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Sunday November 16th, 2025 San Diego, California
AIM for Seva San Diego cordially invites you to celebrate Twenty Five years of Seva with us at the 2025 Donor Appreciation Event and we humbly ask for your support to continue educating the children and the construction of the new Coeducational Residential Schools.
This year’s event is Om Namo Narayanaya, an enthralling classical dance ballet on Narayaniyam of Bhattatiri. “Agre Pasyami” translates to “as I see in front of me,” which is an exposition of Bhattatiri’s experience with Sri Krishna. This production features over 15 dancers presenting the birth of this famed work and describes Kurma, Varaha, Nrisimha, Rama and Krishna avatāras.
With dance movements in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyāttam and Krishnāttam Kali, the costumes promise to be a visual treat. The music has been set in over 40 ragas with over 10 musicians of high repute contributing. Besides Sanskrit, lyrics in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Marathi have been chosen from over 11 classical poets and preceptors. In short, this production aims to transport the rasikas to the abode of Guruvayur itself.
The All India Movement (AIM) for Seva (Service) story was born from the heart-led mission of founder Swami Dayananda Saraswati to bring value-based education and quality health care to the children of impoverished rural India. A world-renowned spiritual leader and profound thinker, his selfless desire was for these children to have every opportunity to develop their full potential – and that of the nation. His innate spirit of service, deep insight, and visionary approach continue to set the tone and serve as the driving force for all that we do.
When: 5:00 PM, Sunday November 16th, 2025 Where: Garfield Theatre, Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center Address: 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 Social Hour / Will Call – 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Food available, proceeds to be donated to AIM for Seva)
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In October 2025, Swamiji visited Swami Tadatmananda ji and his students at the Arsha Bodha Center in Somerset, New Jersey. In addressing the students, Swamiji gave a talk which was both profound as well as personal – highlighting important aspects of the vision of Vedanta while also touching on fond memories of Swamiji and Swami Tadatmananda ji studying together in California and Saylorsburg, under their teachers Pujya Swami Dayananda ji and Radha ji.
To watch Swamiji’s guest lecture, please click HERE.
To visit Arsha Bodha Center’s website, please click HERE.
Hastamalakīyam is a work of twelve meditative verses written by one of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya’s four primary disciples. These profound verses are said to be a young boy’s response to Śaṅkarācārya’s question “Who are you?” upon their first meeting. The reply revealed that the nature of the self as unfolded in the Upaniṣads was indeed the boy’s own living reality. He was therefore given the name Hastāmalaka, meaning one whose vision of the truth is seen as clearly as a piece of fruit in the palm of one’s hand. This vision shines clearly through these verses.
In October 2025, Swamiji had conducted a Five-Day Vedānta Course on this profound text in the beautiful setting of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg. To view the classes and guided meditations from the course, as well as download the text, please follow the links below.
Student Reflections and Experiences from the Course
The Hastāmalakīyam, literally “as clear as a fruit in one’s palm”, is among the most concise and luminous texts of Advaita Vedānta. Śrī Śaṅkara is said to have met a silent boy who, when asked “Who are you?”, responded with twelve verses expressing perfect enlightenment. Recognizing the spontaneous clarity of realization, Śaṅkara named him Hastāmalaka and composed a commentary on his verses. The text stands as a direct expression of Self-knowledge, immediate and self-evident, not through reasoning but through direct recognition.
Essence of the Teaching
Swami Advayatmananda unfolded these verses with characteristic humor, clarity, and depth – blending Sanskrit analysis, scriptural reference, and practical Vedāntic guidance. The emphasis throughout was on the classical process of śravaṇa, manana, and nididhyāsana – listening, reflection, and contemplation – as the means to Self-recognition.
Swamiji highlighted viveka (discriminative inquiry) and śraddhā—not as blind belief but as “scripture-based trusting inquisitiveness.” The inquiry “Who am I?” is not philosophical speculation but the most intimate investigation into the meaning of “I.” The Self (Ātman) is not the body, mind, or roles, but pure, ever-present Awareness – unchanging, self-luminous, and free from birth and death. Bondage arises only from adhyāsa, the mistaken superimposition of the non-Self on the Self. Liberation (mokṣa) is therefore not a change of condition but the cognitive removal of this error.
Analogies and Insights
Two traditional analogies illuminated the vision:
Reflection Analogy: Just as one sun appears reflected in many pots of water, the single Awareness seems to appear as many individual minds (jīvas). The reflections differ, but the sun remains one.
Pot-Space Analogy: Space appears divided by pots but is never truly divided. Likewise, Consciousness seems manifold through countless bodies and minds but remains ever one and undivided.
Swamiji also clarified the distinction between satya (that which is absolutely real) and mithyā (that which is dependently real). The world and individuality are mithyā – empirically experienced but ultimately dependent upon satyam, the unchanging Consciousness that underlies them.
Nature of Self and Liberation
Through teaching, the direct meaning of “I”, usually taken as body-mind, yields to its implied meaning of timeless Awareness. The method of Vedānta temporarily employs duality—seer and seen, self and not-self—only to dissolve it in the recognition of nondual Reality.
Mokṣa is “effortless” because it is not a product to be achieved but the recognition of what already is. When ignorance ends, it is like realizing the tenth man was never lost, or that space was never stained by the clouds within it.
Practical Contemplation Swamiji urged students to listen with openness, question deeply, and examine all assumptions about self and reality. Meditation, chanting, and reflective silence serve as both preparation and assimilation. The true contemplative life is not withdrawal but living from the clarity that the Self is ever-free.
Key Insights from the Hastāmalakīyam
– The Self illumines body, mind, and senses—like the sun that reveals all yet remains untouched. – The instruments of experience arise and fade, but the knower never changes. – Consciousness is self-luminous; it requires no other light to know itself. – The one Awareness appears as many individuals through ignorance, just as one sun reflects in many waters. – Mokṣa is effortless because freedom is one’s very nature; ignorance alone veils it.
– Ganesh Bhat
This email is regarding Swami A’s recent teaching at AVG Hastamalakiyam Vedanta Retreat, which I found to be truly insightful. Among the many valuable lessons, one particular point resonated with me deeply and is crucial for our spiritual growth:
We don’t need another experience. We need to understand the current experience. Such understanding requires objectivity, which is born out of Vivek (discernment).
We often approach experiences with an agenda, wanting to gain or retain specific outcomes. However, objectivity helps us drop these agendas, leaving us with what Swami A referred to as “Ishwar Prasad Buddhi” (the understanding that everything is a divine gift).
I believe this teaching offers a gold mine of wisdom. To truly benefit from it, we must actively apply these principles to our actions and thoughts, ensuring that such profound teachings do not go in vain.
In September 2025, Swamiji gave a two-day lecture series at the Vedanta Study Circle of Boston. In this series, Swamiji unfolded the topic of Ayatna-muktiḥ – Effortless Liberation. Through profound passages of Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarācārya’s commentaries on the Upaniṣads, Brahmasūtras and Bhagavad Gita, Swamiji explained how one’s own true nature is that freedom which is available here and now, and the only thing required is to own up and assimilate that fact.
To view the classes and guided meditations from the lecture series, as well as download the text used, please follow the links below.
The 2025 Boston Vedanta Retreat, led by Swami Advayatmananda Saraswati, explored the subtle theme of Ayatna-muktiḥ — “Effortless Liberation.” Departing from the usual text-based format, Swamiji chose to unfold a topic not centered on any single Upaniṣad or scripture, but on the very essence of Vedānta itself – the discovery that freedom is not something achieved, but something always present.
With warmth and wit, Swamiji lightened the profound subject through relatable humor, everyday examples, and even the playful “Tutsi Pop” analogy. Drawing upon verses from the Bhagavad Gītā and the Upaniṣads, he wove together contemporary reflections and classical insight, showing how the timeless truth can shine through the ordinary.
Ayatna-muktiḥ is not a reward achieved after striving; it is the quiet recognition of what is always present. This recognition is आत्म-ज्ञानम्, a direct self-knowledge, अपरोक्ष-ज्ञानम्. The teaching begins with a radical but intimate fact: Ātmā is ever self-evident (अत्यन्त-प्रसिद्ध:), nearer than near, never truly hidden. Hence the tradition revels in a paradox: “न ब्रह्म-विज्ञानेयत्न:”, there is no effort in cognizing Brahman for one who has acquired preparedness of mind through karma-yoga, because what is being ‘known’ is the very light by which every experience is known.
What, then, veils the obvious? Not a physical curtain, but अविद्या, ignorance that lends false attributes to the Self through उपाधि, an apparent limiting adjunct. The body-mind complex shines with reflected awareness, चिद्-आभास; by proximity, its qualities seem to belong to ‘I’. This is अध्यासः or superimposition, like projecting a snake for a rope. The same awareness that illumines the mistake is also the witness of its correction. Thus, as the केन-उपनिषद् says, Brahman is recognized in and through every cognition.
As the teacher unfolds the method of अध्यारोप-अपवादः, first granting provisional standpoints, then gracefully negating them, the clarity or discriminative discernment (विवेक) gathers that I am the seer (दृक्), not the seen (दृश्य); the changeless witness of changing thoughts, sensations, and roles. Space provides an excellent metaphor: pot-space and vast space are never truly divided. Likewise, the self is निराकार, free of internal and external divisions, quietly pervading every experience.
Because knowledge, not action, removes ignorance, liberation is not produced by doing or karma. Action is पुरुष-तन्त्रम् – a matter of choice – while knowledge is प्रमाण- / वास्तु-तन्त्रम् – it occurs when the means of knowledge operates and the thing is present. No deed can manufacture the Self; as the sages say, न आत्म-चैतन्य-विज्ञानम् कार्यम् – Cognizance of the आत्म-चैतन्य is not something to be accomplished. Hence freedom is described as अयत्नतः एव स्वात्मनि अवस्थापनं मोक्षः – effortless abidance in oneself.
Still, preparatory effort matters. A mind outwardly rushing among names and forms—swept by आवरण (veiling) and विक्षेप (projection) – finds the Self remote. Through values, karma-yoga, meditation, and devotion, attention becomes simple, sattvic, receptive. Preparedness (अधिकारित्व) does not create the Self; it makes recognition natural. As the Gītā (18.50) assures, the mature one gains “the unsurpassed steadiness of wisdom” (निष्ठा ज्ञानस्य या परा).
Swamiji concluded the retreat by summarizing Ayatna-muktiḥ (Effortless Abidance). When ignorance ends, nothing new is gained – confusion merely dissolves. Just as the snake vanishes when the rope is seen, the anxious search for completeness falls away. What remains is quiet intimacy with being — luminous, uncontrived, already whole. This is Ayatna-muktiḥ – effortless abidance in one’s own limitless Self. – Ganesh Bhat
The two separate retreats of Swamiji attended by us were deeply inspiring. Not only he spoke about intellectual understanding, but also on the transformative impact on his inner world. The texts selected by him offered an authentic road map to spiritual seekers who may be navigating similar challenges. What stood out the most – he expressed his gratitude and devotion towards his teacher and never claimed the knowledge of his own, but a living transmission of the truth carried forward.
What touched me most was his simplicity. Through out the talk his reverence towards his teacher was palpable. His reverential tears of joy towards Pujya Swamiji was a clear testimony that it is okay to have emotions flow out of this upadhi!
There was no sense of superiority or self-importance, but inviting us to recognize the same awareness within our hearts.
The two weeks spent with him reminded us that Advaita is not something to ‘achieve’, but something to notice, right here and now!
We departed with a feeling of peace and quietude, as though a small trace of wisdom had touched us too!
With love and gratitude, Prabodh and Lavanya
The two days of satsang with Swami Advayatmananda ji were so purifying and uplifting. What struck me the most one day was when Swami ji paused in between his teaching, laughed and said – It’s all Grace. When Self is all there IS…then all there is, is Grace!
Oh of’course! It felt like something just settled and let go a deep sigh. A deep sigh of having known this forever and yet was waiting to hear it. Like a jigsaw piece knows it belongs but still has to fall in place. Also reminded of this saying I had on my screensaver as a teenager — “The clouds don’t know why they move in such a direction, it’s the Sky that knows the pattern.” The Sky is Grace….and clouds too. Of’course!
Much gratitude, Swami ji…much gratitude. – Sonali
Swamiji truly bridges gap between East and West cultures!
His roots in high tech and training in Vedanta is a unique combination I have seen in my life. My time in NJ Gurukul spent with him was refreshing.
In US and India we are going through difficult times and only such meditation will save us from selfish acts of over aggression and creating harm to other humans by misplaced priorities in life.
May Ishwara help us all followers and our teachers. – Vinay Mudholkar
Pañcadaśī is a profound and comprehensive work written by Śrī Vidyāraṇya, a luminary in the Advaita Vedānta tradition. We will be exploring the 7th chapter of this work named Tṛpti-dīpa-prakaraṇam – The Light of Contentment, or Illuminating the Topic of Absolute Fulfillment.
By the thorough unfoldment of the meaning of a single mantra from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, Śrī Vidyāraṇya in this chapter reveals what is contained in the entire teaching of Vedānta. Important topics are systematically dilated and clarified in a simple logical manner with the intention of revealing one’s very self as the source of tṛpti, pūrṇatvam – wholeness itself.
Updates to the text will be made available periodically prior to the class.
To ensure you receive updates regarding this class please subscribe to the Saturday morning class-specific announcement list if you are not already subscribed by sending email to VedantaSaturday+subscribe@ArshaDrishti.groups.io Once you have sent an email to the above address, you will receive a separate email asking to Confirm your Groups.io Subscription. You will have to reply to that email sent to you in order to complete your registration.
To RSVP, obtain in-person location details, or submit questions in advance please contact Ganesh or Deepti Bhat – bgbhat1@gmail.com, deeptibhat@gmail.com, (858) 524-5223
What: Q&A, Lunch & Music – Satsangs will be followed by a potluck lunch (vegan preferred) for those who can attend in-person.
ॐश्रीगुरुभ्योनमः
Satsang is a group of like-minded seekers of the Truth forming a spiritual community. At Arsha Drishti, we have been meeting bi-monthly for satsang with Swamiji’s students at different homes. Keeping in mind the spiritual upliftment of the aspirant, the objective of satsang is to ask the teacher questions to clarify and remove doubts and vagueness in an informal setting.
Since we have seen questions related specifically to Swamiji’s classes or any general topic on Vedanta, the topics of our satsangs have a great variety – from adhyāsa, how to handle issues we encounter on the path of our spiritual development, the workings of spiritual practices, questions regarding spiritual texts, and more.
In addition to this, our satsang sessions also includes devotional activities such as sharing musical talents or kirtans and bhajans lead by the group. Then session continues with vegan potluck bhikṣā lunch.
The answers Swamiji gives to address the Satsang questions provides food for the mind, the beautiful Carnatic music and bhajans provides food for the soul, and the yummy bhikṣā lunch provides food for the body.
Since April 2023, we have met a number of times at different homes in San Diego, and in Lake Forest/Irvine, California. Almost 20 students of Swamiji’s regularly join us in person, with more joining online. Overall, we become recharged after being in the company of Swamiji and like-minded seekers.
On top of our spiritual growth, it’s also about being part of Arsha Drishti family! These sessions open up our heart, quieten our mind, make our detachment process from the worldly life easier, and help us to lead a humble, selfless life in peace. In satsang, one always seeks to embrace the Truth. Please join us in future satsangs, either in-person or on-line. Don’t hesitate to ask questions as we all grow together getting more clarity.
For more on What is Satsang, as well as how to receive announcements regarding future satsang sessions, please visit our Sunday Satsangs Page on the Arsha Drishti website.
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ॐश्री-दक्षिणामूर्तयेनमः Om Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrtaye namaḥ
Special thanks to the volunteers whose hard work made this retreat a success: Bakul, Sudhindra, Avani, Anurag, Trupti, Ashwin, Malini, Srinivas, Archana, Sunil, Vyom, Aruna.
Attendees’s Reflections
“During the 4 days of retreat it was as if Peoria itself had become a gurukulam! During the morning and evening classes in the temple Swamiji would immerse us in understanding our own self through the lens of Dakshinamurti Stotram. This was followed by mananam during the Q&A sessions after bhiksha at various host family homes. Around 35 people ranging from 13 to 85 years of age were blessed to attend the retreat and spend time with Swamiji. The Q&A topics ranged from everyday problems to philosophical questions. In each case Swamiji’s responses were filled with compassion, wisdom and very practical tips for everyone to easily follow. Not only was Mother Shruti blessing us by providing a shrotriya teacher like Swamiji but we were also immensely fortunate to spend time with a Brahmanishtha like Swamiji who lives the vision through a perfect combination of compassion, scholarship and wisdom. The discussions would be so engrossing that it was never “alam” for us! Each satsang had to end with Swamiji’s “handler” calling time out so as to give Swamiji much needed rest before next class 🙂 Even though Swamiji never made any injunctions, I made some for myself based on his teachings: 1) Offer your ignorance to Ishwara, do not commit to staying ignorant by saying “I will never get moksha in this life”. 2) Practise japa to “Ishwarize” everything in life 3) Look at difficult situtations as prasada (karmayogi attitude) or as mithya (jnani attitude) 4) Meditate upon “I am awareness and notice that “I” is not displaced by any thought”
“There are moments in life when you feel the ultimate happiness like no other, and we experienced it when Swami Advayatmananda visited Peoria, IL. The quietness in listening, grace in answering, and knowledge shared on the auspicious occasion of Dakshinamurti Strotram retreat was so good that it left me with purnavatvam, contentment of completion. Morning walks, lunch and dinner Satsangs, one on one Q&A with Swamiji ….Om. I am very proud to say to Swamiji that you have truly blessed us with knowledge of Advaita Vedanta, that our lives are changed forever, and we would love to have you come again and again. My sincere Pranams.”
“Swami Advayatmanandaji‘s presence in Peoria has been a huge blessing. Swamiji came to teach Dakshinamurti Stotram. I feel like I am relatively at peace, with the worldly thoughts loosening their hold. I consider this a great blessing. Swamiji‘s message of – “let it go” – and shifting attention from idam to aham has stuck with me. Swamiji‘s chanting of Dakshinamurti Mula mantra is reverberating in my mind. Thank you Swamiji – love and Gratitude”
“Pujya Swamiji tactfully explained the gist of Vedanta while highlighting the complex concepts to logically reach the “Tattva” in a simple practical manner. While he was adept in satisfying the intellect he also catered to the emotions of a seeker with a compassionate loving heart. Swamiji helped me have a better understanding of “Tyaga” on a practical level and its application in day to day living.”
Arsha Dristhi would like to invite you to join us in celebrating Gītā Jayanti on Wednesday December 11th, 2024. We will be meeting at 4:30 pm (PST)in-person in San Diego CA, and online over Zoom. We will be chanting the Gītā Dhyānam, all of the 18 chapters of Gītā, as well as concluding with the Gītā Ārati. It will take a little over 3 hours for the entire chanting, including a small break in-between. We would love for all who can to join us in person or thru Zoom, even if it is for some of the chanting.
Where: Attend in-person or join via Zoom. For in-person location details please contact our coordinators Ganesh or Deepti Bhat (bgbhat1@gmail.com, deeptibhat@gmail.com, 858-524-5223)
Please find “Gītā for Chanting” PDFs that facilitate chanting by separating words, resolving sandhi etc. – both in देवनागरी and IAST transliteration – HERE.
If you like to lead the chanting of a chapter of Gītā, please let our hosts Deepti and Ganesh (deeptibhat@gmail.com or bgbhat1@gmail.com) know by Sunday December 8th. While leading the chanting, all other Zoom audios will be on mute. There will be a chorus if attending in-person.
Comments Off on San Diego Weekend Retreat – Kaivalya Upaniṣad
Arsha Drishti is pleased to announce a 3-day in-person retreat with Swami Advayatmananda over the Martin Luther King Jr. US holiday weekend.
Venue: Paradise Vacation Estate in Temecula, California – A beautiful and spacious venue located on a 5 acre garden property just north of San Diego.
Registration: Please submit this Registration Form by October 15th if you have not already done so. If you have already registered, please confirm your attendance by this date as well. Applications received after this date will be considered on a first-come first-served basis pending availability.
Cost: There is no charge for the teaching itself. Final cost for accommodations and food will be dependent upon the number of retreatants. Initial estimate is approximately $500 to $600 per person, but final cost breakdown will be provided after close of registration.
Note: We do not want retreat costs to be a barrier for anyone interested in attending. If there are any personal difficulties regarding costs, please reach out to Swamiji directly or contact Deepti at deeptibhat@gmail.com.
Topic: The Kaivalya Upaniṣad is an ancient sacred text of India which unfolds the vision of Advaita, non-duality, oneness without a second, along with the means to attain this transformative vision. Themes of trust, devotion, experience, knowledge, and renunciation are explored. Instruction is given in meditation upon formless reality, upon the self which is ever-present in the cave of the heart, as well as upon the expression of the sacred with form. Finally, the deeply personal vision of identity with the limitless is ecstatically expressed by the student upon the clear understanding of the teaching Tat Tvam Asi, “You are That”.
RetreatSchedule Arrival – Friday January 17th 5pm (followed by dinner and satsang) Conclusion – Monday January 20th 12pm Daily schedule will include guided meditation, Vedanta and chanting classes, satsang (informal Q&A sessions), and vegetarian meals.
Ages: 16+
Questions & more information : To stay abreast of retreat plans and details, please subscribe to the retreat email list by sending an email to This Address (January2025Retreat+subscribe@ArshaDrishti.groups.io). You will need to reply to a confirmation email to finalize your subscription to the list. Please contact Deepti at deeptibhat@gmail.com with any questions.
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Hé Govind An Ode to Krishna
September 6th, 2024 San Diego, California
AIM for Seva San Diego cordially invites you to celebrate with us at our 2024 Donor Appreciation Event and we humbly ask for your support to continue educating the children and the construction of the new Coeducational Rural Residential Schools.
This year we are delighted to present Hé Govind: An Ode to Krishna, a soulful musical journey that transports the listener to the divine realm of Lord Krishna. This live concert is a treat for the senses and features many of the compositions of popular saints and seers of India including those of AIM for Seva Founder Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
Hé Govind is an ethereal blend of soul-stirring vocals and divine bansuri melodies. Experience a celestial journey that uplifts the spirit and resonates with the heart.
For more about Hé Govind and the wonderful artists involved, please click here.
About AIM for Seva – The All India Movement (AIM) for Seva (Service) story was born from the heart-led mission of founder Swami Dayananda Saraswati to bring value-based education and quality health care to the children of impoverished rural India. A world-renowned spiritual leader and profound thinker, his selfless desire was for these children to have every opportunity to develop their full potential – and that of the nation. His innate spirit of service, deep insight, and visionary approach continue to set the tone and serve as the driving force for all that we do.
San Diego Chapter – AIM for Seva San Diego continues to support existing girls and boys chatralayas throughout India. In addition to this, our goal is in helping to fund three upcoming Coeducational Rural Residential Schools – in Wardha (Maharashtra, near Nagpur), Udaipur (Rajasthan) and Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh).
When: 7:00 PM, Friday September 6th, 2024 Where: Garfield Theatre, Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center Address: 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 Map it. Social Hour / Will Call – 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Food available, proceeds to be donated to AIM for Seva)
