Vivekananda as universalist

Historian Ruth Harris' book presents Vivekananda as a multidimensional person and succeeds in its attempt to restore an "understanding of the monk's complexity"

Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda

Author: Ruth Harris

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Pages: 539

Price: Rs 799

The path to knowledge often originates from a state of ignorance. The primary title of this book — Guru to the World — sounded unambiguously Vishwaguru-ish, a word dropped ad nauseam  in recent years to create the illusion of imminent and unparalleled enhancement of India’s global influence. Consequently, when this reviewer first learnt of this book, it got automatically framed within the context of Vivekananda being appropriated by the Hindu right wing. It naturally was seen as yet another effort of