Maha Kumbh: Why IIT graduate gave up high-paying US job and turned to spirituality

On the grand Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the place numerous devotees converge searching for religious awakening, tales of profound transformation are making waves. One such inspiring story is that of Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan.

An IIT graduate, Narayanan had a thriving profession in america, however his life took a unprecedented flip when he embraced the profound teachings of Vedanta and left his high-paying job behind.

Right here’s a better have a look at his extraordinary journey.

‘IIT felt like an enormous achievement, however…’

Narayanan’s outstanding journey started on the esteemed IIT-BHU, the place he earned his engineering diploma in 1992. He quickly launched into an expert profession, beginning with Tata Metal.

In 1993, nonetheless, his life took an sudden flip when he moved to america. It was throughout this time that he encountered the transformative teachings of Swami Dayanand Saraswati. This pivotal assembly launched him to Vedanta, the profound Indian philosophy centred on self-realisation and everlasting happiness.

“I met Guru Ji for the primary time, and after listening to his ‘pravachan’ I grew to become taken with Vedanta,” Narayanan instructed ANI.

By 1995, Narayanan returned to India with a renewed sense of function. He immersed himself in a residential course on the Gurukulam, dedicating years to the rigorous examine of Vedanta and Sanskrit. His dedication bore fruit, as he grew to become a revered trainer of those historical disciplines.

Over the previous 20 years, he has continued to show on the Gurukul, sharing the knowledge he gained by means of his religious journey.

Reflecting on his experiences, Narayanan admitted that whereas tutorial achievements like gaining admission to IIT initially felt monumental, their significance pale over time.

“All achievements really feel massive solely in the intervening time, however after a while it feels regular and also you begin working in your subsequent goal,” he defined to ANI. “After I joined IIT, it felt like an ideal achievement, however there have been so many others like me who cracked the doorway examination to get there. It didn’t really feel like an enormous deal after that.”

#WATCH | Delhi: On his journey from IITian to Vedantacharya, Acharya Jaishankar Narayanan says, ” I’m a disciple of Swami Dayanand Saraswati… I lived within the Gurukulam for 3 years. Earlier than that, I studied engineering at IIT-BHU for 4 years. I handed out in 1992 and labored at… pic.twitter.com/cBmfv3WoXr

— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2025

Embracing spirituality

In a dialog with IANS, Acharya Narayanan defined his religious journey by means of Vedanta.

Reflecting on the common seek for happiness, he shared, “Regardless of all materials achievements, I discovered that folks, whether or not in India or the US, have been sad. True happiness is just not discovered within the materials world however in self-knowledge and realization, as taught in Vedanta.”

He defined that salvation and everlasting happiness, central to Indian tradition, are attained by means of self-awareness, not reliant on the afterlife.

“Solely happiness blended with sorrow could be obtained. After that, it should go away. Sorrow stays since you can not cease what you will have from leaving. Union and separation will hold occurring. In such circumstances, we should take into account what’s everlasting in life. Solely that which transcends area and time is everlasting. The scriptures present our true nature. That is the topic of Vedanta,” he mentioned.

He additionally commented on the case of Abhey Singh, an IITian-baba who rose to recognition this Maha Kumbh. He urged individuals to deal with an individual’s current path moderately than their previous.

“Like rivers that turn into pure regardless of their origins, a saint’s present actions must be valued greater than their historical past. The tales of sages like Valmiki remind us of the transformative energy of Dharma,” he instructed the information company.

The story of Kumbh’s well-known IIT Baba

Among the many most mentioned figures at Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh 2025 is Abhey Singh, famously generally known as the “IIT Baba.” A graduate of IIT Bombay, Singh’s transition from aerospace engineering to a life devoted to spirituality has drawn widespread consideration.

Hailing from Sasarouli village in Haryana, Singh adopted a conventional tutorial route, excelling in his research at IIT Bombay and later securing a high-paying job in Canada, incomes an annual wage of Rs 36 lakh.

Nonetheless, regardless of his success, Singh struggled with despair whereas dwelling overseas, which led him to query the aim of life and the workings of the human thoughts. Searching for solutions, he stop his job and returned to India to discover spirituality.

Not too long ago, Singh’s religious journey took a contentious flip when he was expelled from the Juna Akhara. He confronted allegations of misconduct, together with utilizing abusive language in direction of his guru, Mahant Someshwar Puri, and accusations of drug use made by fellow ascetics.

In an interview with India Immediately, Singh denied the accusations, claiming they have been baseless and motivated by jealousy over his rising recognition.

“They suppose I’ve turn into well-known and may expose one thing about them, so that they’re spreading nonsense, claiming I’ve gone for secret meditation,” he mentioned, asserting that he stays actively concerned within the spiritual gathering.

Singh additionally criticised Mahant Someshwar Puri, who had earlier referred to Singh as his disciple. Refuting this declare, Singh said, “I had already clarified there is no such thing as a guru-disciple relationship between us. Now that I’ve gained recognition, he’s positioning himself as my guru,” as quoted in a report by Aaj Tak.

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