Sankara Bhagavadpada

Dr. Sankara Bhagavadpada, is an Indian spiritual teacher & Vedic astrologer from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Early Life and Education
Dr. Sankara Bhagavadpada was born Shanker Ramachandran, on May 1, 1948 in Madras (present day Chennai) in southern India. During the impressionable boyhood years, he came under the benevolent spiritual & philosophical influence of his mother and his philosopher-friend (who later came to be known as Master Sri Bhagavan).

In 1971, he secured his Masters degree (physics) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai. He did his doctoral research (between 1971 and 1980) at The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai.

His research work during this period of a decade (1972 - 1982) which was for him simultaneously introspective and meditative, was published in the form of ten papers in the best international research journals in that field.

Post-Doctoral research in Germany
In 1980 he secured the doctorate degree from TIFR, in the field of theoretical nuclear Physics. After completing the doctoral work, he worked at the Goethe University Frankfurt in W Germany as an Alexander Von Humboldt post-doctoral research fellow (1980-1982) - till late 1982, collaborating here with his erudite mentors and well-wishers Prof C S Warke and Prof Walter Greiner.

Introspective and Meditative years
Even during his academic years while attempting to fit into a highly competitive modern world, in which no one paid any attention to the spiritual well-being of individuals, he underwent a radical change of heart, whereby his spiritual life and the aspirations of his deeper-self, took precedence over all other survival concerns. He was able to tide over this crisis - which was one of conflict between the spiritual-aspirations of the deeper-self on the one hand and bread & butter concerns of a mundane world on the other - by taking to heart, the teachings of the J. Krishnamurti, for this is what he was asked to do, in that perilous hour by his concerned philosopher friend.

As an inevitable consequence of these introspective and meditative years, there was for him at this stage in his spiritual development, the palpable blessing of slipping into the Sthitha Prajna’s state of Atma Prasannata, which was the result of his spontaneous withdrawal (for the first time), from his worldly obsessions, which were all centered on the ‘outer world’ of the Panchabhutas (five elements). At this turning point, he sought the guidance of his philosopher-friend, who had earlier spiritually initiated him in his boyhood.

Thus, till his 34th year, Dr Sankara was a researcher, with profound enquiry as a general approach to all spheres of life.

In a Krishnamurti School, Briefly
In an attempt to express his deeply-felt devotion & gratitude to his master J. Krishnamurti, because of the profound impact of his teachings in his life - soon after he returned to India (late 1982) - he offered his services to the Krishnamurti Foundation, which resulted in his being appointed as the principal of one of their schools. However, as his authorities were displeased with his highly independent style of functioning, he was relieved of his responsibilities within a matter of 6 months.

Jeevashram, Master’s Mission work, ‘Withdrawal'
From such humble beginnings, along with his philosopher-friend, he established an Ashram school called Jeevashram (in Chittoor Dist of Andhra Pradesh), which was to serve as a ‘seed’ for their envisioned spiritual mission (1984). As a token of his abiding gratitude towards him, he felt morally bounden to serve this Master, for that blessing of the Sthitha Prajna’s Atma Prasannata, which he secured as a result of turning inwards and watching the ‘self’ at work and as a result of taking to heart the upadesa(teachings) of this beloved Master. Thus he served this Master Sri Bhagavan, as a completely self-less Karma Yogi for seventeen long years. Between 1989 & 1998, when he was in the forefront of that spiritual mission (as the paramacharya), he came to be known for his highly inspiring Satsangs, yajnas and talks on the spiritual life. In Oct 1991, his Master Sri Sri Bhagavan, touched by his beloved friend’s devotion and utter sincerity, had blessed him with the name, Sankara Bhagavadpada.

Thereafter, watching his Master’s growing spiritual mission steadying itself firmly on its own feet; in 1999, he withdrew fully from an involvement in that mission work and has been, since then responding to a new inner calling – Atmajnana (Self Knowledge) and Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology), for which he has also had his Master’s blessings in full measure. It may be noted that this is the second time in his life, when he has gracefully yielded to that inner call for ‘withdrawal from the world’.

Research Contributions, Jyotisha (Vedic and Systems Approach)
Among the Jyotish Acharyas, who had inspired him in his pursuit of astrological knowledge and wisdom are foremost Prof. V.K. Choudhry, followed by ancient & contemporary Vedic astrologers, especially Pandit Vamadeva Shastri. In the last twelve years of withdrawal, solitude and contemplative study, his labours of learning were in the spheres of Advaita-Atmajnana, Jyotisha & the Systems' Approach in the spheres of Dharma & Moksha. In February 2007, ‘The Systems Institute of Hindu Astrology’ under the chairmanship of Prof. V. K. Choudhry conferred on him the honorary title of ‘Jyotish Ratan’, in appreciation of his meritorious services, towards the cause of Hindu Astrology. Since March 2006, every year, he has been presenting his astrological work in the spheres of Dharma and Moksha, at the Annual International Astrological Conferences in Gurgaon, India; under the chairmanship of Prof. V. K. Choudhry, and organized by the International Institute of Predictive Astrology [IIPA], Fairfield, USA.

Publication
Quite recently, he has come to be better known for his interdisciplinary work: Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Moksha- A Hindu Astrological Pilgrimage into the Life and Moksha of Sri Ramana Maharshi published by Yogi Impressions, Mumbai (Dec 2008). In this work, he has certainly broken new ground, by presenting in a systematic manner for the first time, many fundamental principles of Jyotisha in the spiritual spheres of Dharma & Moksha. The Moksha of Sri Ramana Maharshi is also presented in a well-researched manner, relying on the comprehensive 'Systems' Approach', renowned for its analytical clarity and predictive accuracy.

Atmajnana (self-knowing, Self-realization)
In 2011, Dr Sankara yielding to a new Atmic inspiration, moved away from his erstwhile long period of twelve years of withdrawal, solitude and contemplative study [Antarmukha]. This spiritual phenomena of withdrawal from the world followed by a subsequent return to it is well known in both Eastern as well as in the Christian religious traditions, for without such a protracted withdrawal from an active outer life, earnest seekers may not be able to come upon any enduring spiritual illumination in the spheres of Dharma & Moksha. Yielding then to these new rays of Atmic inspiration, he took the first step of making his intention known - of aspiring to make available the ancient Vedic spiritual systems of knowledge: Atmajnana, and Jyotisha (and more generally other Vedic systems of learning), to the English-speaking Western world, thereby sharing the same with seekers in those lands, for the purpose of their individual and collective inner wellbeing & fulfillment [Lokakalyana]. And as though to set in motion this new chapter with some élan vital; in July 2011, he conducted along with the renowned Ayurvedacharya, Dr Sunil Joshi (Ayurvedic Panchakarma Physician from Nagpur, India, & Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA), in Chennai, an ‘Atmajnana-Ayurvedajnana Yajna’ as a full two-day retreat. This decisive shift and return to the world, after 12 years of withdrawal, solitude & contemplative study, is all the more noteworthy, because in the previous active phase of his spiritual life, he had served his Master and philosopher friend, Sri Sri Bhagavan [founder of the Oneness spiritual movement] for 16 long years (1983-1999).

In Sept 2012, he is scheduled to embark on a new ‘learning pilgrimage’ (after having spent many years in Antarmukha or ‘withdrawal from the world’) for seeing and knowing the Western world, for understanding the nature of their spiritual seeking, and for learning from their great spiritual traditions, Masters and the institutions, they founded. In this process of learning from the West, he intends to also be sharing his own spiritual and astrological realizations and understanding with kindred spiritual seekers, wherever such an opportunity would present itself to him. He has been invited to conduct Atmajnana Yajnas [self-knowledge and self-realization retreats] in the South American countries of Uruguay & Mexico; and likewise, he has also been offered the opportunity to hold Satsangs, and provide Vedic Astrological consultations & spiritual counselling sessions in Canada.

Profoundly Indebted to these Masters and their Teachings

 * Sri Bhagavan [for lifelong spiritual guidance, for being his Guru]
 * Sri J Krishnamurti [for self-knowing, for Atmavichara, for securing Atmaprasannata]
 * Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj [for Atmavichara, for abiding in Atmaprasannata, for Self-realization]
 * Sri Ramana Maharshi [for being an embodiment of Siva, “Bhikshatana” Manifestation, for Atmavichara]
 * Prof V. K. Choudhry [for being the Jyotish Guru]
 * Pandit Vamadeva Shastri [for Jyotisha, as well as Vedic ethos]

Recent years
Presently he teaches Hindu spiritual disciplines of knowledge such as Jyotisha [Vedic astrology, especially through the research-based ‘Systems Approach’], Atmajnana [self-knowing & Self-realization based on the Bhagavad Gita, other Advaitic texts, Jyotisha, as well as on the teachings of departed Advaitic Masters] & Daivajnana [knowledge & realization of Divinity from the Bhagavad Gita].

Dr Sankara, continues to offer astrological and spiritual consultations to serious seekers from his home in Chennai [since 2003], and, since a year, is also involved in teaching an interactive ‘Modern Course in Vedic Astrology’ [largely based on the ‘Systems Approach’], through e-mail lessons. He is a house-holder, living with his family in the outskirts of Chennai.