You all must know about the great monk, Swami Vivekananda. If you do not know him, I am begging you to learn about him. He will change your life! You can start by reading the books by Swami Vivekananda.
No, he was not your calm and quiet monk. He was courageous, straightforward and had immense knowledge of Indian Philosophy, Yoga and much more.
Still to this date, he inspires thousands of people around the world with his great books.
He travelled to various parts of this earth to deliver his lectures on religion, spirituality, yoga and more. In this way, he presented the western world with the true meaning of spirituality, yoga and much more.
Whether you know this great personality or not, you must read these books by Swami Vivekananda. These books will surely change your life for better.
Most of the Swami Vivekananda Books are based on his lectures that were recorded. These knowledge was then presented in the form of book for his fans and followers.
Why you must read the books by Swami Vivekananda?
There comes a time in our life when we want to change our life!
Yes, I know, you also decided one fine morning that you want to change your life.
And there is nothing wrong with it!
We must develop ourselves all throughout our life. But when we decide we want to change our lives, we first go on google and search the term “Life-changing books”.
Most probably google will show you books of the recent authors. But I highly recommend you to go search “Books by Swami Vivekananda” instead.
All the Swami Vivekananda books have the potential to change and alter your thoughts. After you finish reading any of his books, you will start viewing your life in a new form.
Ask any person who has read his book, you will get to know the truth!
Several authors books will come and go, but the Swami Vivekananda books will remain for a long-long time.
So, here are my top 7 books by Swami Vivekananda that must be in your reading list.
Table of Content
- Swami Vivekananda on Himself (1963)
- Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action (1869)
- Jnana Yoga: The Path of Knowledge (1899)
- Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature (1869)
- Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Love and Devotion
- My Master (1901)
- Sadhanas or Preparation for higher Life
Still not sure?
Well, let me give you an idea of all these books. I hope it will make you curious about him and his books.
1. Swami Vivekananda on Himself (1963)
If you are a digital person who likes to read books online. Then you can get the Swami Vivekananda on Himself pdf by clicking here. You may go through it and then decide whether you want a paperback or not!
Here is a short Swami Vivekananda on Himself Review:
You can think of this book as an autobiography of this great monk. But it is not actually an autobiography.
This is a compilation of his lectures where he talked about his life and his thoughts. A huge portion of this book is also compiled through the letters he wrote.
What you will get from this Swami Vivekananda book?
As it is a compilation, you will find that the author has chronologically arranged the contents. The author has documented from the various recordings and notes of lectures by Swami Vivekananda.
In this book, you will learn a lot about the fiery yet divine personality of this great man.
There are snippets of his life incidents which left a huge mark in his life and thought process. You can easily relate to the incidents that happened in his life.
However, his view of life was unique. By reading this book, you will get a glimpse of his life and how he viewed his own life.
What he did in those situations? How he struggled with the obstacles of life? You will find everything here.
What it will do to you is, it will make you think about your own life. You may feel like implementing his ideas to change your own life.
2. Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action (1869)
Here is the Karma Yoga book pdf for download – Click here.
This books is also a compilation of the lectures he delivered. However, these are not his on-stage lecture.
He used to take classes free of cost while he stayed in America! While he was giving his teachings on Karma, some of his friends hired a stenographer for recording his words.
That man was Joseph Josiah Goodwin. Later, he went to become his disciple and followed him to India.
Here is a short Karma Yoga book review:
Lord Krishna gave the pure knowledge of Karma during the great Mahabharata war. Swami Vivekananda provides us with his understanding of Karma based on what Lord Krishna preached in Bhagavad Gita.
What you will get from this Swami Vivekananda Book?
Karma is a commonly used words. But how many of us actually understand the true meaning behind this small word?
The concept of Karma is quite vast. It will take you years to understand if you read it from the Bhagavad Gita. However, Swami Vivekananda simplifies the concept for general folks like us.
He describes that everyone has a duty and a purpose in his life. You cannot live your life without doing karma.
But most of us do some work to get something back in return.
However, the real meaning of Karma is to just do the work and expect nothing in return.
Whatever is meant to us will come!
So, we must engage only in the rightful Karma.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna even tells what are the rightful Karmas. Swami Vivekananda throws some light on those which you will read in this book.
You will understand how our Karmas have an impact not only on our future but also on our next life. (If you believe the concept of rebirth).
So, he suggests to offer our good actions to the almighty and try to purify our souls. In simple words, we must only engage in good deeds so that we do not have to face any consequences of bad deeds in this life or the next.
3. Jnana Yoga: The Path of Knowledge (1899)
Want the pdf version? Get the Jnana yoga (book) pdf download by clicking here.
This book is based on the lectures that were delivered by Swami Vivekananda. The word “Jnana Yoga” might seem new to you. However, it is one of the most important branches of yoga. If you are familiar with the concepts of yoga, you will understand this.
Here is my short review of Jnana Yoga by Swami Vivekananda:
If you are into spirituality, philosophy or simply wish to understand God, then this book is a must-read. Here Swamiji discusses some of the concepts you will find in Katha Upanishad.
What you will get from this book by Swami Vivekananda?
In this book, you will learn important concepts such as the realization of the Parambrahma – the ultimate soul. Yes, we have souls inside us.
Swamiji simplifies the concept of the soul in every living organism.
If you have started reading a series of books on yoga, then this one is the classic and must be in your list.
However, do keep in mind that this book is only a compilation of his lectures and not a book written by him. So, if you have the urge to understand about soul in-depth, go read the sacred texts.
While you read this, you will find that the book is like no other. It may seem a little difficult to understand at some point. The reasons are this is a compilation and you are very new to the concept of yoga.
So, be patient and read on. If you already have a bit of an idea about life, God and soul, you will find this book interesting!
Read more: 5 Websites From Where You Can Download Free Ebooks
4. Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature (1869)
Check out the Raja yoga (book) pdf download by clicking here.
Heard about Patanjali’s Yoga sutras? If you have then you will find this book very interesting.
In this book, Swamiji interprets the complex concepts of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. He simplifies the concept for ordinary people to understand. As the target audience for this book is the Western world, so he has simplified the concepts!
Check out this short review of Raja Yoga:
Again, this book is a compilation of his several lectures that he delivered in the West. So, this bookish version is a record of that. It was through those lectures, the western world was introduced to the idea of Yoga!
What you will get from this book by Swami Vivekananda?
Want to start practising meditation and yoga? Then this book will be a great help.
In this Swami Vivekananda book, you will find various techniques which are used to control our mind.
Our minds are like monkeys. It jumps from one thought to another. But in meditation, you need to focus your mind at a single object.
In this book, you will learn all such techniques that are used by the Sadhus in India. As you keep reading this book you will understand the concept of Raja Yoga and it’s a connection with modern-day science.
There are several methods in Yoga using which you can use to improve your concentration. If you want complete physical development and attain moksha in a true sense read this book.
You will learn all the methods in this book.
Moksha means liberation of the soul from our body to conjoin with the Para-Atma or the ultimate Supreme Godhead.
5. Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Love and Devotion
Download Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda pdf by clicking here.
‘Bhakt’ and ‘Bhakti’ you will be well-aware of these two words. Although, now the words are used in both negative and positive sense! But the true meaning is pure and divine.
Bhakti means devotion to something.
Here it means pure devotion to the almighty. In simpler words, it means a spiritual connection between your soul and the divine soul who we call as God!
Here is a short Bhakti yoga review:
Swamiji was a man of great knowledge. He understood the complicated concepts of life, God, soul and much more. For us, it would take a lifetime to understand what he understood in such a short time.
In this book, he will share his teachings and understanding of Bhakti or devotion.
According to him, Bhakti yoga is one of the simplest, shortest and direct ways to realize God or to gain moksha. You can easily experience the divine with the help of Bhakti Yoga!
What will you learn from this Swami Vivekananda book?
Swamiji says that when you become a Bhakt nothing else seems to attract you anymore. Nothing will grab your attention except the goal of reaching to God.
You would fall in love with your God. You will think only about your chosen God. No matter what you do in your life, he or she will be in your mind at all times.
Everything around you will start to seem meaningless.
So, in this book, you will learn how you can surrender to God and dedicate your life to him or her.
There are different ways of Bhakti. You can select which comforts you the most. Some chose the worship method, while some go for rituals. However, it is up to you how you show your devotion to the almighty.
Swamiji gives us the guidance on how we can channelize our emotions, our thought process and also our karma towards that God. We have to have unconditional love for the God and be devoted at all times.
Related: 10 Mahatma Gandhi Books That You Must Read
6. My Master (1901)
Download My master pdf by clicking here.
When Swamiji was a young lad he was a brilliant student. But at the same time, he had plenty of question. He used to remain curious and wanted to understand the meaning of life, religion, God and much more.
People who knew him at that time suggested him to go seek the guidance of the great man, Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.
He travelled all the way to meet this saint to find the answers to his questions. In this book, he discusses him and what he learned from him.
A short review of My Master by Swami Vivekananda:
As a true disciple, Swamiji didn’t forget to mention about his Guru, Shri Ramkrishna Paramhansa in his lectures. In this book, you will find the snippets of what he said about his Guru.
He says that his vast knowledge of life was a gift of his Master. So, he will be devoted to his Master all his life. He is thankful to him to make him what he is today!
What you will learn from this book?
In this book, you will learn about the incidents that occurred between Swamiji and his Guru. He will share his experiences.
At the same time, you will know about the great lineage of teachers or acharyas in the divine land of Bharat. He will discuss all that in this book.
You will also learn the spiritual side of the Sanatana Dharma which is followed by lakhs of people in India.
He will present facts that prove the superiority of the Sanatana Dharma to the Western World.
7. Sadhanas or Preparation for higher Life
Get the Sadhanas or Preparation for higher Life pdf download by clicking here.
If you are living in India, you must have heard this word ‘Sadhana’ numerous times. But most of us do not know the true essence of this word.
We simply associate this word with something that is done by the Saints and Sadhus. But it is much more than that!
Here is the short review of this book by Swami Vivekananda:
Another book which was compiled from the notes taken from his lectures. This book focuses on the life beyond this life.
He guides us to reject the mundane unnecessary works that harm our mind and body. We must dedicate and work towards mending our own bodies.
Our mind is unconscious towards the reality of this life and we must try to make it conscious. We must understand our own body and then our soul. This practice is called Sadhana.
What you will obtain from this book?
As you read this book, it will seem a bit Greek to you if you are not aware of the concepts of soul, life and spirituality. But as you read on, you will understand it to some extent.
Swamiji provides ample examples to make us understand.
He tells us how we can liberate our soul from this binding body. This is called Moksha. He talks about becoming superconscious. He emphasized that our life goal should be to become super conscious about everything within and outside!
When we reach that state, we are not a human being anymore. We become divine as we connect with the divine!
Our souls reach the realm where the concept of life and death do not exist. We become one with the ultimate soul. So, you will learn all these spiritual concepts from this book.
There are several Swami Vivekananda books in the market. The best thing is all these books are cheap. If you love reading hardcover or paperbacks you will find them at a very budget-friendly price.
However, most of these books are available online in downloadable pdf forms. So, if you want to get the books by Swami Vivekananda for free, just download the pdf versions and start reading!