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What is Brahmavidya

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Brahman represents the Ultimate Truth. Vidyā means knowledge. Brahmavidyā means “Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth”.

Brahman represents the Ultimate Truth. Vidyā means knowledge. Brahmavidyā means “Knowledge of the Ultimate Truth”.

The Seekers of Ultimate Truth in India discovered that the Ultimate Truth – the One Consciousness on which the whole universal display appears to be – is no different from our own True Identity – the Self. So, Brahmavidyā is equally the knowledge of our true Identity.

Brahmavidyā, as exposed in the Vedantic Scriptures (Upanishads), guides a seeker to discover this Truth first hand, within himself. The goal is to realize that the Self (the real “I”) is the same as the Brahman (the Source or Substratum of the Universe).

As this realization is about our own identity, it results into a complete transformation of our inner personality. The practice of Brahmavidyā expands our vision, sublimates our mind, and clarifies our intelligence, leading to freedom and fulfillment.

The pursuit of Brahmavidyā has two aspects: (1) Non-interactional pursuit consisting of introspection, contemplation and meditation on our real Identity or Self as exposed in the Upanishads; and (2) Interactional pursuit to cultivate the Soul dimensions – qualities like vairāgya (impersonality), samatva (even-mindedness), asangatvā (non-clinging), non-possession, unaffectedness etc. – during interactions with the world.

Our Guru Paramparā

In our lineage, the spiritual current imparted and imbibed during initiation is verily responsible for experiential manifestation of the inner power and brilliance in the disciple’s life.

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perspectives on brahmavidya

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Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

004 – by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha – Contribution of Spirituality in Resolving Problems of our Society

This is the 4th video in the playlist containing the 'Words of Wisdom' series of short videos in english by our Spiritual Masters.

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The Real Meaning of Moksha

Moksha is a clarity, a freedom that you need from whatever troubles you have now. If there is no trouble, you don’t need moksha.

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Equanimity - The Key to Yoga

For the worldly-minded, siddhi and asiddhi relate to worldly efforts. For the seeker, these relate to his sadhana. Equanimity applies to both alike. So, be indifferent or harmonious, and carry on.

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Bondage and Liberation

Many of you get confused about what in us gets liberated. My reply is, whichever part in you now feels bound, will start feeling the absence of bondage.

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BRAHMAVIDYA AUDIOS

  • Brahmavidya is the Foundation of all Knowledge

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Find Joy by Knowing Your True Inner Nature

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • The Purpose Of Life Is To Gain True Knowledge

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Self Knowledge

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Advaita Understanding Gives Non-Affectation and Contentment

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Q&A - Who am I

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

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Rapid growth of our materialistic civilization has led to phenomenal increase in stress, competition, distraction, greed and fear in the minds of all people. We constantly cling to what we like, and fear facing what we dislike. We are anxious about acquiring what we don’t have, and losing what we do. Our minds have become weak – in fact, slave to the objects and external situations.



The infinite variety of the world always creates an outward pull – a centrifugal force which pulls us away from our inmost identity. Understand that this centrifugal force is not generated by objects, but by our own mind’s attraction and repulsion towards them.

Our focus must be to interact with world’s variety while remaining anchored to our core identity, balancing the centrifugal force by generating enough of centripetal force. Spiritual knowledge and practice are meant to generate this centripetal force to keep us Self-seated.

Being anchored to our Real Identity, we will be able to live with poise, strength and stability even amidst intense oscillation of the world’s external situations.

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How to remain anchored in our inmost identity?

  • LOOK Within. Shift the focus from external events and situations, to the mind’s response to them. FOLLOW that which makes you feel inner expansion, lightness, and strength. AVOID that which makes you feel shrunk, heavy and weak within. Remember, our growth is in inner expansion. A good life is a pilgrimage from selfishness to Universal-ness.

  • UNDERSTAND that Difficulties are verily opportunities for further growth. They are the gateways to elevation and expansion.

  • LOVE Good Qualities. The easiest way to imbibe any quality is to love that quality. When we really love a quality, we will be happy seeing it in our enemy also.

  • NEVER dwell in the past (either lamenting/repenting or boasting), or loiter in the imaginary future. Analyze the past impersonally, and plan the future wisely. But, accept the present readily, and go ahead with courage and unaffectedness.
    BE ATTENTIVE to the present. Plan very well learning from past experiences, and considering all future possibilities and consequences. But, do not indulge in the expectation of gain and happiness that may (or may not) come at the end. -

  • ANY CORRECTION becomes most effective when applied to the causal level. To correct a wrong behaviour, look for the thoughts giving rise to such behaviour. To transform the thoughts look into the mindset (bhāva) that is giving rise to such thoughts. A good liberal mindset will generate good liberal thoughts; which in turn will be expressed through good liberal actions/behaviour.

  • MINDSET (BHĀVA) in spiritual sādhanā is transformed by repeated contemplation on the one, universal, changeless Reality, which is our own real Identity, free of any taint or affectation.

  • REMEMBER – Love, owning everybody, is the greatest power in the world. Never find fault with others. Blaming thoughts about anybody pollutes our own mind.

  • WATCH the mind always. Indulging constantly in worldly thoughts of likes and dislikes makes us slave to the world. By thinking more and more about our own unaffected core identity, we become master of the world.

Disciplined senses following the mind, mind guided by intelligence, and intelligence always looking for guidance from the inmost Reality, will lead us to the ultimate auspicious goal.

“Whether you seek material peace, intellectual wisdom, personal steadiness or religious salvation, know that the source of any and all lies just within you. Look to the within, turn inward and unearth your own hidden treasures. Be humble but bold and keen in your attempt.”









“As this realization is about our own identity, it results into a complete transformation of our inner personality. The practice of Brahmavidyā expands our vision, sublimates our mind, and clarifies our intelligence, leading to freedom and fulfillment.”

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Essential Guide For Sādhanā and Practice

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Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha

005 – by Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha – Insufficiency and delusion

This is the 5th video in the playlist containing the 'Words of Wisdom' series of short videos in english by our Spiritual Masters.

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Introspection and emotional refinement

Whatever you do, wherever you are, you can pursue constant introspectional sadhana of refinement and purification. In fact it should be so.

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Moderation-A Great Lesson

Suppose you have a little depression or disinterestedness today – what of that? Let it remain. Be at home even with that. Know that as it has come in so also will it pass off. If you keep this elevated attitude, soon you will find that the depressive moods will become less frequent.

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Sādhana in Gurusannidhi

Through the Teacher’s responses to various situations, we get a touch of his vision – his love and his dispassion. In receiving his comments and accepting the corrections, our ego gets sublimated. In working with the co-disciples and accommodating others lovingly as the Guru does, our minds expand.

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Sādhanā and Practices Audios

  • Q&A - Daily Spiritual Practices

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Self-Realization and the Process to achieve it

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Brahmavidya Deeksha and Meditation

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • The Importance of Brahmavidya Deeksha

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • The Path of Knowledge-austerity

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

  • Q&A - What is needed to start meditation?

    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

“The paths leading man to God or truth are said to be many. I will speak only of the shortest. It is to recognise God as the self in you and then to find him out. What is the distance then between you and God, between you and yourself? Ah, there is no distance at all, a full zero! Yet, how dare you say to find God and Truth is hard?”

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    Vivekachudamani

    Vivekachudamani (The crest jewel of Discrimination) is the last creation of Adi Shankaracharya. It is presented in the form of a conversation between the teacher and the student. This series of talks is based on the morning classes conducted by Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha.

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    Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

    01 – Vivekachudamani – Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha – Viveka and Vairagya: Imperative for Fulfillment

    This is the 1st video in the playlist containing 5 videos in the discourse series delivered by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha on Vivekachudamani. In this video, Swamiji discusses the paramount importance of Viveka or Discrimination in the journey of a spiritual aspirant.

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    Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

    As the name suggests, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is a voluminous text. It is a treatise on Self knowledge and it covers all aspects of human life. In this discourse, Swamiji takes up a very significant portion of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad--the conversation between Sage Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi.

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    Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha

    01 – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – Yajnavalkya-Maitreyi dialogue – By Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha

    This is the 1st video in the playlist containing 7 videos in the discourse series delivered by Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha ji on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Chanting the Shanti Mantra of the Upanishad, Swamiji discusses in detail why this chanting is taken up before the study of the Upanishads.

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    Upadesha Panchakam

    Ma introduces the text Upadesha Panchakam by Adi Shankaracharya, giving a brief background of how this text was composed. Shankaracharya's disciples seeking to resolve their dilemma regarding the right path of liberation, humbly requested Adi Shankaracharya to guide them and show them the path. Adi Shankaracharya composed Upadesha Panchakam consisting of 5 Verses where he blends Jnana, Bhakti and Sadhana.

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    Ma Gurupriya

    01 – Upadesha Panchakam – Swamini Ma Gurupriya – Essence of Spiritual Sadhana

    This is the 1st video in the playlist containing 4 videos in the discourse series delivered by Swamini Ma Gurupriya on Upadesha Panchakam. Explaining the 1st Verse of the text, Ma exhorts all seekers to have a very disciplined life and be very sincere and committed to one’s spiritual pursuit.

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      Articles(1)

      Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

      Collective Sādhanā – Its Spiritual Dimension

      While interactional sadhana strengthens, deepens and enhances your individual pursuit, both these are verily enriched and empowered by taking up collective sadhana. Only when there is a collective programme, all of you will come together and join.

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      QUESTIONS & ANSWERS(3)

      Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha

      How to recognise a Guru?

      A time comes in the life of a serious seeker, when he eagerly seeks the ultimate and feels the need for one path guided by one Guru. Holding on to one is important in making the divergent mind convergent.

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      Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

      Influence of Gunas–Are we helpless?

      Everything is the effect of guṇas. Work, cessation, dream, sleep, wakefulness — all. But within these, the guṇas alone make you think, enquire, seek etc. See all as guṇas and flow with them. Do when you feel like doing. Stop and leave when you feel so. Be natural.

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      Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha

      Bhagavad Gita for Personality Transformation

      Right from birth, we are slave to our attraction and repulsion towards worldly objects and situations. Our mind constantly undergoes elation, depression, and agitation, depending on whether the objective situation we face is to our liking or disliking. We are fearful of losing what we like and facing what we dislike. Bhagavadgeeta wants us to transform this slavery into mastery by cultivating the “Yoga” attitude.

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      Devotees Corner(1)

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      Reminiscences of Five Divine Days

      As Swamiji and some other devotees carried the armchair, Bābā was amused and he started shouting “Hari bol Hari bol”– as it is done in Bengal, but while carrying a dead body! The few railway staff present in the deserted station at that unearthly hour watched curiously the strange procession. Did they know that the reminder about mortality of the body was coming from an Immortal Soul while being carried by another Immortal Soul?

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