While this knowledge has always been available to scholars and seekers, Swadhyaya movement’s unique success is in making ‘the knowledge’ available to all. In the Swadhyaya Parivar (family) are farmers, fishermen and Harvard alumni. There are Christians and Muslims. The very rich and the impoverished. Indians and foreigners. Athavale --fondly known as ‘Dadaji’ universalised India’s traditional values shorn of all flavour of the sectarian kind that has come to be known as ‘Hindu’. His is also a social movement because Swadhyayis are motivated to go beyond personal salvation, to greater common well being.

Pandurang Shastri Athavale is one of modern India’s Great Masters. Until he won the Templeton Prize and the Magsaysay Award not many in India had heard of him—such was his chosen low profile. Yet his followers were in tens of millions.

Here is a fine overview by Pankaj Jain where you will find many links that will lead you deeper into Swadhyaya and news of it in action.