For each one of us, life is a journey, variously interspersed with occasions that bring joy, progress, good will, sorrow and also a sense of gratitude for all the blessings we have received.

Adarga Jivan is a compilation of Samskrta verses that mark such occasions in our lives. These have been composed and set to music by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, with characteristic lyricism and Vedantic wisdom. They hold up a mirror to the ups and downs we all go through in life’s journey. The commentary on these verses, also by Swami Tejomayananda, comes in the form of a simple story that leads us through the lives of two individuals, you and me.

Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda is an outstanding teacher of Vedanta, with a profound depth beneath his simplicity and humility. He has a simple conviction — to fortify, strengthen and actualize the vision of his Guru, Pujya Swami Chinmayananda.

Guruji has written commentaries on many Vedntic texts. He has authored many original compositions on Vedanta and Bhakti (Devotion) and books on various other relevant topics.

He is the current head of the Chinmaya Mission— a global spiritual organisation with more than250 centers worldwide.

It gives us great joy to bring out Adara Jivan, a Life of Vision. Along with being one of the great spiritual teachers our time, Pujya Guruji, Swami Tejomayananda is also a prolific poet and composer. In this book, he has strung :ogether several of his compositions to offer us an ideal ‘is on of life to live intelligently, culminating in spiritual enlightenment.

The audio CD accompanying this book contains renditions or Guruji’s compositions by musicians from Chinmaya Naada Bindu. .

We are most grateful to the members of the Chinmaya Ganapati centre in Minneapolis, U.S.A., for sponsoring the printing of this edition of Adara Jivan as their gift to Pujya Guruji on his 60th birthday. We also thank Smt. Bharati Sukhatankar for her dedicated hard work in editing this book. .

Adarsa Jivan, a Life of Vision, is a presentation of Samskrta verses, written and set to music by our beloved Guruji, Swami Tejomayananda. They were written by him randomly, over a number of years, in moments of sheer inspiration.

When the idea occurred to bring them out in a book form, it was observed that they could be woven into a theme, a simple story, with a common thread beautifying the tapestry of life, meaningfully and holistically.

Pujva Guruji took this up in a series of talks at Chinmaya Vibhooti, froml4-16 January, 2010. His commentary and explanation of the verses flow through the lives of the rotagonists, Darshan and Priyadarshini, and their son Rishi, dwelling on the highlights of their lives from time to time.

We invite you to go through Adarsa Jivan and to sing these compositions, which not only have an endearing lilt, but which also subtly carries unfathomed depths of profound Vedantic wisdom.