About Our Gurus
Parama Guru - Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Swami Dayananda Saraswati is a monk of the Hindu monastic order, a renowned traditional teacher of Advaita Vedānta, and founder of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.
As a foremost student of Swami Chinmayananda, Swami Dayananda studied with a number of teachers, including Swami Tapovanam Maharaj, Swami Pranavananda and other well-known Sanskrit scholars, including Professor Veeraraghavachariar at Chamrajpet’s Sanskrit College.
Pujya Swamiji, as he is known by his students, became a Hindu Monk in 1962. Several years later he traveled to Rishikesh where he undertook a study-pilgrimage and stayed in a grass hut in Purani Jhadi. He spent three years there, studying Brahmā Sūtras under Swami Tarananda Giri at Kailash Ashram.
In 1971, Swami Dayananda agreed to conduct a long-term study program at Chinmaya Mission’s Sandeepany Sadhanalaya and formulated a curriculum that would systematically unfold the vision of Vedānta. Between 1972 and 1979, Swami Dayananda conducted two three-year residential Vedānta courses in Mumbai. In his words “At Sandeepany the teaching is traditional and rigorous. What would take a Sadhu in the Himalayas nine years to learn, the students at Sandeepany learned in two-and-a half years”.
In 1979, Swami Dayananda established a three-year study program at Sandeepany West, in Piercy, California. In 1982, he returned to India and continued to spread the message of the Upaniṣads through public talks and lectures.
Swami Dayananda further established Arsha Vidya Gurukulam at Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania in 1986 and at Coimbatore in 1990, wherein three-year residential courses are conducted. In addition, Retreats and Camps are offered here throughout the year, for individuals and families.
Swami Dayananda along with his students taught nine three-year programs and over two-hundred of his Sannyasi-disciples are teaching Vedānta and Sanskrit around the world.
As a teacher of Vedānta, Swami Dayananda has established three traditional teaching centers and many more across the globe through his students, with a primary focus on teaching Vedānta, Sanskrit and related disciplines.
The Veda says that you are the whole and that you are already free and
you have to know that. Your being away from the whole is by wrong
thinking.
Swamini Pramananda
Swamini Pramananda (affectionately known as Ammaji) is the Spiritual Leader and Visionary behind the organization, Purna Vidya, based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. For the past 40 years, she has been sharing the vision of Oneness and Harmony with seekers around the world.
Swamini Pramananda is a Vedānta teacher as well as Sanskrit scholar. Her scholarship is grounded in these timeless teachings as well as her direct experience of the truth they reveal. As a result, she has become one of the clearest and most eloquent teachers of the Vedic vision of Oneness and Happiness. She taught residential courses in Vedānta and Sanskrit in her guru, Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s gurukulams for over a decade.
Ammaji shares her love with one and all, by tirelessly serving those in need, whether it be in the field of education, health, women empowerment or environment. Her work in Uttarkashi, Himalayas and Vadivelampalayam, Coimbatore where her two ashrams are located, is laudable and reflects her loving and giving nature!
As an outgrowth of her spiritual understanding, Ammaji designed a curriculum of study for the spiritual heritage of India called "Purna Vidya". These 23-books series, have been translated into a number of languages and adopted by many educational institutions as well as communities and temples worldwide as the standard set of books for in-depth learning of Vedic Heritage.
Ammaji is an outspoken and recognized leader in the worldwide global peace movement. She has also presented the Hindu/Spiritual perspective of Oneness through Vedantic teachings in New York (USA), Birmingham/London (UK), Barcelona (Spain), Munich (Germany), Toronto (Canada), Abu Dhabi (U.A.E), Dubai (U.A.E), Singapore and Malaysia. She was a delegate speaker at the 2009 Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark , in the spiritual delegation led by GPIW as well as in the 2014 and 2018 World Hindu Congress held in Delhi and Chicago respectively. One of Ammaji’s unique contribution on Environment is her work in the Himalayas on the sacred culture of Goddess Ganga, through her teachings and education for Adivasis of Anaikatti Hills, Coimbatore.
Like the finger directing your eyes to the moon, the teacher and the
teaching help you see what you've been looking for. Come. Find
yourself here.
Swami Siddhabodhananda
Swami Siddhabodhananda has a rich 40 years history as a teacher of Vedānta and Sanskrit. As a student of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Swamiji began teaching Sanskrit while studying Vedānta in Northern California during a three-years Gurukulam-style course conducted by Pujya Swamiji from 1979 to 1982. Swamiji attended this course and soon after began to teach at Pujya Swamiji’s gurukulams as well as serving him in administrative capacities.
In 1974, prior to pursuing his spiritual studies, Swamiji received his MS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, USA and worked for National Semiconductor in Silicon Valley, USA for 10 years.
From 1986 to 1990, Swamiji taught Sanskrit at Pujya Swamiji’s Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, Pa., USA, before Pujya Swamiji appointed him Acharya in charge at the new Swami Dayananda Ashram in Anaikatti, Tamilnadu. While at Anaikatti, Swamiji taught Sanskrit to the students in 3 - 3.5 years Vedānta courses, as well as Vedānta when Pujya Swamiji was unavailable.
In addition to unfolding the vision of Vedānta through the Bhagavad Gītā and Upaniṣads with Sankara Bhāṣyam for the long term Vedānta course students in Anaikatti, Swamiji conducted several three and six months, residential courses for those unable to attend the longer course. Throughout his time at Anaikatti, he also taught a number of short Vedānta texts such as Ātma-bodha, Tattva-bodha and Vivekacūḍāmaṇi.
Swamiji’s scholarship and mastery of Paniniyan Sanskrit Grammar allowed him to create the pedagogy and structural tools for the 3.5 years residential Vedānta courses in Arsha Vidya. Inspired by Swamiji’s clarity and mastery of Vedānta and Sanskrit, many of his students have dedicated their lives to sharing this sacred knowledge. They continue the guru-sisya lineage in teaching Sankara-bhasyam, the scholastic commentary of Ādi Śaṅkara on the Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā and Brahma Sūtras.
In addition, Swamiji spearheaded the AIM for Seva movement in its early stages for 7 years at Anaikatti, creating the frameworks for programs on Women’s Empowerment, Balavadi, Hostels for children and a charity hospital for the Adivasis of Anaikatti Hills.
In 2006, Swamiji chose to live a life of Ekantam (solitude) and continues to inspire Purna Vidya Foundation’s activities as the silent spiritual head of the Trust.
You want to change others so that you can be free. But it never works
that way. Accept others and you are free.
Sri Dhira Chaitanya
Sri Dhira Chaitanya is a disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a world-renowned scholar and a teacher of Vedānta. Sri Dhira Chaitanya has undergone intensive study of Vedānta and Sanskrit with Pujya Swamiji.
As Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy, Sri Dhira Chaitanya practiced for many years as a Child Psychiatrist in New York. With his professional background, combined with his assimilation of Vedānta Śāstra and Vedic Culture, he is able to address the role of psychological growth and maturity in spiritual pursuit with insight and authority. He has the capacity to communicate the teaching in a simple and gentle way to students of all ages and stages in life and to educate all in the knowledge of one’s own development as an individual; both topically and essentially.
Sri Dhira Chaitanya co-authored Purna Vidya, a Vedic Heritage Teaching Programme with Swamini Pramananda.
He currently teaches Vedānta as well as conducts retreats and seminars on Spirituality, Psychology and Meditation in USA, India and other countries.
A person who consumes the least and contributes most is a mature
person, for in giving lies self-growth.
Sri Arulji
Sri Arulji, a resident Acharya of Purna Vidya is known for imparting the spiritual wisdom in the regional language, Tamil . His expertise in Tamil scriptures like Thirumandiram, Thiruvasagam, Thevaram and Thirumuraigal draws students to delve deeper and understand their timeless relevance. Arulji conducts residential programs like Vedanta retreats and short-term courses. He also trains teachers and parents on culture-based value education, as part of Purna Vidya's signature program - Vedic Heritage Teaching Program. Additionally, he guides the student community through the many and varied outreach programs of Purna Vidya.
