Tradition of Hindu Saints, Seers and Sages from India.

Watch this excellent talk given by Prof. Kapil Kapoor on subject "De-subjugating Timeless Vocabularies – Swami Vivekananda as Intellectual Catalyst". He delivered this keynote talk at "International Conference on Swami Vivekananda" held at University of Southern California School of Religion

From Wikipedia, his bio is

Dr. Kapil Kapoor, (born November 17, 1940) is an Indian scholar of linguistics and literature and an authority on Indian intellectual traditions.[1] He is former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and served as professor at Centre for Linguistics and English, and Concurrent Professor at Centre for Sanskrit Studies there before retiring in 2005.[2][3] He is Editor-in-Chief of the 11-Volume Encyclopedia of Hinduism published by Rupa & Co. in 2012.[4]

Highlights of the talk:

• Did Swami Vivekananda came from vacuum ?  Bharat has time immemorial history of great Saints, Sages and Seer with impeccable geniusness.  Swami Vivekananda belong to the same tradition.
• India faced hundreds of years of oppression from invaders. Few know about Hindu swami's contribution and their works to keep the Sanatan Dharma alive.
• Before Britishers destroyed India's education system India had schools in each village. Only 12% of the teachers were Brahmins and literacy rate was high as all used to go to school.
• Due to abduction of mature girls by Muslims in Bengal, to safeguard their daughter parents used to marry their daughters in younger age. This led to many young widows in the society at that time.
• Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Keshav Chandra Sen could give only calibrated response to western challenges to the Sanatan Dharma.
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar stood up and stressed that Hindu Philosophy can rise from within, it don't to borrow any western paradigms. He had only one son and he married him with a widow.
• Swami Dayananda Saraswati not only firmed people's belief in Sanatan Dharma but also wrote critique (Satyarth Prakash) to Abrahamic faiths. Swami Dayananda Saraswati told, their (Abrahamic faiths) own system need reforms. He took philosophical battle to the other camp.
• Vyas Parampara - tradition of reconstitution the knowledge lost. With that Veda were always preserved and are live document.
• Sage Yaska (5-6BCE) was the first (as per recorded History) Rishi who defended the Veda and proved Vedic Mantras are not meaningless. One need to read and interpret to understand the Vedic Mantras. He created methodology of interpretation.
• Adi Sankaracharya countered challenges put up to Sanatan Dharma by Buddhism. His response in the form of Shastra (a rich commentary on Upanishads and Vedas). He given pravachan (discourses) to common people and instilled pride for Sanatan Dharma. Shankara's commentary originated through the discourses he delivered to the villagers. 
• Guru Gorakhnath (Gou-Raksh-Nath, the one who protected the holy cows) started Nath Jogi Sampraday (Traditions of warrior saints). Guru Gorakhnath and warrior, martial Gorkha (Gou-Raksha) sadhus countered Islamic conversions put forward by Sufis and Swords. Sufis did more conversion than what was done by Islamic sword. He composed his writings in Sanskrit and also local languages so that it can widespread.
• 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh also countered Mogul's oppressions, atrocities and conversions. He formed martial Khalsa Panth. Guru Gobind Singh was a poet, scholar and great saint. He tooks Shastra (शस्त्र ) along with  Shastra (शास्त्र ) for defence. He rewrote Krishnavtar and Ramavatar in Braj Bhasha.
• Swami Vivevkananda belong to the same great tradition where above saints are part of. Swami Vivevkananda took all the questions from Abrahamic faith and defended Sanatan Dharma. He was not only a voice for Hindus, he was a voice for Asia.