A Fine Balance of Science and Faith – with Marie Meera Karanath

Marie Meera Karanath grew up in an atheist country with no religion, but she found faith and the divine in Veda rituals and recitation.

By Sophia Ann French

Most of my non-Indian classmates in the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme have visited India because their teachers live here or they come to experience the culture through spiritual yātrās. Marie Meera Karanath may have been born in the Czech Republic and lived in Canada and Europe, but she’s been living and working in India for over 15 years. Her experience of the country and India’s spirituality shaped her understanding of Indic Knowledge Systems, and the story of how she came to live in India proves that our life and how the divine comes to us is determined by destiny. Meera, from the Czech Republic, met her Indian husband in Germany while attending a two-year teacher training course. She was assigned as a translator to a lecture on yoga therapy delivered by Yogacharya Harilaji. As fate would have it, she married him and moved to India. Harilaji, Meera and their daughter live at the Arsha Yoga Gurukulam in Kerala. This ashram, founded by Harilaji, is home to Meera; she is one of the teachers and a course coordinator at the Gurukulam. 

Given her affiliation and karmic connection to spirituality, it’s hardly surprising that Meera connected with Veda recitation and discovered Veda Studies. Her journey from being born in an officially atheist country to finding faith and the divine in Veda recitation is a journey of mysticism and wonderment. Excerpts from our conversation:

Sophia: How did your journey to Indian spiritual practices begin? 

Meera: It started 20 years ago. I was studying in Vancouver, Canada, and the curriculum was so varied and offered a variety of subjects. Yoga was one of them. This was in 2000, and when I saw the yoga course, it felt familiar, somehow. I had heard about it and thought I should give it a try. At the time, I practised as a hobby and didn’t get into the depth of the subject. I was majoring in languages, and after Canada, I moved to France to deepen my studies in French. I looked for a yoga teacher in France as I wanted to continue practising. I found a teacher in France where I was introduced to a slow form of yoga and also Prāṇāyāma. After France, I moved to Germany, and by then, I knew yoga was more than a hobby to me. I think it starts like that with so many practitioners. We begin with physical practice and discover how much more depth there is to learn and explore. I joined a teacher training programme in Germany, but I didn’t join it with the intention of teaching; I wanted to expand my knowledge. I signed up for a two-year course in yoga, and after the first year, I was allowed to teach. That’s when I realised just how transformative the practice can be as a teacher and a student. I experienced it during my training and saw it happening to students, too. I saw their life and personality transformed. I met my Indian husband during that time as well. He delivered a lecture on Yoga Therapy, and I was his translator. After the course, I moved to India. 

Sophia: How did you learn about Veda Studies, and what inspired you to study Veda?

Meera: I first encountered chanting while attending yoga therapy training. We would recite śānti mantras during sessions. I felt these chanting sessions were special and profoundly affected me. It wasn’t like singing or anything else. The more I practised chanting, the more interested I became in learning Veda and exploring this practice. I asked my teacher at the time, Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan, where I could find more information about Vedic chanting. She led me to Shantala and Veda Studies. I signed up for the Foundation Course and loved it so much that I even signed up for the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme. 

Sophia: How does reciting Veda add value to or change the way you practice spirituality? 

Meera: It transformed my daily life and brought clarity to my mind. I feel that when I recite Veda, my mind is more focused. Sometimes, after reciting, I suddenly remember something that I had to do but forgot to do, so it’s as if my mind is a puzzle; Veda brings all the pieces together. I feel more centred after practice. I also find that attending the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme has brought a lot of discipline to my life. I am inspired by how disciplined all the students are, and it reminds me of what is essential in life and how one can focus on that. 

Sophia: You studied languages in college and are interested in linguistics. How did you adapt to Sanskrit phonetics?

Meera: Easy (laughs). Okay, I sincerely didn’t struggle that much to adapt to the sounds of Sanskrit. I can hear the sounds once or twice, as we do in adhyayanaṃ, and I can replicate them.

Sophia: Tell us about the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme.

Meera: It makes you work hard. Every student in our class is so inspiring and so good at recitation. All of them inspire me to do better and work hard. Shantala assigns us study buddies, and this is so important for improvement. For example, I was paired with Aniko from our class, and having someone listen to your recitation makes such a difference. I also love the atmosphere during the live classes. We’re such a bunch of Veda nerds (laughs), but I love that because I learn so much from everyone. It is a rare opportunity to be surrounded by so much knowledge and people willing to share everything they know without any agenda. I love how Shantala is leading the course; it is so endearing how she shares anecdotes about her life and family. It gives me a sense of belonging and a true sense of community. She also asks students how they are doing and continuously checks on us when she knows something is happening in our lives… I value that a lot. It is how I want to teach. When you learn right, you teach right. After the TTC, I want to create small courses and share this beautiful practice.

Sophia: Shantalaji focuses on both the practical and theoretical aspects of Veda. How does the theory enhance your practice?

Meera: Theory is so critical to me because I want to teach. We all ask Shantala many questions during our classes, from phonetics to details about deities, various scriptures, terminology, vocabulary, and etymology…So, I am sure when I start teaching, my students will also ask questions. Addressing questions in such detail requires in-depth knowledge, and theory serves that purpose. It also gives context to the practice for people of non-Indian origin. 

Sophia: Your experience of India isn’t restricted to visits because you live here. How has that informed and affected your understanding of Indian culture and spirituality? 

Meera: India is layered. I live in rural India by the sea near Kerala, which completely contrasts Indian cities. Moving to and living here was in itself a Sādhanā. It is entirely different from my life in the West. I guess that happens to any person who moves out of their cultural conditioning and embraces a different way of being. I also moved to India while practising yoga, and now I recite Veda; all these practices made me question who I am. It’s a long process of self-discovery, and the more I live and learn, the more I can shed things that are of no value to me or are not adding value to my happiness. There are a few things I maintain from my Western culture. Still, I love what Indian culture offers — the sense of community, the closeness of family and the attitude of service that so many Indians have (at least where I live). Indians don’t live with a sense of possessiveness. I am also aware that modern India, especially in the big cities, is almost as consumerist as the West, but there are still places in India where its ancient way of life can be found and lived. I’m lucky to live in a part of India forgotten by time. It is where I see the spirituality of Sanātana Dharma, and it is beyond religion. I’m from the Czech Republic, and we are officially an atheist country, so I never grew up with religion. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but it gave me an openness and ability to absorb Hindu spirituality. The logic of Hinduism appeals to me. Even when we recite Veda, Shantala explains the reasoning behind all the rituals… I love that nothing has to be blindly followed, and everything is open to questioning. Hinduism has that perfect balance of science and faith. 

Sophia: What is your advice to people who wish to study Veda?

Meera: Start. Just start and see where it takes you. Most of these practices came into my life because I just started. It is where we begin. So sign up for the Foundation Course on Veda Studies and see where your practice takes you. 

To get in touch with Meera, email her at [email protected]