Main features of the present new revised edition:
The letters are presented here in their original form, meticulously compared word-by-word directly with the originals or the sources stated in the footnotes.
The letters are arranged chronologically, helping readers trace Swamiji’s movements, activities, and the evolution of his ideas over the time. This arrangement also provides insights into the early history of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Movement.
Comprehensive footnotes, charts, and appendices have been included to provide the historical contexts of the letters. There are also photographs relevant to the contents of the letters.
Swamiji’s original spellings are retained. Names previously undisclosed or partly disclosed have been restored wherever possible. Errors in the names of addressees have been corrected.
This edition comprises 815 letters in all, included in four volumes:
Volume I – Letters from 1888 to 1894
Volume II – Letters from 1895 to 1896
Volume III – Letters from 1897 to 1899
Volume IV – Letters from 1900 to 1902