Born and brought up in the bustling city of Mumbai, the young man who would later become Swami Swarooopananda had always been convinced that beyond life’s superficial, everyday joys and sorrows, there was something more enduring and satisfying. As a child he heard from his grandmother many religious stories based on the great Indian epics and the history of saints. These stories suddenly came to life, acquiring new meaning and depth, when as an adolescent he encountered Swami Chinmayananda.

His heart completely moved and inspired, in 1984 he gave up his family's thriving business to undergo intensive training under Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Tejomayananda at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai. He was initiated into the monastic order by Swami Chinmayananda in 1992 and was given the name Swami Swaroopananda.