MyIndMakers is honoured to carry out an e-interview with Upanyasaka Dushyant Sridhar, who has rendered over 3000 discourses in 125 cities across 23 countries on various aspects of Indic civilisation. He has recently launched Abhinava e-Patashala an e-learning platform to disseminate invaluable nuggets of Vedic knowledge to avid learners.

1. Can you tell us about yourself and your website? What has been the motto behind your new initiative Abhinava e-Patashala? 

Namaskāram. I am Dushyanth Sridhar from India. I live in Bangalore, and was largely raised in this part of the country. Besides I lived and was educated in Chennai briefly. Later I studied B.E (Hons) in Chemical Engineering & M.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani). I worked (full-time) in Multi-National Corporations for six years in the areas of market research and strategy. And served (part-time) as a teaching faculty at a leading Business School for three years in Mumbai.

My country and my preceptors have blessed me with multiple avenues to acquire knowledge. I learnt scriptures like Sri Bhāshya, Gitā Bhāshya, Rahasya Traya Sāra, Bhagavad Vishaya, Satadushani and Tiruneduntāndagam from esteemed preceptors such as:

• Villivalam Sri Nārāyana Yatindra Mahādesika
• Nāvalpākkam Sri Rāmānuja Tātāchār
• Cetlur Sri Srivatsāngāchār
• Nelvoy Sri Sowmyanārāyanāchār
• Villur Sri Karunākarāchār
• Devanārvilāgam Sri Sāranāthāchār

I deliver discourses on Rāmāyana, Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata, Vishnu Purāna, Bhagavad Gitā, Vishnu Sahasranāma and Divya Prabanda in the upanyāsam, pravachanam or kālakshepam style. I have collaborated with eminent musicians to deliver discourses in the harikathā style and with renowned dancers in the kathā-nritya style. I have conceptualized, scripted and directed large dance productions such as Rāmāyana Sudhā, Srinivāsam Prapadye, Aranganin Pādaiyil, Rāmānuja Darshanam and Vedānta Desika Charitram with leading choreographers. I deliver lectures to corporates and educational institutions besides speaking at renowned conclaves.

I am reasonably known in households through my discourses in regional TV channels (Doordarshan Podhigai, SVBC, Sri Sankara, Star Vijay, Zee Tamil, Jaya, Polimer, Puthu Yugam). I also have good spectrum of audience following on YouTube with 15 million views and 1000 videos. I have rendered over 3000 discourses in 125 cities across 23 countries (Indiā, Sri Lankā, Bhutān, Nepāl, Chinā, Myānmar, Cambodiā, Indonesiā, Malaysiā, Singapore, Bahrain, UAE, Kenyā, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmārk, Switzerlānd, Belgium, UK, New Zealānd, Australiā, Canadā, USA). I have had the opportunity to author a coffee-table book in English titled Vedānta Desika – the peerless poet-preceptor, a critically acclaimed and best-selling book in its genre.

I have organized Yātrās to temples of religious and architectural significance in collaboration with a leading tour agent. Till date, we have accompanied over 2000 pilgrims covering 40,000 miles in 180 days. We have visited over 200 temples in India, Nepāl, Bhutān, Bāli, Cambodiā and Sri Lankā.

I have penned the story, screenplay and dialogues for the movie Vedānta Desika that was produced by Mukthā Films, besides donning the role of the protagonist. I manage Desika Dayā - a public charitable and religious trust registered in Karnataka under section 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961. A total of 4 million INR was cumulatively spent and facilitated towards various charitable and cultural activities.

The website – www.desikadaya.org is a fulcrum of my work in the Indic space for the last decade. Above most other features, it offers over 1200 hours of content (in Video & Audio format) on a variety of Vedic subjects to the global audience (sans discrimination) for free.

Abhinava e-Pātashālā is an initiative to share the knowledge of our Indic heritage. Our Indian sub-continent has been the cradle of the Ancient Vedic Civilization. By the grace of all āchāryās, this has been initiated to dispense our traditional knowledge. This initiative aims at instilling pride amongst its sishyās, thereby making each of them the torchbearer of this enviable tradition and culture.

2. The website offers a wide-angled view of the commendable work you have been carrying out for over a decade.  Given your academic background, what has motivated you to transition into this path of Indic civilizational journey?

I have believed with all my years of learning, speaking, writing and researching that our Vedic civilization is priceless in many ways. It is inclusive, liberal and very articulate. But it assumes that knowledge and realisation is one’s own responsibility. This is where I differ. I wish each of us try in our own ways to sustain the civilization. And my way is to speak, teach and write on this Indic civilization.

3. How and when did you start your new, Indic journey - Abhinava e-Patashala? 

The idea of teaching interested sishyas worldwide has always been in my mind. I was lethargic and didn’t make time for it. Thanks to Sri ‘Corona’-Acharya which brought this enlightenment in me – If not now, never. So the idea is old, the implementation is new.

Has Indic-ness always been in the background of your thoughts and actions in the various roles and careers you have held?

To think in the Indic-way is not an effort to me. In fact it is not an effort to most of us. Whether we are ashamed of it or flaunt it, is what the difference is all about. I have equal respect for other civilizations and world religions. But my brought up and education has been in the Indic way. And I am proud of it.

Be it conceptualizing dance productions, or writing books; Be it ferrying yātris to places of historical importance or rendering discourses, I can’t think of anything but Indic-ness.

4. Can you discuss opportunities and challenges you encounter in disseminating Indic knowledge to people?

Opportunities are plenty. Across the length and breadth of the vast Indian country or amongst the Indian diaspora spread across the world, the urge to know and appreciate Indic knowledge is high. Very high. It is just about my capacity, and ability to harness this interest and dispense knowledge accordingly. I have used English as the medium to disseminate this knowledge across the courses in Abhinava e-Patashala. The only challenge I face is to create the equal interest I find in the South-Indian population, amongst the North-Indians as well. I am sure, they will equally appreciate the content, if and only they take the first step to register and procure the course.

5. How has the response been to your endeavours?  

Under Abhinava e-Patashala, our first course is ‘Bharatiya Sara Bodhani’. This is being offered in two levels, considering the enormity of the subjects. Level 1 is offered in 2020. We have 1600+ sishyas who have registered (and procured) for the course. They are spread across 5 continents and 27 countries. And all these registrations were received with only my posts on social media. If this is the response to an ‘unsponsored’ course, does this not show the interest level among the audience.

Is there a popular sentiment that Indians are now displaying a renewed interest in connecting to their roots?

Yes. It is the truth. And it is not confined only to the elite and educated classes in pockets of metros. It is spread across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities as well. This penetration and interest is very positive and needs to be groomed.

Are you noticing any perceptible change in the attitudes of people over the past decade?

Yes. For my ‘LIVE’ lectures across various cities (till Feb 2020), the audience numbers only increased. And their patience to sit across a Vedanta lecture for over three hours at a stretch was a clear indication.

6. You wear many hats, you are a public speaker, you conceptualise, script and direct dance productions, you deliver discourses in Harikatha style, and you have authored a book. By and large each endeavour of yours has been an attempt to showcase various traditional art forms of the land to inculcate an appreciation towards Indic civilisation. Do have any long-term plans for reviving these art forms as well?

With regards to public speaking and writing, none of these require any boosting. They are quite thriving art forms. Dance productions are also equally popular, but receiving money from sponsors is a herculean tasks. Since it is a visual art involving too many artistes, to bear the burden of all of it, is painful. I have an LLP registered under the name of ‘Desika Daya Productions’. I am working towards directing a Sanskrit movie.

7. Why is it so important to revisit our roots and what is the importance of the time right now?

Any civilization that doesn’t look back, that doesn’t learn from its strengths, and that doesn’t want to correct its weaknesses, is doomed to fail. If we don’t want to value our Vedic scriptures, learn them, and learn from them, who will save this civilization from programmed death? It is our duty to make them relatable to our current times.

8. What is your message to youngsters and those young-at-heart who want to start on the Indic journey but may not know where to begin?

To all those prospect learners across age-groups, my request is to ignite their path to realization, as early as possible. Nobody can coax a person; the individual has to see around. And to know about me – www.desikadaya.org/about - link will help. And there are over 1400 hours of my discourses on a plethora of topics in my website for free consumption.

Image Credits: The New Indian Express