Swami Vivekananda And The Modernisation Of Hinduism

Bringing together fourteen papers, this book gives new depth to our understanding of the aims and achievements of Swami Vivekananda. It invites us to relate him to movements and individuals outside his native Bengal; it shows how modernizing trends in Indian society wrestled with traditional features of Hinduism such as caste; and it links his religious and social ideals to thinkers and theologians in the West. The book firmly distances Swami Vivekananda from chauvinist or communal misinterpretations of his work.

Many want to know what Hinduism is. Many are astonished to hear that Hinduism has no particular creed. Indeed, Hinduism is hard to define. Hinduism is a system which comprises within its fold an infinite variety of thoughts. In this book published by Advaita Ashrama, a Publication centre of Ramakrishna Math, an attempt has been made to give a bird's-eye view of Hinduism with extracts from the speeches and writings of Swami Vivekananda who may be said to be the best exponent of Hinduism in modern India. The excerpts have been culled from the author's Complete Works.

The Hindu thinker Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was and remains an important figure both within India, and in the West, where he was notable for preaching Vedanta. Scholarship surrounding Vivekananda is dominated by hagiography and his (mis)appropriation by the political Hindu Right. This work demonstrates that Vivekananda was no simplistic pluralist, as portrayed in hagiographical texts, nor narrow exclusivist, as portrayed by some modern Hindu nationalists, but a thoughtful, complex inclusivist. The book shows that Vivekananda formulated a hierarchical and inclusivistic framework of Hinduism, based upon his interpretations of a four-fold system of Yoga. It goes on to argue that Vivekananda understood his formulation of Vedanta to be universal, and applied it freely to non-Hindu traditions, and in so doing, demonstrates that Vivekananda was consistently critical of ‘low level’ spirituality, not only in non-Hindu traditions, but also within Hinduism. Demonstrating that Vivekananda is best understood within the context of ‘Advaitic primacy’, rather than ‘Hindu chauvinism’, this book will be of interest to scholars of Hinduism and South Asian religion and of South Asian diaspora communities and religious studies more generally.

Arguably, the greatest achievement of Swami Vivekananda, one of the most celebrated icons of modern India, was the reconstruction of Hinduism. This he accomplished by reforming the religion in India and changing its image in the West. Indeed, the Hinduism that Vivekananda expounded at the Parliament of World's Religions in Chicago was a new, progressive version of an ancient tradition, devoid of the superstitions and distortions with which it had come to be associated. He revolutionized Hindu faith traditions by turning them into a repository of rational, universal philosophy. This book tries to get to the heart of Swami Vivekananda's legacy and his relevance in the contemporary world. It examines hitherto lesser-known aspects of Swamiji's life and work including his contributions to practical Vedanta, universal religion, science-spirituality and inter-religious dialogue, dharmic secularism, educational philosophy, poetry, and, above all, to the problem of Indian modernity. Despite the abundance of literature available on him, Swami Vivekananda is still not understood adequately, remaining somewhat of an enigma. A fresh reading of the life and times of the Swami by someone who has studied him closely, Makarand R. Paranjape's detailed, thought-provoking account shows that in Vivekananda's visionary thoughts lay the seeds of the creation of a modern India. This book reclaims Swami Vivekananda's stature as a pioneer of contemporary Hindu thought and nationalism.

This book comprises of a choice collection of Swami Vivekananda’s utterances culled from his numerous speeches and writings, arranged under 44 suitable sections. It is a treasure house of thoughts of power to inspire and guide mankind in its march towards the Supreme Reality. Covering the entire cyclorama of ma’s life and its evolutionary movement, the electrifying gospel of this great Swami includes within its fold everything that would go to inspire and awaken a drooping soul by reminding him of his infinite potentialities and inherent greatness, and making him move ahead on the difficult terrain of life and circumstances. This book is a must for all those who earnestly wish to move ahead in the grand march of life, infested with tremendous obstacles and difficulties, towards the state of Supreme Felicity. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.

Eknathji Ranade has compile @200pages book from Swami Vivekananda's Complete works on occasion of the Birth Centenary of Swami Vivekananda and this book is release on 12th January 1963. This book is translated in more than 13 Indian Language.