Remembering Vivekananda, His Unique Contributions and the Lasting Legacy to Humanity “I have given humanity enough for the next fifteen hundred years”, … “My words are spirit and life; they will burn their way into your brain and you will never get away from them” – declared Swami Vivekananda, the great Hindu Monk of India, who made history in Chicago 120 years ago, when he addressed the World’s Parliament of Religions and captured the hearts of America, with his endearing words, “Sisters and Brothers of America”, revealing his own spiritual insight of the ‘oneness of all life and love for and adoration of that truth, which is the one in all’ – the central theme of his gospel of ‘Practical Vedanta’, for the propagation of which he visited the West, surmounting all hurdles and difficulties, well equipped as he was with the Divine Commission, and safeguarded by the grace of his Great Master, Sri Ramakrishna. In Swamiji’s exalted spiritual vision the world was one family, and seeing ‘God in man’, he dedicated himself heart and soul for the welfare of humanity. On the occassion of his 150th Birth Anniversary, we remember his unique contributions and the spiritual legacy to humanity. Also, we offer our reverential homage to that Hindu Monk of India who dazzled the West by his fascinating personality, scintillating intellect and powerful oratory. Reposing great hopes in the younger generation, he declared, “Young men, my hope is in you…”, and went on to assert, “My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation; out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem, like lion.” It is fitting and proper, therefore, that in 1985, while declaring Swamiji’s birthday as the ‘National Youth Day,’ the Government of India acknowledged that the philosophy and the ideal for which he lived could be a great source of inspiration for the Modern Youth. At the very outset, presented below is something about Swami Vivekananda from a historical perspective, in brief: His advent into the arena of Indian life was a historical necessity. India, then
This write-up is based on and draws its material from the compiled and edited work: “Vivekananda – His Gospel of Man-making”, 1064 pp. [details @ www.vivekanandagospel.org]
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under the political thumb of the British, was passing through a welter of cultural ideals as a result of the influx of Occidental thought which, with its sparkling glamour, lured unwary children of the soil into a position of utter helplessness through a silent process of intellectual, social and economic exploitation. Against such a tragic background, Swami Vivekananda was projected into the nineteenth century by the birth-throes of nature as a mighty challenge to the ideology of the West. Narendranath Dutta, as Swamiji was known in his pre-monastic life, was born in 1863. His birth-place, Calcutta – the metropolis of British India then – was under the deluge of Westernization. In fact, the whole of Bengal was in the throes of a revolutionary religious convulsion. Missionary propaganda was reaping a rich harvest. They criticized Hindu beliefs most unjustly, and carried on their fanatical tirade in season and out of season. Consequently, the educated youth were turning agnostic and losing faith in their hoary cultural heritage. Young Narendranath encountered the strong tides of social change at the time of his entry into the College. He joined many other young contemporaries who were equally and inevitably prodded by the prevailing intellectual climate to find solutions to the problems that transcended the individual sphere of life. The crucial needs of society were many, and the response of sensitive individuals diverse. Clearly the young man was equipping his intellect for great efforts to come. He soon took a step that added heightened spiritual motivation to his resources. Responding to his growing urge for divine enlightenment, Narendranath went to Sri Ramakrishna, the saint of Dakshineswar, in whose teachings he had developed a mounting interest following a first brief meeting in 1881. During the ensuing five or six years of association with Sri Ramakrishna, spiritual growth brought about a transformation in the young intellectual – and Narendranath emerged as Vivekananda, the spiritual teacher. After the death of his Guru Sri Ramakrishna in 1886, Vivekananda rallied his brother disciples and eventually organized them into the Ramakrishna Mission and later founded the chief monastery of the Order, Belur Math. Vivekananda had known personal adversity in his younger years, and as a wandering monk all over India his enlightened mind experienced the anguish of witnessing the plight of the country’s
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impoverished multitudes. His goal of service to humanity and his inspiring national ideals, derived from living incentives. Even at the peak of his popularity in the affluent America, Swamiji was thinking of his poor brethren. As he wrote: “Who cares for name and fame and all that. I have come here (to America) only with one idea: to fetch something to change the miserable life of the suffering millions of my country.” Swamiji did not stop at appealing to the youth of India to devote themselves for the service of the poor and the downtrodden; he himself is the embodiment of service and sacrifice. After his return from the West he was busy establishing monasteries as centers of training and preaching, and organizing centers of service for the relief of famine and other kinds of distress and suffering. To Swamiji the panacea for all the ills of the society is the right type of education in tune with Indian culture and spirituality. He has conveyed all that is to be conveyed about the Indian ideal of education. In Macaulay's system of education the emphasis was on the three “Rs” – reading, writing and arithmetic. But Swamiji’s concept of education lays stress on the rounded perfection of the child’s personality. Education should not only stress the child’s progress but has to see that it reconciles the child to the home atmosphere, to the society in which it lives and to Nature and environment. A system which ignores this vital aspect tends to produce educated but half-baked individuals. Swamiji stood between the East and West impartially, admiring the virtues and condemning the defects of both. To Americans and Englishmen, he preached India’s religious tolerance and mutual respect, her freedom of spiritual investigation, her ideal of total dedication to the search of God. To Indians, he spoke severely of their sloth, their timid conservatism in manners and customs, and held up for their imitation the efficacy of the American and Englishman's energy and tenacity. Vivekananda had two messages to deliver; one to the East, the other to the West. In the United States and England, he preached the universality of religious truth, attacked materialism, and advocated spiritual experiment, as against dogma and tradition, in India, on the other hand, we find that he preferred to stress the ideal of social service. To each, he tried to give what was most lacking.
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The Vedanta philosophy presented by Swami Vivekananda in the West has influenced some of the greatest thinkers in the West, and through them the thoughts have influenced lakhs and lakhs of receptive minds there. The West gaining a remarkable insight into the Vedanta philosophy marks a transitional stage in its history, not without raising the image of India to a level never seen before Swamiji’s advent. Reputed American intellectuals have taken up the study of Vedanta and they have been a great force in giving further thrust to the thought movement following Swamiji's visit to America. II Today’s world is torn by the fundamentalist aggression and peacelessness arising out of a sensate culture. The world is looking for a way to create a new era with peace and stability. There is an urgent need for ‘universal love and service’, ‘mutual respect – not mere tolerance – amongst all religious traditions’ and ‘devotion to the One Supreme Power with a variety of names and patterns’, with a view to foster harmony in the world community. Weary of strife and turmoil, humanity is in search of amity among religions and individual freedom. The world therefore needs leaders who are universal in approach, all-embracing in religious outlook, rational and humanistic in thinking and above all, spiritual in vision. India has given us spiritual and epochal heroes like Swami Vivekananda who was a manifold personality – a spiritual giant who strove for the good of all. He was a creator of a worldwide spiritual civilization. He was an inspired seer born with a man-making mission. He did everything for the removal of misery from the world and for kindling the spark of divinity in every human being. His message is therefore meant for all times and for all countries. In a short life of 39 years, Swamiji vigorously disseminated in his last 9 years the message of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal message of peace, harmony and universal well-being, and proclaimed to the world the Vedic truth: “ekam sat” (The Ultimate Reality is One without a second), and that the whole world is one family. We need this message everywhere. We need the vision of Vivekananda who declared: “Where seekest thou, friend, God, leaving aside those before you in myriad forms? He indeed serves 5
God who loves God in all beings.” ‘Love of God means Love of all beings, because God is all, and all is in God.’ The message of Swami Vivekananda is very relevant today. His spirit is still working. In Swamiji we have a dependable guide and mentor who can give us a better direction at this crucial juncture of history. His special contribution to the present age is the deliverance of a universal message conducive to man’s moral and spiritual upliftment throughout the world, and to the harmonious living of all human beings irrespective of differences of color, creed, sex, age, social rank, cultural standard, political outlook, and so forth. The Swami’s personal experience of the East and the West, his penetrating insight, his erudition, his boundless compassion, his immaculate life, and above all, his realization of the Ultimate One, the Truth of truths beyond all diversities, made him specially qualified for the Divine Commission – the reconstruction of humanity on the spiritual foundation. His was a rare personality, a dynamic and dedicated life. His multi-faceted life and work, and the inspiring message were for the spiritual regeneration of India and the world. “Man-making is my mission in life,” he declared. “The older I grow the more everything seems to me to lie in manliness. This is my new gospel.... My ideal indeed can be put into a few words, and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity and how to make it manifest in every movement of life.” At the height of his glory and renown, how unassuming and egoless he was! Here is the testimony: “If there has ever been a word of truth, a word of spirituality, that I have spoken anywhere in the world, I owe it to my Master; only mistakes are mine… They call me the ‘cyclonic Hindu’. Remember, it is His will – I am a voice without a form.” And, as to his spiritual depth and universality of outlook, mark his words: “What is India or England or America to us? We are the servants of that God who by the ignorant is called man.” Renunciation, service and sacrifice were his watchwords. And, an embodiment of renunciation that he was, he wore himself out in the service of ‘God in man’. Here is his testament: “When will that
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blessed day dawn when my life will be a sacrifice at the altar of humanity? …Let the body, since perish it must, wear out in action and not rust in inaction… It is better to wear out than to rust out.” In working for his divinely ordained mission, rest and respite were alien to him, so much so he declared that even after his final exit from this mortal world, he would not cease to work, and that he would inspire one and all until the whole world realized its spiritual oneness. Time has proved the truth of the words Swamiji uttered. Vivekananda’s influence on societies and individuals can be classified into: his impact as a teacher of the message of Eternal India, which is in fact the spiritual message of Sanatana Dharma, also known as the rational and universal gospel of the Vedanta; his stress on the practice of religion of service, based on equality and tyaga; his role as an awakener, builder and organizer of modern India with its patriotic, spiritual and service movements; his contribution as a cultural and spiritual emissary of India to the West; and his work as an interpreter of Indian values in the universal language of science. Humanity has not yet opened fully the gift it has received from Sri Ramakrishna, the gift of the advent and work of Swami Vivekananda. We can only envy the future world, which will be delighted and blessed with this gift, which it has been ready to receive but slow to uncover. Swamiji’s words seem to gain greater force as they roll down the years. He is today a voice without form. He has transcended the limitations of human personality. He has become concretized into an impersonal institution which the world will not willingly let die. He is a system of thought, an attitude to men and things, an approach to life, a tradition which has woven itself inextricably into the world. His spirit is more alive today than his body was decades ago. It permeates a network of organizations spread over the whole world. It has expressed itself in diverse activities, which have become institutionalized. It permeates the re-awakening India. It revitalizes man. It infuses new life and strength. It is this spirit, which we should understand and catch if we want to make our lives fruitful. His message of spirituality can alone give solace and strength to the war-weary world. Acquaintance with him opens a new portal to life. Accepting his message and applying it in full makes one’s life exalted. 7
The main concern of the world today is peace and harmony. The path that the world has until now traversed in pursuit of technological mastery has imperilled peace and environment and failed to provide prosperity and equality for all people of the world. Hosts of problems are cropping up, bringing in its train a lot of tension, anxiety, worries and frustration. Beset with psychological, social, economic, ethnic, political and environmental problems, which defy solution, the people of today’s world are ill at ease. If peace and harmony are to rise and reign in the hearts and minds of all people all over the world, they should have an opportunity to be exposed to the revealing insights of spirituality, which Swami Vivekananda has bequeathed to humanity. Hence, an earnest and vigorous propagation of his spiritual teachings is the most important means of serving that divine mission. The more the life and teachings of the great Swami are made known, the more will the spiritual perspective of humanity be widened, thereby paving the way for enduring world peace everyone is hankering for. Spiritual leaders, like Swami Vivekananda, are the salt of the earth and in their exalted life and inspiring teachings do we find a solvent for all our problems, individual, social, national and international. They are verily the harbinger of much needed peace and harmony on the earth. Vivekananda is truly a bridge between the East and the West. He is a dynamic spiritual force to shape the future of humanity. His teachings have set in motion a spiritual force, which can eventually bring into the western civilization the needed qualitative change. The greatest of all benefactions, according to Swamiji, is the act of rousing man to the glory of the divinity within. The awakened man solves for himself all his problems, secular and sacred. The solution to all human problems is in man’s becoming Man (with capital ‘M’) in all his dimensions, by manifesting his divinity. Problems are understandably many. But the solution is one – to become the new kind of man, who being simultaneously scientific and spiritual eventually becomes free. It is this new man, pure in heart, clear in brain, unselfish in motivation, who works in a balanced manner with his head, heart and hand, who has shed all his smallness and illusions, who has experienced unity of existence in his expanded consciousness – this selfless, spotless 8
and fearless man of character, enlightenment and love, is the hope of the world. Hope is not in more machinery, wealth, politics of cleverness and power. The world is looking forward to the coming of this new man – who is aware of his own divinity and is always anxious to discover and worship the same divinity in all others – in ever increasing numbers. What made Vivekananda stand apart from others is that in his life there was made manifest a tremendous force for the moral and spiritual welfare and upliftment of humanity irrespective of caste, creed or nationality. This power of his is what characterizes Swamiji’s work even to this day. Though his voice is without a form today, the vibrations of the same have been caught up in many a heart and have surcharged and transformed them. As we offer our homage to Swamiji in the sesquicentenary year of his birth, let us meditate on his multi-faceted life and work and inspiring message for the spiritual regeneration of humanity. And, above all, let us translate his spiritual teachings into our day-today life and be blessed thereby. And let us always remember his powerful exhortation: “Teach yourself, teach everyone his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come and everything that is excellent will come, when the sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity. This infinite power of the spirit brought to bear upon matter, evolves material development, made to act upon thought, evolves intellectuality and made to act upon itself, makes man a God. First let us be Gods and then help others to be Gods. ‘Be and Make’. Let this be our motto, Say not, man is a sinner. Tell him that he is God. Say that to the world, say it to yourselves and see what a practical result comes. Tell that to mankind and show them their power. Then we shall learn how to apply it in our daily lives.” “Work out the salvation of this land and of the whole world, each of you thinking that the entire burden is on your shoulders. Carry the light and the life of the Vedanta to every door, and rouse up the divinity that is hidden within every soul. Then, whatever may be the measure of your success, you will have this satisfaction that you have lived, worked, and died for a great cause. In the success of this cause, howsoever brought about, is centered the salvation of humanity here and hereafter.”
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Remembering the Man who Manifested Vivekandanda’s Secret of Action in Life*
SRI EKNATH RANADE (1914-1982) “My boy, when death is inevitable, is it not better to die like heroes than as stocks and stones? And what is the use of living a day or two more in this transitory world? It is better to wear out than to rust out.”…“Let the body, since perish it must, wear out in action and not rust in inaction.”…“When will that blessed day dawn when my life will be a sacrifice at the altar of humanity.” – SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Eknath Ranade, a dedicated soul, believed and acted on the dicta of Swami Vivekananda: Better wear out than rust out. Death is a must. Let the body fall in serving a noble cause. The noble cause was the inspiring memorial which stands proudly in Kanyakumari and the ‘Vivekananda Kendra’ which Ranade established and nurtured with great devotion. The body, worn out with incessant work, sought rest on 22 August, 1982. Eknath’s master would have approved the fact that it never gathered rust. Devoid of any self-interest, dedicated in the execution of his life-mission, Ranade died in harness as a karmayogin. He reminds
*This slightly edited version of a memorial tribute to Sri Eknath Ranade (1914-1982), Founder-
President, Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Vivekananda Kendra, originally published in “Bhavan's Journal”, soon after his passing away on 22 August, 1982, is incorporated in the book: “Vivekananda--His Gospel of Man-making” (7h Edn. p. 720-724).
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us of the incense stick that burns itself out without a trace, but leaves a sweet fragrance all around. All that remain of Ranade to bear witness to his greatness are the twin monuments which he successfully erected, within the shortest period possible, in the hallowed memory of Swami Vivekananda. One, a ‘physical monument’, the historic Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari, and the other, a ‘living monument’ in the form of a service mission, ‘Vivekananda Kendra’ set up to create a band of dedicated young men and women who will give shape to Swamiji’s dream. Wearing the layman’s simple white robe, Ranade was a true sannyasin all the same, a rare phenomenon in today’s murky atmosphere. The idea of erecting a memorial on the sea-girt rock at Kanyakumarai, (whereon, immersed in deep meditation, Swami Vivekananda glimpsed the mission of his life prior to his sailing to America to participate in the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893) was mooted by the local Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee (VRMC) in commemoration of the Swami’s Birth Centenary (1963). It was as though Providence had got Ranade ready for the key role he was to play at Kanyakumari. Joining the VRMC as its Organizing Secretary, Ranade wholeheartedly addressed himself to the task. The local VRMC was turned into an all-India one, thanks to the organizing acumen and dynamic leadership which he provided to the all-India VRMC. An unassuming Ranade would never attribute the great achievement to himself. He would say that the rock memorial project grew, thanks to those who had opposed it. The more the opposition, the greater became the project: “We should really be thankful to those who opposed us in our noble venture and created impediments in our way. In fact, the opposition and hurdles were blessings in disguise. Only on account of them could we put to test our strength, both physical and intellectual and bring forth the best in us.” In the teeth of vehement opposition and even hostility, Ranade labored with diligence and tenacity. He went on a whirlwind tour all over India and mobilized a strong public opinion in support of the cause. He even met the people’s representatives in Delhi and sought their help. More than 300 MPs signed a memorandum urging the Government of India and the state government of 11
Madras to help solve the problem at Kanyakumari. It was a unique venture in which the masses as well as the governments participated in a manner that cut across all barriers of distinction. The campaign organized by Ranade fetched more than a crore of rupees from all over India. This amount was utilized for the first phase of the Vivekananda Memorial plan consisting of four items. The major portion of the funds, viz. about 80 lakhs of rupees, came from the masses who contributed in small sums according to their mite as their offering of love to the cause of Swami Vivekananda’s work. The rest of the amount was gathered by way of contributions both from the state governments and the Government of India, besides those of industrialists and philanthropists. Apart from the edifice, ‘Vivekananda Mandapam’, erected on the rock, the other items of the first phase were: (a) a campus of about one hundred acres, named ‘Vivekanandapuram’, at the entrance of the Kanyakumari township, catering to the needs of the pilgrims at Kanyakumari who visit the rock memorial as well as the ancient temple of the virgin goddess on the mainland; (b) a Pictorial Exhibition at Vivekanandapuram, depicting the life and mission of Swami Vivekananda and (c) free transport facilities for lodgers at Vivekandapuram, and other amenities for the pilgrims. All these items of the first phase of the plan at Kanyakumari speak volumes for the organizing genius, as also the dedication of Eknath Ranade. Since its inauguration in 1970, the magnificent national monument has been attracting pilgrims in thousands from all over India and abroad. Millions have visited it and offered their homage to the hallowed memory of the great Patriot-Saint of modern India. The monument standing at a point where three seas mingle at Kanyakumari, has become the focal point of national and international integration. Not being satisfied with the erection of a mere ‘physical monument’ to the memory of the mighty monk who was a great lover of the lowly and the downtrodden, Ranade brought into existence a ‘Living Memorial’ to Swami Vivekananda. This ‘Living Memorial’ is in the form of a spiritually oriented all-India Service Mission, the ‘Vivekananda Kendra’ with its headquarters at Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari, launched as the second phase of the overall plan with a significant programme of training a cadre of qualified and dedicated young men and women for social service all over India, spiritual 12
regeneration and humanitarian work. The Vivekananda Kendra is a Lay Order of missionaries dedicated to life-long service of the motherland which was very dear to Swami Vivekananda. Since 1973, in its training centre at Vivekanandapuram, the Kendra has been training prospective life-workers drawn from all over India. The trained candidates have been sent to needy areas of the country, particularly backward and tribal areas, for social service, as also for gaining intensive field training. The Kendra has set up several residential schools in the remote northeastern region of our country and elsewhere which are all being administered by the trained life-workers of the Kendra. In some parts of the country, rural development activities have been undertaken. Yoga being the core of the Vivekananda Kendra Movement, training is also imparted in yoga in different centers sponsored by the Kendra. A yoga therapy and research centre is functioning under the supervision of qualified persons. Thus, the second phase initiated by Ranade is gradually gaining momentum. Ranade had in mind a third phase as well, which envisaged the propagation of the message of Swami Vivekananda all over India and abroad (under the banner of ‘Vivekananda Kendra International’). But before he could give it a concrete shape the curtain fell. Eknath Ranade had been incessantly working for the last few decades without any break. Rest was alien to his constitution. Continued hard labour naturally told upon his health, though physically he looked sturdy and bright. More than once, he was laid low by “heart trouble”, but every time after a brief repose, he plunged into hectic activities, including touring all over India, in connection with his work. The ‘ferry service problem’ which dragged for years had sapped much of his precious energy and, in fact, dealt a mortal blow to his already delicate health. In 1980, Ranade again suffered a stroke. He went into coma as a result, and his condition became very critical. But after a period of intensive care and medical treatment, he gradually recovered though not completely. After much persuasion by his physician and friends, he reluctantly subjected himself to a short period of rest. He was requested, time and again, by all who loved him that at least thereafter he should take complete rest. His forthright reply was, “This life is given for a cause. We have come here for work and not for any rest. Well, rest will come of itself in the end,
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once and for all.” Thus, in spite of medical advice not to strain himself, he once again commenced a month-long tour and visited several places and persons in connection with the organizational work, and when returned to Madras he had a cardiac arrest. The end came on 22 August, 1982. Even during his final sojourn at Madras, Ranade was not idle. With all the strain of a long tour, he carefully perused and edited the manuscript of a publication (“Sadhana of Service”) comprising scores of his lectures delivered at Kanyakumari during the tenure of his service in the cause of Swami Vivekananda. Only recently the latest edition of his popular compilation, “Rousing Call to Hindu Nation” had come out of the press. This book was the result of his detailed and reverential study of the Vivekananda literature, while in Calcutta, before he embarked on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial project at Kanyakumari two decades ago. He said once that he did such a meticulous study because he felt that one who intended to work for the cause of Swami Vivekananda must be conversant with the Swami’s unique life and message. In the course of this deep study, Ranade culled out significant passages and exhortations from the speeches and writings of Swamiji which appealed to him most and compiled them in a book form and got it published in Calcutta during the Birth Centenary of Swami Vivekananda (1963) as his homage to the patriot-saint. It was Ranade’s fond hope that such a compilation would serve as a source of inspiration for one and all. Eknath Ranade to whom example was better than precept, truly manifested Vivekananda’s secret of action in life. He lived an intensely active and dedicated life all through. He wore himself out in serving a noble cause. His life was an oblation on the altar of Swami Vivekananda. His rare accomplishments will remain a monument to his own genius and dedication. In a significant utterance Eknath Ranade has summed up the philosophy of his life. He has revealed therein the secret of his monumental achievement at the Land’s End of India. It is in fact the charter of his intensely active and utterly dedicated life. It is also an abiding impetus for us in achieving our cherished aims in life: “There is one thing to which you can always turn for unfailing support....You can safely rely at all times on your own self for the fulfillment of your mission. All other help may fail, but there is a power within you which will never let you down. It is your own Self. Depend on it and march ahead with unceasing prayer to God to give you strength to fulfill His Will” (vide “Sadhana of Service”).
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: Wake up the Power Within: “All Power is Within You” PAGES : 100 SIZE : 8.5” x 5.5” BINDING : Soft Cover LANGUAGE : English EDITOR-PUBLISHER : Swami Jyotirmayananda DETAILS @ : www.vivekanandagospel.org PRICE : ` 75/-
“Everyone who reads this book with faith and devotion will experience a change in his / her vision of life!”
“This shorter version makes it easy for the busy people to get a glimpse of Swamiji’s message”
Abridged version of a part of ‘Vivekananda -- His Gospel of Man-making’ (1064 pp.)
Unique and Powerful Thoughts of Swamiji
In Commemoration of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th Birth Anniversary