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Acharya Acharya Prashant
आचार्य प्रशांत
Acharya Prashant 2025
Born	Prashant Tripathi (1978-03-07) March 7, 1978 Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Citizenship	Indian
Alma mater	IIT Delhi; IIM Ahmedabad
Occupations	Philosopher author Advaita teacher Social activist
Years active	2006–present
Organization	PrashantAdvait Foundation
Known for	Contemporary interpretations of Advaita Vedanta
Notable work	Karma Ananda Maya
Parents	Awadhesh N. Tripathi (father) Sita Tripathi (mother)
Awards	Most Influential Vegan by PETA. Outstanding Contribution to National Development Award from IIT Delhi Alumni Association.
Honours	Received the record for 'Longest discourse hours on Vedanta by a spiritual organisation'. Received the record for 'Largest online examination on the Bhagavad Gita conducted by a spiritual organisation'.
YouTube information
Channel	आचार्य प्रशांत
Years active	2006–present
Genre	Advaita Vedanta
Subscribers	56 million
Views	4 billion
Last updated: March 2, 2025
Website	https://acharyaprashant.org/

Acharya Prashant

Acharya Prashant (born Prashant Tripathi; 7 March 1978) is an Indian spiritual teacher, author, and speaker associated with contemporary interpretations of Advaita Vedanta. He is the founder of the non-profit PrashantAdvait Foundation, through which he delivers teachings based on the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and other spiritual texts.

He studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, and briefly joined the Indian Civil Services before shifting focus to spiritual and philosophical pursuits. His teachings incorporate Vedantic principles while engaging with modern issues such as environmental ethics, women's empowerment, animal welfare, and social reform.

Prashant has also been active in animal rights advocacy and in 2022, was named PETA India’s “Most Influential Vegan". He is noted for engaging with younger audiences through public talks and online platforms.

He has authored over 150 books, including titles such as ''Karma'', ''Ananda'', and ''Maya'', and maintains a large digital presence.

His YouTube channel, which features discourses on Vedanta and related subjects, has amassed a substantial following: according to media reports, including India.com and Entrepreneur India, he has been described as “the world’s most followed spiritual leader on YouTube”, with over 64 million subscribers and more than 4.2 billion video views as of 2025.

Early life and education

Prashant was born on 7 March 1978 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, to a father in the civil service and a homemaker mother. He completed his schooling in Uttar Pradesh.

In 1999 he graduated with a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The following year, he sat both the Common Admission Test (CAT) for the Indian Institutes of Management and the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination, clearing both; he placed 184th in the latter and entered training, but resigned later in 2000 to pursue Vedanta full‑time. In 2003, he received an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Corporate and early career

Following his MBA, Prashant entered the corporate sector in 2003, working in multiple industries over the next three years to repay his educational debts.

During this period, he began designing and delivering weekend courses that integrated leadership concepts with wisdom literature at institutions including IIT Delhi, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Symbiosis Institute. By 2008, at age 30, he had established himself as an entrepreneur in management education and chose to leave the corporate world to devote himself full‑time to spiritual teaching.

Advait Life-Education and related organizations

In 2005, Prashant founded Advait Life‑Education—now known as the PrashantAdvait Foundation—to formalize his non‑dual teachings through structured courses and retreats. He developed the Holistic Individual Development Program (HIDP), originally launched as the Self‑Development Program (SDP) and Management Development Program (MDP). By [Year], the HIDP had been delivered at over 50 Indian higher‑education institutions, with an estimated several thousand participants. The program combines commentary on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and other classical texts with guided self‑inquiry and practical awareness exercises.

In 2010, Tripathi expanded into multi‑day residential self‑awareness retreats—often held in Himalayan venues—and launched global online teaching initiatives, drawing both domestic and international attendees. His approach rests on two pillars: in‑depth scripture exegesis and applied Vedanta for everyday challenges, a methodology he sums up as “addressing the minds of men” to promote social harmony.

Teachings and philosophy

Acharya Prashant’s work is grounded in **Advaita Vedanta**, the non‑dual school of Hindu philosophy, with a central emphasis on **self‑knowledge** and **inner clarity**. He teaches that **personal suffering** stems not from external circumstances but from the mind’s misidentification with transient experiences and its resistance to reality. In lectures, he distinguishes between **physical pain** (inevitable) and **psychological suffering** (a mental narrative), urging students to “know thyself” as the basis for liberation.

His courses and writings include **detailed commentaries** on the Bhagavad Gita (commonly referred to in his materials as “17 forms of the Gita”) and the Upanishads (the “60 forms of the Upanishads”). He also integrates **poetic and devotional texts**—such as the songs of Kabir and selected Upanishadic verses—to illustrate Vedantic insights in seminars. His teaching style is characterized by a **frank, direct approach**, often **challenging conventional spiritual clichés** and focusing on the practical application of Vedanta to modern issues like relationships, leadership, and social change.

Public outreach and media presence

Digital platforms

Acharya Prashant’s lectures and commentaries are available across multiple digital channels. According to Penguin Random House, his YouTube channel had approximately 60–65 million subscribers as of 2025, making it one of the most‑subscribed channels for a spiritual teacher, and had accumulated over one billion total views. He also maintains official profiles on Facebook and Instagram, each with several million followers.

Traditional media

Prashant’s work has been covered in major Indian publications such as *India Today*, *The Times of India*, *BusinessWorld Education*, and *Dainik Jagran*, among others. He has appeared as a guest on television and radio programs to discuss topics including veganism, environmental ethics, and social reform.

Speaking engagements

He is a frequent speaker at academic and professional events, delivering talks on spirituality, leadership, and social issues at institutions including IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Public debates and panels

In recent years, Prashant has participated in televised and print debates on contemporary issues such as animal sacrifice, women’s rights, and the role of religion in public life.

Bibliography

The following is a selection of major works by Acharya Prashant:

No.	Title	Publisher	Year	ISBN
1	Karma: Why Everything You Know About It Is Wrong	Penguin Random House	2021	9780143453314
2	Ananda: Happiness Without Reason	HarperCollins	2022	9789356292192
3	Maya: I Bow to Thee, You Cannot Be Overcome	Jaico Publishing House	2022	9789393559418
4	Mukti: Bandhan Ko Bandhan To Jano	Prabhat Prakashan	2022	9789355210616

Other works include books on relationships (e.g. Sambandh), leadership, self-awareness, poetry (e.g. Raat Aur Chaand), and children's stories. His publishers note that Karma, Ananda, and Maya form a widely read Vedanta trilogy that distills key aspects of his teachings.

A more complete bibliography is available on the author's official website and on publishing platforms.

Poetry

Acharya Prashant has contributed to contemporary spiritual poetry, often integrating poetic expression into his teachings. As part of his **Bhagavad Gita teaching program**, he provides concise poetic renderings of each verse, designed to be both meditative and melodious. These verse-translations are intended to communicate spiritual insights in a simplified and lyrical format.

In addition to his Gita-related work, he has published original Hindi poetry on existential and spiritual themes. His poetry collection titled Raat Aur Chaand (Night and the Moon) explores inner life, emotional subtlety, and philosophical depth. Notable poems from the book include:

• Sone Ka Haq
• Jab Geet Na Arpit Kar Pao

His poems are characterized by a minimalistic style, direct expression, and a focus on self-awareness and detachment.

Awards and recognitions

In August 2022, Acharya Prashant received the **IIT Delhi Alumni Award for Excellence in Personal Achievement** from the IIT Delhi Alumni Association.

In February 2023, **People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India** named him the **Most Influential Vegan of 2022**, citing his advocacy for compassionate living and ethical treatment of animals. PETA stated that his teachings promote “a conscious, nonviolent life and respect for all sentient beings by going vegan.”

In April 2025, he was again recognized by the IIT Delhi Alumni Association with the **Outstanding Contribution to National Development Award**, for his work in disseminating spiritual knowledge and encouraging national consciousness through public discourse, literature, and digital education programs.

As of 27 April 2025, Acharya Prashant had over **56 million YouTube subscribers**, making him the **most-followed spiritual teacher globally on the platform**. He leads a **Bhagavad Gita Teaching Program** with more than 30,000 active participants and recently concluded what has been described as the **world’s largest online Gita-based examination**.

Reception

Acharya Prashant's published works have received a mixed but largely engaged reception from Indian media and literary reviewers.

Karma: Why Everything You Know About It Is Wrong was praised by The Times of India for presenting "the cryptic teachings of the Upanishads in a contemporary and relatable manner," although the review also noted that the use of Advaita Vedanta terminology could pose challenges for general readers. The Financial Express commented that the book’s four sections reflect the four stages of a spiritual seeker's journey, and distinguished it from mainstream self-help literature by noting that it was “not a classic case of prolific and bestselling authors in self-help segment repackaging and remarketing their existing body of work.” Dainik Bhaskar noted the integration of classical references from the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Ramcharitmanas to support the author's interpretation of karma. A "micro review" by The Times of India described the book as aiding readers in better understanding their own karmic conditioning. In August 2021, Karma reached the top position on the Nielsen BookScan bestseller list, and was ranked eighth in the October 2021 bestseller list published by The Asian Age.

Acharya Prashant's book Sambandh was described by Dainik Jagran as accessible and written in “everyday spoken language” with relatable examples. However, the review also noted difficulty in keeping pace with the author's stream of thought. Punjab Kesari called the book "a mirror to human relationships," while suggesting that the overall structure of the text could be improved.

In a critical perspective published in The North East Times, the article *New Light on Ancient Texts: Illumination or Nebulation* raised concerns over Acharya Prashant's interpretations of key Indic concepts such as reincarnation (punarjanma), liberation (moksha/mukti), and action (karma). The author, Shubham Ahuja, argued that these interpretations diverge sharply from traditional commentaries and questioned whether longstanding exegeses could have been fundamentally flawed, as Acharya's critiques suggest.

Controversies and criticism

Acharya Prashant, while widely regarded for promoting non-violence and universalist spiritual teachings, has occasionally attracted criticism for his unorthodox interpretations and direct communication style.

A columnist in The North East Times criticized his interpretations of key Indic philosophical concepts such as reincarnation (punarjanma), liberation (moksha), and karma, stating that his views diverge from mainstream traditional commentaries and could be seen as revisionist.

Some scholars and traditionalists have criticized his interpretations of concepts such as **karma**, **moksha**, and **reincarnation** for departing from classical exegesis, sparking debates over orthodoxy within the Vedantic community. Supporters counter that his **accessible, universalist framing** offers clarity and relevance for contemporary seekers.

Some of his lectures at technical and management institutes—where he introduced spiritual or Vedantic themes into secular educational settings—reportedly caused discomfort among a section of participants unfamiliar with such content. However, these instances have not escalated into significant public controversy and have been largely limited to isolated reactions.

Overall, mainstream media sources tend to present Acharya Prashant as a reform-minded philosopher and educator. As of June 2025, there are no known legal, political, or institutional disputes involving him reported by credible sources.

See also

• Advaita Vedanta
• Upanishads
• Veganism
• Ashtavakra Gita
• Bhagavad Gita

Further reading

https://acharyaprashant.org/en/about

https://acharyaprashant.org/en/biography