Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902)[1] was an Indian Hindu monk and a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world.[2] He was one of the most influential philosophers and social reformers in his contemporary India and the most successful and influential missionaries of Vedanta to the Western world.[3][4] Indian Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore's suggested to study the works of Vivekananda to understand India. He also told, in Vivekananda there was nothing negative, but everything positive.[5]
In last one century, hundreds of scholarly books have been written on Vivekananda, his works and his philosophy in different languages. Sister Nivedita, who was a disciple and a friend of Vivekananda, wrote two books The Master as I Saw Him and Notes of some wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda. The first one was published in 1910 and the second one was published in 1913.[6]Sister Gargi's lifelong research work, a series of six volumes of books, Swami Vivekananda in the West: New Discoveries was first published in two volumes in 1957. In 1983–87, these series was republished in six volumes.[7] Bengali scholar and critic Sankari Prasad Basu, who was a director of Swami Vivekananda Archives, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture wrote several books on Vivekananda such as Vivekananda o Samakalin Bharatbarsha ((in Bengali) 7 volumes), Sahasya Vivekananda(in Bengali), Bandhu Vivekananda(in Bengali), etc.[8]
Monks of Ramakrishna Math and Mission too have written several notable books on the life and works of Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda and Modern India written by Swami Jagadiswarananda was first published in 1941. In this book, the author covered the biography of Vivekananda in brief.[5]Swami Nikhilananda wrote Vivekananda: A Biography which was first published in 1943 from Advaita Ashrama.[9]Yuganayak Vivekananda(in Bengali), written by Swami Gambhirananda was first published in 1966–1967.[7]
An Analytical Study of the Social Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda: A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Learn Rajayoga from Vivekananda: A Grand Exposition of India's Unique Philosophy and Practice of Yoga, which Swami Vivekananda Made for His American Disciples
Life of Swami Vivekananda: (12 January 1863 to 4 July 1902); Drama in Engl. Staged on 31 March 1982 at Sri Thyagaraja Hall, Calcutta by Bala Vihar Children, Calcutta
Thevarkal Venketes Waraiyer Narayanaswamy
Central Chinmaya Mission Trust
Make me a man, message of Swami Vivekananda
T. S. Avinashilingam
Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya
Man Without Frontiers: The Ultimate Concern of Swami Vivekananda
Maria Arokiam Kanaga
Salesian Pontifical University, Faculty of Philosophy
Monastic disciples of Swami Vivekananda: inspiring life-stories of some principal disciples