Veda as Antaraṅga Sādhana – with Harshita Soni

Harshita Soni tells Veda Studies’ Sophie French how to apply spiritual practices to daily life and why abhyāsa is essential for spiritual development.

By Sophia Ann French

I started studying Veda recitation with Shantalaji last year, and at the time, I had no idea that everything in my life was about to be challenged and changed. I’ve always been a strong-headed, strong-willed woman, but life (and spiritual practices) have a knack for making us take a hard look at ourselves. The purification process, especially of the mind, can be challenging to endure (for some of us). But, as we all know, it is inevitable and necessary when we practice sincerely and with authenticity. As soon as I began the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme in 2024, my personal life fell apart — I had to move to a new city, find a new job, a new home and start life from scratch. And it all happened suddenly. I was overwhelmed with this daunting reality, and I didn’t know it at the start of the year, but the only structure and reliable schedule I had was the two classes a week of the TTC programme. I also didn’t know at the time but realise now that on a subtle level, the only thing that kept me from completely falling apart was that I had to recite Veda every day — as homework, to practice, to stay in touch with my syllabus and to keep up with the TTC. Looking back at the past six months, I now understand the benevolence of Īśvara’s grace. Veda came to me just before one of the most challenging times of my life began, and it was all I needed to face those challenges and get back on my feet.

Suffering is real, and it is everywhere. The solace I found in the Veda Studies community wasn’t restricted to the recitation alone. I also realised I was not alone in my suffering. Our teachers often tell us how spiritual practices help us to remain calm and steady in difficult times, and the more I experience and interact with people from the Veda Studies community, the more I realise how true this is. I was recently reminded of this truth when I interviewed my study-buddy and classmate in the TTC, Harshita Soni. At the time of the interview, Harshita’s mother was facing health problems, and despite that, she found the time and the energy to nurture her mother, study with me, and pay attention to her practice as well. What was beautiful to watch was the calm and composure with which she dealt with all of this. Her spiritual practices, especially Veda recitation, have been her strength and go-to whenever life challenges her. “Life is challenging us all the time. I am so grateful for my practice because it anchors me. Practising yoga and Veda recitation is my lifeline. Without it, I would have been in a state of anxiety and depression, so I feel blessed to have these potent tools to counter that. I turn to my practice to deal with every difficulty — during COVID, when I lost my father, and now to be present for my mother while she is going through health problems. I recited the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra a lot when I experienced the loss of my father, and I have been reciting it since 2000. Now, again, when my mother is unwell, I find myself repeating it all the time. I think I must have recited it at least 10,000 times by now. It is a mantra that’s very close to my heart. Every time I feel I am losing balance, I recite Veda. When we practice yoga, we are told that it will enable and empower us to see life more clearly. I feel Veda recitation is a very important part of that purification process. I never leave home without my Veda texts, and my recitation is a daily practice, the same as āsana and prāṇāyāma,” says Harshita. 

The Art of Looking Inward

I was drawn to Veda because of my love for poetry. While interviewing people from the Veda Studies community, I’ve never met an artist or creative person who can resist the artistry of Veda or most Indic Knowledge Systems. Before studying to be a Yoga Therapist and Veda Recitation Teacher, Harshita studied Kuchipudi, a classical Indian dance form typical to Andhra Pradesh. She started practising āsana in college to increase flexibility and strength to support her dance. Over the years, as she continued to practise yoga, she decided to become a full-time yoga therapist and focused on achieving that. Recalling her spiritual journey, Harshita says, “There were a few significant reasons why I decided to become a full-time yoga therapist. The first is the relevance of breath. I observed how much the focus on breath is lost in contemporary āsana classes. I met people who have been practising yoga for 30 or 40 years but still don’t know how long their exhalation or inhalation is. They didn’t breathe correctly, either. The second reason was Yoga Chikitsā  — to apply yoga to prevent disease through mindful living and meditation. Lastly, and most importantly, I chose to learn yoga therapy because of Bahiranga Sādhanā and  Antaraṅga Sādhanā. Patañjali describes Antaraṅga Sādhanā as the inner development that can be achieved through yoga. I felt while there was a lot of focus on Bahiranga Sādhanā,  Antaraṅga Sādhanā was being ignored. I wanted to offer yoga as a tool for inner personality development, and Veda recitation is such an effective technique for  Antaraṅga Sādhanā. I wanted to study Veda from a purohit, and I had written to the Challakere Brothers. Shantalaji answered my query, which is how I found my Veda recitation teacher. I genuinely believe that the teacher appears when the student is ready.”

Discovering and Studying Veda 

Shantalaji often encourages students to practice sādhanā, and to help us inculcate this practice, Veda Studies hosts four Gāyatrī Upāsana sessions every week and some of the Friday community events also focus on practices to build and retain ssādhanā. Harshita is deeply affected by this practice and feels it is among the most important things she has learned from Shantalaji. “You know how Shantalaji encourages us to take up a Saṅkalpā and even tells us how to enforce that intention in our lives? I love that. The best part is that she speaks from her own experiences. Reciting Veda is essential for clarity of mind, and I am at a point in my life when I am confused about a few things, so clarity that comes from recitation is very welcome. I immediately experience how my mind and thinking shift after a 108-time mantra japa. It’s so humbling. I also appreciate Shantalaji’s effort to explain every meaning of a mantra she teaches, and she offers so much background information. For example, she helps us understand the gross and subtle aspects of the forces we worship in Veda, such as how Agni is willpower in its subtle state. When a teacher teaches with such inspiration, as a student, I feel inspired to learn with equal dedication to do justice to the amount of information she so generously shares with all of us. Even when I teach, I ensure all my students understand why the rules and nuances are important to recite correctly. I write them on a blackboard so it is the first thing students see. I also appreciate how Shantalaji went beyond Veda and introduced us to Nitya Prārthanā. I have started following those prayers and performing them before certain daily actions, and it has added a wonderful layer to my daily life.”  

Teaching Veda

“I can offer my students Veda with such enthusiasm because of the conviction with which Shantalaji teaches. It affects the way I teach as well,” says Harshita. Her vision is to share Veda like it was shared with her and encourage and inspire people to study. She is studying the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme and aims to share her learning with school children and encourage them to recite Veda from a young age. “I have been reaching out to schools to organise Veda recitation classes. It is our work as teachers to go out in the world and make space for Veda recitation. I wish this knowledge had come to me when I was younger, so I am happy to create that for children. I respect people like Shantalaji for making Veda so accessible, and I also admire people like Dr Anuradha Choudry, a guest lecturer at the current TTC. Dr Choudry is working to introduce Indic Knowledge Systems in schools, and I hope children can learn these practices early in life. But even more importantly, I hope when they find the practice, they also find the inspiration to make it a daily act. Abhyāsa is essential for spiritual development.”

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