Swami Ajatananda Puri

Swami Ajatananda Puri (December 10th, 1970), born Macavei George is a monk belonging to the Advaita Vedanta Order of Monks known as Dashanami Sampradaya which was established by the great Indian sage Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century A.D. His philosophical and religious school of thought led to the foundation of OM Association in Bucharest, Romania. Before receiving Sannyasa (monkhood) he was known as ‘Ajati’ in India, as well as in Romania.
Swami Ajatananda Puri was born in a in a small town called Videle, located not too far from Bucharest. At the age of 14 he starts searching for a way to transcend death and confirm his identity as infinite existence. In his quest he practiced Yoga, Atma Vichara (Ramana Maharshi’s method) and inquiry according to Advaita Vedanta.
He considers as his first spiritual teacher an inner voice which he used to call ‘Sat Guru’ or ‘Inner Guru’, known as Ishwara or Bhagavan who possesses all the knowledge (jnana), who is the knower of everything (sarvajna) and is also the inner guide and controller of everything (antaryami).
After many years at Sri Ramanasramam he met his Guru (master), Swami Shantananda Puri of Vasishtha Guha Ashram, Himalaya, a great disciple of the revered Swami Purushottamananda Puri Maharaj (1879-1961) of Vasishtha Guha Ashram.
1. Birth Place

Swami Ajatananda Puri was born in a small town called Videle, located not too far from Bucharest. When he was one year old, he was adopted by his uncle and lived in Bucharest since 1971.
2. Spiritual Interest - From ‘born’ to ‘unborn'
Around the age of 14 he starts searching for a way to transcend death. After a few years of investigation in 1987, he hears in school about Yoga while learning about India during geography class and finds the term ‘Yoga’ as a possible solution to his spiritual search. Finding a good source of books he learned and practiced by himself Yoga, Atma Vichara (Ramana Maharshi’s method) and sadhana (spiritual practice) according to Advaita Vedanta. In 1992, after being fired from his job he stayed home and did intensive periods of study and practice for 14-15 hours a day and removing gradually his wrong identifications with the body, internal instrument (antahkarana), birth, death and rebirth.
Starting with 1997 he traveled to India and lived for many years in the presence of Arunachala Hill at Tiruvannamalai, well-known pilgrimage center in Tamil Nadu State.
3. Mantra Initiation - Mantra Diksha
In 1999, during his two months stay at Sri Ramanasramam at Tiruvannamalai, Swami Ajatananda Puri met for the first time Swami Shantananda Puri Maharaj who was residing for a longer period at Sri Ramanasramam. After a few months in September 1999 he received Mantra Diksha initiation from Swami Shantananda Puri in his room.
4. Monkhood Initiation - Sannyasa Diksha
After two requests for initiation into Monkhood made in year 2000 and one in 2001 his guru told him to wait 10 years and see what will happen then. Time has passed and a new request was made in 2011. As a result of many years of patient waiting, on 18 April (Full Moon Day), 2011, on the banks of Ganges at Surat Giri Ashram, Haridwar, Swami Ajatananda has been given Sannyasa Diksha (Initiation into Monkhood) by his Gurudev Swami Shantananda Puri Maharaj, and received the name Swami Ajatananda Puri.
5. Book Publication
Living in India, between 1997 and 2002 Swami Ajatananda Puri (Ajati) has studied classical scriptures of Advaita Vedanta as well as texts containing the teaching of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Zen and Taoism. During his studies in India he compiled some of the most important passages and verses of all these texts and the result took the form of the book titled "Garland of Advaitic Wisdom" which was published, in India, in the year 2002 under the pen name ‘Ajati’. Many copies of the book were donated to Sri Ramanasramam for sale in their book store.
6. Activities & Teaching
In the past years Swami Ajatananda Puri traveled between India and Romania and lived longer periods of time in Tiruvannamalai the famous pilgrimage center of South India.
Swami Ji is an exponent of traditional Advaita Vedanta and the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and shares his experience with the spiritual aspirants in India & Romania.
Following the old time rules he neither charges any fees nor suggests ‘donations’ in exchange for any satsanga and teachings he offers. Swami Ajatananda Puri lives according to the Vedantic tradition, knowing that the support for his body comes always from Ishwara or Bhagavan according to his Prarabdha Karma.

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