Vedic Study Members Enter Above
Our story begins on the banks of India’s Sarayu River, where seers once chanted mantras that now echo across time and continents. This lineage is alive—awaiting your rediscovery.
Vedic Wisdom: A Living Flame
Vedic knowledge has always been passed heart to heart. In Gurukulams of old, students lived with their teacher, learning not just from words—but from presence, silence, and service.
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​Our Sampradaya—lineage—is a living current of awakened wisdom passed through the Guru–Shishya Parampara. It’s not just a philosophy; it’s a shared breath of truth, kept alive across time.
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​“This is not just a lineage I teach—it is a light I carry. One that was carried to me. Now, I pass it to you.”
— Acharya Shunya
The Flame of Living Transmission
This photo depicts the unbroken spiritual fire of the Sarayu Veda Sampradaya, passed directly from Acharya Shanti Prakash (top), to his son and spiritual heir, Baba Ayodhya Nath (center), and now carried forward by his granddaughter, Acharya Shunya (bottom)—the first female Acharya of the lineage.
Together, they represent three generations of awakened guidance, rooted in Vedantic realization, householder wisdom, and fearless transmission into the modern age.
The Journey
Acharya Shunya's journey spans continents but remains rooted in the same wisdom stream. The river she grew up with now flows inside her she says...
"a river of wisdom, unstoppable".
You are invited into the story of her lineage—where ancient truth meets the heart of modern seekers.
“The river outside reflects the wisdom within.”
The Divine Householders Seers of Ayodhya
Rishi Vashishtha and Rishika Arundhati: First Flamebearers of the Sarayu Parampara
Our lineage is rooted in the non-dual teachings of Advaita Vedanta and stretches across time, connecting us to Rishi Vashishtha and Rishika Arundhati, sages of divine insight and householder dharma.
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It flows through Gaudapada, the profound philosopher of non-origination; through Adi Shankaracharya, the radiant flame of 8th-century Vedanta; and his four disciples, whose wisdom became the foundation for India’s monastic orders.
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This current then surged forward through the centuries—via Vachaspati Mishra, Ananda Giri, Acharya Vidyaranya, and Sadananda Yogindra—ensuring these truths reached not just temples and hermitages, but hearts.
Beyond scriptural brilliance, this lineage lived and breathed through the lifeblood of my family—blood ancestors who became vessels of devotion and preservation.
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These were not sages removed from the world, but householders who lived amidst society, while dedicating their entire beings to protecting and transmitting Vedic wisdom.
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Among these torchbearers:
Sadhu Satyadev (11th–12th century)
Acharya Atmananda Prakash (12th century)
Sadhu Dharma Nath (13th century)
Sadhu Summan Lal (17th–18th century)
And countless unnamed teachers who passed down the sacred fire in silence and steadfastness.
Acharya Shanti Prakash
Great Grandfather of Acharya Shunya
A Visionary during colonial times, he opened up the teachings for all castes and backgrounds.
Baba Ayodhya Nath
Acharya Shunya's grandfather and immediate teacher. A Householder (Grihastha) Sage ( Sadhu) and mystic, who led with both stillness inside him and strength in public. He opened up the sangha to all genders.
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Baba Ayodhya Nath, passed the direct spiritual transmission to Acharya Shunya. He saw in her—not just a granddaughter, not just a seeker—but the one to carry forward the Sarayu Veda Sampradaya into a new era.
Padamshri Daya Prakash Sinha
Acharya Shunya’s poetic voice and ability to speak to global audiences is a gift passed down from her father, Padma Shri Daya Prakash Sinha—a cultural icon of India, honored with the nation’s highest awards for his lifetime contributions as a playwright and Vedic scholar.
These three men—grandfather, great-grandfather, and father—each carried the flame differently. One founded inclusive ashrams. One taught in the silence of sunrise. One carried the teachings into India’s artistic and cultural heart.​
Shanti Prakash: Light in Colonial Darkness
Founder of the Universal Dharma Sangha, and compiler of the Adi Bhagavad Gita from palm leaf manuscripts and copper inscribed plates,my great grandfather offered holistic healing and inner liberation through Ayurveda, Yoga, and Vedanta—even in turbulent times.
“Sarva Arogyam, Sarva Mukti—Health and Liberation for All.”
Acharya Shanti Prakash
Great Grandfather of Acharya Shunya
Baba Ayodhya Nath: The Steadfast Lamp
A yogi of depth and vision, Baba Ayodhya Nath was a mystic 'grihastha' or householder Sage and Founder of Atma Vidya Sadan. He spent four silent years in the Himalayas immersed in meditation and self-inquiry. Upon returning, he founded Atma Vidya Sadan, a groundbreaking center for teaching the heart of Vedantic wisdom. In an era bound by caste and gender hierarchies, he boldly opened the doors of study to all—girls and boys, seekers from every background.
“The Self is not found in escape from life, but in full presence within it.
In the duties of the day, the silence of dawn, and the tears of surrender—
there, the Atman shines.”
— Baba Ayodhya Nath
Guru and grandfather of Acharya Shunya
Guru Shishya Dialogue
Illuminating spiritualized Ayurveda, authentic Yoga, and nondual Vedanta
Baba taught a refined integration of spiritualized Ayurveda, authentic Yoga, and nondual Vedanta focused on the direct realization of the Self (Atma Bodha). His vision was inclusive, his presence transformative. He became the guiding light of Acharya Shunya’s early path and prepared her to carry the Sarayu Sampradaya into the modern world. His legacy lives on wherever seekers walk the householder path with dignity and discernment.
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Baba's teachings revealed the Self—not as distant concept, but as living presence—and emphasized Atma Bodha, the direct knowledge of the Self. He mentored thousands and prepared the ground for Acharya Shunya, recognizing in her the one destined to lead the Sarayu Parampara into the future.
Baba’s life was an embodiment of Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga in perfect balance—offering proof that liberation can blossom in the soil of worldly life. His legacy continues to pulse through every seeker who studies, serves, and awakens within the householder stream.
“He walked in silence, taught in truth, and opened doors others had long kept closed.”
Acharya Shunya: Torchbearer of a Living Lineage
Born into the Sarayu Parampara and mentored from childhood by her grandfather Baba Ayodhya Nath, Acharya Shunya was chosen to carry forward this ancient flame into the modern world. As the first female head of the lineage, she brings a powerful integration of householder wisdom, Vedantic nonduality, and divine feminine presence to seekers worldwide.
“This light did not begin with me.
But through me, it continues to reach the world.”
Acharya Shunya
A Feminine Voice in a 2,000-Year Tradition
Acharya Shunya’s appointment was not symbolic—it was spiritual necessity.
Both Baba Ayodhya Nath saw in her the discernment (viveka), renunciation (vairagya), and inner radiance (tejas) required to lead.
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She teaches from direct realization—not just scriptural mastery. Her embodiment of the grihastha path, rooted in the Vedas and fully lived in the world, has become a guiding light for spiritual seekers navigating modern life.
Today, her teachings awaken hearts in over 21 countries. Through Vedika Global her nonprofit and the Vedic Study Circle, she continues the living fire of Advaita, Bhakti, Yoga, and Ayurveda—in service of awakening the Self in every being.
From Tradition to Transmission
Today, Acharya Shunya is not only preserving a lineage—she is transmitting it, heart to heart. Her students, known as Sadasyas, Sadhus, and Sadhvis, carry her teachings forward with devotion and clarity.
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With deep roots in ancient India and branches reaching the global soul, the Sarayu Sampradaya continues to blossom—through her voice, her silence, and her service.
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“A lineage ends when it becomes history.
A lineage lives when it becomes you.”
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Acharya Shunya
A Living Lineage for a Global Age
In 2007, Acharya Shunya founded Vedika Global, Inc. in the United States to carry forward the teachings of the Sarayu Veda Sampradaya. For many years, we operated as a classical Ayurveda school rooted in spiritual values. Since 2024, Vedika Global has become a full-time home for Vedic wisdom, integrating Ayurveda, Yoga, and Vedanta into a single, undivided path of self-realization.​Today, through our Vedic Study Circle, the ancient Gurukulam tradition continues online. Students from around the world immerse themselves in the Four Yogas, scriptural study, and Sadhana, honoring a lineage that is as alive now as it was on the banks of the Sarayu.
A Global Continuation: Future Stewards
Sadhvi Ishani, dedicated sadasya since 2009
Sadhvi Aparna, dedicated sadasya since 2009
Acharya Shunya has now begun initiating householder monks—Sadhus and Sadhvis—into the Sarayu Sampradaya, as per tradition. This sacred initiation honors the depth of their study, practice, and spiritual embodiment over many years.
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Sadhvi Ishani and Sadhvi Aparna were the first to receive this recognition. Their induction reflects the living continuity of the lineage and opens the door for future generations of sincere seekers. As Sadhvis, they uphold the values of Satsanga (spiritual community), Seva (selfless service), and Sadhana (spiritual practice)—guiding others while continuing to deepen their own inner journey.
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Responding to the Times: A Legacy of Adaptation and Service
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