Swami Tyagananda

Swami Tyagananda YouTube Interview & Discussion

Swami Tyagananda Audio Interview & Discussion

Swami Tyagananda joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1976 after graduating from the University of Mumbai in India. He received spiritual instruction from Swami Vireswarananda, a disciple of Sri Sarada Devi (known as Holy Mother), and his monastic vows from Swami Gambhirananda. After serving at the Mumbai monastery (1976–80), he served at Belur Math (1980–82), New Delhi (1982–83), and Chennai (1983–1997) before being sent to Boston in 1998. After Swami Sarvagatananda’s retirement in 2002, Tyagananda was appointed head of the Boston Vedanta Society. Since 1999 he has also been the Hindu chaplain at Harvard and MIT. Tyagananda was editor of the English journal Vedanta Kesari for 11 years, and has written, translated, or edited fourteen books. They include Walking the Walk: A Karma Yoga Manual, Knowing the Knower: A Jñāna Yoga Manual, and his latest, Looking Deeply: Vivekacūḍāmaṇi of Śrī Śaṅkarācārya. He has presented at numerous academic conferences and gives lectures and classes at the Vedanta Society as well as at MIT, Harvard and, on invitation, other colleges and religious groups. We spoke about his own spiritual path, the influence of Shankara (Adi Shankaracharya), and the substance of his new translation and commentary on the text that’s described as “a favorite of Vedānta students for its clarity and precision.” Learn more about Swami Tyagananda and the Vedanta Society here.