A prolific author on the science and philosophy of Yoga-Vedanta, he combined the universal message of these teachings with his deep knowledge of both Eastern and Western medicine and psychology. His areas of specialty ranged from Ayurveda to modern psychiatry and neurosurgery.
Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati is the Founder and Spiritual Director of the Yoga Society of New York, Inc. (1958) and its country center Ananda Ashram (1964). He also established the Yoga Society of San Francisco, Inc. (1972), known as Brahmananda Ashram, and inspired several other centers of meditation in the United States and abroad.
Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati left his physical body in 1993. His teachings, writings, and recorded talks continue to illuminate the path of meditation and Self-inquiry. The seeds of Self-knowledge he planted continue to grow, fostering unity and harmony grounded in spiritual understanding.
Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati
(Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D.)
Ashram Founder Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, also known as Ramamurti S. Mishra, M.D., was a highly respected spiritual teacher for countless students and devotees from all walks of life.
Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati’s written and recorded works represent a comprehensive and authentic modern expression of the classical tradition. In addition to his published works, a substantial body of recorded teachings preserves his direct instruction.
Writings & Teachings
His major publications include:
The Textbook of Yoga Psychology
(A commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtras)
Self Analysis and Self Knowledge
(On Shankaracharya’s Ātma Bodha)
Fundamentals of Yoga
Translations of the Upanishads and other ancient Sanskrit texts
Numerous essays and spiritual reflections
Selected Essays
The following themes reflect central aspects of his teaching and continue to guide students in study and contemplation.
Peaceful Coexistence
In this teaching, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati affirms that true peace cannot be established solely through external arrangements, but must arise from Self-knowledge. When one recognizes the same Consciousness in all beings, division dissolves. From this understanding flows natural harmony.
Peaceful coexistence is therefore not an ideal imposed from outside, but the spontaneous expression of unity realized within.
Spiritual Health & Healing
Here he teaches that health is not limited to the condition of the body. True well-being rests upon the proper alignment of body, breath, mind, and Awareness. Drawing from Yoga, Vedanta, and Ayurveda, he clarifies that ignorance of one’s essential nature is the root disturbance. Knowledge of the Self restores balance.
Healing, in its highest sense, is the recognition of the changeless Reality that underlies all change.
The Significance of Guru
In accordance with the scriptural tradition, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati describes the Guru not as a personality, but as the revealer of Knowledge.
The Guru removes ignorance through instruction grounded in scripture and direct realization. The outer teacher points the student toward the inner Light of Awareness.Through humility, inquiry, and steady practice, the student discovers that the Truth revealed by the Guru is none other than the Self.
Its mission is to safeguard the founder’s teachings and promote works that emphasize the oneness and freedom of Consciousness—often expressed as the recognition of “I AM.”
The Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization with offices and archives located at Ananda Ashram.
Baba Bhagavandas Publication Trust
Established in 1992 and named in honor of his Guru, Baba Bhagavandas of Bombay, India, the Baba Bhagavandas Publication Trust is dedicated to preserving and publishing Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati’s written and recorded works.
Contact
Baba Bhagavandas Publication Trust
Ananda Ashram
13 Sapphire Road
Monroe, NY 20950
Online Resources
- Visit babatrust.org to download recordings of the Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali and the Ātma Bodha by Shankaracharya, chanted by Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati and students.
- View video recordings in the Shri Brahmananda Video Archive (filmed by devotee John Parulis).
contact@babatrust.org