A conversation on love, purpose, and rising beyond expectations.

Shreya Kumari and Siddhi Rashi from The Pioneer met Antara Mohan to discuss more about her book. What began as a casual conversation soon became a profound exchange of thoughts about her journey from law to spirituality, her reflections on womanhood, and her views on love and marriage. Honest, moving, and deeply empowering, this conversation will linger in your heart long after the last word.

Who is Antara Mohan?

Antara Mohan holds a Master’s degree in International Law with a specialization in Immigration Rights. A devoted student of Vedanta and spiritual inquiry under Swami A. Parthasarathy, she is the author of Blissfully Yours Always. A strong advocate for women empowerment, Antara’s talks and spiritual sessions are loved across generations, as she speaks not from a pedestal, but from a place of shared humanity. Her message is simple: live with clarity, love with depth, and rise with purpose.

Shreya: Antara, your story has inspired so many. You left a high-potential legal career to pursue spirituality. What led to that decision?

Antara (smiling softly): It wasn’t a dramatic moment, really. It was more like a quiet awakening. I had everything I was supposed to want—great internships, big-city life, the corporate dream. But something inside felt… unfulfilled.

There was a longing for something deeper, something real. And I remember thinking—what’s the point of helping people cross legal borders if I haven’t first crossed the borders within my own mind?

I turned to spiritual study not as an escape, but as a return. To who I really was. And it changed everything. Life began to feel lighter, clearer. I began to live with more intention, more joy.

So yes, I left a job. But I found my work—the real work: spreading knowledge, empowering minds, lifting hearts.

Siddhi: And since then, you’ve taught and travelled widely. You’ve been to Stanford, to Cornell. What was that like?

Antara (eyes lighting up): Oh, it’s been a journey I’m so grateful for. At Stanford, I remember having long conversations under the trees with people who had built empires—but still felt lost. At Cornell, I saw the power of intellect meet the hunger of the heart.

These places are full of brilliance. But even the most brilliant mind needs peace. That’s what Vedanta gives—it teaches you how to think, how to live, how to rise above the noise.

I’ve held talks for young students and retired professors, for engineers and artists, and what touches me most is how universal this knowledge is. Everyone wants to be happy. Everyone wants to be free.

Swamiji always says, “Living is an art.” And I try, in my own humble way, to help people learn that art.

Siddhi (laughing gently, slightly hesitant): This is a bit personal… but I just have to ask. You’re so young and radiant. What are your thoughts on marriage? I’m sure many people must be eyeing you!

Antara (laughs, cheeks turning pink): Oh dear! That question always makes me giggle. Yes, I believe in love. I absolutely adore romance. I would love to have a partner who walks beside me, someone I can laugh with, cook with, pray with, and grow with.

But here’s the thing—marriage is a very important part of life… but alas, it is just a part of life.

Somewhere along the way, we women were told it’s the whole point of our existence. That once you marry, you’re complete. But we were already whole.

We must dream. We must study, travel, create, contribute. Whether it’s teaching a child, caring for the planet, building a business, or just becoming the most awakened version of ourselves—there is so much more for us to do.

And ironically, when you pursue those higher goals, love becomes even more beautiful. Because it’s no longer coming from need—it’s coming from abundance.

So yes, I do hope love finds me. But until then, and even after it does, I’ll continue to pour myself into things that matter—because I believe purpose is the most beautiful romance of all.

Shreya: That was beautifully said. If you had one message for women reading this today, what would it be?

Antara (with quiet conviction): Please don’t shrink yourself to fit into someone else’s frame. You were born to bloom. You were born to shine.

Marriage, motherhood, career—these are choices, not compulsions.

Live with courage. Love deeply. But most importantly, think clearly. Use your intellect. Rise above your fears.

And as Lord Krishna says in the Gita, when you work for a higher goal, the lower distractions automatically lose their hold on you. Choose that higher goal. Every single day.

As we sipped the last of our tea, there was a certain stillness in the air—an afterglow of an honest heart laid bare. Antara’s journey is not just her own. It’s the story of every woman who dares to say: “I want more. And I deserve more.”