Guru Muni Narayana Prasad
(Taken from: 1000 Full Moons, Edited by Swami Vyasa Prasad, 2022)
Guru Muni Narayana Prasad was born on 9 December 1938 at Nagaroor, near Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India as the son of a primary school teacher. His real name happens to be M.N. Prasad. He had his initial schooling at the same school where his father was the headmaster. After passing the 10th standard he pursued studies at a technical institute preparing for a one-year course in civil engineering. He came in contact with Swami Nitya Chaitanya Yati and from 1955 started associating with the Narayana Gurukula movement. After a short training at Thiruvananthapuram Engineering College he entered Kerala government service as a draughtsman in 1958. He continued with his government job while staying at the Varkala Gurukula during this period.
On 21 January 1970 he was conferred brahmacarya dīkṣā by Nataraja Guru and joined the lineage of the Gurukula. Nataraja Guru gave him the name Muni Narayana Prasad. After resigning from his government job he began a dedicated life at the Gurukula.
When Nataraja Guru convened the World Parliament of Religions at Sasthamkotta, Kerala, in 1971, Muni Narayana Prasad was the organizing secretary. He also conducted the Conference for World Peace through Unitive Understanding held at Ezhimala, convened by Nataraja Guru. He functioned as the editor of the Malayalam Gurukulam magazine from 1973 to 1989.
In 1985 he was given saṁnyāsa dīkṣā by Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati. Among his overseas engagements, he has participated in the round-table meet of world religious leaders at Moscow in February 1987. He was the head of the Geeta Ashram in Fiji Islands from 1989 to end of June 1991. He has visited several countries and given classes in the US, Malaysia, Australia, England, Russia and in many Gulf countries.
After the samādhi of Guru Nitya on 14 May 1999, he took charge as Guru and Head of the Narayana Gurukula movement. A prolific writer, he has authored more than 100 books in English and Malayalam which include commentaries on the entire works of Narayana Guru, 8 out of 10 principal Upaniṣads and the Bhagavadgītā. He has accomplished the difficult task of commenting on the complete works of Narayana Guru, as well as translating all of them into English. This great achievement is an invaluable contribution to humanity.
