Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga

276 Pages·1982·1.09 MB·English

by  Swami Vivekananda

KARMA-YOGA
AND
BHAKTI-YOGA
RAMAKRISHNA-VIVEKANANDA CENTER OF NEW YORK
17 East 94th Street, New York, N.Y. 10128
PUBLICATIONS
By Swami Nikhilananda
HINDUISM: Its Meaning for the Liberation of the Spirit HOLY MOTHER:
Being the Life of Sri Sarada Devi, Wife of Sri Ramakrishna and Helpmate in His
Mission MAN IN SEARCH OF IMMORTALITY: Testimonials from the Hindu
Scriptures VIVEKANANDA: A BIOGRAPHY
Translated by Swami Nikhilananda
THE BHAGAVAD GITA
THE BHAGAVAD GITA (Pocket Edition) THE GOSPEL OF SRI
RAMAKRISHNA
THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA (Abridged Edition) SELF-
KNOWLEDGE (Atmabodha) THE UPANISHADS Volumes I, II, III,
and IV
By Swami Vivekananda
INSPIRED TALKS, My Master and Other Writings JNANA-YOGA
KARMA-YOGA AND BHAKTI-YOGA
RAJA-YOGA
VIVEKANANDA: THE YOGAS AND OTHER WORKS
(Chosen and with a Biography by Swami Nikhilananda)
VIVEKANANDA AT THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS
KARMA-YOGA
AND
BHAKTI-YOGA
by
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
REVISED EDITION
RAMAKRISHNA-VIVEKANANDA CENTER
NEW YORK
KARMA-YOGA AND BHAKTI-YOGA Copyright © 1955 by Swami Nikhilananda Trustee of the Estate
of Swami Vivekananda Printed in the United States of America All rights in this book are reserved.
No part of the book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
For information address Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 17 East 94th Street, New York,
N.Y. 10028.
FIRST EDITION
(Four Printings)
SECOND EDITION
(Four Printings)
PAPERBACK EDITION 1982
(Three Printings)
ISBN 0-911206-22-1
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 55-8657
PREFACE
The present revised edition of Karma-Yoga and Bhakti-Yoga has been taken
from Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works, published in 1953 by the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York. The following lines quoted
from my preface to the latter will explain the reasons for the editing of the book:
“Swami Vivekananda’s public life covered a period of ten years—from 1893,
when he appeared at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago, to 1902, when
he gave up his mortal body. These were years of great physical and mental strain
as a result of extensive travels, adaptation to new environments, opposition from
detractors both in his native land and abroad, incessant public lectures and
private instruction, a heavy correspondence, and the organizing of the
Ramakrishna Order in India. Hard work and ascetic practices undermined his
health. The Swami thus had no time to revise his books, which either were
dictated by him or consisted of lectures delivered without notes and taken down
in shorthand or longhand…. I have therefore felt the need of editing the present
collection, making changes wherever they were absolutely necessary, but being
always mindful to keep intact the Swami’s basic thought.”
Ninety pages of new material from the lectures of Swami Vivekananda have
been added to the present volume in order to give the reader access to more of
the Swami’s teachings and also to make the present volume uniform with the
other three books of the series.
NIKHILANANDA
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center New York
February 21, 1955
CONTENTS
Preface
Note on Pronunciation
KARMA-YOGA
Karma and Its Effect on Character
Each Is Great in His Own Place
The Secret of Work
What Is Duty?
We Help Ourselves, Not the World
Non-attachment Is Complete Self-abnegation
Freedom
The Ideal of Karma-Yoga
BHAKTI-YOGA
Definition of Bhakti
The Philosophy of Iśvara
Spiritual Realization: the Aim of Bhakti-Yoga
The Need of a Guru
Qualifications of the Aspirant and the Teacher
Incarnations
The Mantra: Om
Worship of Substitutes and Images
The Chosen Ideal
How to Cultivate Bhakti
The Preparatory Renunciation
The Bhakta’s Renunciation Results from Love
The Naturalness of Bhakti and Its Central Secret
Forms of Love-manifestation
Universal Love
The Oneness of the Higher Knowledge and the Higher Love
The Triangle of Love
The God of Love Is His Own Proof
Human Representations of Divine Love
Conclusion
MISCELLANEOUS LECTURES
What Is Religion?
Buddha’s Message to the World
The Great Teachers of the World
The Rāmāyana
The Mahābhārata
Glossary
Index
NOTE ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF SANSKRIT AND
VERNACULAR WORDS
a has the sound of o in come.
ā ” ” ” ” a in far.
e ” ” ” ” e in bed.
i ” ” ” ” ee in feel.
o ” ” ” ” o in note.
u ” ” ” ” u in full.

ai, ay ” ” ” ” oy in boy.
au ” ” ” ” o pronounced deep in the throat.
ch ” ” ” ” ch in church.
” ” ” ” hard d (in English).
g ” ” ” ” g in god.
jn ” ” ” ” hard gy (in English).
ś ” ” ” ” sh in shut.
th ” ” ” ” t-h in boat-house.
sh may be pronounced as in English, t and d are soft as in French.
Other consonants appearing in the transliterations may be pronounced as in
English.
Diacritical marks have generally not been used in proper names belonging to
recent times or in modern and well-known geographical names.