Today we will begin reading the chapter titled “The Philosophy of The Eternal Religion” where Swami Ranganathananda delves into the concepts of Vedanta, its philosophical and spiritual basis and its implications on Sanatana Dharma and of course the vision of such an ancient and yet temporally pertinentline of thought and action.

The chapter I will read today is called the Appeal of Vedanta to Modern Man, and in it Swami Ranganthananda begins with an explanation of the word Hindu followed by a very scientific introduction to the approach of the Upanishads. He then brings in the foundational concepts of Vedanta and its universality and a high level discussion of its key teachings. The universality of Vedanta is not only evident in the words he has written buteven in their reach. This chapter is a speech the Swami deilvered in Athens, Greece, way back in 1961, in collaboration with UNESCO during his 17 country lecture tour of Europe that spanned 4 months.

In the passages in this episode, we will conclude the reading of the first chapter in the first volume. It may be of interest to you know, these passages I have been reading in these first 5 episodes were from the speech titled “The Essence of Indian Culture” delivered by Swami Ranganathananda, at theRamakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in Kolkata, in December of 1964. The reason I bring this up is to highlight how eternal his words are and how timely they will seem today. His thoughts on acceptance, tolerance, assimilation of various cultures and influences to create Indian thought is so inspiring from a global perspective.

Today’s episode we shall read passages that talk to the Godliness in man, the origin and evolution of such thought, and the synthesis of Greek and Indian philosophies during concurrent times.

In today’s readings, Swami Ranganathananda begins to explore the charm of the Upanishads and Upanishadic thought. He traces the development of Indian spirituality to ancient times and brings in the evolution of the inward thinking man, as opposed to the outward thinking often found in Greek history.Swamiji draws wonderful parallels of how ancient Greek saw man as a part of a society of community and gave precedence to his socio political identity. Indian Upanishadic thought went a step further and took the Greek dictum of “man know thyself” to become a practical reality in the Indian mind. One that became the wellspring of thoughts on manifestation of man’s true self, his questions on death and beyond, so on andso forth.

The passages I will read in this episode, continue from the previous one where Swamiji has starts to weave in the origin and significance of the Upanishads. He will talk more about this in the subsequent chapters but for now, he introduces the interconnectedness of this profound Hindu text with the philosophy that was found in India at that time, and thesynthesis with modern scientific thought seen in western civilization. Swami Ranganathandanda quotes Charles Darwin and Julian Huxley and various other thinkers in his passages. His mind was a library of cross referenced indicesthat continue to awe and inspire even today

This episode explores the profound essence of Indian culture through the insightful lens of Swami Ranganathananda. Drawing upon the wisdom of renowned historians and philosophers, Swamiji presents a sweeping view of India’s cultural heritage—tracing its roots back to the Indo-Aryan era and examining the evolution of the intellectually awakened human being. With clarity and conviction, he lays the foundation for a broader understanding of India’s socio-cultural and spiritual legacy, highlighting its enduring relevance in the context of modern scientific thought. This treatise is not just a reflection on the past, but a compelling bridge between ancient wisdom and contemporary inquiry.

Welcome to “Readings from Eternal Values for a Changing Society by Swami Ranganathananda.”

This podcast brings you chapter-by-chapter readings and reflections from one of the most revered spiritual thinkers of modern India. Swami Ranganathananda, the 13th President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, was a visionary monk whose teachings bridged timeless Vedantic wisdom with the challenges of contemporary life.

This episode is a brief overview of this illustrious author and his iconic treatise that I shall read to you chapter by chapter. The relevance of his words is timeless, and especially timely in today's world. We shall reflect on this and I will try and incorporate some interesting anecdotes from this life and teachings, that continue to affirm, how beautifully and poignantly he lived and practiced the truths, he so effortlessly expounded.

Swami Ranganathananda was my Spiritual Guru, so on this auspicious day of Guru Purnima I am humbled to launch this first glimpse.