Jiva Institute of Vedic Studies
Authentic Bhakti Yoga
Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji’s teachings are rooted in over 25 years of study from realized teachers in tradition. Through Jiva Institute, he offers clear, structured guidance for everyone interested in learning. Established in a wide scriptural canon, Babaji has a holistic understanding that helps you deepening your spiritual journey.
Rooted in Scripture, Guided By Babaji's Wisdom and Experience
Babaji – Saint and Scholar
Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji is a renowned scholar and spiritual leader known for his deep insights and humorous delivery. After earning a degree from IIT and working as an engineer in the USA, he returned to India in 1983 to study Vedic scriptures in Vrindavan. Today, he shares authentic wisdom with seekers worldwide.
Welcome to Jiva Institute
Nestled in the sacred land of Vrindavan, Jiva Institute offers a unique space to explore the profound wisdom of the Vedic tradition. Through scholarly learning and authentic spiritual practices, students experience true inner transformation.
Bhakti Yoga
“All the spiritual paths can be divided into two groups. The path based on head and the path based on heart. Bhakti yoga is the path of the heart. It is the process of practicing love for God and his creation, which includes human beings, animals and nature.” – Babaji
Live Classes
Bhagavad-gītā
Live Sundays 10:30 am IST
In this highly practical class, Babaji focuses on the practical and psychological lessons taught in Bhagavad Gītā. The class is in Hindi with live translations into English & Spanish on Zoom.
Watch Recordings in Hindi
Watch Recordings in English
Listen on Spotify in Hindi
Bhakti-ratna Course
Live Mon-Fri 8-10 pm IST (9:30 am EST)
Dive deep into scriptural study with this complete educational package to nourish your heart and intellect. Hear Babaji teach Prīti-sandarbha and Vaiśeṣika-sūtra. It also includes Sanskrit for Beginners, Caitanya-caritāmṛtam, and Vedic Psychology.
Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam
Live Saturdays 8:15 pm IST (9:45 EST)
Learn from Babaji the Sanskrit grammar for Vaiṣṇavas composed by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. This grammar is special because all technical terms are names of Kṛṣna. Almost every sūtra corresponds to one in Pāṇinī’s system.
Vedic Psychology Book Club
Live Wednesdays 6:30 pm IST (8 am EST)
Vedic Psychologist, Jessica Richmond, PhD, shares her personal stories from life on the road traveling and teaching with Babaji. Her stories are riddled with humor as she navigates the mysterious ways in which Babaji teaches her these lessons.
Caitanya-caritāmṛtam
Live Sundays 4:30 pm IST (6 am EST)
Krsna-sharana Dasa Baba teaches the Caitanya- caritāmṛtam. This book explains the bhakti philosophy and exemplifies it with the life story of the founder of our school, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Hindi Foundations in 24h
Live Mon & Fri 2-3 pm IST
Mormukut Anuragi teaches Hindi for daily conversations and grammar for reading and writing. Scholarly learning made fun with communication skills workshops and specifically designed tasks to expedite learning and build interest. The course runs from Jan 13th – March 30.
Insights
A treasure trove of knowledge awaits seekers and scholars alike
What Is Shastra?
Question: What do we consider to be śāstra in our Gauḍīya sampradāya? An ācārya’s book is also śāstra, correct? Answer:.
Dharma-shastras and Manu-smrti
Question: Do traditional Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas and our Gauḍīya ācāryas accept dharma-śāstra such as Manu-smṛti? How can verses like Manu-smṛti 8.270–8.272.
Liberation or Rotating in Samsara?
Question: I am attracted to the philosophy of acintya-bheda-abheda and I regard Kṛṣṇa as my iṣṭa-deva. However, Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s interpretation of Bhagavad Gītā 16:19-20 bothers.
Free Foundational Classes
Get the essence of Babaji’s teachings
Babaji explains that the biggest attraction for human beings is love, but love is something which is most misunderstood. Listen to Babaji explain the beauty of love and talking about Vrindavan where Sri Krishna, the God of love, performed His most wonderful activities.
“Spiritual practitioners rarely experience the promised benefits – because they either don’t study śāstra or don’t study śāstra in the way that śāstra prescribes”. Babaji explains how correct knowledge inspires good desires which cause good actions which reap good results. He shows how modern education is incomplete because scholars are not satisfied with their knowledge because they have not studied that by knowing which everything becomes known.
What is the purpose of having a guru? Why is a guru necessary to learn spiritual topics? Is guru a human or God or both? Why and how does the guru take away the sins of the disciple? How can we ensure that we absorb the guru’s teachings? How to determine if a guru-paramparā is pure and unbroken?
Listen to Babaji’s answers to these important questions!
Deepen Your Bhakti Journey
Join our Patreon community and gain exclusive access to sacred wisdom, interactive Q&As with Babaji, unpublished texts, and special discounts. Support the preservation of ancient teachings while connecting with like-minded seekers.
The heart of a spiritualist is like a clean mirror. Mirror does not store the samskaras of the objects that reflect in it. A spiritualist can remember his experiences but they do not have any emotional power over him.