Rasa Acarya Dr. I Made Darmayasa is an esteemed cultural ambassador, international spiritual teacher, and prolific literary contributor. He is renowned for his lifelong dedication to promoting Sanatana Dharma, Vedic wisdom, and the ancestral cultural arts and traditions of India and Bali on the global stage. Originating from the art village of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, he has become a vital bridge between India and Southeast Asia, particularly Bali, through his contributions in the fields of art, literature, interfaith dialogue, yoga, meditation, and spiritual teachings.
He is known as the “Traveling Guru” by his followers worldwide, as Dr. Darmayasa has journeyed continuously, both domestically and internationally. He has undertaken these travels since the 1980s with the aim of spreading the universal message of divine love, wisdom, and dharma. He is the author (and editor) of more than 80 books, including notable titles such as Chanakya NitiSastra, Panca Tantra, The Glory of the Cows According to Vedic Literature, Ahimsa and Vegetarianism, and Vaisnava Dharma: The Ancestral Heritage of the Indonesian Nation. His monumental Indonesian translation of the Bhagavad Gita has reached its 80th printing in just seven years, a testament to its profound impact and widespread readership.
In addition to Indonesian and Balinese, he is fluent in Old Javanese, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English. Dr. Darmayasa has conveyed the essence of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Vedic principles to audiences across the globe for over four decades. Having practiced yoga and studied Old Javanese palm-leaf manuscripts since the age of 12, he has preserved and popularized traditional interpretations of the Ramayana through Balinese dance and drama, which he has presented in Indonesia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. He is also known as a proficient healer, causing people to wait in line for hours for a chance to be treated.
He regularly distributes basic necessities to those in need and runs a program to renovate homes for the underprivileged. He also provides free services for Indonesians who wish to have their family’s ashes immersed and ceremonially honored in the holy river Ganges in India.
His spiritual journey and public contributions are deeply rooted in cultural tradition and humanitarian service. As president of the International Divine Love Society and international vice president of the World Hindu Federation, he has spearheaded various initiatives aimed at nurturing community welfare, spiritual values, and cultural preservation. He is also the founder and advisor of the Dharma Sthapanam Foundation and the co-creator of Angka Meditation, a contemporary approach to inner transformation.
Dr. Darmayasa is frequently invited as a Guest of Honour or Special Guest at prominent national and international platforms, including the GLOBE Platinum Awards at the World Business Conclave in Hong Kong (2016), the anniversary celebration of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University in Bhopal (2018), the World Hindu Conference at the Constitution Club in New Delhi (2023), and the World Hindi Seminar during the Prayagraj Maha Kumbha Mela (2025).
His academic presence has enriched various platforms worldwide: a lecture on Old Javanese literature at the University of Indonesia (1986), the World Ramayana Conference at Thammasat University, Bangkok (1992), a discourse on ancient Indonesian traditions at Mahidol University, Bangkok (2011), a lecture on the Bhagavad Gita at the University of Malta (2012), a seminar on Spiritual Tourism at Warmadewa University (2016), the Bhagavad Gita Seminar at the Hindu University of Indonesia (2018), the International Ramayana Conference at IGB Sugriwa State Hindu University, Bali (2023 and 2025), the International Conference on Vedic and Post-Vedic Thought in Ghaziabad (2025), and as a special guest at the convocation of Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal (2025).
For his cultural, literary, and spiritual contributions, he has received numerous national and international accolades, including the prestigious Vishwa Hindi Samman from the Government of India, presented by the then-Minister of External Affairs of India, Sushma Swaraj, at the 11th World Hindi Conference in Mauritius from August 18-20, 2018. He has also received the Hindi ShlakaAward, Vaishwik Hindi Mahasabha Shikhar Samman, Sanskrit VishwaBhaskarah Award, Sanatan Dharmashri Award, Sahitya Sanchay Gaurav Samman from the Sahitya Sanchay Sodh Samvad Foundation in New Delhi, India, Vishwa Hindi Prasasti from the Vishwa Sahitya Sanskriti Sansthan in New Delhi, a Cultural Award from the Javanese Cultural Institution in Central Java, Indonesia, the Hindi Gaurav Award from Vishwa Hindi Parishad, and the Guru Pembina BI Religi Award from Bank Indonesia. Dr. Darmayasa’s efforts in promoting the Sanskrit and Hindi languages in Southeast Asia have been widely recognized.
His leadership and advisory roles include serving as an advisor to the India-Indonesia Hindi Association and the Hindi Prachar Sabha in Bali, Chairman of the World Hindu Center, Director of the World Hindu Summit (2013), and Chairman of the World Hindu Wisdom Meet (2014). He is also the Indonesian coordinator for the World Ramayana Conference and the Sanskrit BhashaPrachar Samiti.
Dr. Darmayasa focuses his attention on rebuilding the younger generation of Sanatana Dharma. To this end, he employs various methods to connect the youth with the teachings of Sanatana Dharma. Among these efforts, he pioneered the annual Bhagavad Gita Festival and the Sadhana Youth Camp in Indonesia. Through these two programs, he has mentored thousands of students through discourses on physical and moral development, meditation, Vedic philosophy, and spiritual-religious discipline. He also initiated the International Bhagavad Gita Conference in 2016 in Denpasar, Bali, a historic event inaugurated by the Speaker of the Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia and attended by the Governor of Bali, members of parliament, community leaders, military officials, and over 1,000 participants from 16 countries. The conference opened with a colossal dance performance depicting the appearance of the Bhagavad Gita, performed by more than 130 professional artists.
Dr. Darmayasa encourages Indonesian Sanatana Dharma students to pursue higher studies in Sanskrit and Vedic philosophy in India and for Hindus in general to undertake Tirthayatra (pilgrimage) to India, which has now become part of the religious duty for Indonesian Hindus to take a holy bath in the Ganges River.
Through his “One Million Bhagavad Gita” campaign, Dr. Darmayasa aspires to inspire every Hindu in Indonesia to read, understand, and live by the eternal teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. In addition to his books, he has served for several years as a columnist for Bali Post, Surabaya Post, and Media Hindu Magazine, as well as the host of a widely followed daily Bhagavad Gita program on Bali TV—bringing spiritual inspiration to thousands every morning.
A revered figure of humility, knowledge, and grace, Dr. I Made Darmayasastands as a beacon of dharma in our times. His life is a profound testament to the harmony of knowledge (jnana), devotion (bhakti), and service (seva), continually inspiring spiritual seekers around the world. His spacious ashram in Bali, Paramadhama, serves as a place of peace for spiritual seekers who come and stay there for free in their search for self-discovery.