Shanta Bulkin was a desperately unhappy 22-year-old when he first met Shri Brahmanananda Sarasvati (Dr. Ramamurti S. Mishra) at Ananda Ashram. It was the summer of 1972, and the young man was at rock bottom. The first thing Dr. Mishra said to him was, "If you want to stay here, you must study Sanskrit." Shanta followed his instruction and immediately felt the healing effects of this cosmic language. Dr Mishra later described the process as the "washing machine of the mind."
Shanta's professional career in construction started when Dr. Mishra put him in charge of building the temple at the Yoga Society of San Francisco. Shanta continued to grow as a Sanskritist, studying with world-renowned Sanskrit teacher and writer, Professor Ram Karan Sharma. Now, more than five decades later, having retired as a contractor, Shanta feels it is his dharma to share the amazing vibrational study of Sanskrit with those who are searching for hope. He devotes much of his time to teaching one-on-one and small-group Sanskrit classes online. Since 2012, Shanta has been teaching at the College of Ayurveda at the Mt. Madonna Institute, and is the co-founder of the East-West Sanskrit Institute, along with his wife Indira. For more info, see eastwestsanskritinstitute.com.
