The Indian Wisdom Podcast

Shantala Sriramaiah is the founder of Veda Studies and a Veda recitation teacher in the Mysore lineage, trained under Sri M.S. Sreenivasan and mentored by the Challakere Brothers. Born in Bangalore into a family of chanting — her mother taught for over thirty years — Shantala now leads a global community of thousands of students through rigorous online instruction grounded in Śīkṣā, the vedāṅga governing Vedic phonetics. Her courses range from foundational chanting to the full Śrī Rudram, and a Teacher Training Programme developed in partnership with INDICA. In this conversation, we explore what it means to carry a living oral tradition into the digital age, the place of women in Vedic transmission, and the pedagogy of a practice that demands nothing less than complete attention. Here are some links to learn more about Shantala’s work: Website: https://www.vedastudies.com Spotify Artist Page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2c2XaZTIfbryunWLcUVSo7 The Indian Wisdom Podcast is hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses: https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com

Dr. Raj speaks with Vedic chanting teacher Shantala Sriramaiah about life at the intersection of ancient lineage and modern online learning. In addition to Shantala’s journey, we discuss her platform Veda Studies and her newly published teaching resources. Here are some links to learn more about Shantala’s work: Website: https://www.vedastudies.com Spotify Artist Page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2c2Xa... Nitya Prārthanā and Nitya Dhyāna: https://www.vedastudies.com/books/ Free Veda chanting essentials course (on demand): https://www.vedastudies.com/student-r... The Indian Wisdom Podcast is hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses: https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com

Sanskritist and seasoned teacher Dr. Antonia Ruppel shares her views on the merits and pitfalls of academic enterprise, the brave new world of self-employed scholarship and the teaching of ancient languages. Here are some links to learn more about Antonia’s work: https://www.antoniaruppel.com https://www.amazon.ca/Sanskrit-Band-Lehrbuch-Antonia-Ruppel/dp/B0FH2VS32K/ https://www.amazon.ca/Sanskrit-Band-Arbeitsbuch-Antonia-Ruppel/dp/B0FH5143SY https://www.yogicstudies.com/greek-s-101 The Indian Wisdom Podcast is hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses: https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com

Wendy Doniger’s An American Girl in India: Letters and Recollections, 1963–64 (2022) is a memoir-style collection of letters and reflections from her first trip to India as a young scholar. It offers a rare glimpse into the formative experiences that shaped her future career in Indology. The personal letters of her younger self are in conversation with reflections of her older self. Using this work as a launchpad, this interview broaches Doniger's personal and professional life learning through the course of her prominent career, spanning over five decades. This conversation commemorates Dr. Raj’s 400th New Books Network podcast interview. As it is laden with life wisdom and live learning for both participants, it is reposted here for your enjoyment.  The Indian Wisdom Podcast is hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses: https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com

Meet Anya Golovkova who is soon teaching an online 9-week Sanskrit Devī Māhātmya reading course at Yogic Studies – starts May 5!   SKT 206 | Reading the Devīmāhātmya: https://www.yogicstudies.com/skt-206   The Indian Wisdom Podcast is hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit scholar, seasoned storyteller and spiritual lineage holder. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at The Indian Wisdom School. He is also the author of "The Stories Behind the Poses: The Indian Mythology that Inspired 50 Yoga Postures” and runs a thriving one-on-one spiritual guidance practice. Personal Website: https://rajbalkaran.com Courses: https://indianwisdomschool.com Podcast: https://indianwisdompodcast.com