Youth

After two years at Raipur, Narendra and his family returned to Kolkata in 1879. He was then a young man of sixteen. 

His old teachers at the Presidency College allowed him to sit for the Entrance Examination that year. As he had missed two years, he had to cover the lessons within a short time. However, with hard work, Narendra passed the Entrance Examination in the first rank. His father presented him a Swiss wrist watch. 
The following year, Narendra joined the General Assembly Institution (now known as Scottish Church College) in the art medium. He chose western philosophy, European history, and logic as his main subjects. History was his favourite subject. 

Narendra learnt the writings of Hume, Immanuel Kant, Spinoza, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Comte, Herbert Spenser, John Stuart Mill and Charles Darwin. He was particularly attracted to the ideas of Herbert Spenser and his book called 'Evolutionism'. Narendra also often corresponded with Spenser and translated his book, 'Education' into Bengali. 

Scottish Church College

Narendra had an attractive personality, strong body and sweet voice. Many who saw him for the first time had the impression that he was from a royal family. One of his professors, Dr William Hastie said, "Narendra is really a genius. I have travelled far and wide but I have never come across a lad of his talents and possibilities, even in German universities, among philosophical students."

Purity was an essential element in Narendra's life. He was taught by his mother to respect others, especially women. Till the end of his life, he remembered a verse which he learned on the first day of his school. 

  

“He indeed is a learned man who looks upon all women as his mother, whole looks upon every man's property as so much dust, and looks upon every being as his own soul."

The City of Kolkata was the centre of the British empire in India. It was the hub of western learning and culture. The educated class were easily influenced by foreign culture and abandoned their own traditional lifestyles. Even some of Narendra's friends became westernised. They spent their youthfulness and money in vain pleasures. 

Narendra had a sharp mind. He could see the impermanence of worldly pleasures and the dangers in leading an immoral life. He valued his pure body and mind as an asset to realise God. With firmness, he told his parents that he wants to be a celibate to realise God. Though at this time, many rich people sent marriage proposals to Narendra, he refused everything.  

One day, Narendra went to his friend, Girish Ghosh's theatre to watch a show. Before the start of the show, Girish requested Narendra to sing a few devotional songs. Narendra played his tanpura and sang. The actresses who were in the dressing room heard his songs. They shivered in fear. The next day, an actress went to Girish and said: "Sir, why did you bring that young holy man to the theatre? What will happen to us if we cast our evil eyes on him? How could we purge ourselves?" Such was Narendra's purity! 

Narendra was a thinker and an idealist. He started to question everything which could not be explained  rationally. However, mere facts could not satisfy his heart and intellect. He wanted the real experience of the truth which he had read his books without any doubt. His search for truth brought him before many scholars, thinkers and holy men of the day, such as Herbert Spenser, Devendranath Tagore and Keshab Chandra Sen. 

Brahmo Samaj was a newfangled reform movement established in 1828. The main aim of this movement was to reform and revolutionised the Hindu religion and society. Among others, the Brahmo Samaj contributed to the abolishment of the Sati custom. Brahmo Samaj leaders also fought against the caste system and child marriage.  

A view of the famous Howrah Bridge, Kolkata,
circa the 1890s.

The progressive ideas of the Brahmo Samaj and its dynamic leader, Keshab Chandra Sen attracted many young educated men. They became its members. Its members took a pledge of not worshiping idols, to be vegetarian, and not to tell lies. Narendra and his friends too joined the Brahmo Samaj. 

Western philosophy and the influence of Brahmo Samaj, stirred a deep question in Narendra's mind. He realised that he must get at the truth and that mere intellectualism will not satisfy his longing for truth. He wanted to know if God exists. He wanted to know if God can be seen and if there is anyone who has seen God. His questions, made him roaming around Kolkata asking the scholars, thinkers, and holy men if they have seen God. Unfortunately, no one could give him a satisfactory answer.