In a short span of 39 years, Swami Vivekananda vigorously disseminated the message of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal message of peace, harmony and universal well-being, and proclaimed throughout the world the Vedantic truth "ekam sat" (The Truth is One), "vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (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 God who loves God in all beings."

The message of Swami Vivekananda is very relevant today. His spirit is still working. In Swami Vivekananda we have a dependable guide and mentor who can give us a better direction at this crucial juncture of history.

This Presentation therefore highlights his unique contributions, lasting spiritual legacy and inspiring message.

As aptly pointed out by a savant, "Swami Vivekananda's 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.

This Presentation seeks to place before you a few glimpses of that wonderful manifestation of Divinity which, exactly a century ago (on July 4, 1902) merged back into its Divine Source, after accomplishing its divinely ordained mission, a great feat in too short a span of time.

Here is an overview of the presentation in the context of the 100th year of his exit from this mortal world.

There are, altogether, seven brief Sections in this Presentation, which, I hope, will be informative and inspiring.

The initial Section: "Swami Vivekananda -- 100 Years Later" highlights Swami Vivekananda's short but intense and utterly dedicated life and his immense contributions to humanity, and points out the relevance of and the need for his Gospel of Vedanta to usher in Peace and Harmony in today's war-weary and disturbed world.

The next Section presents a glowing tribute by Swami Ranganathanandaji, the 13th President of the Ramakrishna Order, whose glorification of Swamiji as "The Great Emissary of India to the West" is highly significant.

The Third Section, Homage, is a Sanskrit Composition, depicting Swami Vivekananda--The Man and His Mission.

The Fourth Section estimates Swami Vivekananda, the inestimable, through a selected few utterances of World Thinkers and eminent persons.

"Having given his ideal a firm practical shape, having inspired millions of people with the noble ideals of 'Renunciation and Service', having made India conscious of her glorious past, and having awakened her to future tasks, Vivekananda wound up his earthly career at the age of thirty-nine years, five months and twenty-two days, thus fulfilling his own prophecy: 'I will not live to be forty years old.' "

In a short span, his achievements and contributions to humanity were stupendous. As he put it, "I have given humanity enough for the next fifteen hundred years."

At the height of his glory and renown, how unassuming and ego-less 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." This is also a testimony to his fidelity to his Great Master - Sri Ramakrishna.

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 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. Whoever heard of such a forthright statement made by any Mahatma in the hagiographic history of the world!

Time has proved the truth of the words Swami Vivekananda uttered before his death: "It may be that I shall find it good to get outside my body -- to cast it off like a worn out garment. But I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere until the world shall know that it is one with God." "Work unto death, I am with you, and when I am gone, my spirit will work with you."

Swami 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, popularly known as Hinduism, or 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; his work as an interpreter of Indian values in the universal language of science and, his influence in taming and unifying science itself.

Elsewhere we have made an attempt to acquaint the reader with some of these contributions of Swamiji to humanity. We have also presented a diary of significant events in his life and times, a glimpse of his scintillating divine personality, a taste of his powerful and clear language of electrifying impact, and a rare example of his utter humility when he traces all that is good in him and all that he could accomplish in too short a span of time to the grace of his Great Master Sri Ramakrishna, in whose hallowed name he set in motion a mighty Movement, the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, for the well-being and the spiritual enlightenment of the humanity. Finally, our attempt also enables the reader to see Swamiji visually through pictures. It presents a visual review of the evolution of Naren into Vivekananda the prophet of 'Awakened India'. An exhaustive list of over two hundred books by and on Swami Vivekananda is also provided for reference and further study.

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.

Swami Vivekananda "burst into the world like a bomb not to lick it into destruction with tongues of fire, but to rouse men from their spiritual stupor by the boom of his powerful voice. His words seem to gain greater force as they roll down the years. Vivekananda 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."

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 imperiled 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 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 rein 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 every one 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.

Swami Vivekananda is verily 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 Swami Vivekananda, 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 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 Swami 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 Swami Vivekananda in the centenary year of his mahasamadhi, 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-to-day life and be blessed thereby.

"Swami Vivekananda is the one person who stands as a golden link between India and the western world, and who promises to be such a link between India and the rest of the world as well.

For the first time in our history of the past thousand years, our country produced a great teacher in Swami Vivekananda who took India out of her isolation of centuries and brought her into the mainstream of international life. This is a great work, whose beneficent results are slowly and steadily becoming evident as decades roll on.

"Swami Vivekananda had a fourfold training, which equipped him for the world mission. Firstly, his education in modern western science, literature, and history; secondly, his assimilation of the positive elements in the Indian culture and traditions; thirdly, his discipleship at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna, the very personification of the Indian spiritual tradition; and fourthly, his intimate grasp of the realities of contemporary India during his life as a wandering monk for six years. And this fourfold training made Vivekananda an embodiment of the East and the West.

The prayer: "tamaso maa jyotirgamaya" - "Lead me from darkness to Light" quoted in the inner orb, is indicative of man's spiritual quest - his aspiration to discover, realize and manifest the innate Divinity.

The meditative posture of man, the brilliant sun behind him, the lotus on which he is seated and the waves beneath it are symbolic of mystic communion, pursuit of knowledge, devotional absorption and selfless work, respectively.

The design thus depicts the gospel of Swami Vivekananda, according to which man can discover, realize and manifest the Divinity enshrined in him, by cultivating an integrated life, with due emphasis on pursuit of knowledge, devotional absorption, mystic communion and selfless service.

To the spiritually enlightened eyes of Swami Vivekananda the whole world was verily one big family. In his teachings, therefore, he laid emphasis on universal love, tolerance and mutual respect. He strove for the promotion of harmonious living of the human family, even as he freely shared with one and all, the immortal message of the spiritual culture of India.

The book, which is the source of this Presentation, chronicles Swami Vivekananda's eventful life and selected body of his inspiring lectures. Also, it provides a variety of essays and critique by eminent thinkers, besides a brief history of the times in which the Swami lived and labored for the welfare of the humanity.

1986: The First Edition of the book was released on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, during the celebration at the Vivekananda College, Mylapore, and Madras. The book was released by the then Governor of Madras, and Swami Ranganathanandaji received the first copy of the book.

In his Benediction to the book, Swami Ranganathanandaji wrote: "I have gone through the book…. It is a unique book with rich reading material, which instructs and inspires the reader. It should find a place in all our libraries of educational institutions and all our public libraries as well."

1988: The Second Edition coincided with the 125th birth-anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

1992: The Third Edition was brought out in the context of the centenary of Swami Vivekananda's "Bharat Parkrama", the 100th year of his peregrinations all over India, as a wandering monk, prior to his departure to the West, to participate in the World's Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893.

1993: The Fourth Edition was brought out in the context of the centenary of Swami Vivekananda's historic Chicago Address in 1893.

In his Benediction to this edition, Swami Ranganathanandaji wrote: "I have gone through the First Edition (Oct. '86)…. I have also received a copy of the Second Edition (Aug. '88). It is a well brought out book, and there is much appreciation from persons and reviewers. Now I am happy to know that an International Edition of this book under the new title "Vivekananda - A Comprehensive Study", with an additional part entitled "Vivekananda - A Voice from Across the Century", is being brought out in the context of Swami Vivekananda's appearance at the World's Parliament of Religions at Chicago (1893). I wish this valuable compendium on the spiritual ministry of Swami Vivekananda a wide circulation in America and in the rest of the Western world."

In this context, the Compiler-Editor of the volume had the privilege of attending the 'Global Vision 2000' Program at Washington, and the 'Parliament of Religions' at Chicago (Aug.--Sept.1993). The International edition of the book was introduced in both the programs, held in commemoration of the centenary of Swamiji's appearance at the World's Parliament of Religions at Chicago. It was well received and widely welcomed as a reference work on Swami Vivekananda.

2000: The Fifth Edition (revised and enlarged) coincided with the UN Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders (Aug. 28-31, 2000), at New York, and was released during the program in which the author participated.

From Chennai, he comes, traveling the US -- from New York to California -- as did he in India, as a wanderer, preaching the gospel of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Jyotirmayananda has, literally, no home, no possessions. "The sky, thy roof, the grass, thy bed." His is the song of the sannyasin. He has neither wealth, nor retinue, nor fame, yet dares he to say what is success?

Said Yudhistira, "Follow the path the great have trodden." Jyotirmayananda follows the monk who changed the East and West. Vivekananda, who introduced Hinduism and Yoga to America, and inspired Indians to a renewed appreciation of their spiritual heritage.

Swami Joytirmayananda's book, "Vivekananda -- His Gospel of Man-making," is now in its fifth edition. He has, through it, become well known -- though the monk would not call that "success." Vivekananda said: "That desire for fame is the most of all filth". But, Jyotirmayananda's book is becoming famous. That is success.

Born in 1945, in a Purohit family, in Kerala, after his studies, he worked at a firm in Madras, then as lay worker for the Vivekananda Kendra. In 1976, he became a monk.

Three years of itinerant life led him to conceive an idea to chronicle the life and times of Vivekananda, to offer a glimpse of his personality, and his gospel of "Man-making." But he had no practical means to start. Then, while wandering in Kerala, he met Mother Krishnabai at Anandashram. She unexpectedly offered him money. With this sum, he embarked upon a five-year task of writing his book, sustaining himself on 100 rupees ($2.00) a month.

When finished, he went to a printing press in Madras, asking them to print his 2000-page manuscript. They said to the unknown monk, "Where's the money?" Crestfallen, he veered, made a flier about his book, then spent another year soliciting 800 pre-publication orders.

His first edition was published in 1986. The Governor of Madras released it; the first copy was accepted by Swami Ranganathananda of the Ramakrishna Order. He offered a copy to the Mother, who blessed it. The book sold out.

Later, when he offered her all the proceeds, Krishnabai would not accept, since it came, she said, from his dedication. He used the money for a second edition. When that too sold out, he returned with a greater sum. But Mother Krishnabai was no more. Jyotirmayananda donated every rupee to her ashram for the feeding of the poor. He was "joyously" among the poor.

His 986-page book has been reviewed by leading writers and scholars. Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee has it in his library. It graces some 500 university libraries in 50 US States, and 5,000 libraries in India.

He attended the UN World Peace Summit (2000) as one of 100 spiritual leaders of India, has given scholarly and critical audiences, and the youth of the West. Swami Ranganathananda, president of the Ramakrishna Order, wrote his book should be "in every library". Renowned journalist M. V. Kamath wrote: "There has never has been a book like this before, and it is unlikely that there will be another like this again". Around the world, monks have praised it.

But "success" came mainly of struggle. The vicissitudes of fortune caused him pain, as well as pleasure: the printer who failed deadlines, a Christian copy editor who deleted Vivekananda's criticism of missionaries, a theft, rain damage, transporting books to US at tremendous cost, and struggling to dispose them as a stranger in a strange land. Twenty-two years on one project, never accumulating, donating the proceeds again and again. Miraculously, it seemed, successive editions were brought out.

His journey is measured almost by his beard grown long and white with time. In his ochre robe, he looks like a patriarch out of Levant. The fifth edition has old out; he donated all to the poor. Now, the poverello again awaits the will of God.

Dedicating his life to Vivekananda, in poverty and in chastity -- he calls this success. "To succeed," said Vivekananda, "you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will, 'I will drink the ocean,persevering soul, 'at my will mountain will crumble,' have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard and you will reach the goal."

By this definition, the mendicant, Jyotirmayananda has succeeded -- in these cynical times -- tremendously well.