Swami Sivananda's compendium of devotional and philosophical essays drawn from his decades at the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh. Eighty-six alphabetically arranged essays — from Ahimsa to Zoroastrianism — cover yoga, Vedanta, the four paths (Karma, Bhakti, Raja, Jnana), spiritual diet, brahmacharya, and self-analysis in characteristic mid-20th-century Vedantic style.
An ethical framework integrating Hindu, Christian and Buddhist source material makes this one of the most comprehensive single-volume presentations of Sivananda's teaching. The essays integrate Vedantic philosophy with practical guidance on conduct, making the book the principal reference text within the Divine Life Society lineage and its global offshoots, including the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres founded by his student Vishnudevananda.
Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.
p. 170 · Chapter 29, "Health"
First lines
Bliss is the essential nature of man. The central fact of man's being is his inherent divinity. Man's essential nature is divine, the awareness of which he has lost because of his animal propensities and the veil of ignorance. Man, in his ignorance, identifies himself with the body, mind, Prana and the senses. Transcending these, he becomes one with Brahman or the Absolute who is pure bliss.
Contents
Ahimsa', 'Anger', 'Avatara', 'Bhagavata Purana', 'Bhakti', 'Brahmacharya', 'Brahman
Buddhism', 'Charity', 'Christianity', 'Civilisation', 'Concentration', 'Confucianism
Conscience', 'Creation', 'Death', 'Devi', 'Disciple', 'Dream', 'Education', 'Ethics
Fear', 'Freedom', 'Ganga', 'Gita', 'God', 'Guru', 'Happiness', 'Health', 'Hinduism
Idolatry', 'India', 'Islam', 'Jainism', 'Japa', 'Jesus', 'Jivanmukta', 'Judaism
Karma', 'Krishna', 'Kundalini', 'Life', 'Love', 'Mahabharata', 'Man', 'Marriage
Maya', 'Meditation', 'Mind', 'Music', 'Om', 'Patanjala Yoga', 'Peace', 'Pranayama
Prayer', 'Purity', 'Ramayana', 'Reincarnation', 'Religion', 'Sadhana', 'Saints
Samadhi', 'Sannyasa', 'Satsanga', 'Science', 'Service', 'Sex', 'Shat-Sampat
Shintoism', 'Silence', 'Sin', 'Svadhyaya', 'Tantra', 'Taoism', 'Thought', 'Time
Truth', 'Upanishads', 'Vairagya', 'Vedanta', 'Vedas', 'Vegetarianism', 'Woman
Yoga', 'Yogasanas', 'Zoroastrianism
Reception
Standard reading inside the Divine Life Society lineage and its many Western branches (the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres founded by his student Vishnudevananda are among the largest yoga organisations globally). Sivananda's prolific output — over 200 books — diluted his individual-title impact compared to teachers with smaller bibliographies; this title is one of the few that consolidates his teaching in a single volume. Outside his lineage academic Indology has been mostly indifferent; inside it the book is an ongoing reference. The Vishnudevananda institutional history adds context that the book itself, written in a more devotional register, sits clear of.
Frequently asked
What is Bliss Divine about?
It is Swami Sivananda's compendium of 86 alphabetically arranged essays — from Ahimsa to Zoroastrianism — covering yoga, Vedanta, the four paths (Karma, Bhakti, Raja, Jnana), and ethical living. The essays draw on Hindu, Christian and Buddhist sources to present a comprehensive overview of his Vedantic teaching.
Who is Swami Sivananda?
Swami Sivananda (1887–1963) was an Indian yoga master, Vedanta philosopher, and physician who founded the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh in 1936. He wrote over 200 books. His student Swami Vishnudevananda went on to establish the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres globally.
Is Bliss Divine still in print?
Yes. The Divine Life Society in Rishikesh continues to publish and distribute it. A digitised edition is also held at the Internet Archive (archive.org).