Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon

Teaching

Direct enquiry into experience: deep sleep, the gap between two thoughts and the meaning of the word 'I' are examined until consciousness is seen as the background of all experience. As a teacher he passed on only this path of knowledge, not devotion or yoga.^{1, 3}

Who it is for

For readers who like a reasoned, step-by-step approach and are ready for a long book of short notes.

Life and places

He was born in 1883 in Peringara, near Tiruvalla, in the state of Travancore. ³
After studying law he became a Government Advocate and an Inspector and District Superintendent of Police, and he worked in the police department until 1939. ³
In 1919 he met Swami Yogananda, a teacher who lived in Calcutta, for a single night. ³
He died at Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, in 1959. ³

Where to start

Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Shri Atmananda can be downloaded free of charge. The first notes, from November and December 1950, already cover deep sleep, the gap between thoughts and the meaning of 'I'. ^{1, 2}

Public context

He served in the Travancore police until 1939 and taught alongside his work. From 1937 disciples also came from Europe, among them John Levy and Ella Maillart. ^{1, 3}

Works

Atma-Darshanam (Atma-Darshan (At the Ultimate))

Book · 1945 · Reddiar Press, Trivandrum

The first part of his Atmanandopanishad: short Malayalam verses that set out the truth by reasoning from the Self alone. Atmananda translated it into English prose himself.
Atma-Nirvriti (Atma-Nirvriti (Freedom and Felicity in the Self))

Book · 1951 · Reddiar Press, Trivandrum

The second part of his Atmanandopanishad, in short Malayalam verses. According to the author it takes up the teaching of Atma-Darshan from a higher standpoint; he also wrote the English prose version.
Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Shri Atmananda

Book · 1963

Notes of Atmananda's talks from November 1950 to April 1959, taken by his disciple Nitya Tripta and, according to the preface, approved by Atmananda. Short dated notes, followed by 'spiritual statements', a life sketch and a bibliography.

advaita.org.uk
Atmananda Tattwa Samhita

Book · Advaita Publishers, Austin

Transcripts of tape-recorded talks between Atmananda and some disciples, published after his death.

The short summaries are ours.

More works of Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon in the library

In their own words

Short passages in the words of Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, each with its source. Where the quoted text is not in the language of this page, a translation follows and says whose it is.

So also, if you succeed in discovering yourself between two mentations, you easily come to the conclusion that you are in the mentations as well.

Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Shri Atmananda · Note 5, 'What is the content of the interval between mentations?', 23 November 1950, p. 2 (2006 edition) · advaita.org.uk Recorded: Recorded by his disciple Nitya Tripta; read out to Atmananda and approved by him, according to the preface.
Therefore, it is one’s own real nature that everybody seeks, knowingly or unknowingly.

Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Shri Atmananda · Note 10, 'Mind as mind knows no peace, and mind at peace is no mind at all', 9 December 1950, p. 4 (2006 edition) · advaita.org.uk Recorded: Recorded by his disciple Nitya Tripta; read out to Atmananda and approved by him, according to the preface.
You will never succeed in bringing in light, if you insist upon removing all the darkness from your room before you do so. Therefore simply ignore the ego and try to understand, and the understanding itself will remove the ego.

Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Shri Atmananda · Note 847, 'Can I understand anything till the ego dies?', 2 April 1953, p. 256 (2006 edition) · advaita.org.uk Recorded: Recorded by his disciple Nitya Tripta; read out to Atmananda and approved by him, according to the preface.

Documented teaching relationships

Personal encounter with Paul Brunton

According to the life sketch by Atmananda's disciple Nitya Tripta, Paul Brunton attended Atmananda's talks as an observer for three months in 1952, on condition that he publish nothing about them without Atmananda's approval.

Biographical tradition · advaita.org.uk

Teaching relationships are documented statements. They confer no trust and do not attest realisation.

Sources

Notes on Spiritual Discourses of Shri Atmananda, taken by Nitya Tripta, proposed second edition 2006 · advaita.org.uk Record of talks from 1950 to 1959 by a disciple, approved by Atmananda according to the preface; includes the disciple's devotional life sketch and bibliography accessed 10 Oct 2026
Free Books by Recent Sages · advaita.org.uk Advaita website that distributes the Notes; states that the copyright holder wants the text freely available accessed 10 Oct 2026
Atmananda (Krishna Menon), part 3 of 'I' is a Door · Philip Renard, on advaita.org.uk Article by an Advaita teacher who came to Atmananda's teaching through Alexander Smit, a pupil of Atmananda's pupil Wolter Keers; gives editions and page references accessed 10 Oct 2026

Compiled by us from the sources listed. Last checked 11 Oct 2026.

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This description is factual. It contains no recommendation, ranking or assurance. Statements about effects are those of the respective source.