Nitya Chaitanya Yati

Nitya Chaitanya Yati (2 November 1924 – 14 May 1999) was an Indian philosopher, psychologist, author and poet, best known for his commentaries on Advaita Vedanta as well as his literary criticisms. He was a disciple of Nataraja Guru, the successor to Narayana Guru. Yati published over 140 books in English and Malayalam including a commentary on Darsana Mala of Narayana Guru, titled, Psychology of Darsana Mala. Kerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him with their annual award for literary criticism in 1977.

Biography Nitya Chaitanya Yati was born K. R. Jayachandra Panicker on 2 November 1924 at Vakayar, a village in the erstwhile Travancore, now in Pathanamthitta district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Pandalam Raghava Panicker, a poet, teacher, and his wife, Vamakshi Amma and nephew of Muloor S. Padmanabha Panicker. After early education by a local teacher by name, Nanu Pillai, he studied at Kulathingal High School from where he passed the SSLC examination. Subsequently, he left home and traveled for the next eight years during which period he learnt Buddhism, Jainism and Sufism and met such people as Mahatma Gandhi and Ramana Maharshi. On his return from his wanderings, he joined Union Christian College, Aluva and earned his graduate degree in philosophy before securing a master's degree in philosophy from the University College, Thiruvananthapuram in 1952. In between, he was also associated with the Indian Council of Medical Research as the head of the division of Yoga and with the East West University, of which he was the founder chairperson. near Ooty, at the age of 74. He wrote two more critiques on Asan's works, Chinthavistayaaya Seetha, Oru Padanam and Duravastha, Oru Padanam. He published a book on Narayana Guru, with the same name, and commentaries on Guru's Darsanamala and Atmopadeshashathakam. He also translated Brhadaranyaka Upanisad into English, which has the original text in transliteration as well as English translation and published critiques on the Bhagavat Gita, Saundaryalahari of Sankaracharya and Marxism. Wandering by Hermann Hesse was another work translated by Yati which was published under the title, Deshadanam. His autobiography, Love and Blessings, is a detailed narrative of his life and includes anecdotes and his letters.

Selected bibliography Works in Malayalam

Works in English

In the Stream of Consciousness, East-West University (1976)

Psychology of Darsana Mala, DK Print World (2004)

Living the Science of Harmonious Union (Patanjali’s Yoga Shastra), DK Print World (2009) That Alone, the Core of Wisdom, DK Print World (2013)