Birth and Education:
Swami ram Tirtha was born on 10th October, 1873 in the district of Gujranwala in Pakistan. His father was a simple and pious man. He passed High School Examination in the first division at the age of 15 he got the Government Scholarship. He joined the Mission College, Lahore and passed his B.A. and M.A. Examination in the first division with the help of scholarship only. He did not take any money from his father.
Image Source: iic.ac.in/projects/nic/Contrivers/images1/11-11-1966-1.jpg
His Services and Resignation:
He served as a teacher in one or two schools. Then he became the professor of mathematics in the Mission College, Lahore. He got enough money as salary but he was not satisfied with his life. His dissatisfaction was due to the fact that he did not get time to study religious books. So he resigned and began the publication of a paper named “A Life”. In 1890 he retired to the Himalayas and soon after became a Sanyasi.
His Work in the Foreign Countries:
In 1892 he went to Japan at the request of King of Tehri to attend the Religious conference there. There he delivered many fine speeches in the Tokyo University and his fame soon spread far and wide. Wherever he went he was hailed by a large audience. Then he went to America. In the way a newspaper correspondent met him and asked him about his money, place of play in America and such other things. Ram Tirtha said that the world was his home, the wealth of the world was his and that any space of 2 yards length was enough for him. The correspondent laughed at him. But when he came to know that he was the famous Ram Tirtha he wired to the people of America. At last when Swami Ram Tirtha landed from his ship he was welcomed by a large number of people who had come to see him.
His Teachings:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
In America he delivered many speeches. Man and women attended his lectures. He taught them the lesson of universal brotherhood. He wanted to turn the hearts of the people from materialism to spiritualism and teach them to love all men and give up selfishness. That was the way to see God. Swamiji was a practical man and practiced what he taught. He stayed for three years in America and did the Missionary work like Mahendra, the son of Ashoka.
Conclusion:
When Swami Ram Tirtha returned to India his health became bad. One day he went to take his bath in the Ganga and breathed his last there. It is unfortunate that India lost such a great man when he was only 33 years old. But he had done what others had not been able to do in a century. His name shall ever be remembered as one who made the name of India great in the foreign countries like Japan and America.