The Poetry of Swami Vivekananda: “You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.”

Swami Vivekananda, born Narendranath Dutta was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to Europe and America. His inspiring speech at the Parliament of the World Religions at Chicago in 1893 that began so eloquently with the worlds ‘sisters and brothers of America’ is credited with helping to raise interfaith awareness, and to bring Hinduism to the status of a world religion. An eloquent speaker, Vivekananda was invited to several forums in the United States and spoke at many universities and other gathering places. He conducted several public and private lectures, disseminating Vedanta, Yoga and Hinduism in America, England and other European countries. He returned to India in 1897 to found the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, a philanthropic and spiritual organization. His teachings influenced the thinking of both Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. He was to die in 1902 at the age of only 39. His legacy was immense and includes many of the poems we publish here.