The Sarayu Parampara
The Sarayu Parampara is an Advaita Vedanta lineage born on the banks of the Sarayu River in Ayodhya, India. For generations, it has preserved the teachings of nonduality through direct transmission from teacher to disciple.
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This lineage was never institutional in spirit. It lived in homes, in courtyards, in daily ritual, in disciplined study, and in silence. Its authority rests not in expansion, but in fidelity to truth.
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The essence of the teaching has remained unchanged: the Self alone is real, whole, and free.
Guardians of the Teaching
n every generation, the light of knowledge was carried by one who lived it.
Each Acharya embodied Advaita not as philosophy, but as lived recognition. They were scholars, practitioners, householders, and renunciates in different measures, yet united in clarity.
Their work was not to innovate the truth, but to guard it and pass it forward intact
Acharya Shunya
Spiritual Head of the Sarayu Parampara
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Initiated in childhood within the lineage, she carries forward its uncompromising vision in the modern era. Under her guidance, the teachings now reach sincere seekers worldwide while remaining rooted in their original source.
'Baba' Ayodhya Nath
Grandfather and Guru of Acharya Shunya
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A scholar and householder sage who embodied Advaita within daily life. Through him, the teachings were preserved in their original rigor and entrusted to Acharya Shunya.
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Acharya Shanti Prakash
Revered Freat Grandfather Guru
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A master of Advaita Vedanta who preserved the contemplative depth of the Sarayu lineage during a time of social change. His clarity and discipline formed the backbone of the parampara’s transmission.
A Historic Continuation
In its known history, the Sarayu Parampara has been guided by male Acharyas. Acharya Shunya stands as its first female head.
This transition was not symbolic. It was the natural unfolding of disciplined discipleship, scriptural mastery, and direct initiation.
The lineage continues, unchanged in essence, yet responsive to the needs of the present age.
In the twenty-first century, she carries this parampara across cultures, languages, and continents, without dilution, without modification, and without separation from its roots.
What was once transmitted in small circles in India is now shared with sincere seekers around the world, while remaining anchored in its original vision.
The Living Tradition
A parampara survives only when it is practiced.
Today, the teachings of the Sarayu lineage are preserved through:
• Scriptural study of Advaita Vedanta
• The integrated practice of the four yogas — Bhakti, Karma, Upasana, and Jnana
• Daily sadhana and disciplined inquiry
• Conscious community rooted in reverence and responsibility
The lineage is not nostalgia. It is a living discipline of Self-knowledge.​​​​
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Carrying the Flame Forward
Transmission endures only when knowledge is lived, studied, and entrusted. The next generation of teachers has emerged through years of disciplined discipleship within the Sarayu Parampara.
Sadhvi Ishani
Sadhvi Aparna
Sadhvi Aparna
Walking the Path
For those who feel drawn to study with Acharya Shunya today, the Vedic Study Circle is the doorway into the Sarayu Parampara.​ The journey begins as a Sadasya, a committed student who listens, studies, reflects, and aligns daily life with the teachings. With steady practice and inner growth, one may become a Sadhya, a dedicated practitioner who lives the disciplines more consciously and embodies spiritual responsibility.​For a rare few, after years of study, service, and deep assimilation, the path may culminate in the role of Sadhvi or Sadhu - female and male renunciates in spirit, who uphold and transmit the lineage with maturity and steadiness.​From time to time, Diksha is offered to those who recognize Acharya Shunya as their Guru and the Sarayu Parampara as their spiritual home. This initiation is never required and is given only when readiness is clear. The lineage remains open to the sincere.