January 12 is indeed unique. On this day falls the birth anniversary of a great mother and a great son. Yes, January 12 is the birth anniversary of Jijabai, the mother of King Shivaji, and it is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as well.
From his childhood, Jijabai instilled in her son the feel of self-respect. As a result, he could confront the then mighty Mughals, and on an equal footing. He did not choose to be happy with being a mere extension of that empire. Instead, he established the Maratha kingdom which cared for our religion, our region. Till the war of Panipat, and beyond, too, the Maratha warriors were the formidable alternatives to any foreign rule.
All the positive qualities in her son were consciously instilled and ingrained by Jijabai. As a result emerged a ruler who cared truly for the welfare of his people, who was an intelligent, sensitive and conscientious King with a great and creative foresight.
If India can be imag(in)edas a mother, one of her most illustrious sons would be Swami Vivekanand. He spread the true spiritual Indianness literally across the world. In his famous Chicago speech, as in his other speeches and writings, he showed how inclusive and truly perceptive Hinduism is.
To Hindus, he gave a focussed, strong, assertive identity that would be decisive, definitive and progressive in a futuristic way. It is hence indeed necessary to remember and imbibe in our life styles the messages of such great people.
Pratima@Anniversaries are new beginnings in a way because the fond remembrances revive in our mind the great messages.
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