India, Aug. 16 -- As artificial intelligence reshapes classrooms, ancient Upanisadic narratives offer timeless lessons on true knowledge, patient inquiry, and meaningful intellectual growth.

"Can artificial intelligence replace gurus in India?" The question arose during a recent conversation with a colleague on her podcast, Rational Pulse, and has stayed with me ever since. Perhaps this is because I have studied guru-bhakti communities on the peripheries of Delhi since 2015, or because my engagement with India's gurus extends beyond academic research to projects such as the Indian Saint Project and Singing Oneness. Gradually, however, the question opened onto a broader problem: the relationship between knowledge, knowing, and transformat...