From Beverly Hills to Naga Sadhu

Baba Rampuri on The Merv Britto Show · Part 1 · Episode 74 · 13 September 2026 · 2 h 48 min

About this episode

At 18, Baba Rampuri left the wealth & comfort of Beverly Hills with less than $200; beginning an extraordinary journey that would eventually lead him to become the first Westerner initiated into India’s ancient Naga Sadhu tradition.

In Episode 74 of The Merv Britto Show, Baba Rampuri takes us from 1960s America across Europe, Turkey, Iran & Pakistan to India & into a spiritual world few outsiders have experienced.

But this conversation goes far beyond his personal journey.

What does a 2,500-year-old Sanskrit text have to do with modern Artificial Intelligence? Has modern yoga become another form of consumerism? What is the difference between yoga & yajna? Has the West misunderstood India by trying to define an ancient civilisation through the framework of religion?

Baba Rampuri shares his provocative perspectives on:

  • Growing up wealthy in Beverly Hills; but seeing unhappiness all around him
  • Leaving America at 18 & travelling overland to India
  • Meeting his Guru & becoming a Naga Sadhu
  • His interpretation & views on “Hinduism” & the Western idea of “-isms”
  • Yoga vs Yajna; self-interest versus sacrifice
  • Panini, Sanskrit, computational linguistics & AI
  • Why ancient Indian knowledge may be more relevant to our technological future than we realise

A conversation about identity, civilisation, spirituality, technology & what the modern world may be missing or have forgotten.

Episode description from The Merv Britto Show.

Chapters

  • 00:00 Intro
  • 03:49 Growing Up in Beverly Hills Among Hollywood’s Elite
  • 06:20 The Dark Side of Wealth, Fame & the American Dream
  • 14:32 Baba Rampuri’s Surprising Experience With Early Computers
  • 18:11 Why an 18-Year-Old American Chose India
  • 27:43 The Incredible Overland Journey From America to India
  • 31:01 Stranded in Istanbul for Six Months With No Money
  • 33:04 The Mercedes Problem That Could Have Meant 10 Years in Prison
  • 35:01 Baba Rampuri’s Unexpected Encounter With Palestinian Revolutionaries
  • 39:26 “I Didn’t Know If India Had an Airport”
  • 41:57 How People Travelled the World Before Google & Smartphones
  • 45:22 The Incredible Hospitality He Experienced While Travelling Through Iran
  • 48:35 Finally Reaching India After an Extraordinary Journey
  • 50:10 Arriving in Bombay in 1969: “The Whole Universe in One Spot”
  • 55:36 Why Goa Became the Meeting Point for Travellers
  • 1:02:58 Leaving Goa to Explore the Real India on Foot
  • 1:06:15 The Indian Temples That Completely Changed His Perspective
  • 1:09:47 How Baba Rampuri Entered the World of the Naga Sadhus
  • 1:18:19 Who Are the Naga Babas & What Is Their Tradition?
  • 1:23:56 Religion vs Civilization: Baba Rampuri Explains the Difference
  • 1:27:02 What Did the Word “Hindu” Originally Mean?
  • 1:47:32 From American Teenager to Naga Sadhu: The Spiritual Transformation
  • 1:49:58 How Do You Find a Real Guru?
  • 2:10:16 Ancient Sanskrit, Panini & the Surprising Connection to AI
  • 2:42:36 Part One Ends — Baba Rampuri’s Story Continues
  • 2:43:00 Bonus: Baba Rampuri Explains Ganesha & the Meaning of Obstacles
  • 2:47:10 Final Thoughts From Baba Rampuri’s Dhuni

Continue with Part 2 →

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Produced by The Merv Britto Show. Also on YouTube.