Swami Akhandananda Saraswati Maharaj, also known as Maharajshri, spent his entire life teaching Vedanta through his discourses and writings on the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Brahma Sootras, the Shrimad Bhagavatam, as well as the classical texts of Bhagavan Shri Shankaracharya. His scholarship and command over these texts is rarely found in a teacher. Furthermore, he was able to convey nuances of the most complex concept in a listener-friendly manner. Most of Swamiji's teachings were written in Hindi. In order to make his teachings accessible to a larger audience, this author has made an attempt to translate the Vedanta Bodha, a textbook containing the essence of Swamiji's teachings, into English. Annotations have also been added for clarity. About The Author GK Marballi works in the technology industry and is presently based in New York City. He received his bachelors degree in commerce from the University of Mumbai, and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

The life and message of Swami Vivekananda are a source of great inspiration to many in their individual as well as collective life. The present short biography published by Advaita Ashrama, a Publication House of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, is intended to meet the needs of those who have neither the time nor the opportunity to read bigger works about the Swami. A versatile genius as the great Swami was, and many-sided as were his activities, it is idle to hope that a complete picture of his wonderful life could be given in such a small compass. Here an attempt is made to give only a glimpse of this great personality so that people may become interested to know more about him.

Here in these pages is given a vivid and realistic pen-picture of a unique personality—unique because she was nun, wife and mother at the same time. The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, the divine consort of Sri Ramakrishna, is here presented, in all her rustic simplicity, which breaks the barriers of commonality by its artless naturalness inspired by a universal love which made no distinction between friend and foe, the small and the great, the ignorant and the wise, but enfolded every living being in the charming fragrance of motherliness that her personality exuded. Swami Saradeshananda, the recorder of these precious reminiscences, is a disciple of the Mother, who had opportunities to serve her very intimately and thus hear those conversations and witness those small events that took place in the village of Jayarambati. He has therefore drawn a pen-picture of the Mother with a wealth of details, thus giving a realistic presentation of the concept of Universal Motherhood in human terms.

Comprises author's travel account, 1922, with discussions on the life of Jesus Christ in India and his links with Buddhists.