Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as
Narendranath Datta, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12
January 1863. His father, Vishwanath Datta, was a successful attorney
with interests in a wide range of subjects, and his mother,
Bhuvaneshwari Devi, was endowed with deep devotion, strong
character and other qualities. A precocious boy, Narendra excelled in
music, gymnastics and studies. By the time he graduated from Calcutta
University, he had acquired a vast knowledge of different subjects,
especially Western philosophy and history. Born with a yogic
temperament, he used to practise meditation even from his boyhood,
and was associated with Brahmo Movement for some time.1
