Welcome

 Swami Venkatesananda has often been described as a modern Yogi, a Sanskrit scholar, the author of numerous books and the translator of some of India's most renowned scriptures. 

While his writings and public talks offer boundless knowledge to scholars and students of Yoga, he made it clear to all who spent time with him, that wisdom can best be appreciated and assimilated by its presence in action. He was tempered in the kiln of his Master, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, himself an exemplar of wisdom in action. Thus, his life offered a vibrant textbook in practical wisdom, as every word, every action demonstrated a life free from conflict and rooted in harmony. This equanimity diffused into the very atmosphere surrounding him much as a tuning fork transmits its perfect pitch into surrounding space. 

As you explore this website, contemplating his stirring words, be alert to the living energy embedded in them. It can be likened to a benevolent virus (his words) ready to be caught by those who are primed and vigilant.

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Note:  We are reworking the biographical material that has previously been linked to here and plan to add an updated version on our new and forthcoming website, hopefully before the end of this year.  We appreciate your patience.     

Although our new version of this website has been delayed, we are happy to announce that progress is being made, and while we work on that effort, we'll continue to add some features to this current site.  By way of example, we will occasionally be posting readings from Swami Venkatesananda's translation of The Yoga Vasistha in our daily readngs section. For these postings, we will be using portions of Swami Venkatesananda's 1971 two-volume edition, entitled The Supreme Yoga.  Look for these occasional postings during the months of August and September of 2025. 
 


Daily Readings

The next three daily readings are shown below. You may also view a complete listing on our Calendar of Daily Readings.

April 19, 2026
Song of God (Bhagavad Gita) - Chapter V: 4-5

Why does man ‘renounce’ objects of sense-enjoyments? When a scorpion falls into your lap, why do you throw it away? Because you fear it will sting you. The sting will...

April 19, 2026
Venkatesa Daily Readings Volume I — April 19

f something has gone wrong with my yoga practice I must see where it has gone wrong. Either I am doing it mechanically or there is some inefficiency in it. So it is good to stop and  ...

April 19, 2026
The Supreme Yoga: The Yoga Vāsiṣṭha VI.I Chapters 126, Verse 85

This alone is saṁsāra: the feeling “This is”. Its cessation is liberation (mokṣa). This is the essence of jñāna or wisdom.