Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha (addressed as ‘Poojya Swamiji’ or ‘Swamiji’ by disciples and followers) is a guide in an unbroken lineage of enlightened Souls.
He has been guiding people in their spiritual pursuit and expounding the universal truths of Supreme Reality in India and abroad for over six decades. His rational exposition of the science of Self-knowledge and its application in the art of refining, strengthening, and elevating the human mind has benefited and transformed countless professionals, householders, and students.
People involved in highly responsible and challenging positions find Swamiji’s teachings to touch deep chords in their mind and intelligence which generates the needed sublimity, clarity, and vision to address and overcome difficult situations in their lives.
Swamiji is a Sannyaasin belonging to the ‘Tirtha’ lineage of Adi Sankaracharya, and an active social reformer. He is widely revered as a spiritual master, scholar and exponent of the ancient Hindu Scriptures – Bhagavadgeeta, Srimad Bhāgavatam and Upaniśads – and is well-known for his discourses on Vedanta and its practical application in daily life.
He has also been instrumental in organizing campaigns for abolition of some discriminative, derogatory and superstitious practices that were followed by some Hindu temples. He has stood strongly for restoration, preservation and promotion of national values, environmental protection, cultural and academic uplifting of village children and development and welfare of rural areas.
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha was born in 1933, in the village of Parlikad near Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district, Kerala, India. After completing his education, he moved to Kolkata (then known as Calcutta), to join his brothers and take up employment.
It was during this phase of his life that he met and got associated with Baba Gangadhara Paramahamsa, a sage from Dakshinkhanda, West Bengal, which eventually led to his introduction to the world of spirituality and seeking self-realization.
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha’s association with Baba Gangadhara Paramahamsa inspired him to undergo intense meditation and spiritual practice.
Ultimately, in 1956, at the age of 23, he renounced his professional life and embraced Sannyāsa, becoming a disciple of Baba. After being initiated into Brahmavidya (Science of Self-knowledge), he undertook assiduous study of the ancient texts and scriptures, as well as the Sanskrit language. As he progressed along the path of spirituality, some of his family members were also influenced to follow him. Later on, he decided to move back to Kerala, where the young ascetic was invited by many people, institutions and organizations for giving discourses on Indian spiritual texts, which gradually developed into his mission of spiritual knowledge dissemination, leading seekers towards the light of self-knowledge.
He travelled extensively to conduct discourses, and his proficiency in English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil made it easy for him to interact with seekers from different parts of the country. In 1963, he set up Narayanashrama Tapovanam, in Venginissery, Thrissur, which has, over the years, developed into a centre of intense research in the fields of Spiritual learning and Vedanta.