Review of Pūrṇam Eva: A Return to Completeness by Nrithya Jagannathan, A krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram Publication.

In keeping with the timeless tradition of sūtra literature—valuing clarity (asandigdham), universal applicability (viśvatomukham), and immediate intelligibility—Pūrṇam Eva: A Return to Completeness distills complex philosophical ideas from India’s vast commentarial tradition into a form accessible to the contemporary seeker.

Nrithya Jagannathan, an award-winning Bharatanāṭyam dancer and erudite scholar rooted in the Krishnamacharya lineage and trained under Guru Śrī Desikacharya, structures the book into eight thematic divisions. Each section is a garland of essays bound by the unifying thread of yoga as an adhyātmika sādhana (inner spiritual endeavor, drawing sustained attention to the “centrality of mental self-regulation”.

In doing so, she illuminates the multiplicity of human inclinations: action in service of the world (karma), the pursuit of knowledge (jñāna), and devotion (bhakti), explored through manifold pathways — the study of veda, the practice of yoga, the resonance of gīta (music), and the embodied devotion of nṛtya (dance) — each guiding us from the tangled world to the bliss of the divine light within.

Using vivid metaphors from the Vedas and Upaniṣads, she traces the soul’s evolution from Brahman to Puruṣa, supported by clear diagrams and conceptual charts that make profound ideas graspable. Ultimately, Pūrṇam Eva offers a map: one that helps us understand our relationship to the divine within, and guides us to steer life with awareness of our true nature. It invites readers to recognize their own essence — the completeness that we already are — and to walk the path back to that source. A valuable companion for anyone drawn to the inner journey.

Structured like a spiritual arc, the book begins with the auspicious “Atha,” the traditional marker of readiness to learn, and culminates in “anuśāsanam”, a commitment to integrate the teachings into one’s life. Through this arc, Nrithya reminds us that “it is for each of us to see the infinite possibilities for transformation and growth that are gifted to us as a living legacy of ancient Indian thought traditions — the Bhāratīya Jñāna Paramparā and Śāstra Sampradāya.”