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12 Swami Vivekananda Books That Everyone Should Read in Lifetime

• By Subodh Sharma

Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Hindu monk who stands as one of the most inspiring personalities of all time in India as well as abroad. He traveled to many parts of the world and gave lectures on philosophy, religion, yoga, spirituality and more.

Most of his books are based on these lectures that were first recorded and later transcribed into books.

Books by Swami Vivekananda

There are many life-changing books by different authors but there are very few authors whose all books have the potential to change and mold your thoughts to live a peaceful and contented life. And Swami Vivekananda is unarguably among one of those few brilliant authors.

Swami Vivekananda’s books have touched and bettered the lives and souls of many people and will keep doing so for ages to come!

Here is a list of 12 Swami Vivekananda books that everyone should read at least once in a lifetime:

1. Karma Yoga

In this book, Swami Vivekananda discusses the concept of Karma Yoga in Bhagavad Gita. The book also shows a righteous path towards knowledge and wisdom. Swami Vivekananda described Karma Yoga as the discipline of mind that allows a person to carry out his/her duties as a service to the entire world, as a path to enlightenment.

This book is easy to understand and can act as a very powerful tool in spiritual development.

2. Raja Yoga

This book is valuable for both knowledgeable as well as for those who are new to Raja-Yoga.

It starts with an introduction and the eight steps of Raja-yoga. In the progressive chapters, more complex concepts such as Dhyana and Samadhi are explained. All these concepts are explained in a concise and in a manner that is easy to understand for everyone.

This book also covers an introduction to the Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali where the concept of Concentration is explained along with its practical uses and techniques. There are also explanations of the Powers of the Mind, Reincarnation, and Discipleship.

The readers can even feel the connection with the book and have a lot of positive vibes while reading it. It is truly a brilliant book and a must-read for everyone!

3. Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is also based on lectures by Swami Vivekananda as transcribed by Joseph Josiah Goodwin. These lectures were delivered mainly in New York City and London.

This book is among the first to explain some basic concepts that underpin Yoga. It starts with the importance of religion and its relationship with men. Swami talks about the nature of man and makes a sincere and complete effort to help people understand that the Vedanta is a complete source of all knowledge of the Absolute. The book also tells ways to reach it.

This book explains many other important concepts such as Realization and God through an abridged version of the Katha Upanishad, nature of the Soul, The Cosmos, micro and macrocosm, and immortality in a simple and easy to understand manner.

This book is definitely a classic in the field of yoga. However, one thing should be kept in mind that this book was initially a lecture, not a book. So ideally it was meant to be heard and not read. So sometimes it can be a little tedious and difficult to understand. But this is nothing compared to the vast knowledge that this book is home to.

4. Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on the cultivation of love and devotion to God. It is the simplest and most direct path to God.

In this book, Swami Vivekananda writes with insight and profound knowledge and provides the reader with a simple path to the Divine. This book contains everything you need to know about the practice of Bhakti Yoga. It is concise and yet highly rich in contents and knowledge.

Swami Vivekananda through this book brilliantly brings before the reader the full range of the teachings of the path of the devotion of Hinduism. From simple dualistic beliefs to the highest Advaitic principles, this book covers every important concept of Bhakti Yoga. Through these practices and our interpretation of Bhakti, it is possible to reach the final spiritual goal of Samadhi even in the modern age!

This is a complete book filled with profound and deep wisdom. It is a must-read book for everyone. Even if you are among those who weigh science and reasons more, you can still read it without having to give up your own beliefs!

5. Lectures from Colombo to Almora

Lectures from Colombo to Almora is a book based on lectures delivered by Swami Vivekananda after his return from the west in 1897. His visit to the west proved to be a great success and his achievements were highly celebrated in India.

Swami Vivekananda then traveled extensively and visited many Indian states. During the period of January to June 1897, he gave lectures in many places starting from Colombo and up to Almora. These lectures were later published as a book.

It is a brilliant book that gives insights on many basic and complex concepts like religion and advaitism. It enlightens us and inspires us to do great things in life. Here is an inspiring quote from the book.

“All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. You can do anything and everything, without even the guidance of anyone. Stand up and express the divinity within you.”

6. My Master

As one can understand from the title, this book is about the Master or the Guru of Swami Vivekananda – Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. This book is based on two lectures delivered by Swami Vivekananda in New York and England in 1901.

It is a short book that beautifully lays out the relationship between a Guru and his disciple. After reading this book, one could clearly see from where Swami Vivekananda found his passion and grit towards the things he did in his short yet complete life.

Here is a humble quote by Swami Vivekananda about his spiritual teacher that sums up the great value of wisdom that Shri Ramakrishna had imparted into his life.

“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 the mistakes are mine.”

7. Swami Vivekananda on Himself

Although ‘ Swami Vivekananda on Himself ’ is a biographical book, it is written in an autobiographical manner (first person narrative). This book was first published in 1963 by Swami Sambudhdhananda, general secretary of Swami Vivekananda’s birth centenary committee.

In this book, the life incidents of Swami Vivekananda have been written in his own words. The book is actually based on selected notes, letters, and utterances of Swami Vivekananda about himself and his works collected from different books.

The book covers different aspects of his life and Gives a glimpse of the world through the eyes of Swami Vivekananda himself.

8. Teachings of Swami Vivekananda

This book contains many of the Swami Vivekananda’s ideas, philosophies, and teachings. It shows how Swami’s teachings stressed on different aspects of religion, education, character-building as well as social issues pertaining to India.

If you haven’t read about Swami’s writings, speeches, or teachings previously, this book can really give you a good refresher. It will surely inspire you and help raise your spirits and awaken a new sense of hope.

9. Meditation and its Methods

A concise book that brings out the most important talks of Swami Vivekananda on meditation. The language is simple and very easy to read and understand. Though the book is a short read, each page of it is filled with thoughtful insights and beamed with wisdom.

‘ Meditation and its methods ’ not only states the practical ways of meditation, but it also explains the power and philosophy behind it and its ultimate goal. It also talks about mind restraint, patience and dealing with people and misery on a daily basis. And above all, it guides you to a peaceful and happy life.

If you really want to motivate yourself toward meditation, yoga, and spirituality, this book is definitely for you. Give it a read and it will change your perception of life for the better!

10. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (Set of 9 Volumes)

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda , as the title suggests, are a set of nine books that covers all works and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. All his works, lectures, philosophies and ideologies are made into these 9 volumes that act as an encyclopedia to everything related to Swami’s life.

It covers everything from Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana yoga to all other lectures and teachings on Gita, Upanishad, Vedanta and so on.

All the books that are mentioned above are actually the subsets of these complete volumes. If you are willing to get full-fledged information and knowledge on Swami’s life and want to get inspired, you should definitely get these books. If you read these books, you don’t even have to get any other books by Swami Vivekananda, because everything is covered here.

Books on Swami Vivekananda by Other Authors

There are many books on Swami Vivekananda, written by many other authors. But most of those books have similar or repetitive contents. That’s why not all such books are mentioned in this list.

Here are a few books about Swami Vivekananda that you should read at least once:

1. The Master As I Saw Him by Sister Nivedita

Sister Nivedita was an Irish social worker, author, teacher, and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She met Vivekananda in 1895 in London and traveled to Calcutta in 1898. The name Nivedita (meaning “Dedicated to God”) was given to her by Swami Vivekananda himself when he initiated her into the vow of Brahmacharya.

‘ The master as I saw him ‘ is an incredibly humble and brilliant description of Swami Vivekananda’s life from the viewpoint of Sister Nivedita. This book is one of the top books on Swami Vivekananda that gives an account of Swami’s life through the eyes of a close disciple.

It is probably one of the best narratives of a relationship between a disciple and a teacher.

2. Vivekananda: A Biography By Swami Nikhilananda

This book is a biography of Swami Vivekananda written by another spiritual leader, Swami Nihilananda.

The book presents his vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture, deep spiritual insight, broad human sympathy, and colorful personality.

It is a concise book and if you want to get an overview of Swami Vivekananda’s life and teachings, you should surely read this one.

Vivekananda: A Biography in Pictures by Swami Smaranananda

Well, this is Swami’s biography with few words and more pictures. It is actually a collection of all the known photographs of Swami Vivekananda together with pictures of where he lived and also of the people whom he knew.

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So, these were the list of some books on Swami Vivekananda’s life. There are many other books about Swami Vivekananda, but almost all concept, ideas, philosophies and references are covered in the books mentioned above.

If you read these books, your perspectives on life will definitely transform in a positive way!

Keep Reading, Keep Growing!

8 thoughts on “12 Swami Vivekananda Books That Everyone Should Read in Lifetime”

I have read one of the books written by Swami ji ” bhakti yoga ” the answers i want to know from my God is already here is this book !

Thank you. This was really very helpful. The world should know about this great man!

thanx fo your blog it was really helpfull

Swami Vivekananda’ my master

It Very helps full bro. for me to choose a good book and get knowledge about Swami Vivekananda Thanks Again

Thanks for the summary. Will help me in deciding which ones to start with

All the Best Aparna.

Thank you for the blog

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Swami Vivekananda was a great spiritual leader and social reformer of modern India and he was one of the most important figures in the late nineteenth century of India. His work is to be placed within a broad set of assumptions, including the belief that in the India of his milieu, any transformation was to be brought about only through a “Spiritual” door. Vivekananda undoubtedly made a remarkable contribution to the rediscovery of India’s cultural heritage. Within this cultural milieu, his contribution was a potent mixture of traditionalism, a truly insightful reinterpretation of the Vedāntic thought and Hindu heritage in general, and the foreshadowing of the nationalist revival and the subsequent demand for native rule from the perspective of a relocated sense of Indian selfhood. So, Swamiji’s national feeling does not indicate any particular nation or country, it indicates human civilisation in the whole world and also indicates more than this.

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Palit, P.K. (2022). Swami Vivekananda. In: Tomar, A., Malik, S.K. (eds) Reappraising Modern Indian Thought. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1415-7_4

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Vivekananda: A Biography Kindle Edition

In the list of biographies of Swami Vivekananda published by us, we have one which extensively narrates his life, and also one which presents him very briefly. The present book stands midway between these extremes. Herein the readers will find his life described in a short compass, without sacrificing the essential details. This is a masterly presentation of his life from the pen of a scholar of repute. A worthy book for all those who want to study Vivekananda in brief without losing the crucial aspects of his life.

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The Centers of the Order in America, often referred to by such names as Ramakrishna or Vivekananda Centers, or Vedanta Societies, were first organized by Swami Vivekananda for the propagation of the Swami's teachings. Today there are Centers in many of America's major cities, including New York, Boston, Providence, Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Hollywood. Because of their belief in the underlying truth of all religions, the Centers of the Ramakrishna Order are at the forefront of the Interfaith Movement. (Publisher's comments written by Swami Adiswarananda, Spiritual Leader, Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York).

From the Back Cover

Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902), a well-known figure in intellectual and religious circles in America during the first decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth, is cherished by an ever increasing number of readers of his books. His genius was revealed to the world at large in the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, where he indicated India's rightful place in the spiritual map of the world. The first cultural ambassador of his motherland to the West, and the builder of the spiritual bridge connecting the two hemispheres, Vivekananda dreamt of One World based upon a synthesis of religion and science and a knowledge of the solidarity of mankind. In his utterances the souls of East and West, the one oppressed by the tyranny of society and the other by the dead weight of secularism, found the way to freedom. As Ramakrishna, the teacher, reinterpreted and relived for the modern world the spiritual heritage of India, so Vivekananda, the disciple, anticipates and inspires her potential contribution.

About the Author

But the Swami's monumental work, for which he will ever be remembered, is The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna . This complete translation into English from the original Bengali of the Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, as recorded by "M," has made the immortal words of this great prophet of the nineteenth century available to countless readers throughout the world. Aldous Huxley was pleased to write a foreword to The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna , and high praise was given to the book by such notable persons as Thomas Mann and Henry Miller. Time Magazine referred to The Gospel as "One of the world's most extraordinary religious documents."

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Swami Vivekananda once spoke of himself as a "condensed India." His life and teachings are of inestimable value to the West for an understanding of the mind of Asia. William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the "paragon of Vedantists." Max Muller and Paul Deussen, the famous Orientalists of the nineteenth century, held him in genuine respect and affection. "His words," writes Romain Rolland, "are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered as they are through the pages of books, at thirty years' distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!''

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CQBCYX6T
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lotus Imprints; 1st edition (November 1, 2023)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2023
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1515 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 345 pages
• #47 in Biographies & Memoirs of Asian & Asian American
• #59 in Biographies of Philosophers (Kindle Store)
• #214 in Philosopher Biographies

About the author

Swami nikhilananda.

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How Did Swami Vivekananda Learn 700 Pages Book in An Hour?

I don’t know much more about it.

But I think in ancient times many saints are like to wander around the world , means they use memory journey that is very big (I thought more than 1000 loci journey) and when they do meditation they recall their memory journey in mind.

I think swami have a very big memory journey so they can remember 700 pages book in an hour.

But I don’t know how they link the book lines with memory journey so fast. And it is my personal suggestion that they use memory journey because there is no discussion which method they used.

If I have this ability first I completely memorized my school course book. Because we all study almost 6 to 7 books in one year.

Hello Raja,

this is due to his memory power. He had an exceptional memory, maybe even a real ‘photographic’ memory. This could be one evidence that this exists.

search up speed reading techniques and competition, reading at this speed is possible, it is just you have to learn to not have your brain get bored (ie let the eye do what they are good at, following movements).

@user_7e …The English translation:

Vivekananda’s memory power is attributed to his practice of Brahmacharya,which includes total sexual abstinence. Acc to Yogic tradition,the semen(ojas) is most important constituent of the male body.If preserved,the vedic tradition believes,semen gets transforms into spiritual energy which can heighten one’s mental abilities.

Here’s a clip on Vivekananda’s reading style:

If they people have this ability that time take part in memory competition , in how many second they remember the whole words in memory league, how many seconds they take to memorize 80 numbers.

It’s got more to do with Aura. Every object has Aura & the Yogi’s are able to tap into this source. Acc to Patanjali’s Yogasutra,even the human body has 5 sheaths(kosha):

Here’s another interesting clip:

I think you are right.

But if they have to remember such task , in how many seconds they memorize .

All paranormal activities are skeptical unless proven.I am not validating the clips i’ve posted above since I’ve not seen the Swami performing such feat with my own eyes. Also,even the usage of the word “Aura” is not accurate but then thats the best word i could think of since a sanskrit term would not lend much meaning either. But in my humble opinion,the Swami’s feat cant certainly be broken down in terms of words per minute.

He didn’t. I don’t know how dumb someone would have to be to even seriously consider it as a possibility.

so umm, is it perhaps that the male body would spend less energy on making semen because the sack is full, hence we get that energy to our brain instead?

Might be true as hormones are monitored by brain too.

…via the kundalini.

I don’t think it’s possible to memorize, or even read, a 700 page book in an hour. Skimming a 700 page book for an hour is possible though.

I would like to find someone with photographic memory , but I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t exist.

Edit: see also Derren Brown - Library; possible?

It has never been scientifically researched; these conversations are meaningless. Maybe he could memorize entire book, but it would take far more time than 5 seconds per page. For example, there is a lot of evidence that, although Kim Peek really remembered a lot, but far from 98% of everything read. He was caught more than once on errors in digital data. And sometimes he didn’t remember the answer. And I remind you that Peek had verbal adhesion, which means that his memory was of a different nature than ours. The accuracy of von Neumann memorization has also never been scientifically investigated, but I am sure that it did not reach 90%. If a person is not tested in the laboratory, we actually see only the best side of his memory. After all, it is possible to identify shortcomings only with the help of numerous tests. I think. that Vivekananda could have a memory at the level of Professor Alexander Aitken. The mathematician could recall a list of words, numbers, and text almost word for word several decades later. However, there is clear evidence that Aitken did not have a photographic memory. He intuitively used special rhythmic mnemonics, which was based mainly on his musical abilities. You should also remember people with a talent for speed reading. Like for example Evgeniya Alekseenko. Despite the fact that it took her about a second for a book conversation, she could pretty well retell the text. She could not explain the secret of her abilities. It’s just that it’s as if the meaning of all this information flies into her head. Therefore, it should not be ruled out that some people who possessed natural reading abilities, but were able to understand their nature, did not develop their abilities throughout life. Again, I want to pay special attention to Antonio Magliabechi and John von Neumann. Many testimonies indicate that in life they had a terrible memory. So von Neumann constantly forgot where to put his glasses in the house where he lived for more than 15 years. Agree this does not fit with the assumptions of his ideal eidetic memory. Alexander Alekhine deserves the same attention. It took him 4 minutes to remember one and a half pages of the text verbatim. But, as tests for everything that has no logical connection showed, his memory was no better than average. Alekhine was also extremely forgetful in everyday life. Most likely, all these people possessed phenomenal semantic memory, which led to the disruption of ordinary types of memory.

You thoroughly analyzed it Wow! How long did that take?

You hit the nail right on the damn head. There are far too many people in the world of memory AND calculation who claim to have amazing memories and computational skills but they are often never scientifically tested or their claim are overexaggerated. Too many frauds also, like Daniel Tammet, who used to be someone I looked up to because I could relate to him so well.

This is the reason why I joined this forum. I don’t want there to be any doubts about my abilities so I tell everything I can do with actual numbers and stats, for example how long it takes for me to do a certain calculation or how long it takes for me to memorize something but I also tell where my limits are because my memory is not perfect like how I am not fast at memorizing cards because the mix of numbers, symbols and letters throw me off. I have to memorize the symbols seperately from the letters and numbers if I want to be quick with it.

Thanks a lot. I just used abductive thinking. Yes, we can no longer look into the head of von Neumann. But there are many people who have been researched. And psychologists were looking for everything too, photographic memory. And did not find it. Aitken was investigated by Jan Hunter. Alekhine’s memory was explored by Eduord Caperede. Evgenia Alekseenko was tested at the Brain Institute in Moscow. And the result was the same, none of these people had a photographic memory. The search for eidetism is now even customary to compare with the hunt for ghosts. It took 30 years of in-depth research and nearly 70 just searches for the right people. And no one was found. By the way, as for people calculators. Inodi and Diamandi were investigated in the laboratory of Alfred Binet. The results are exactly the same, not in all cases their memory was so good. Also, the results of some neurobiological studies were published recently. As it turned out, birth counters use the hippocampus in computing. Because the hippocampus is responsible for the formation of memories, there is nothing strange that instead of short-term memory, they use a long-term resource. And numbers can keep in mind a surprisingly long time.

Huh! Guess it wasn’t as long as i thought.

I would assume that he didn’t, just as I assume the paper burning is fake. I did see a documentary on the paper burning guy, who of course had to be tracked down in China and who never even talks about his ‘spiritual’ powers. But agreed to this documentary only after much pleading and begging, and after which he dissapeared resuming his secret life.

The claims of the superhuman abilities of these individuals occur in places where belief in the associated mystical powers is high, and critical thinking/questioning is low.

Very similar to claims of yogis and those who believe them, whereby said yogis have gone without food or water for decades. Except, of course, this particular claim is clearly impossible; and yet many still believe.

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Moscow Marks Swami Vivekananda’s 150th Birth Anniversary

RUSSIA, April 18, 2013 (Elena Krovvidi,RIR): This week, the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, the Ramakrishna Society – Vedanta Centre and the Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, jointly commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Academics, Indologists and religious leaders speak of the relevance of the great Indian sage’s teachings in modern day Russia. In his opening remarks, India’s Ambassador to Russia, Ajai Malhotra, dwelt upon the contributions made by Swami Vivekananda, one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 19th/20th centuries. The sage was a social reformer and a great scholar whose teachings influenced many across the globe and continued to do so even today. The Indian ambassador highlighted the message propagated by Swami Vivekananda that “service to God can be rendered by service to mankind.” Other prominent speakers on the occasion were Swami Jyotirupananda, Rostislav Rybakov and Mark Mokulsky who highlighted various aspects of the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda and their enduring contemporary relevance.

Swami Jyotirupananda, president of the Ramakrishna Mission in Moscow, was the first speaker. He emphasised Vivekananda’s role as a fighter for the rights of the suppressed members of society in India. Jyotirupananda reminded that in India that April 15 – the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda – is celebrated not only by holding lectures and functions but also by holding charitable activities.

Mark Mokulsky, Prof. and Dr. of physical and mathematical sciences at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, followed the discussion about Vievakananda by sharing his hypothesis on the connection between spirituality of Vedanta and genetic-molecular science.

Another eminent speaker Rostislav Rybakov, Indologist, Dr. of historical sciences and Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1994-2009, elaborated about the relevance of Vivekananda’s teachings to the issues Russia has to face in our day. Rybakov maintains that Vivekananda’s philosophy is very much on the agenda for Russia and Russians of the 21st century. Rybakov believes that the only path to follow is to educate children from the youngest age, but not simply educating but imbibing them with moral and ethical values that will lay the foundation for their future view of the world. “The way that we need to go is lengthy, torturous and complex,” Rybakov says. But it is the only possible way.” The finishing stroke of Rybakov’s speech was drowned in enthusiastic applause: “Recently, the French actor Gerard Depardieu has become an honorable citizen of Russia. But, in my view, Swami Vivekananda should become an honorable citizen of Russia, even after his death. We need him very much in our lives today.”

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