Muni Narayana Prasad

Swami Muni Narayana Prasad
Born	(1938-12-09) December 9, 1938 (age 86) Kerala, India
Occupation(s)	Spiritual teacher, author
Known for	Head of Narayana Gurukula, author of philosophical works
Notable work	Life's Pilgrimage Through Gita, Christ the Guru, In the Name of Allah
Awards	Padma Shri (2024), Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award

Swami Muni Narayana Prasad (born 9 December 1938) is an Indian spiritual teacher, author, and the head of the Narayana Gurukula Foundation, a philosophical and educational organisation inspired by the teachings of Narayana Guru. He has written extensively on Indian philosophy and Vedanta and is noted for making traditional texts accessible to modern audiences. ^[1]

Early life and career

Swami Muni Narayana Prasad was born in Kerala. He trained as a civil engineer and worked with the Public Works Department of the Kerala government. In 1968, he resigned to join the Narayana Gurukula as an inmate. ^[2] The Gurukula was established in 1923 by Nataraja Guru, a disciple of Narayana Guru. ^[3]

Leadership and activities

He became the Head and Guru of Narayana Gurukula in 1999. ^[4] Under his leadership, the Gurukula expanded its activities within India and abroad, operating centres in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Singapore, Fiji, and the United States. ^[5] He also led the Gita Ashram in Fiji from 1989 to 1991. ^[1]

Writings

Muni Narayana Prasad has authored over 130 books-about 100 in Malayalam and 30 in English. His works include commentaries on the Aitareya, Isavasya, Kena, Prasna, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Svetasvatara, and Chandogya Upanishads. His English commentary on the Bhagavad Gita is titled Life’s Pilgrimage Through Gita. ^[6] He has also authored works such as:

• Narayana Guru: Complete Works (National Book Trust)
• The Philosophy of Narayana Guru
• Pure Philosophy Simplified for Youth
• Vedanta Up to Narayana Guru
• Karma and Reincarnation
• Christ the Guru, which interprets the Gospels through a Vedantic lens
• In the Name of Allah, an interpretation of the names of Allah in the Quran

His books have been translated into Hindi and Assamese. ^[7] Commentators have described his work as making philosophical concepts accessible to younger readers and general audiences. ^{[8] [9]}

Awards and recognition

Swami Muni Narayana Prasad received:

• Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Translation (2015), for translating a commentary on Sankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari. ^[10]
• Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Autobiography (2018), for his autobiography Atmayanam.
• The Padma Shri in 2024 for contributions to literature and education. ^{[1] [11]}

References

1. "Padma Awards 2024 - Citation" (PDF). Padma Awards. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
2. "Padma Awards 2024 announced". Press Information Bureau. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
3. "Guru was pioneer of Indian Renaissance: Kovind". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
4. "Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram honours Padma Shri awardee Narayana Gurukulam president Guru Swami Muni Narayana Prasad". Janam TV. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
5. "Padma Shree for Keralites". Onmanorama. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
6. "Scholarly analysis a must to counter the misreading of texts: Governor Sathasivam". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
7. "Sree Narayana Guru's poetry offers lessons in conflict resolution". Ullekhnp. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
8. "Guru Muni Narayana Prasad: Meditation on Thought". Samakalika Malayalam. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
9. "NE Sudheer's discussion with Muni Narayana Prasad". Samakalika Malayalam. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
10. "Kerala Sahitya Akademi announces awards". Kerala Kaumudi. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
11. "Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram honours Padma Shri awardee". Janam TV. Retrieved 28 June 2025.