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.
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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)
Śrī-Dakṣiṇāmūrti-Stotram is beautiful poem and prayer addressed to Īśvara, the source of all that is, who is presented in the form of teacher. The author Ādi Śaṅkarācārya succinctly unfolds the vision of non-duality in ten verses, exploring the erroneous assumptions we make about ourselves and the world which lead to suffering.
This stotra is an important work within the Advaita tradition, presenting a number of the essential prakriyā-s or teaching approaches which guide a student to clarity regarding his or her innate wholeness and non-separateness from the sacred.
From 2018 to 2019, Swamiji had taught and led 29 classes and guided meditations on Śrī-Dakṣiṇāmūrti-Stotram.
To download the audio recordings of those classes and meditations, as well as the text in Devanāgarī along with Roman Transliteration and English Translation with word-for-word breakdown, please click – HERE
Arsha Drishti is continuing a new series of ‘Satsang with Swami Advayatmananda Saraswati’ sessions to take place every other month.
When: The next session will be announced shortly – please check back on this page for updates.
Where: Attend in-person or join via Zoom. For in-person location details please contact Sunday Satsang coordinators Ganesh or Deepti Bhat (bgbhat1@gmail.com, deeptibhat@gmail.com, 858-524-5223)
What: Q&A, Lunch & Music – This month’s Satsang will be followed by a potluck lunch (vegan preferred) for those who can attend in-person. If you would like to send Satsang questions in advance, share your musical talents, or lead a bhajan for the group, please coordinate with the Sunday Satsang coordinators. If you are attending in person, please RSVP with deeptibhat@gmail.comfor us to get an approximate headcount.
To receive announcements regarding future satsang sessions please send an email to SundaySatsangs+subscribe@ArshaDrishti.groups.io to subscribe to the announcement list. 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.
Note: On Satsang Sundays, the Sunday GHS class and beginning Sanskrit class will be cancelled.
What is Satsang? Satsang (सत्सङ्ग sat-saṅga) means association, coming together, or connection with “sat“. The word “sat” means several things: good people, fellow travelers on the spiritual path, a saintly person, a teacher, or it can refer to Truth itself.
So satsang means gathering together of mumukṣu-s, spiritual seekers, with a teacher for the sake of understanding and assimilation of the vision of Vedanta. It is unstructured time to ask questions of a teacher to remove doubts and vagueness. This process of clarifying one’s understanding is called mananam and is an integral part of Vedanta sādhana or spiritual practice.
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Swamiji’s Podcast Interview
Swamiji was recently invited to be a guest on the “A Little Bit of Happiness” Podcast hosted by Deepak Atri. To watch or listen to Swamiji’s recent appearance, please find the relevant links below:
On his podcast, Deepak has spoken with other teachers in the Arsha Vidya Paramparā as well, including Swami Sadatmananda ji, Swamini Brahmaprajnananda ji, and more. For more information, please click here.
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.
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Harmony in Svaras Experience the Seven Notes of Music
October 6th, 2023 San Diego, California
AIM for Seva San Diego cordially invites you to celebrate with us at our 2023 Donor Appreciation Event and we humbly ask for your support to continue educating the children and the construction of the new student homes.
This year we are excited to present Harmony in Svaras featuring Kiran + Nivi for our 2023 Donor Appreciation Event three-city U.S. tour. This twin-sister and vocal-powerhouse duo will captivate and amaze with their exquisite tone, range and harmony.
Kiran + Nivi will be accompanied by renowned percussionist and keyboard artists for a most enjoyable and entertaining evening of song and celebration.
Singers/songwriters Kiran and Nivi, also known as the Sai Sisters, have become a social media sensation, amassing 2M+ followers on TikTok and over 500k on Instagram.
Kiran and Nivi have been learning Sai bhajans from Sri. TV Hariharan (a prolific composer in Sai bhajans) since the age of 2. They have been studying Carnatic music with Sri. Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna and “Sangeetha Seva Ratna” Dr. C. M. Venkatachalam since age 5. They have also learned layam from “Nada Oli” Shri. Melakkaveri Balaji and have had the privilege of being under the tutelage of “Sangeetha Shironmani” Smt. Gayathri Venkataraghavan for four years.
They have conducted numerous concerts in both the United States and India and have been invited to perform in Chennai since 2015 at prestigious sabhas. Their achievements further extend to being a finalist of Carnatic Music Idol USA in 2012, and in 2015, the duo won the Carnatic Premier League “Sangeeth Samraat.”
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 sponsors three chatralaya for girls and one chatralaya for boys, with a goal of sponsoring the complete care for 130 children. Another important initiative is to raise the funds necessary nationwide to build much-needed new chatralaya to bring our holistic care and programming to a greater number of children in rural and tribal communities of India. Your gifts to the San Diego Chapter will also help support the four AIM for Seva hospitals in offering free or subsidized care to rural populations.
When: 7:00 PM, Friday October 6th, 2023 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)
Arsha Drishti is happy to announce a new weekly online Bhagavad Gītā chanting class, which started on October 29th 2023, led by Seetha Sathyanarayana. Seetha ji, who is a student of Swamiji Advayatmananda Saraswati, has over a decade of experience teaching Bhagavad Gītā chanting.
The classes will begin by providing a gentle introduction to the Sanskrit language, focusing on the alphabet and proper pronunciation. Once this foundation in place, the proper method and pronunciation of chanting the verses of the Bhagavad Gītā will be taught, in traditional “call-and-repeat” style.
Classes will be Sundays at 4pm Pacific Time and sessions will be 45 minutes in duration.
Registration: To register for the class and receive class information and schedule updates, please send an email to Chanting+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.
Yoga and Wisdom – Awakening to Reality September 15th – 17th, 2023 Yoga Vidya Center, Germany
Advaita Vedanta is a timeless living teaching tradition that explores the realities of oneself, the world, and the Sacred. In the hands of a proper teacher, ancient Sanskrit scripture becomes a powerful guided inquiry unfolding the non-dual reality underlying these three, and transforming the erroneous limiting notions I entertain about myself into a direct appreciation of my inherent non-separateness and wholeness. In these sessions we will also explore practices useful to prepare oneself in making this vision one’s living reality.
Click Here (German Website) for More Info For More Info in English, Click Here and Search the Page for “Advayatmananda”
Vision of the Ṛṣis: You Are Even Now What You Seek To Become September 10th – 15th, 2023 Yoga Vidya Center, Germany
The spiritual journey finds its fulfillment in the exact place it begins – with you. The direct and immediate recognition of your inherent wholeness and freedom is the vision that the sages of ancient India ceaselessly celebrated. Their teachings will be unfolded through the presentation of a garland of profound selections from Sanskrit scriptures. This teaching is not abstract or theoretical, but is likened to an open-eyed meditation which leads to the direct recognition of this ever present fact – that I am even now what I seek to become. In this vision of the sages of ancient India struggle ceases, and one discovers one’s inherent fullness and natural source of joy.
For More Info in English, Click Here and Search the Page for “Advayatmananda”
Seeking Resolution: The Resolution of Seeking September 8th – 10th, 2023 Yoga Vidya Center, Germany
Every human being is a restless seeker, constantly struggling to find wholeness, joy, freedom from insecurity and unhappiness. We can’t help but seek because we find ourselves to be wanting, incomplete, and ever tossed about by the world, relationships, and our own minds and hearts. Yet we yearn to be free, to be home with ourselves and the world. Advaita Vedanta is a timeless living teaching tradition that explores the sources of these struggles and their resolution. The teachings of the sages of ancient India resolves all searching into the fullness of one’s true self. It is in this recognition that freedom, peace, and fullness are discovered, enabling me to meet life with joy, compassion, and purpose.
For More Info in English, Click Here and Search the Page for “Advayatmananda”
Advaita-Pancha-Ratnam: Five Jewels on Non-Duality November 24th – 27th, 2022 Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg PA
Please see below an excerpt from Arsha Sandesh, an online newsletter from Arsha Vidya Pitham, Saylorsburg PA:
Thanksgiving Retreat this year [2022] was conducted by Sw. Advayatmanandaji (San Diego) and the Gurukulam’s resident acharya Sw. Muktatmanandaji. Format of delivery was both in-person and virtual. The camp was well-attended and widely appreciated. Sw. Advayatmanandaji expounded on Advaita PañcaRatnam while Sw. Muktatmanandaji held classes on “Meditation on the Meditator” and also led meditation sessions during the retreat. Sw. Advayatmanandaji’s center’s website, www.arshadrishti.org contains details about all his talks and classes. A brief outline about the text of AdvaitaPañcaRatnam (also known as ĀtmaPañcakam) on www.arshadrishti.org: it is a short text attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya that unfolds the vision of Vedānta through the succinct presentation of several key teachings:
• Ātma-anātma-viveka – the discriminative discernment between the self and non-self • Adhyāsa – the nature of ignorance-born self-confusion • Śabda-pramāṇa – the necessity of gaining knowledge from a teacher and the efficacy of language to remove self-ignorance • Mithyā – the dubious reality of the experienced world • Māyā – the creative power that manifests the world of multiplicity
The camp also included a vibrant youth program of chanting, yoga, and cultural enrichment, supervised by Br. Suryanarayana, Swamini Girijatmananda, Swamini Ramadhavananda, and other teachers. On the concluding day, the children presented a beautiful cultural program. A few photos from the program are included on the next page.
Thanksgiving in-person camp attendees Rajesh Balasubramanian and Banu Narayanaswamy of Lansdale, PA submitted the following write-up. I requested them to capture their retreat experience in their own words. They express the beautiful theme of ‘coming home,’ especially relevant in these post-pandemic times and during the holidays.
Shri Gurubhyo Namah! To say that our experience was divine and transformational does only partial justice! Stimulated by a serene atmosphere and Sattvik food, the camp truly helped shift our thoughts from external happenings to gaining focus inward. The courses ‘Meditation on the Meditator’ and ‘Advaita Pancha Ratnam’ were very well designed. Swami Advayatmanandaji and Swami Muktatmanandaji imparted deep knowledge and expertly presented the subject with a touch of humor. Analogies were extremely relatable. The planned and impromptu satsangs were very valuable and we had the opportunity to discuss and share real-world scenarios and gain insight on how to handle situations life presents. Being in the midst of like-minded people was also very inspiring and encouraging. On the last of the camp, we had a sweet surprise where children entertained us by showcasing the values they learnt during the camp through music and enactment. It was priceless to watch little kids present what they learnt. We are truly humbled to have had the opportunity to take part in this camp. The camp helped us gain clarity and direction on our deepest desire which is to embark on our spiritual journey. At the conclusion of the camp, we realized that AVG is not our home away from home, but it is our home! We were homesick to leave Gurukulam even though we were headed back home.
