Teachers & Saints
The philosophers, poets and reformers who shaped Hindu thought.
- Valmiki and Vyasa: the Sages of the EpicsThe legendary sages Valmiki, the first poet and author of the Ramayana, and Vyasa, compiler of the Vedas and author of the Mahabharata: their stories and their place in Hindu tradition.
- Adi ShankaraThe life and teachings of Adi Shankara, the philosopher of Advaita Vedanta: his travels and debates, his monasteries, his works and his lasting influence on Hinduism.
- RamanujaThe life and teachings of Ramanuja, the Sri Vaishnava philosopher of Vishishtadvaita: his devotion to Vishnu, his openness to all castes, his works and his legacy.
- Madhva (Madhvacharya)The life and teachings of Madhva, the 13th-century founder of Dvaita Vedanta: his birth near Udupi, the Krishna image of Udupi, his works and his tradition.
- Chaitanya MahaprabhuThe life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the 15th–16th-century Bengali saint of ecstatic devotion to Krishna and founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
- MirabaiThe life, legends and devotional songs of Mirabai, the 16th-century Rajput princess and poet-saint who gave her life to Krishna.
- TulsidasThe life and works of Tulsidas, the 16th-century poet-saint who retold the Ramayana in Hindi as the Ramcharitmanas and is credited with the Hanuman Chalisa.
- Ramakrishna ParamahamsaThe life and teachings of Ramakrishna, the 19th-century Bengali mystic and priest of Kali who taught that all religions lead to the same God.
- Swami VivekanandaThe life and influence of Swami Vivekananda, disciple of Ramakrishna, whose 1893 speech in Chicago introduced Hinduism to the West and who founded the Ramakrishna Mission.