Jonas Masetti | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher of Vedanta, Bhagawat Gita and Yoga |
| Awards | Padma Shri (2025) |
Jonas Masetti (also known as Vishvanatha) is a Brazilian teacher ofVedanta andYoga based in Brazil. He studied under Swami Dayananda Saraswati and teaches topics related to Vedanta and the Vedic tradition. He was awarded thePadma Shri, the highest civilian honors presented by theGovernment of India.[1]
Jonas Masetti was born inRio de Janeiro, Brazil. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the Military Institute of Engineering (IME) and also served in the Brazilian Army for 5 years. He then worked in a company dealing with the stock markets as a consultant of strategic consulting.[2][3]
Despite all his previous achievements & success, Jonas did not know how to be happy and found life purposeless. The major turning point for Jonas came when he met Santosh Vallury, his first Indian teacher of Yoga & Vedanta in Brazil. After initial meetings with Jonas, Santosh insisted that Jonas Masetti must also study Vedanta alongwith his practice of Yoga. Soon Jonas began his studies of Vedanta in 2004 with Santosh Vallury, and quickly grasped the essence of the teachings over the next 3 years,[4] and later continued his studies withGloria Arieira, a pioneer in teaching Vedanta andSanskrit in Brazil. In 2006, he first met Swami Dayananda Saraswati during a study trip to the United States. Subsequently, he traveled to India for in-depth studies, including a three-year residential course atArsha Vidya Gurukulam inCoimbatore under Swami Dayananda Saraswati.[5][6]
After completing his residential studies, Masetti returned to Brazil and began teaching Vedanta. He established the Instituto Vishva Vidya inPetrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, which has reached a significant number of students through online classes, retreats known as Vedanta Camps, and publications.[2]
His teachings cover Vedanta philosophy, the Gita, Sanskrit language, mantras, and other subjects related to the Vedic tradition. He has published several books on Yoga and Vedanta in Portuguese and English.[1]
The Indian government has recognized Jonas Masetti's contributions to popularizing Vedic culture in Brazil. Prime MinisterNarendra Modi acknowledged his work in his "Mann Ki Baat" program, recognizing him as an ambassador of Vedic culture and for making the study of Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita accessible to a large audience in Brazil, reportedly reaching over 150,000 students.[1]
In 2025, Jonas Masetti was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions in the field of Literature & Education.[7][8][9]