami Vivekananda firmly believed that Indian philo- sophy and way of life were among the greatest in the world. Yet, the deep social inequalities caused him immense pain.
Expressing this anguish, he said that above everything else, there is an urgent need for practical action. The first step, he emphasized, is to go to the suffering masses of India, hold their hands, and help them rise. We pray daily to God by calling Him ‘The protector of the poor’, but how do we actually treat the people who are His living form? This question deeply troubled Swami Viveka-nanda.
In a letter to a disciple, Swami advised that if one truly wishes to do good, one should abandon empty rituals and instead serve God directly by serving humanity. Every human being, he said, is a living form of God. The world itself is the visible form of the Divine, and serving people is the true form of worship. Simply ringing bells and performing rituals while ignoring human suffering is nothing but a kind of disease.
Swami warned that the society was sinking into a dangerous swamp. He observed that Hinduism was no longer rooted in the Vedas, devotion, or spiritual liberation, but had been reduced to rigid social customs. Religion had become trapped in food rules and touch-based purity. This obsession with untouchability had become its only support. He cautioned that those who cannot give a hungry person a piece of bread cannot offer spiritual liberation. Those who believe they become impure by another’s breath cannot purify anyone else. Untouchability, he said, is a mental disease, and society must guard itself against it.
In his speeches and writings, Swami Vivekananda consistently stressed that service should have no hidden motive. Service is not a business transaction, nor a way to gain personal or religious merit. He reminded people that the nation lives in its huts, not in palaces, and that the destiny of the country depends on the condition of its poorest citizens. The real challenge, he said, is to uplift them without destroying their faith or dignity, and to help them reclaim their lost identity.
Swami Vivekananda and Family Values
What we become in life is shaped by our thoughts. These thoughts first develop within the family environment, where early values and habits are formed. Such values influence human behaviour and play a major role in building society by balancing action, self-control, and harmony. In Indian society, the family is not just a social unit. It is a moral and spiritual centre where children learn values from a young age. These values strengthen not only the individual but the entire society.
Swami Vivekananda considered the household stage of life the most important among the four stages of Hindu philosophy. He believed that if India had to become strong, families must become strong first, because a healthy family creates a healthy society. The family is where people learn responsibility, love, sacrifice, and social duty. A family truly becomes meaningful when qualities like affection, compassion, self-restraint, discipline, and respect are practiced. For this to happen, women, the foundation of family and society, must be given proper respect and dignity.
Swami Vivekananda strongly supported the empowerment and freedom of women. He believed that a nation moves forward only when its women are educated, confident, and value-driven. According to him, the true measure of a country’s progress lies in how it treats its women. For him, true womanhood meant complete freedom and self-respect. He saw Indian women as symbols of strength, wisdom, and sacrifice, inspired by figures like Sita, Savitri, and Gargi. He emphasized that only a strong woman can build a strong family and, in turn, a strong society.
In Swami Vivekananda’s view, marriage was not merely a social agreement but a sacred bond.
(To be contd)