Tat Tvam Asi—“That Thou Art”—is one of the great Mahāvākyas of the Upaniṣads and a foundational statement of Advaita Vedānta. This talk will explore the philosophical significance of this profound declaration, examining the meaning of tat (That), tvam (Thou), and asi (Art), and how their apparent difference is resolved through the Upaniṣadic teaching. Drawing upon the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, the talk will explore the pedagogical context in which the Mahāvākya is taught and the gradual unfolding of its meaning
Events Platfrom: Moksha
The talk shall discuss Vande Mataram through the philosophical lens of the Śākta tradition, exploring its vision of the Motherland as the Divine Mother. It shall examine the interrelationship of Vīra Bhakti, and Śaraṇāgati, showing how these culminate in a sacred call to action. The discussion shall further explore the idea of the nation as an extension of the Self, demonstrating how Vande Mataram transcends political nationalism to present a spiritual vision in which service to the Motherland becomes an expression of self-realisation and divine consciousness.
Adi Shankaracharya is often misread as if he had little place for meditation, because the Upanishads do not use the word samadhi. This talk argues that the claim misses a contemplative path hidden in plain sight across his own writings.
The argument moves through the prasthana-traya to show that the reality of meditation is present even where the exact term is absent. In the Brihadaranyaka, the seeker is described as samahita — the same root, the state itself. In the Brahma Sutras, Badarayana uses samadhi directly, and Shankaracharya’s gloss goes further: samadhividhanat — samadhi is enjoined by shruti. In the Katha Bhashya, he defines adhyatma-yoga as samadhana on the Self and describes yoga as disjunction from all contact with evil — twice calling it an avastha, a state in which the Self abides in its own nature, free from superimposition. Gaudapada names samadhi outright and details the mastery of the mind.
Samadhi may not be a formally required condition for liberation. But it is the highest form of the mind’s abidance in liberating knowledge — and Shankaracharya’s own words suggest we have not fully absorbed the significance he gives it. The talk asks what this means for practice today, especially for those who assume Vedanta is purely intellectual and not meditative.
“अहमेव परं ब्रह्म मत्परं नास्ति किञ्चन ।”
“I am the Supreme Reality; there is nothing beyond Me. I am the Manifest, the Unmanifest, and the Transcendent.”
With this ultimate declaration, the Devi Gita establishes the Supreme Goddess as the absolute source of all creation, preservation, and dissolution. In this session, we will dive into this pivotal text of the Shakta – Advaita tradition. We will examine the historical and spiritual context of Devi’s cosmic dialogue with King Himalaya, her breathtaking revelation of the Vishwarupa (universal form), and her direct instructions on the paths of Jnana (knowledge), Karma (action), and Bhakti (devotion).
Whether you are a student of philosophy, a spiritual seeker, or simply curious about the divine feminine in global traditions, this talk will provide a crisp, accessible entry point into one of India’s most magnificent esoteric texts experiencing the wisdom of the Goddess exactly as she spoke it.
Brahmavid Ashirvada Paddhati of Vidyaranya is a profound meditative and assertive exposition of Advaita Vedanta. In this text, the seeker engaged in Jnana Yoga undertakes a contemplative process of affirming the non-dual identity of Jiva and Brahman. Through a series of deeply reflective declarations, the sadhaka systematically negates the limiting attributes associated with individuality — such as identification with the body, mind, senses, and intellect — and gradually abides in the awareness of one’s true nature as Parabrahman. The work thus serves not merely as a philosophical treatise, but as a practical guide to Advaitic contemplation and inner transformation.
In the upcoming talk, Prof. C. S. R. Prabhu will explore the spiritual depth and contemplative methodology embedded in Brahmavid Ashirvada Paddhati. The lecture will highlight how Vidyaranya employs meditative assertions as a means of transcending Jivatva and realizing the supreme non-dual reality. Drawing from the rich tradition of Advaita Vedanta, the session promises to provide valuable insights into the experiential dimensions of self-knowledge and the inward journey from individuality to Brahman-consciousness.
INDICA Center for Moksha Studies is delighted to announce the 7th Edition of the Global Oneness Festival (previously Global Festival of Oneness) — our month-long flagship online celebration dedicated to honoring the timeless life, profound teachings, and enduring legacy of Jagadguru Adi Shankara Bhagavadpadacharya, one of the greatest spiritual luminaries, philosophers, and civilizational visionaries of Bharat.
For the past six years, the Global Oneness Festival has been conceived as a sacred offering of reverence to Adi Shankaracharya and the living Advaita Guru-Parampara — a luminous lineage that has preserved, embodied, and transmitted the highest wisdom of non-duality across generations. Through this annual festival, we come together to celebrate not merely a historical Acharya, but a living presence whose teachings continue to illumine the path of seekers in every age.
Jagadguru Adi Shankara stands as a towering figure in the spiritual and philosophical history of India. At a critical moment in Bharatiya civilization, he revitalized the wisdom of the Upanishads through his profound expositions of Advaita Vedanta, his penetrating commentaries on the Prasthana-traya — the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Brahma Sutras — and his extraordinary role as a teacher, poet, yogi, debater, bhakta, and institution-builder. In his brief earthly life, he traversed the length and breadth of Bharat, rekindling its spiritual vision, strengthening temple traditions, establishing Mathas, and restoring the unity of dharmic thought and practice.
The Festival invites seekers, scholars, teachers, and spiritual aspirants from around the world to participate in a month-long journey of reflection, study, and celebration. Through a rich series of talks, dialogues, contemplative sessions, and thematic explorations, the festival seeks to rediscover, deepen, and recontextualize the wisdom of Adi Shankaracharya for the contemporary world.
As in previous years, the festival will explore the many dimensions of Bhagavadpadacharya’s contributions — his uncompromising metaphysical clarity, his subtle and expansive vision of oneness, his luminous devotional compositions, his incisive commentarial genius, and his unparalleled role in shaping the spiritual and intellectual landscape of Bharatavarsha. It will also reflect on the continuing relevance of Advaita in addressing the inner and outer challenges of our times: identity, harmony, ethics, leadership, knowledge, culture, and the quest for liberation.
The Global Oneness Festival 2026 is thus not merely a commemorative event; it is an invitation into a living tradition. It is a space where śravaṇa, manana, and nididhyāsana can begin anew; where timeless wisdom meets contemporary inquiry; and where the vision of Oneness is contemplated not only as philosophy, but as the very foundation of inner freedom, cultural rootedness, and universal harmony.
Starting April 21 till May 20, 2025, the festival will feature two daily sessions:
Morning Session: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM IST
Evening Session: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM IST
We warmly invite all sages, scholars, seekers, students, and lovers of Sanatana Dharma to join us in this collective offering of reverence and reflection.
Let this be our humble pranama to the eternal wisdom of Advaita and to the radiant lineage that continues to keep alive the vision of Ekatva.
Come, let us celebrate the light of Advaita.
Come, let us contemplate the vision of Oneness.
Come, let us walk once again in the footsteps of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya.
SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | Topic | Name of the Speaker |
| 21 April 2026 Tuesday | Morning Session 10:45AM to 11:35AM |
Inaugural Session | |
| 10.45-10.50 AM- Opening Remarks | Nithin Sridhar | ||
| 10.50-11.00 AM- Welcome Address | Hari Vadlamani | ||
| 11.00- 11.30 AM- Inaugural Address | Honorable Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman | ||
| 11.30-11.35 AM- Closing Remarks | Nithin Sridhar |
| 21 April 2026 Tuesday | Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Vedanta and Our Search for Authenticity and Happiness in a Fractured World | Swami Shyamananda |
| 22 April 2026 Wednesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
भाष्ये ज्ञानकर्मसमुच्चयखण्डनम् – Criticism of Jnana-Karma-Samuchchaya in Shaankara Bhashyam (Sanskrit Talk) | Sharan Lakshminarayan |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM | Yoga as preparation for Vedanta | Raghu Ananthanarayanan | |
| 23 April 2026 Thursday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Ekashloki of Adi Shankaracharya | Swamini Satyavratananda |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Advaita Beyond Bhashyas: What Guides the Yoga Bhrashta Across Every Age | Sundar Rajan | |
| 24 April 2026 Friday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Shankaracharya’s Pada and Vakya Bhashyas on the Kena Upanishad: A Comparative Study | Krishna Kashyap |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
What Shankara’s Advaita reveals about Leadership, Agency, and Transformation | Prasad Kaipa | |
| 25 April 2026 Saturday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Saturday Special Series: Gleanings from Vivekachudamani | Aravinda Rao |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Shankaracharya’s Commentaries: Gracefully Simple, Deeply Profound | Acharya Giridhara Sarma | |
| 26 April 2026 Sunday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
भगवद्गीता का अवतरण (Hindi Talk) | Mahamandaleshwar Swami Abhishek Chaitanya Giri |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Essence of the Bhagavad Gita for Modern Minds: Book Discussion | Author Gokulmuthu Narayanaswamy | |
| 27 April 2026 Monday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
ईशोपनिषद्भाष्यानुसारं विद्या-अविद्यासमुच्चयविमर्शः – Shankaracharya’s Analysis of Vidya & Avidya in Ishopanishadbhashya (Sanskrit Talk) | Prof. Mahabaleshwar |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Influence of Adi Shankaracharya on Non-Dual Teachings of Sikh Gurus | Arjun Singh Nirmala | |
| 28 April 2026 Tuesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Adi Shankaracharya on Shiva Bhakti as Moksha Sadhana’ | Saivasastra Sudhee Smt. J Madhangi |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Adi Shankaracharya and Sri Vidya | Ramanan Shastri | |
| 29 April 2026 Wednesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Communicating the Incommunicable: Adhyaropapavada as the Upanishadic Method of Pedagogy | Manjushree Hegde |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
अहिंसा की उपासना (Hindi talk) | Swamini Suprabhananda | |
| 30 April 2026 Thursday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Noble Cause of Bhagavad Gita According to Shankaracharya | Swamini Paraprajnananda |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Awakening to Oneness: Advaita for the Contemporary Seeker | Aurobind Padiyath | |
| 01 May 2026 Friday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
An Axiomatic Systematization of Advaita Siddhanta | Vikram Jagannathan |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
वेदांत साधना विचार (Hindi Talk) | Swami Prakasananda | |
| 02 May 2026 Saturday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Saturday Special Series: Gleanings from Vivekachudamani | Aravinda Rao |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Insights from Shankaracharya’s Prapanchasara Tantra | Shyam Panchapakeshan | |
| 3 May 2026 Sunday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Sunday Special Series: Vada & Vidya – Pivotal Dialogues of Adi Shankaracharya | Vid. Shankararama Sharma |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Sacred Sounds of Advaita: Songs & Stories of Shankaracharya |
ChaRitha (Chandana & Supreetha ) | |
| 4 May 2026 Monday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Connecting the Dots: Adi Shankaracharya’s Sambandha Bhashya & the Vision of Gita | Br. Soham Chaitanya |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM | The Nuts & Bolts of Vedanta Sadhana | Swami Chidananda | |
| 5 May 2026 Tuesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
वेदान्तवाक्यजन्यवृत्तिस्वरूपम्- The Nature of Cognition Arising from Vedāntic Statements (Sanskrit Talk) | Vid. Dr. Ganesh Ishwar Bhat |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Jnana Bhakti Samnvaya in Sankara’s Gita Bhasya | Arunesh Mahadevan | |
| 6 May 2026 Wednesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Brhadaranyaka Upodgatha Bhashyam | Swami Tathagatananda Saraswati |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
The Sage Who Gave Everything: Shankara’s Gifts, Seen and Unseen | Arun Vishwanathan | |
| 7 May 2026 Thursday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Acharya Shankara’s Drahantakaushalam in Prabodhasudhakara | Dr. M V Guha Vishwanath |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Advaita Vedanta as a global framework for competitive coexistence | Swami Bodhananda | |
| 8 May 2026 Friday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Pearls of Wisdom from Shivanandalahari | Vidwan Goda Eswara Sarma |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Crisis of Modern Youth: How Advaita Offers a Way Forward | Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay | |
| 9 May 2026 Saturday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Saturday Special Series: Gleanings from Vivekachudamani | Aravinda Rao |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Panel Discussion on Vedanta and Education |
Sri. Vinay Kulkarni (Host) Dr. CA Vishwanathan P Dr. Ashutosh Simha Dr. Dattatreya Dixit |
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| 10 May 2026 Sunday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Sunday Special Series: Vada & Vidya – Pivotal Dialogues of Adi Shankaracharya | Vid. Shankararama Sharma |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Oh Man! Read the Gita: Book Discussion | Author V Anand Kumar | |
| 11 May 2026 Monday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Glimpses into Poetic Gems from Stotra of Bhagavatpada | Dr. Sharda Narayanan |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
The Sublime and the Self: Shankaracharya’s Aesthetic Thought | Amritanath Bhattacharya | |
| 12 May 2026 Tuesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Bhartrihari, Shankara, and the Interface of Grammar and Vedanta | Dr. Naveen Bhat |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Shankaracharya’s enunciation on Bhakti Yoga | Subhadeep Basu | |
| 13 May 2026 Wednesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Clearing Contradictions – Shankaracharya’s masterful treatment of seemingly contradictory verses in the Bhagavad Geeta | Shatavadhani Lalithadithya Gannavaram |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Is A World Without War Possible? A Vedantic Exploration of Human Conflict | Neema Majmudar | |
| 14 May 2026 Thursday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
सन्ध्याधिकरणम् – The Vedantic Inquiry into the Dream state | Dr. Ananta Sharma (Chanakya University) |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Sant Dnyaneshwar’s Amrutanubhava in the light of Kevala Advaita | Manuj Kanti Mazumdar | |
| 15 May 2026 Friday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Did Adi Shankara Bhagavatpadacharya propound Mayavada? | Vid. Manikandan Iyer |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Beyond the Veil of Matter: Modern Physics through the Lens of Shankara’s Sakshi Chaitanya | Archana Raghuram | |
| 16 May 2026 Saturday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Saturday Special Series: Gleanings from Vivekachudamani | Aravinda Rao |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Poetic Imagery of the Gangashtaka Stotram and Its Sculptural Representations | Rekha Rao | |
| 17 May 2026 Sunday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Sunday Special Series: Vada & Vidya – Pivotal Dialogues of Adi Shankaracharya | Vid. Shankararama Sharma |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Vakhyartha Sadas on शांकरवाग्वैभवम् | Sadas Adhyaksha: Vidwan Dr. Shrihari Shivaram Dhaygude
Participating Vidwans: |
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| 18 May 2026 Monday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Shankaracharya’s enunciation on Sankhya Yoga in Bhagavad Gita | Dr. Chandrashekhar Tekal |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Transcending Fear: A Vedantic Perspective | L Ramaswamy | |
| 19 May 2026 Tuesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Reflections on Dakshinamoorthy Stotram | Vid. Goda Anantha Somayaji |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
The Traditional Guru: Shankara’s Vision | Kathirasan K | |
| 20 May 2026 Wednesday | Morning Session 07:00AM to 08:00AM |
Examination of Time as per Relativity, Nyaya and Advaita Vedanta | Sudhanshu Shekhar |
| Evening Session 07:00PM to 08:00PM |
Valedictory Session Ekatma Dham A Global Centre of Oneness |
Acharya Shankar Sanskritik Ekta Nyas, Govt of MP |
Stories transmit what sūtras alone cannot: philosophy embodied. The sages of India’s great wisdom traditions did not philosophize in the abstract. Their insights were forged in life — in bodies broken, abandoned, and cloistered. It is through their stories that we encounter exemplars of wisdom in the world. This talk explores three Indic sage stories (from The Stories Behind the Poses), each illuminating core Vedāntic concepts — ātman, avidyā, karma, and mokṣa — through narrative rather than doctrine. From Aṣṭāvakra’s deformed body in Janaka’s court, to Matsyendra’s twelve years in the belly of a fish, to Bharadvāja’s three lifetimes of incomplete learning, these tales show that wisdom is not information but transformation. Stories teach you when you least expect it, which is why they’re so effective.
“When therefore it is said that India shall rise, it is the Sanatana Dharma that shall rise. When it is said that India shall be great, it is the Sanatana Dharma that shall be great. When it is said that India shall expand and extend herself, it is the Sanatana Dharma that shall expand and extend itself over the world. It is for the dharma and by the dharma that India exists.”
– Sri Aurobindo
Namaste,
The most distinguishing feature of this land of Bharat is its inseperable connection to Sanatana Dharma. And what is it that makes this Dharma Sanatana? What is it which makes this land Sacred? What is it which imparts reality and existence to this otherwise transitory world?
It is the eternal, infinite, birthless, non-dual reality called as Brahman in the Upanishads and worshipped as Shakti, the Divine Mother in the Tantras. She is the originator of the universe who in an act of great blessing has also taken the form of various Devatas and inhabits this geography of Bharat sacralizing every inch of this land by Her very presence.
The Divine Mother. She is Devi, Bhagavati, Mahamaya and Shakti. She is also Durga, Kali, Tripuasundari, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.
People call her various names and She herself takes diverse forms, but in essence She is non-different from Brahman as the Mother Herself says in Devi Atharvashirsha.
It took me more than a decade to arrive at this understanding that Shakta & Advaita are like two faces of the same coin- distinct in form, but non-different in essence.
My spiritual journey began in the most unlikeliest of all places: atheism. But as philosophical seeking continued I rediscovered Dharma in the lap of the Divine Mother whose anugraha only led the atheist me to her Jwalamukhi Tripurasundari temple in Utthanahalli, Mysuru. And this changed everything. Later again through Bhagawati’s blessings, I was also led to the path of Advaita Darshana which has since then been the philosophical anchorage to my Sadhana.
If you have experienced a similar journey through Bhagawati Upasana and Vedanta Manana, if your personal journey has all the three elements of Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana, if your enquiry into Shakta and Vedanta is beyond academic and has instead shaped how you live life, then the upcoming Meta-Retreat I am curating for INDICA Moksha will speak directly to you.
We plan to bring together a carefully selected, small group of scholar-practitioners for an immersive four-day meta-retreat, from March 6 to 8, dedicated to shared inquiry and contemplative engagement with Srividya and Advaita Vedanta.
Srividya offers a contemplative and ritual language through which non-dual truth is approached, while Advaita Vedanta provides the metaphysical clarity that illuminates Shakti as none other than Brahman. The retreat will explore this lived relationship between Srividya and Advaita Vedanta—how non-dual understanding is to be approached, refined, and embodied through mantra, devotion, ritual, and inquiry. The schedule will include unhurried conversations, philosophical dialogue, contemplative reflection, and guided meditation, allowing insights to mature naturally. These will be interwoven with temple visits, offering moments where philosophy, practice, and sacred presence all come together.
Participation in the retreat is limited to 15 participants, and with 10 seats already filled, only 5 places remain available. Those who wish to participate, please write to nithin@advaita-academy.org or to sridhar.nithin@gmail.com with a note of no more than 600 words, sharing your background, your interest in Srividya and Advaita Vedanta, and how you sense this retreat may support your journey of study and practice.
Participation is by selection, in keeping with the reflective and immersive nature of the retreat. We look forward to spending these days in shared inquiry with fellow seekers committed to depth, sincerity, and inner growth.
With warm regards,
Nithin Sridhar,
Director, INDICA Moksha
A dipstick with college mates, friends, and relatives claimed that almost no one had read the Holy Gita. This was concerning. The Gita is an ancient treasure, filled with wisdom—an excellent guide to peace and happiness. It is a misconception that the Gita is meant for 70-year-olds in the last phase of their lives. It is a day-to-day guide for every human being to finding peace and solace in today’s challenging world.
This talk is an attempt to get the message of the Gita to a larger audience.
Many sincere practitioners face a familiar paradox: meditation sometimes unfolds effortlessly, yet at other times remains resistant despite discipline and experience. This challenge is not new. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Arjuna admits that the mind is “harder to control than the wind,” while modern thinkers such as Yuval Noah Harari have noted that analytical brilliance can hinder, rather than support, meditation.
Drawing on the Upaniṣhads and their commentarial tradition, this session explores why the mind naturally turns outward, how meditation differs from concentration, and why Vedānta understands meditation as an expression of inner readiness rather than an act of will. A simple Meditation States Monitor, generated using AI, will be used illustratively to support reflection and explore meditative states.