View source for Arise awake and stop not till the goal is reached

{{Short description|Slogan of swami vivekananda}}
{{Infobox movie quote
| name        = Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached
| image       = Kalighat Yama.jpg
| caption     = In the 1.3.14 chapter of [[Katha Upanishad]], the first words of this phrase can be found, where Yama ''(pictured)'' is teaching Nachiketa the methods of Yoga.
| character   = Yama
| writer      =
| firstusedin = Lectures of Swami Vivekananda.
| alsousedin  = 
| moviequotes = 
}}
"Arise awake and stop not until the goal is reached." is a slogan popularized in the late 19th century by Indian Hindu monk [[Swami Vivekananda]], who took inspiration in a ''[[shloka|sloka]]'' of ''[[Katha Upanishad]]''.<ref name="CCMT">{{Harvnb|CCMT|2007|p=110}}</ref> It was his message to the world to get out of their hypnotized state of mind.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=166}} This shloka is the basis of the title of the book [[The Razor's Edge]] and the [[The Razor's Edge (1946 film)|1946 film]] and the [[The Razor's Edge (1984 film)|1984 film]], and also of various music albums in the west by bands like [[The Razors Edge (AC/DC album)|AC/DC]], [[The Razor's Edge (Dave Holland album)|Dave Holland]], etc.

== In Katha Upanishad ==
{{See also|Nachiketa|Katha Upanishad}}
[[Nachiketa]], the child protagonist of Katha Upanishad, was sent to [[Yama]], the Hindu god of death, by his father [[Vajashrava]]. In the abode of Yama, he answered Nachiketa's questions and taught him Self-knowledge and the methods of ''[[Yoga]]''. The words "Arise, awake..." can be found in the 1.3.14 chapter of the book, where Yama is advising Nachiketa—<ref name="Krishnananda Kath Upanishad">{{cite web|title=Kath Upanishad|url=http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/katha1/katha1_verses1-3.html|publisher=Swami Krishnanda The Divine Life Society|access-date=10 September 2013}}</ref>
{| width="70%"
|- <!--please do not change the vowels in this passage. If they show up in the wrong place on your computer, it's a problem with your browser (or font), not with the article.-->
![[Sanskrit]] ([[Devanagari]])
!Transliteration
!English translation
|- valign="top"
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<poem>{{lang|sa-Deva|उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत,
क्षुरासन्न धारा निशिता दुरत्यद्दुर्गम पथ: तत् कवयो वदन्ति}} |</poem>
|
<poem>{{lang|sa|Uttisthata Jagrata Prapya Varannibodhata
Kshurasanna Dhara Nishita Durataya durgama Pathah tat kavayo Vadanti}}</poem>
|
<poem>
Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn.
Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path,
so the wise say—hard to tread and difficult to cross.</poem>
|
|}

== In Swami Vivekananda's teachings ==
[[File:Swami Vivekananda in London 1895.jpg|thumb|180px|Swami Vivekananda widely used this quote in his teachings.]]
The inspirational ''sloka'' was [[Swami Vivekananda]]'s message to the [[Indian people|Indian]]s to get out of their hypnotized state of mind.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=166}} The ''sloka'' was meant as a call to his countrymen to awaken their "sleeping soul" and propagate the message of peace and blessings given by the "ancient Mother" to the world. <!-- "Awake" also refers to awakening of god resident in one's self as soul is "infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient."  -->"Awake" also denotes the awakening of one's real nature and the consequent ushering in of prosperity.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=166}}

On 24 April 1897 Vivekananda wrote a letter to Sarala Ghoshal. In that letter, he stressed giving the public only positive education, because of his belief that negative thoughts weaken men. In that letter, he also reiterated this ''sloka''.<ref name="The Education That India Needs">[[Wikisource:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Translation: Prose/The Education that India needs]]</ref>

Vivekananda quoted this ''sloka'' in several lectures and discourses. In a lecture delivered on 12 November 1896 at Lahore, he said:<ref name="12 November 1897 lecture">[[Wikisource:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Lectures from Colombo to Almora/The Vedanta]]</ref>
<blockquote>Therefore, young men of Lahore, raise once more that mighty banner of Advaita, for on no other ground can you have that wonderful love until you see that the same Lord is present everywhere. Unfurl that banner of love! "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached." Arise, arise once more, for nothing can be done without renunciation.</blockquote>

In her essay ''Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda'', [[Sister Christine]] wrote that Vivekananda wanted to see men striving to find [[God|the Supreme]]. She wrote:<ref name="Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda Christine">{{cite web|title=Reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda|url=http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/reminiscences/146_sc.htm|access-date=9 September 2013|author=Sister Christine}}</ref>
<blockquote> All else might be false, this alone was true. He realized it. After his own great realization, life held but one purpose—to give the message with which he was entrusted, to point out the path and to help others on the road to the same supreme goal. "Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached."</blockquote>

"Arise" was meant as a passionate call for national awakening to obtain political freedom for the country from [[colonialism]], and to not to "stop" until the "goal" was achieved. This was essential in the social, economic and political fields. "Arise" was also intended to mean to get out of the state of helplessness. <!-- The indomitable energy within each individual would need to be aroused, which would assure freedom from miseries and ensure prosperity.  -->His emphasis was on freedom to the nation, as in the US on 4 July 1776.{{sfn|Bhuyan|2003|p=308}} Swamiji also urged people to learn from Hindu sacred scriptures, which he felt contained all the instructions to arise out of the "hypnotism of weakness" and which indicated that no individual is inherently weak.{{sfn|Natesan|1948|p=150}}

== Influence ==
The 1998 film ''[[Swami Vivekananda (1998 film)|Swami Vivekananda]]'', directed by G. V. Iyer, ends with this quote where [[Mammootty]] gives a brief speech on Vivekananda and his ideals and concludes the speech with this quote. On 12 January 2013, on the 150 birth anniversary, then [[Gujarat]] Chief Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and now prime minister of India, wrote a blog post on his personal website to pay tribute to Vivekananda. He named the post "Commemorating Swami Vivekananda: Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached".<ref name="Modi blog post 12 Jan 2013">{{cite web|title=Commemorating Swami Vivekananda: Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached |url=http://www.narendramodi.in/opeds/commemorating-swami-vivekananda-arise-awake-and-stop-not-till-the-goal-is-reached/ |publisher=Narendra modi official website |access-date=9 September 2013 |author=Narendra Modi |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901093933/http://www.narendramodi.in/opeds/commemorating-swami-vivekananda-arise-awake-and-stop-not-till-the-goal-is-reached/ |archive-date=1 September 2013}}</ref> The ''sloka'' is inscribed on the main stage of an auditorium of [[Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture]], Kolkata, a branch of [[Ramakrishna Math]] and [[Ramakrishna Mission]]. Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, an Indian author, called this a "life-transforming line" and wrote a book named ''Stop Not Till the Goal is Reached'' in 2010.<ref name="Kumar preface">{{Harvnb|Kumar|2010|pp=preface}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Awake: The Life of Yogananda]]'', (2014 film)

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite book|last= Bhuyan |first=P. R. |title=Swami Vivekananda: Messiah of Resurgent India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLmFDRortS0C&pg=PA308|date=1 January 2003|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist|isbn=978-81-269-0234-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Kumar|first=Dr.sanjeev|year=2010|title=Stop Not Till the Goal is Reached|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V7WZG7tl5ZsC&pg=PT8|access-date=9 September 2013|publisher=Pustak Mahal|isbn=978-81-223-1170-9}}
* {{cite book|last=CCMT|title=Hinduism At A Glance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jz-FLD-hpUMC&pg=PA110|year=2007|publisher=Chinmaya Mission|isbn=978-81-7597-142-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Natesan|first=G.A.|title=Aspects of the Vedanta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nt8oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA150|year=1948|publisher=G.A. Natesan and Company}} 
* {{cite book|last= Vivekananda |first=Swami |title=Swami Vivekananda's Rousing Call to Hindu Nation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XRcK1293WMUC&pg=PT166|access-date=9 September 2013|year=2009|publisher=Vivekananda Kendra|isbn=978-81-89248-10-9}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140101164655/http://www.swamivivekanandaquotes.org/2013/12/swami-vivekananda-arise-awake-and-stop-not-till-the-goal-is-reached.html Swami Vivekananda Quotes: Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached]

{{Swami Vivekananda}}

[[Category:Upanishads]]
[[Category:Swami Vivekananda]]
[[Category:Motivation]]
[[Category:Slogans]]
[[Category:1890s neologisms]]
[[Category:Quotations from religion]]