From IITian to Vedantacharya: Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan opens up on his spiritual journey

NEW DELHI: Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan, a former IIT-BHU student, opened up on his journey of transformation from an engineer to a monk, who teaches people about ‘Vedanta’ and Sanskrit.

Narayanan, who graduated from IIT-BHU in 1992, began his career at Tata Steel before moving to the US in 1993. It was there that he met his guru, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, and was drawn to the teachings of Vedanta.

Speaking to ANI, he said, “I am a disciple of Swami Dayanand Saraswati…I lived in the Gurukulam for three years. Before that, I studied engineering at IIT-BHU for 4 years. I passed out in 1992 and worked at Tata Steel for a year after which I moved to the US in 1993.”

“I met Guru Ji for the first time, and after listening to his ‘pravachan’ I became interested in Vedanta,” he added.

Narayanan returned to India in 1995 and joined a residential course in the Gurukulam, dedicating himself to learning and teaching Vedanta.

“I returned to India in 1995 and joined the residential course in the Gurukulam and started learning ‘Vedanta’. For the last 20 years, I have been teaching ‘Vedanta’ and Sanskrit,” he said.

Reflecting on his journey, Narayanan noted that his achievements, including getting into IIT, initially felt significant but eventually became ordinary.

“All achievements feel big only for the time being, but after some time it feels normal and you start working for your next target,” he said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On his journey from IITian to Vedantacharya, Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan says, ” I am a disciple of Swami Dayanand Saraswati… I lived in the Gurukulam for three years. Before that, I studied engineering at IIT-BHU for 4 years. I passed out in 1992 and worked at… pic.twitter.com/cBmfv3WoXr

— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2025

“When I joined IIT, it felt like a great achievement, but there were so many others like me who cracked the entrance exam to get there. It didn’t feel like a big deal after that,” he said.

“All achievements feel big only for the time being, but after some time it feels normal and you start working for your next target. I often wondered, is there anything which can satisfy me for the rest of my life after I achieve it?” he added.

India is celebrating its biggest festival of all decades ‘Mahakumbh,’ after 144 years.

Recently, the Mahakumbh-2025 in Prayagraj has seen an unprecedented influx of devotees, with a massive 10.80 crore plus taking the sacred plunge at the revered Ganga-Yamuna-Saraswati confluence, as of Friday.

Despite cold conditions, a large congregation of devotees gathered at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj to take a dip in the ongoing Mahakumbh. Apart from this, authorities are focusing on preparations for the upcoming Mauni Amavasya on January 29, anticipating large crowds of devotees.Visitors from around the world are often left in awe as they witness people from different languages, lifestyles, and traditions coming together at the Sangam for a holy dip.

The Maha Kumbh is held after every 12 years and a huge turnout of devotees is expected in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.

According to tradition, pilgrims flock to the Sangam—the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati (now extinct) rivers—to take the holy dip believed to absolve sins and grant moksha (liberation).

Rooted in Sanatan Dharma, the event signifies a celestial alignment that creates an auspicious period for spiritual cleansing and devotion. The Mahakumbh Mela is expected to host over 45 Crore visitors, marking a historic occasion for India. (ANI)