Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda

This lecture by Swami Sarvapriyananda summarizes Sri Ramakrishna’s key teachings. It highlights his emphasis on direct experience of God, the validity of all religious paths, and universal accessibility to spiritual realization. The talk covers Sri Ramakrishna’s methods for God realization, his joyous approach to spirituality, and his transformative influence. It presents Sri Ramakrishna as a figure who made spirituality experiential and universally accessible in the modern age.Opening Music Credits to:  • মূর্ত মহেশ্বর।। স্বামীজী সঙ্গীত।। 🌺 S...  

The Isha Upanishad (Sanskrit: ईशोपनिषद्, IAST: Īśopaniṣad), also known as Shri Ishopanishad, Ishavasya Upanishad, or Vajasaneyi Samhita Upanishad, is one of the shortest Upanishads, embedded as the final chapter (adhyāya) of the Shukla Yajurveda. It is a Mukhya (primary, principal) Upanishad, and is known in two recensions, called Kanva (VSK) and Madhyandina (VSM). The Upanishad is a brief poem, consisting of 17 or 18 verses, depending on the recension.It is classified as a "poetic Upanishad" along with Kena, Katha, Svetasvatara and Mundaka by Paul Deussen (1908).► To support the Vedanta Society of New York: http://www.vedantany.org/donateWeb: http://vedantany.orgiTunes Podcast: http://bit.ly/vedanta-talks-itunesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IrDmqXhiGwwyQcIUjRhtB

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Verse 17 from the Thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. This series of talks unfolds the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of "The Song of God".🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 17:ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमस: परमुच्यते |ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ||17||Jyotiṣhām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param uchyatejñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛidi sarvasya viṣhṭhitam ||17||🔴 The self-luminous light of consciousness revealing even all that is luminous, He is beyond obscuration by the darkness of ignorance. He, the light of knowledge, He, the quest of knowledge, He, the way to whom is knowledge -- in the inner-most recess of all beings is He established.

Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."This session was recorded on Apr 13, 2021.

Q&A session led by Swami Sarvapriyananda at the Vedanta Society of New York on Feb 23rd, 2025. List of questions with timestamps:00:00 - Intro02:10 - How should we pray? What should we pray for?07:19 - I intend to become a monk. How can I maintain inner peace in the midst of the world before joining?14:48 - What is the best way to read through a text with others?18:50 - Is reflected consciousness the same as witness consciousness?30:28 - How do I apply Vedanta to day-to-day life?  38:23 - How can the world be an appearance to Brahman?54:01 - How can I understand consciousness through service?01:01:21 - How does the mind drop attributes?01:07:21 - If everything is an illusion why am I not an illusion as well?01:18:35 - If no company is better than bad company, how can we practice this without hurting others?01:23:50 - What is it that I want?

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Kena Upanishad in this series.The Kena Upanishad (Sanskrit: केनोपनिषद्) (also alternatively known as Talavakara Upanishad) is a Vedic Sanskrit text classified as one of the primary or Mukhya Upanishads that is embedded inside the last section of the Talavakara Brahmana of the Samaveda. It is listed as number 2 in the Muktikā, the canon of the 108 Upanishads of Hinduism.Kena Upanishad has three parts: 13 verses in the first part, 15 paragraphs in the second part, and 6 paragraphs in the epilogue. These are distributed in four khaṇḍas (खण्ड, sections or volumes). The first Khanda has 8 verses, the second has 5 verses. The third Khanda has 12 paragraphs, while the fourth khanda has the remaining 9 (3 paragraphs of main text and 6 paragraphs of the epilogue).

Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."This session was recorded on Apr 6, 2021.

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Verses 16-18 from the Thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. This series of talks unfolds the highest truths of Vedanta through the study of "The Song of God".🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 16:अविभक्तं च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् |भूतभर्तृ च तज्ज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ||16||Avibhaktaṁ cha bhūteṣhu vibhaktam iva cha sthitambhūta-bhartṛi cha taj jñeyaṁ grasiṣhṇu prabhaviṣhṇu cha ||16||🔴 He, (the Brahman) whom aspirants seek to know, is the impartible Whole, yet does He seem to dwell in all beings as if divided into many. He is the generator and supporter of all beings, and their devourer too.🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 17:ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमस: परमुच्यते |ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ||17||Jyotiṣhām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param uchyatejñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ hṛidi sarvasya viṣhṭhitam ||17||🔴 The self-luminous light of consciousness revealing even all that is luminous, He is beyond obscuration by the darkness of ignorance. He, the light of knowledge, He, the quest of knowledge, He, the way to whom is knowledge -- in the inner-most recess of all beings is He established.🔆 Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 13 Verse 18:इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासत: |मद्भक्त एतद्विज्ञाय मद्भावायोपपद्यते ||18||Iti kṣhetraṁ tathā jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ choktaṁ samāsataḥmad-bhakta etad vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate ||18||🔴 Thus has been briefly expounded what the Ksetra (material Nature) is, as also what constitutes knowledge and the object of knowledge. My devotee who understands these verities becomes worthy of My state.

Swami Sarvapriyananda reads and discusses the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna is an English translation of the Bengali spiritual text Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita by Swami Nikhilananda. The text records conversations of Ramakrishna with his disciples, devotees and visitors, recorded by Mahendranath Gupta, who wrote the book under the pseudonym of "M."This session was recorded on Mar 30, 2021.

Swami Sarvapriyananda teaches Kena Upanishad in this series.The Kena Upanishad (Sanskrit: केनोपनिषद्) (also alternatively known as Talavakara Upanishad) is a Vedic Sanskrit text classified as one of the primary or Mukhya Upanishads that is embedded inside the last section of the Talavakara Brahmana of the Samaveda. It is listed as number 2 in the Muktikā, the canon of the 108 Upanishads of Hinduism.Kena Upanishad has three parts: 13 verses in the first part, 15 paragraphs in the second part, and 6 paragraphs in the epilogue. These are distributed in four khaṇḍas (खण्ड, sections or volumes). The first Khanda has 8 verses, the second has 5 verses. The third Khanda has 12 paragraphs, while the fourth khanda has the remaining 9 (3 paragraphs of main text and 6 paragraphs of the epilogue).