After dabbling in photography, banking, and design, Mridul Batra found his true calling as an educator. He is learning Veda to enrich his life and the lives of his students.
By Sophia Ann French
How to teach a teacher? Ask Mridul Batra. He has spent most of his career as an educator and is one of the Founders and the Principal of Prakriti School in Noida, New Delhi. He is currently studying how to teach Veda and is enrolled in the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme. Seeing Mridul accompanied by his children in our online classes is not unusual. They recite with him, learn with him and sometimes even correct his recitation. From dabbling in design, photography and banking to founding a school and now studying Veda, Mridul has dedicated his life to learning and teaching. He feels that education enriches us like nothing else can, and he shares how studying and reciting Veda has added value to his personal and professional life… In conversation with Sophie French…
Sophia: How did you go from photography, design and banking to being a school principal and now learning to recite Veda?
Mridul: Each of these paths emerged for very specific reasons, but the common thread has always been learning and giving back to the community in different ways. Whether in photography, design, banking, or education, each step enriched my journey. Looking back, I see how these seemingly distinct strands have woven together, forming a cohesive whole. It feels like the opening of each channel has naturally led me here, making it all feel perfectly sequential — even to learning the Vedas now.
Sophia: How did you find out about Veda Studies?
Mridul: Chanting has always held a special place in my heart; my earliest memory of doing so with enthusiasm dates back to my childhood in school. Returning to the school environment rekindled that interest, and chanting became a meaningful part of my journey, especially when shared with other learners. I first learned about Veda Studies when a colleague shared an interview with Shantalaji. From there, I attended a few community events, and slowly, I immersed myself in the practice, especially as I began introducing it to my students.
Sophia: Have you practised any Indic Knowledge System (like yoga, Ayurveda, etc.) before, or is reciting Veda your first spiritual practice?
Mridul: Growing up in India provides unique exposure to the many strands of the Indic Knowledge Systems, and I’ve always felt a pull toward exploring them. I tend to gravitate toward formal learning environments before fully immersing myself in any practice, which has led me to engage with yoga, chanting, mindfulness, and holistic health at various stages of my life. My first profound spiritual experience came in 2010 when I completed a 10-day Vipassana course in noble silence. While I didn’t sustain the practice regularly, its influence has remained with me in subtle yet significant ways. Yoga became a formal part of my routine in 2014 while living in Austin (USA), where I developed a deeper, more consistent practice.
As a millennial, I often felt disconnected from temple rituals and chanting, as the context and meaning behind them seemed elusive. However, the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme has filled those gaps, offering me a sense of deeper alignment and understanding. I’m finally diving into these ancient traditions with the conviction and insight I’ve long sought, bringing new meaning to my spiritual journey.
Interestingly, this newfound clarity has also allowed me to understand my wife’s path better. Having transitioned from a robust medical practice to holistic medicine, I now appreciate the shift she made more deeply as I, too, explore the balance between traditional wisdom and rootedness in this fast-paced, everyday life.
Sophia: How has reciting Veda changed or added value to your life (mentally, physically, and spiritually)?
Mridul: Reciting the Vedas has profoundly enriched my life on multiple levels. One of the most transformative aspects of this practice has been how it has brought me closer to my children. I try to chant every morning, usually when they wake up. Watching my son and daughter participate (even in the classes), sometimes even correcting me with joyful enthusiasm, fills me with immense gratitude.
Mentally, the practice has brought clarity and focus, which I attribute to the rhythmic patterns and precise pronunciations. These demand presence and mindfulness, sharpening my attention and instilling a deep sense of calm. It feels like the practice rewires my mind for stillness amidst daily chaos. I now find myself looking forward to our sessions on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Somewhere deep inside, I also had the aspiration of teaching Sanskrit to my children. While that hasn’t happened yet, I feel I am closer to it now.
When I met David, a fellow teacher trainee in the course, in Vancouver earlier this year, I expressed my dilemmas about Hindu temple rituals, especially after having experienced Vipassana meditation. Both seemed to be at diametric opposite ends, at least for me. However, as I have slowly immersed myself in the Vedas, I can establish profound connections between the two traditions in the spiritual world. For instance, the Vedas do not accord any physical form to the deities; they are the qualities we invoke during chanting. Further, the idea is always returning oneself to one’s inner being, invoking the right attributes. That is one of the key messages in the mindfulness world, too. Chanting worked for me in wonderful ways.
Sophia: You are an educator and a school principal, but you are also a student. Tell us about the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme and how you plan to apply its teachings.
Mridul: I enrolled in the Veda Studies Foundation Programme a couple of years ago, which enabled me to delve into the nuances of chanting in a lineage. The chants immediately became part of my everyday life, first with my family, and then I would often apply what I had learned in school. I would frequently meet groups of learners and realise the power of chanting to bring focus and positive energy to the classroom. The obvious next step to this was enrolling in the teacher training programme. The prospect of becoming a teacher in this tradition, solely from the point of view of sowing and spreading the seeds to the larger community of learners and families I work with, was very encouraging.
I’ve always believed in the power of unlearning to learn genuinely. Growing up, I often heard chants at home, like the Gāyatrī mantra, but they were sung in various musical notations. It surprised me to realise how different the tune was from traditional chanting. This realisation deepened after joining a few community sessions and, eventually, the Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme, which offers an opportunity to refine my understanding of the right way to recite Veda.
What resonated with me is how the programme merges spiritual practice with effective teaching methods, allowing participants to experience personal growth while gaining valuable insights to share with others. This aligns closely with how we encourage our students to learn—through immersion, understanding, and sharing. I aspire to fully integrate these teachings into my daily routine, strengthening my belief that learning never truly ends. I’m eager to continue sharing this ongoing process of self-discovery with my family, colleagues, and students.
Sophia: Tell us about Prakriti’s experience-based learning system. How do you think studying Veda will change or affect how you understand education, teaching, and the subjects you feel are relevant to children?
Mridul: At Prakriti, experiential learning is the heart of our learning approach. We believe that for a child’s growth to be truly holistic, it must engage all five senses—without which their exploration, discovery, and connection with the world around them would be incomplete. To foster curiosity and critical thinking, our curriculum is flexible, encouraging interdisciplinary learning that relates to nature and real-life experiences, making education both relevant and meaningful.
Immersing myself in the Vedic tradition has reinforced the importance of mindfulness, presence, and the deep-rooted connection between knowledge, spirituality, and self-reflection. This perspective is essential in creating a learning environment beyond academic achievement, focusing instead on personal growth and socio-emotional well-being. Passing this on to students helps cultivate empathy and self-awareness, making them more thoughtful and engaged.
Sophia: What are some of your favourite books on spirituality?
Mridul: In school, I remember picking up and reading the Autobiography of a Yogi by Sri Paramahansa Yogananda. Later, I read J. Krishnamurthi’s Education and the Significance of Life. These had an early impact on the way I looked at the world as I was growing up. Recently, I read Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master – A Yogi’s Autobiography by Sri M, and my current favourite is my friend Siddharth Kapila’s Tripping Down the Ganga; I am thoroughly enjoying reading about his tryst with spirituality.
Sophia: Which Veda mantras resonate most with you and why?
Mridul: Mēdhā sūktam and śaṃno miṯraḥ are the two mantras that I resonate with the most. The rhythmic qualities in both (much like every chant in the Vedas) have always inspired me to learn and chant more!
Sophia: How do you connect all the theory we study in Veda class with the practical aspects of the practice, and why do you think both are important?
Mridul: Connecting theory with practice is essential for a deeper, more meaningful understanding of both. The theory helped me understand the intellectual framework — the meanings, philosophy, and historical context behind the chants and why we are chanting, the significance of each sound, phonetics and how it connects to more significant spiritual and philosophical concepts.
On the other hand, reciting helped me experience the theory by engaging my mind, body, breath, and spirit. Veda recitation requires precision in pronunciation, breath control, and rhythm, all of which demand physical and mental discipline. Without the practice, the theory remains abstract, and without theory, the practice becomes “just another activity.”
Both are equally important because reciting with an understanding of the meaning behind the words transforms the experience into something more profound — it becomes an act of mindfulness, presence, and connection. For me, this holistic approach is essential for both personal growth and a deeper spiritual connection.
Sophia: What advice would you give people who want to study and teach Veda?
Mridul: I advise those interested in studying and teaching Veda to approach it with an open and rational mind, be willing to unlearn, and commit to consistent practice. The proof of the pudding is in its application to your daily life through regular practice. I have had some surreal moments when chanting myself, one of them being when a road accident was averted. I give all my gratitude to the chant I was practising moments before.
To get in touch with Mridul, email him at [email protected]