Eknath Easwaran was born in 1910 in South India, into a traditional Hindu family in a small village setting. His early years unfolded within a devout, joint-family atmosphere, where religious observances and scriptural stories formed the texture of daily life. At the heart of this environment stood his maternal grandmother, a deeply spiritual woman whom he regarded as his primary guide and exemplar. Through her, he absorbed not only devotional practices but also a living sense of universal love and practical spirituality. This intimate, family-based transmission of values gave his later teaching a grounded, experiential quality rather than a merely theoretical one.

Alongside this traditional upbringing, Easwaran received a modern, Western-style education that led him into the world of English literature. He studied English to an advanced level and became a professor of English literature, eventually serving at the University of Nagpur. Immersed in Western literary traditions while rooted in Hindu spirituality, he learned to move fluently between these two worlds. This dual formation allowed him to interpret Indian scriptures and spiritual classics in a language and style accessible to modern readers, without losing the depth of the original vision. His academic discipline also shaped the clarity, precision, and structure that characterize his later writings.

From an early age, Easwaran was exposed to Sanskrit scriptures and the great texts of the Hindu tradition, including the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as stories of saints and sages. These were not presented to him as abstract philosophy but as living guides to conduct, character, and inner transformation. The example of his grandmother, together with the broader spiritual and cultural milieu of India, impressed upon him the centrality of nonviolence, self-discipline, and the possibility of profound inner change. Over time, this synthesis of traditional devotion and critical, literary training matured into a distinctive approach to meditation and spiritual living. His background thus represents a meeting point of village piety and university scholarship, shaping a teacher who could speak to both the heart and the intellect.