Born on June 30, 1950 in Madhya Pradesh (then known as Sudhakar Kaitwade), Swami Tejomayananda was drawn to a spiritual life from early on. Raised with a deep love for higher ideals, he found his calling when he attended a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chinmayananda. Despite being just one year away from completing his Master’s degree in Physics, he chose a different path. In 1970 he left home to join the Residential Vedanta Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai and in 1975 graduated from that course as a Brahmachari under the name Vivek Chaitanya.
In 1983, he embraced renunciation and was given the name Swami Tejomayananda, reflecting light (tejas), knowledge (jnana), and compassion. Over the next years he served in various teaching roles both in Bharat and abroad (including at San Jose, USA) and came to be cherished for his ability to make Vedanta both accessible and inspiring.
After Swami Chinmayananda’s Mahasamadhi in 1993, Swami Tejomayananda was appointed the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide. He led the Mission for 23 years, expanding its reach across the globe with new Centres, educational initiatives, devotional music, arts institutions and multimedia outreach.
A Padma Bhushan awardee (2016), Swami Tejomayananda is praised for his simple yet profound way of teaching Vedanta, fluent in several languages: English, Hindi, Marathi & Sanskrit and gifted both as a poet and composer. Affectionately revered as “Pujya Guruji,” he is known for his humility, wisdom, approachability and the way his teachings feel alive in everyday life.
His writings on texts like the Ramayana, Bhagavatam and Vedantic classics as well as, his discourses, songs and compositions continue to inspire spiritual seekers. Swami Tejomayananda’s legacy is one of bringing ancient wisdom into modern hearts, with love, clarity and devotion.
