There is no compulsion, it's either a slavery you buy into or just an expensive luxury that the rich afford. All this that we are doing: success, marriage, fidelity, money, prestige, whatever, all these are founded on self-ignorance. Somebody tells you, “Go get married, bear kids.” What do you know? You don't know your own birth, and you are giving birth. No point playing blind. Before you start walking, start opening your eyes.
Companionship is wonderful. Companionship with the opposite gender too might be wonderful. But what is this idea that unless you are in a long-term relationship with somebody, there is something missing? Long-term relationships are not a problem. A planned, thought-out, constructed-in-advance relationship is a problem.
Nobody can prepare you for anything that is against the law of freedom. Especially when you are an adult irrespective of where the childhood was; irrespective of how the conditions back then, where one lives in this particular moment and there is no obligation to carry the load of the past. There is absolutely no need. When I say need, what I mean is something that you cannot dispense away with. If this thing is happening to you, there surely is choice involved in it. And if it is your choice, it can be reversed.
Acharya Prashant: If material attracts you, sooner than later, women too would be a dominant factor in your life. And if you are chained to women, then sooner than later you will have to go after material also. That is why people start earning more aggressively and more helplessly after
Human beings spend five years, seven years in courtship, knowing fully well that the objective is just one, but neither the man nor the woman—assuming it’s a man-woman relationship—would dare confess it to the other. Especially not in India. Read more....
If the two persons who are in this social arrangement of marriage are also spiritual friends, then they rise above the social arrangement. The social arrangement by itself is a recipe for disaster. But when the social arrangement is purified, consecrated by the spiritual touch, then the poison in it
Even if you get married, what do you do? You bring a man or a woman to your house, or you move to his house, sharing a common bed and gaining the authority to slip your hand inside somebody’s pants. Even the courts of law call that as consummation of
Acharya Prashant: Companionship is wonderful. Be with one person, ten persons, anybody who helps your mind be centred. Being with such a person or a group of persons is wonderful. If marriage is another name for beautiful companionship, marriage is wonderful.
Questioner (Q1): Hello, sir. Good evening. My name is Poorak Singh. And so, my question is regarding being single in India. Sir, your movement promotes antinatalism, which led to a lot of people remain single and go against marriage. So, if we talk about in India, singles have to face
Questioner: Why are some social norms told to be followed that don’t make any sense? For example, we apply mehendi (Henna) in marriage, what’s the use?
Acharya Prashant: Kid, when I was your age I would ask much the same question and I had actually never imagined that the questions…
Drop the idea that the marriage is the problem, and then you will be able to look at her as an individual. Drop the image that she must be a wife, and then you will be able to look at her more sympathetically, more intimately.
Questioner (Q): I have been listening to your videos for a week and I can see a lot of difference in my personal life. And I was fortunate enough to live in Bangalore and was able to come here. I’ve been facing problems in my personal life for the last
If you are just looking for decent looks and somebody to accompany you to the movies, then anybody would do. But if you are looking really to not make a waste of your life, and if you are looking for someone who just refreshes you, gives you freedom from all
“Why am I with someone?” That question has to be asked. If that question has been honestly asked and reasonably answered, then you cannot go wrong, whether you marry or not, whether you remain with someone or not.
Companionship is wonderful. Be with one person, ten persons, anybody who helps your mind be centered. Being with such a person or a group of persons is wonderful.
Question: Why do I need to get married? Why do I need to take a certificate from somebody regarding my love, regarding my decision to live with someone? Why does it need to be certified by someone?”
When a great scientist, or a devoted politician, or a committed author decides to remain unmarried, it is wonderful. But only then. First of all, figure out something great to be immersed and absorbed in. If you can figure that out, then you get the licence to remain unmarried. Only…
I have nothing against marriage. I have a lot to do with the mind of man. The mind that rushes towards security, the mind that wants to possess and hold captive another living being, I want to talk of that mind.
Science can examine material claims, but Advaita Vedanta deals with the subjective self, ego, suffering, bondage, and liberation—areas outside science’s objective framework. Vedanta need not be accepted because of one’s religion or tradition; its value lies in whether its insights can be personally verified and help free one from suffering. The ultimate responsibility is not toward any philosophy, but toward oneself: to live a truly free life.
Superhero films appeal to our desire to escape inner inadequacy through external power. The fantasy of an ordinary, fearful person becoming extraordinary reinforces the ego’s belief that more strength, money, possessions, or status will bring happiness. Consumerism follows the same pattern, endlessly adding objects to fill an inner void. Real freedom does not come from becoming more powerful or acquiring more, but from honestly seeing and understanding the ego that feels incomplete.
True love is not a biological instinct, emotional attachment, or social conditioning. Biology and science explain the body's drives, but they cannot explain the self that seeks freedom. Love is the inner restlessness to move from ignorance and bondage toward truth and liberation. Religion is not rituals or inherited beliefs but this personal journey of understanding. Freedom—not possession or conformity—is the essence of both love and religion.
Truth cannot be forced upon anyone, but neither should falsehood be entertained. Genuine love is not about preserving relationships at any cost; it is about helping oneself and others break free from illusion, even if that means risking the relationship itself. Spiritual growth begins by questioning conditioning, examining falsehood without bias, and choosing authenticity over comfort. Real relationships are built on the courage to seek freedom, not convenience.
Love is not a special emotion reserved for selected people or relationships but a way of relating free from self-interest, possession, and psychological dependence. Most relationships become transactions driven by insecurity, where the ego seeks completion through ownership and exchange. Genuine companionship arises without the urge to control or claim another, allowing affection to exist naturally, freely, and without conditions or expectations.
If the two persons who are in this social arrangement of marriage are also spiritual friends, then they rise above the social arrangement. The social arrangement by itself is a recipe for disaster. But when the social arrangement is purified, consecrated by the spiritual touch, then the poison in it is neutralized. In fact, there is only one antidote and that is spiritual association between the man and the woman.
In our country, most people marry because that is sometimes the only way of getting some good sex—good and assured sex. Otherwise, the fellow would either have to spend a lot of money or a lot of time, or both, and then still return empty-handed. Isn’t that so?
Now, if…
Excerpts from Articles
You Don't Understand the Bhagvad Gita, But You Still Claim That You Love Krishna?
The Bhagavad Gita deserves reverence not because of inherited beliefs about its author, but because of its power to dissolve falsehood and reveal Truth. Real devotion is not ritual or blind faith—it is understanding, inquiry, and living the wisdom of the Gita. Through sincere study, one discovers the true meaning of Krishna, making the Gita the most authentic path to knowing and worshipping Him.
Victory is not decided by the trophy you hold but by the battle you choose to fight. Real strength lies in making the right decisions, staying true to your deepest values, and refusing to be ruled by fear or circumstances. When your actions arise from clarity rather than ambition, the outcome loses its power over you. The moment you choose the right path, you have already won.
ज्योतिष कितना सच है? कुंडली, ग्रह-नक्षत्र: इनका क्या अर्थ है?
वेदांत को केवल इसलिए सही या श्रेष्ठ नहीं माना जा सकता कि वह किसी विशेष परंपरा से आता है। विज्ञान जहाँ भौतिक जगत की वस्तुनिष्ठ जाँच करता है, वहीं अद्वैत वेदांत सीधे मनुष्य के ‘मैं’, उसके दुख, बंधन और मुक्ति की पड़ताल करता है। इसकी कसौटी वैज्ञानिक प्रमाण नहीं, बल्कि अपने जीवन में इसकी सच्चाई को देख पाना है। किसी दर्शन को मान लेना नहीं, बल्कि उससे स्वयं को मुक्त करना ही उसका वास्तविक उद्देश्य है।
Climate change is more than an environmental crisis—it is a crisis of human choices. Our patterns of consumption, consumerism and endless pursuit of more are putting increasing pressure on the planet. But meaningful change does not necessarily begin with new technology or stricter policies. It begins with a deeper question: what are we willing to change within ourselves?
Struggling to choose between a secure job and the path you actually feel drawn to? This isn't really a question about careers. It's about why other people's opinions have so much power over you in the first place. Real clarity doesn't come from finding the 'right' choice. It comes from honestly looking at your own fear, again and again, until it stops running the decision for you.
कई तरह के डर—अकेले पड़ने, छवि खोने या छोटा समझे जाने—की जड़ अक्सर अतीत में बनी पहचान और कहानियों में होती है। शरीर की हाइट जैसी चीज़ों को समस्या मानकर उनसे जूझने के बजाय उनकी अप्रासंगिकता को समझकर आगे बढ़ना चाहिए। अतीत को दबाने से मुक्ति नहीं मिलती; उसके करीब जाकर अपनी स्मृतियों, धारणाओं और पुराने पैटर्न को निष्पक्षता से देखना ज़रूरी है।
Animal cruelty: Who deserves mercy, and who doesn’t?
Violence begins long before the knife or the slaughterhouse—it begins with the ego, the one that draws boundaries, seeks justification, and decides who deserves compassion. Laws and reforms may reduce suffering, but they cannot end violence while the ego remains intact. When the ego dissolves, exploitation ends naturally, and compassion no longer depends on regulation or moral boundaries.
We are all born married to our desires, despair, and desperation. A woman or a man is not responsible for making us feel bonded or suffocated. It is the feeling of attachment, loneliness, and dependency that troubles you. Get rid of these, and then, if someone comes into your life, it’s alright. If you feel like marrying them, do it; if not, don’t.
There is not much difference between a live-in relationship and marriage. When you are living with somebody, that person gains enormous power to affect your life in all kinds of ways, and you too gain that power. You cannot do justice to that responsibility if you are not a spiritually evolved person. Be very, very conscious of your personal space. It is sacred; not everybody must be allowed to enter it.
Questioner: I was in a relationship with a person from the last eight years. Last three years while being with me, he was also seeing and dating other women. I have always been honest and loyal to him. After knowing that he is so mean, so dishonest, why am I…
Questioner: Acharya Ji, Pranaam. Currently, there is a lot of pressure on me to get married. I am completely confused about this decision, I am not mentally prepared for it right now. I feel incompleteness in my life, and I want to settle things in my life.
There is a…
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Be very, very alert about cohabitation. Just don’t start living with anybody. Be very, very conscious of your personal space. It is sacred; not everybody must be allowed to enter it. I am not merely talking of the body; the mind is much, much more sacred than the body. The purity and such things of the body probably do not matter so much, but the mind must be kept virgin. Be very cautious.
Don’t unnecessarily hassle your spouse. He or she is probably as clueless as you are. He needs your support. She needs your light. Take care of yourself, and then you will be able to take care of everybody.
Love is serious, hard work. And love is not really fun. You need to learn to have fun in hard work. And that’s love. In love, you start loving the hard work and the hardship that comes your way. Read more....
There is nothing wrong in marriage if it is based on the foundation of wisdom and an awakened state. The institution of marriage becomes a problem because it emerges out of a mind seeking security leading to permanent enslavement. Marriage, when entered out of ignorance, can become an irreversible trap that dictates one’s life. Marriage is beautiful and wonderful if it is based on wisdom because then it redeems and gives one wings to fly, breaking oneself from the clutches of patterns and security.
Cheating a partner happens on three planes. Physical plane where the foundation of relationship has just been fulfilling one’s bodily needs, emotional plane where a partner is supposed to please other partner and on spiritual plane where a partner’s attention is withdrawn from the Higher Self to one’s own lower self. It’s quite rare that relationships are based on a higher plane where both the partners have come together to push each other to get close to ‘Something’. The thing is although we have moved out of the jungle, but within we are animals.
Question: Acharya Ji, before marriage, every relationship that I had has been very natural. I never did anything to be good with them. But once I got married, it is not coming that natural. My expectation from relationships seems to have risen.
Please guide.
Acharya Prashant:
Where there is desire,…
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Questioner: Acharya Ji, recently I had a small argument with my parents regarding marriage. They have been pushing me for the last seven years, trying to somehow convince me to get married. I’ve got kind of really sick of it. I’m trying to push it, saying that I don't need…
A woman has unsafe work environment—doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make headlines.
A woman dies during childbirth—who bothers?
Public spaces are not women-friendly—who bothers?
Women themselves are getting conditioned to look at themselves as mere…
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You already have enough troubles, right? We don’t want to invite another trouble into your house, into your bedroom, do you? But yes, if someone can bring joy and Truth to you, invite them right into your heart, and then marriage is inconsequential. With the right person, you marry—wonderful! You…
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But, what matters is not the social institution…
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If you want to redeem your wife, drop the wife and you will get a lover.
If you want to save your husband, drop…
Acharya Prashant:
You know what, you don’t get angry when fighting with your spouse, because you assume that she is not as strong as you.
…
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Questioner (Q): Acharya Ji, should one not leave money for his children? Is that not my responsibility towards my family?
Acharya Prashant (AP): By giving them X or Y tangible things, would you really be able to do them some good? You have a son, and that son becomes an…
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Questioner (Q): Namaskar, Sir. My question is related to Indian weddings. Since in the last two months only — November and December — we saw there was some wedding season on every consecutive day. There were some processions and a lot of noise. And even social media was flooded with…
The prince of Tirmidh said one night to his court-jester Dalqak, 'You have taken to wife a harlot in your haste. You should have mentioned the matter to me, then we might have married you to a respectable woman'.
Said the…
And mind you, these are not really permanent decisions to be made.…
If marriage is another name for beautiful companionship, marriage is wonderful. But what matters is not the social institution of marriage but
…
Acharya Prashant (AP): Pulkit (questioner), it’s a very good question that you are…
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Marriage will decide the kind of work that you…
Climate change is more than an environmental crisis—it is a crisis of human choices. Our patterns of consumption, consumerism and endless pursuit of more are putting increasing pressure on the planet. But meaningful change does not necessarily begin with new technology or stricter policies. It begins with a deeper question: what are we willing to change within ourselves?
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We often call something “help” or “love” while secretly expecting something in return. When that return does not come, we feel hurt, revealing that the relationship was a trade, not genuine help. The ego, being unfulfilled, cannot truly love or share. Likewise, desperation to be loved makes us controllable. Real love emerges when we stop seeking validation, work on ourselves, and become so inwardly fulfilled that we no longer need to be loved.
The Bhagavad Gita is not a separate spiritual path or an escape from everyday life - it is a mirror that reveals the truth of your present life. Real spirituality begins with self-observation, not rituals or temporary practices. Lasting transformation comes when work, relationships, career, and personal growth become one integrated life driven by awareness, love, and freedom rather than ego, fear, money, or social pressure.
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The Bhagavad Gita is often accused of supporting caste and misogyny through selective quotations that ignore context, grammar, and the text's central teachings. A closer reading shows that its emphasis is on inner qualities, conscious action, and spiritual equality rather than birth-based hierarchy or gender discrimination. Misinterpretations arise when isolated verses are detached from their broader meaning, while the Gita consistently points toward self-knowledge, freedom from ego, and the universal possibility of liberation for every human being.
Science and philosophy arise from different kinds of inquiry. Matter seeks continuity of state, while the ego seeks continuity of existence and constantly changes identities to preserve itself. Fear, danger, and suffering are rooted in the ego’s sense of “I,” not in material reality itself. Questions are valuable because they expose hidden beliefs, and genuine learning requires challenging assumptions through inquiry, dialogue, and self-examination.
Modern relationships often create more insecurity, not less, because people are conditioned to seek completion, validation, and identity through another person. Social institutions, media, culture, and tradition continuously reinforce the idea that fulfillment lies in romantic attachment. As a result, relationships become driven by dependence rather than love. Real companionship becomes possible only when one is inwardly at peace and not using another person to fill an inner void.
Love is not attraction, possession, dependency, or a transaction driven by personal gain. As long as relationships arise from insecurity, ownership, or the desire for psychological completion, they remain centered on the ego. Love is simple, natural, and free of self-interest, flowing without preference or exclusion. The ego seeks security, continuity, and suffering because they preserve its identity, while freedom and joy threaten its existence. A meaningful life begins when one stops repeating old patterns, accepts uncertainty, and chooses freedom over the comfort of familiar cages.
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