Acharya Prof. Dr. Yajneshwar S. Shastri is a world renowned scholar of Indian philosophy, especially Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina philosophy.

Prof. Shastri holds Bachelor’s, Master's and Doctoral degrees from the University of Mumbai in Philosophy. His Sanskrit education, completed in a Gurukula, culminated in a traditional Shastri (Bachelor's) and Acharya (Master's) degrees. His Ph.D. research was a comparative study of Vijnanavada Buddhism and Upanishadic philosophy.

For over thirty years, he has imparted his expertise in Upanishadic philosophy, Advaita Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, and Jainism to countless students at the post-graduate level in India and Abroad. Since 1993, he has been a visiting professor at several foreign universities as an international scholar.

At Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, Prof. Shastri served as Director of the School of Psychology, Education, and Philosophy for over a decade. He was the National Fellow of Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR) and a nominated member of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Government of India and the University Grants Commission (UGC). He has served as president, keynote speaker, and chair at various national and international conferences.

At the moment, Prof. Shastri is serving as: Advisor to Acharya Shankara Sanskritika Ekatanyasa, Ministry of Culture, Madhya Pradesh; President, World Peace Foundation Gujarat; Director of Nalanda International, India; Director, Som-Lalit International Centre of Thought, Ahmedabad; Hon. President, International Congress of Social Philosophy; Vice Chairman, Asian Philosophy Congress; and Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Government of India. He is also an expert member of the Board of Philosophy and a Ph.D. referee in the leading universities of India. He has supervised 18 Ph.D. and over 85 M.Phil candidates successfully.

He has authored over 18 notable philosophical works, including: Foundations of Hinduism; Ishavasyopanishad- A study; Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion; Mahayanasutralankara of Asanga- A Study in Vijnanavada Buddhism; Prasamaratiprakarana of Umaswati Vachaka (on Jainism); Jainism from the View Point of Vedantic Acharya; Vedanta and Taoism; Salient Features of Hindu Culture; and Buddhism and World Peace. He's also published over 150 research papers.

Prof. Shastri is the chief editor of several books and journals. A major contribution is his work editing 51 Sanskrit commentaries on the Ishavasyopanishad. He has also edited Lalitatrishati Shankarabhashya with English Translation.

Among the many honours bestowed upon Prof. Shastri are the titles of "Eminent Philosopher of India", "Mahamahopadhyaya”, "Darshana Visharada”, "Karunaada (Karnataka) Chetana”, "Ambassador of Peace”, and "Eminent Citizen of India”. He also received the Shrimanta Nanasaheb Peshwa Award and the Rashtriya Gaurava Puraskara.

Dr. Shastri is fluent in several languages, including Sanskrit, English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, and Gujarati.

At present he lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with his Son Dr. Yogeshwar Shastri and involved in community works in Hindu Temple and Culture Centre imparting knowledge of Vedas, Vedanta and Sanskrit.