Master as I Saw Him

The Master as I Saw Him: Being pages of the life of the Swami Vivekananda is a 1910 book written by Sister Nivedita. The book covers Nivedita’s experiences with Swami Vivekananda, whom she met in London during November 1895. The book was simultaneously published from England and India, and The Master as I Saw Him is now considered to be a classic text.

In his book Indian Traffic, Parama Roy noted that the book differed from other biographies of Vivekananda in that it “[touched] upon the agonistic, conflictual nature of the guru-disciple relationship” and showed “reticence about his corporeality”.

Reader Review
This is such a precious and important book. I just finished reading it for the second time, and I’m sure I will read it again. It is an incredibly humble but intelligent description of Swami Vivekanada’s life through the eyes of a close disciple.

I found myself almost wishing Sister Nivedita had not been so humble in her writing, as I wanted to know more about her own struggles and victories, but of course that very humility is one of her greatest strengths, and she has achieved exactly what the title promises: Swami Vivekananda as she saw him.

It has enough Western interpretation to make it relatable to a Western reader, but without losing the intensity or freshness of this remarkable life – a life instrumental in bringing Indian spiritual traditions to the West. It gives fascinating insights, not only into what it was like to be with Swami Vivekananda in person, but also insights into his teachings. It is moving and often breath-taking, without at any point being sentimental. – Sumangali Morhall