Author: Swami Vivekananda
Profile: Swami Vivekananda was an Indian monk born as Narendra Nath Datta. He was a powerful writer in Bengali and English as well an orator He is popularly known for the speech he gave in 1893 at the Parliament of Religions, Chicago. His contributions to the rise of nationalism in colonial India are indeed vast. He was strongly inclined towards spirituality right from his childhood. He was the chief disciple of the nineteenth century Indian mystic, Ramakrishna.
He was born in Kolkata and died in Howrah after he took Mahasamadhi (according to his disciples). He was cremated at the same place where Ramakrishna was cremated.
Writing style: The Yoga and Vedanta concepts were introduced the Western world, through the books he wrote. Many of his works were compiled from the lectures he gave across the world and then published. He delivered his unrehearsed speeches with hardly any preparation. The talks he delivered in New York have been compiled in his work, ‘Raja Yoga’.
Vivekananda has been described as a poet, a great master of using lucid language, a painter and singer, according to Banhatti. Being a complete artist he composed poems and song, blended teachings and humour well. His belief that written or spoken words should clarify ideas instead of just presenting the knowledge of the writer or the speaker is testified in his Bengali writings.
Published Texts:
1887 – Sangeet Kalpataru
1896 – Karma Yoga
1896 – Raja Yoga
1896 – Vedanta Philosophy: An address before the Graduate Philosophical Society
1897 – Lectures from Colombo to Almora
1899 – Bartaman Bharat
1901 – My Master
1902 – Vedanta philosophy: lectures on Jnana Yoga
1899 – Jnana Yoga
Books published after his death in 1902
Addresses on Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti Yoga
1909 - The East and the West
1909 Inspired Talks
Narada Bhakti Sutras – translation
Para Bhakti or Supreme Devotion
Practical Vedanta
Speeches and writings of Swami Vivekananda; a comprehensive collection
Complete Works: a collection of his discourses, lectures and writings in a set of 9 volumes
2005 – Seeing Beyond the Circle
Awards and Acknowledgements:
Founded the Ramakrishna Math (a monastic order based on the teachings of his guru, yogi and mystic of the 19th century Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna Mission – a spiritual movement across the world based on Vedanta an ancient Hindu philosophy
He was featured on stamps of India, Serbia and Sri Lanka
