This preface introduces the first Indian edition of "What Religion Is - In the Words of Swami Vivekananda," originally published in London in 1963 to commemorate Vivekananda’s birth centenary.

The book was compiled by John Yale (Swami Vidyatmananda), who condensed nearly 4,200 pages from the eight volumes of Vivekananda’s Complete Works into a concise volume of under 100,000 words. The goal was to present Vivekananda’s vast thoughts on religion in a systematic, accessible, and authentic way for the modern mind.

Due to its success in the West, this moderately priced Indian edition was released by Advaita Ashrama in 1972, ensuring that these "refreshing" and "abiding" spiritual insights remain available to readers worldwide.