I am the servant of the servants of the servants of Buddha . Who was there ever like him? — the Lord — who never performed one action for himself — with a heart that embraced the whole world! So full of pity that he — prince and monk — would give his life to save a little goat! So loving tha
Sumitra Nandan Pant (1900-1976) ‘Bal Prashna’ (A child’s question). It was composed with the backdrop of Swamiji’s trip to Almora in 1897. This forms a part of the book ‘Veena.’ Here is a translation of the poem:
(He composed this ditty, sung to the tune of "Bye, Bye, Blackbird".)
[Sister Nivedita's notes of a New York Bhagavad-Gitâ class, recorded in a June 16, 1900 letter to Miss Josephine MacLeod]
[Frank Rhodehamel's notes of the Bhagavad-Gitâ lecture delivered Tuesday, May 29, 1900, in San Francisco, California]
[Frank Rhodehamel's notes of a Bhagavad-Gitâ lecture delivered Saturday, May 26, 1900, in San Francisco, California]
[Frank Rhodehamel's notes of a Bhagavad-Gitâ class delivered Thursday, May 24, 1900, in San Francisco, California]
[Frank Rhodehamel's notes of a class delivered in San Francisco, California, on Monday, March 26, 1900]
[Excerpts of Ida Ansell's first transcript of Swami Vivekananda's San Francisco lecture delivered Sunday, March 25, 1900]
[Frank Rhodehamel's notes of a lecture delivered in San Francisco, California, on March 11, 1900]
(Delivered on Sunday, February 25, 1900 in the Parliament of Religions at the Unitarian Church of Oakland, CA)
( Notes of a lecture delivered in London, on November 23, 1895 )
( Notes of a lecture delivered in London on November 16, 1895 )
(July 27, 1895, Oakland Island Beach Christian Unity at Fire Island, NY )
( Delivered at Opera House, Campus Martius, Detroit on March 11, 1894 and as reported in the Detroit Free Press)
“Found poetry” are poems which are “extracted” from or found in prose or utterances, not written by the author as poetry, which can nevertheless be read as poetry. My selections here, of course, are purely subjective and perhaps a little presumptuous. Yet Vi
Perchance a prophet thou- Who knows? Who dares touch The depths where Mother hides Her silent failless bolts!
Note regarding the Swami's death, July 4, 1902 and his 1898 poem 'To the Fourth of July'
The Swami in Srinagar planned to write an introductory letter for the forthcoming first number, under the new editorship of Swami Swarupananda, of the Prabuddha Bharata. One afternoon he brought to Sister Nivedita, Josephine MacLoed and Mrs Ole Bull as they sat together, a paper on whic
Hold yet a while, Strong Heart, Not part a lifelong yoke Though blighted looks the present, future gloom.
What though thy bed be frozen earth, Thy cloak the chilling blast; What though no mate to clear thy path, Thy sky with gloom o'ercast --
Where darkness is interpreted as light, Where misery passes for happiness, Where disease is pretended to be health, Where the new-born's cry but shows 'tis alive; Dost thou, O wise, expect happiness here?
If things go ill or well — If joy rebounding spreads the face, Or sea of sorrow swells — A play — we each have part, Each one to weep or laugh as may; Each one his dress to don — Its scenes, alternative shine and rain.
The wounded snake its hood unfurls, The flame stirred up doth blaze, The desert air resounds the calls Of heart-struck lion's rage.
And evermore protect us—Oh Thou Terrible!— From ignorance, by Thy sweet compassionate Face.
He who is in you and outside you, Who works through all hands, Who walks on all feet, Whose body are all ye, Him worship, and break all other idols!
Lo! The sun is not, nor the comely moon, All light extinct; in the great void of space Floats shadow-like the image-universe.
Existence was not then, nor non-existence, The world was not, the sky beyond was neither. What covered the mist? Of whom was that? What was in the depths of darkness thick?
