Veda Made Simple

We speak often of the Hindu religion, of the Sanatan Dharma, but few of us really know what that religion is…This is the Dharma that for the salvation of humanity was cherished in the seclusion of this peninsula from of old. It is to give this religion that India is rising. She does not rise as other countries do, for self or when she is strong, to trample on the weak. She is rising to shed the eternal light entrusted to her over the world. India has always existed for humanity and not for herself and it is for humanity and not for herself that she must be great. 

These are the words of Maharishi Sri Aurobindo. But what is this Sanatan Dharma? Is it just the religion and rituals that Hindus follow or is it really the secret of life and consciousness that is embedded in the very fabric of our cosmic existence? This book reveals, layer by layer, the subtler spiritual dimensions of Sanatan Dharma, and its timeless relevance to human existence and civilization.

Adhyatmikta:Explorations into Hindu Spiritual Practices looks at the fundamental questions and issues faced by a dharmic spiritual practitioner in today’s age. It guides one to navigate the spiritual path with a judicious mix of practical experience and guidance from the traditions and texts. The book also contains detailed articles on devatas in Hinduism.

Whispers of the Unseen: The Quest for Sixty-Four Yoginis redefines spirituality beyond conventional religious norms, rituals and practices. It attempts to forge a connection with the essence of life forms and take the reader through a spiritual exploration of the dynamic interplay and union of masculine and feminine energies. Through her paintings, the artistauthor revisits the cultural significance, richness and symbolism of the sixty-four yoginis. The narrative delves deep into the realm of feminine power, drawing out the most pivotal manifestation of its expressive roles in our lives and integrating the practices of spirituality into our everyday existence. It prods the reader to relish life’s simple moments and to cherish the intersectionality of quotidian life. This will, according to her, allow them access to ancient spiritual practices in contemporary time, leading to increased awareness and mindfulness in daily life. It encourages readers to embrace connecting with the divine, tapping into a higher power and uncovering the creative force within.

“When I first shared this story with a monk-friend, he asked me why I wrote it as fiction and not biography. Many others who read this book may have the same query. So let me share: the first reason was the most obvious one — Ahana hardly lived an outer life, her entire life unfolded within, in her consciousness. Outwardly, her biography could be written in a single paragraph: She was born in India, in the early sixties, to academic parents and grew up in a university environment. She met a young man when she turned eighteen, perhaps fell in love, and left her studies and social life to live in an obscure ashram in the Himalayas and explore Vedanta. She then left the ashram and came to Almora, a small Himalayan town, where she lived alone in a cottage.

Inwardly, however, Ahana’s life was rich, fascinating, multihued, multilayered, profoundly inspiring. The more I discovered and understood of her life, the more I realized how much is possible, and how much the human being can attain, in a single lifetime — none could come to her and remain unchanged. So how does one write a biography of such a being?

 And second, as I discovered in writing this book, a biography ties you down to facts and timelines while fiction can free you of all such needless fetters. Ahana’s life, I feel, is the stuff poetry is made of.”