At the famous Parliament of the World's Religions held in Chicago, USA, in 1893, which spiritual leader from India is widely credited with introducing yoga and Vedanta philosophy to the Western world through his historic address?

Introduction / Context:
Yoga and Vedanta are central components of India's spiritual heritage and have now become popular across the globe. A major historical moment in this global spread was the Parliament of the World's Religions held in Chicago in 1893. This event is widely remembered because an Indian monk delivered a powerful speech that introduced many Western listeners to Indian philosophy and spiritual practices, including yoga and Vedanta. The question tests your knowledge of which personality played this iconic role.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event is a religion conference, the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago.
• The year mentioned is 1893.
• The theme is introduction of yoga and Indian spiritual thought to the Western world.
• Options are Baba Ramdev, Maharshi Patanjali, Swami Vivekananda, and Narendra Modi.

Concept / Approach:
Historically, Maharshi Patanjali is associated with compiling the Yoga Sutras in ancient times, but he did not travel to Chicago in 1893. Baba Ramdev is a contemporary yoga teacher, and Narendra Modi is a modern political leader who has promoted International Yoga Day. The person specifically connected with the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 is Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. His speech starting with the words Sisters and brothers of America is famous for introducing Vedanta and the broad idea of yoga and universal spirituality to Western audiences.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key historical event, which is the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893. Step 2: Recall that an Indian monk representing Hinduism addressed this gathering and spoke about Vedanta and the harmony of religions. Step 3: Recognise that this monk was Swami Vivekananda, who became internationally known after this speech. Step 4: Compare with the options and see that neither Baba Ramdev, Maharshi Patanjali, nor Narendra Modi fits the period and context. Step 5: Conclude that Swami Vivekananda is the personality who first introduced yoga and Vedanta to many people in the Western world at this event.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by remembering that 1893 and Chicago are almost always mentioned together in biographies of Swami Vivekananda. The speech created a strong image of Hinduism and Indian spirituality as broad, tolerant, and philosophical. This moment is often described as a turning point in the global awareness of yoga and Vedanta. None of the other names in the options are associated with this specific historical date and event.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Baba Ramdev is a modern yoga teacher who became well known in the twenty first century, long after 1893. Maharshi Patanjali lived in ancient times and is credited with systematising yoga philosophy but not with addressing the Chicago conference. Narendra Modi is a contemporary prime minister who helped establish International Yoga Day but was not present in 1893. Therefore, these options do not match the stated context of the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse the origin of yoga philosophy with its introduction to the West. Patanjali wrote about yoga long ago, but the question is about taking that knowledge to Western audiences in a specific modern event. Others may think of current figures such as Baba Ramdev or Narendra Modi due to their strong association with yoga in media but ignore the year 1893, which should immediately point to Swami Vivekananda.

Final Answer:
The spiritual leader who introduced yoga and Vedanta to the Western world at Chicago in 1893 was Swami Vivekananda.