OSWALD PEREIRA reveals why Vivekananda looked upon Shivaji as a hero and exhorted the youth of India to be heroes like the Maratha warrior-king
Swami Vivekananda, the towering spiritual figure of modern India, is often remembered for his message of universal harmony, Vedantic spirituality, and selfless service. However, beneath his saffron robes burned the fire of a revolutionary patriot deeply inspired by historical figures who embodied courage, leadership, and resistance to oppression. Among these, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Maratha warrior-king, held a special place in Vivekananda’s pantheon of heroes.
In a letter to Alasinga Perumal, his ardent follower and a propagator of Vedanta, Vivekananda declared: “Shivaji is the one great national figure who fought against alien domination for the sake of dharma. Such are the heroes our country needs.”
Vivekananda saw in Shivaji the synthesis of dharma and valour, of spiritual commitment and political action.
Vivekananda understood Shivaji through the lens of his broader teaching on karma yoga, or selfless action. To Vivekananda, Shivaji was a living example of karma yoga.
Vivekananda believed that real renunciation doesn’t mean giving up work, but doing one’s duty without expecting rewards. Shivaji, though a king, lived simply, practised discipline, and saw himself as a servant of God, not just a ruler.
In several of his speeches, including those delivered in Maharashtra, Vivekananda exhorted the youth to take inspiration from Shivaji, not merely to emulate his military feats, but to imbibe his spirit of service, self-discipline, and courage. “Each one of you,” he said, “must be a lion, a hero, like Shivaji.”
The connection between a yogi who preached ahimsa (non-violence) and a king who wielded the sword for the freedom of his people may seem paradoxical at first glance. Yet, for Vivekananda, the example of Shivaji was a manifestation of dharma —righteous action in defence of truth and justice.
His frequent invocation of Shivaji’s legacy reveals how he reconciled the yogic ideal of ahimsa (non-violence) with the necessity of armed struggle for righteousness, portraying both as embodiments of karma yoga—selfless action in service of dharma.
Swami Vivekananda admired Shivaji as the embodiment of fearlessness and spiritual patriotism. In several of his writings and conversations, he referred to Shivaji with deep reverence, calling him a true karma yogi—one who acts without selfish desire but for the upliftment of society.
In the book Conversations and Dialogues, Vivekananda is reported to have said: “Shivaji was a great national leader. He was a great saint and a man of tremendous renunciation. Though a king, he was one of the greatest renouncers. He had immense faith in God and saw himself as a servant of his people.”
Vivekananda saw Shivaji not merely as a political leader, but as a spiritually rooted figure, whose use of arms was subordinated to ethical and national imperatives.
Shivaji was, for Vivekananda, the living embodiment of the rājaṛṣi—the philosopher-king who harmonises power with wisdom. Shivaji’s rule emphasised justice, tolerance, and respect for all religions. Though a warrior, he followed strict codes of warfare, refusing to harm civilians, desecrate places of worship, or insult women, even of enemy factions.
The compatibility between Vivekananda’s ahimsa-oriented Vedanta and Shivaji’s martial resistance lies in the distinction between violence as aggression and violence as self-defence.
Vivekananda, though a proponent of peace and inner transformation, rejected passive resignation and cowardice. He famously declared, “Better to be an atheist than a coward.”
For him, true non-violence could not exist without strength. As he once said, “If there is a choice between cowardice and violence, I would choose violence.” This echoes the Bhagavad Gita’s teaching to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra—that to shirk from duty in the name of peace is itself a form of adharma (unrighteousness).
Shivaji’s life was a profound example of dharma-yuddha—righteous war—not conquest for ambition but struggle for dignity, culture, and justice.
Swami Vivekananda’s vision of India’s regeneration required not just spiritual asceticism but heroic action. When Vivekananda spoke of building “men with muscles of iron and nerves of steel,” he envisioned a nation of spiritual warriors—citizens animated by the fearlessness of Shivaji and the compassion of the Buddha.
Vivekananda often lamented the degeneration of Hindu society into inertia and passivity, calling for the infusion of energy and heroism. His frequent invocation of Shivaji was thus part of a larger strategy to awaken the soul of India—not by turning it into a militant society, but by recovering the spirit of self-respect, resistance to injustice, and spiritualised action. As he wrote in one of his letters: “What we want is Western science coupled with Vedanta, and with rajasic force to run through the nation like the blood in our veins.”
He saw Shivaji as an archetype of dharmic resistance, a synthesis of devotion and duty, of sword and sceptre wielded not for domination but for divine service.
For Vivekananda, there was no contradiction between the yogi and the warrior—both were embodiments of spiritual courage, expressed through different karmic roles.
In Shivaji, Vivekananda found the image of what India could be: spiritually rooted, politically awakened, and heroically self-reliant.
He believed that India’s regeneration required both the renunciate’s soul-force and the warrior’s nerve.
Shivaji’s sword and Vivekananda’s japamala may look worlds apart, but through the eyes of dharma, they move to the same rhythm. Both figures, though shaped by different historical contexts, shared a commitment to spiritual truth, ethical action, and the upliftment of the people.
In drawing from Shivaji’s legacy, Vivekananda offered a profound reinterpretation of Indian spirituality—one that could accommodate both the meditative silence of the Himalayas and the battle-cry of the Maratha hills.
References
- Jadunath Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times
- The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
- Sister Nivedita, The Master As I Saw Him
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written ten books, including Beyond Autobiography of a Yogi, The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion, How to Create Miracles in Our Daily Life and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and practises Kriya Yoga.
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Oswald ji, the exploration of the majesty as well as modesty of a great man like Shivaji through the eyes of a great soul like Swami Vivekananda has become a very inspirational piece of writing.
You have very appropriately observed, “India’s regeneration required both the renunciate’s soul-force and the warrior’s nerve.” May be, God desired it to be so and Shivaji took birth at a time of great turbulence in India. Tenderly nurtured by inspiring mother Jijabai and his talent perfectly honed by Samarth Guru Ramdas, he became not only firmly grounded in spirituality but also ‘heroically self-reliant’ as well to lead from front for a resurgent India.
It is an irrefutable fact that when one gets guided by the wisdom of renunciation, all his actions become perfectly sublimated with purification. This as such is the hallmark of Shivaji who fought the battles like a perfect Karmayogi.
Fortunate are we indeed to be the inheritors of the legacy of Shivaji The Great and also Swami Vivekananda, but if we can truly imbibe the spirit of true renunciation which culminates in the service to humanity and also hold high the flag of our Nation valiantly with integrity.
Thank you, Baturam Ji, for your great analysis and the wonderful insights on Shivaji and Vivekananda.