Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, has lectured and taught worldwide for more than 30 years. He is a regular contributor to Yoga International (formerly Yoga + Joyful Living magazine and author of 14 books, from scholarly analysis and scripture translation to spiritual biographies and practical advice on applying yogic concepts to the problems of daily life. They include his autobiography, Touched by Fire: The Ongoing Journey of a Spiritual Seeker, and the best-selling At the Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama.

Pandit Tigunait holds doctorates in Sanskrit from the University of Allahabad in India and Oriental studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in both Vedic and Classical Sanskrit and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the scriptures. Family tradition gave him access to a vast range of spiritual wisdom preserved in both the written and oral traditions, and as a young man, he lived and studied with renowned adepts before meeting his spiritual master, Swami Rama. In 1976, Swami Rama ordained Pandit Tigunait into the 5,000-year-old lineage of the Himalayan masters.

Pandit Tigunait is the inspiration for the Himalayan Institute’s projects for rural empowerment and social regeneration, and the motivating force behind the Himalayan Institute’s Community Centers taking root in Asia, Africa, and Mexico.

What People are Saying About Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

“From his humble origins in traditional orthodox Hinduism, Pandit Rajmani has emerged on the world stage as a torch bearer of this ancient wisdom, offering this pure light freely with the heartfelt prayer that it ignite the fire in all of our hearts.”
—Gary Kraftsow, director of the American Viniyoga Institute
“Pandit Rajmani is perhaps the most important teacher of Tantra in America today. His work is both practical and accessible, while maintaining a deep spiritual and meditative vision.”
—David Frawley, author of Yoga and Ayurveda