Vedant - Scriptures

Questioner: Acharya Ji, Juliana Hathovic has been listening to you for quite some years now and she has been very regular with what happens in the socio-spiritual domain in India.

She went through the recent statements by the Vice-chancellor of JNU on Shiva's caste. She just sent me a query… read_more

आज्ञाभयसंशयात्मगुणसङ्कल्पो बन्धः ।

ājñābhayasaṁśayātmaguṇasaṅkalpō bandhaḥ

Bondage is to imagine that Ātman has qualities like doubts, fear, etc.

~ Niralamba Upanishad, Verse 25

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Acharya Prashant (AP): “Bondage is to imagine that Ātman has qualities like doubts or fear etc. Bondage is to imagine that Ātman has doubt or… read_more

Questioner: The entire universe, the gross and subtle objects, people, gods and goddesses, feelings, thoughts, they are all nothing but mind stuff. As I live in this world, being an entity, I am unable to see this world as non-existent; I still see differences. I am unable to wake up.… read_more

Questioner: You have said that the future is not controlled by God; in reality, various forces are acting simultaneously creating unpredictable future events. When I read Yoga Vasistha , I have found that there are chapters where Guru Vasistha talks about the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna to Rama. How… read_more

चित्तमूलो विकल्पोऽयं चित्ताभावे न कश्चन । अतश्चित्तं समाधेहि प्रत्यग्रूपे परात्मनि ॥

cittamūlo vikalpo’yaṃ cittābhāve na kaścana ataścittaṃ samādhehi pratyagrūpe parātmani

This apparent universe has its root in the mind and never persists after the mind is annihilated. Therefore, dissolve the mind by concentrating it on the Supreme Self, which is … read_more

Questioner (Q): My gratitude, Acharya ji.. I've been listening to you for more than a year. It was a great pleasure, it was an amazing bliss in Rishikesh. And I just bought a book in IISc the first day and I finished reading it in three days because I thought… read_more

Om! Puurnnam-Adah ||

That is that, full, complete, ultimate.

Puurnnam-Idam ||

This is that, full, complete, ultimate.

Puurnnaat-Purnnam-Udachyate||

Full expresses itself, as fullness. Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya ||

From full, all fullness arises.

Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate || And full, remains full. Full complete ultimate. Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

So, is it not wonderful… read_more

Any and every verse of the Bhagavad Gita is a mantra. Any and every verse of the Upanishads is a mantra. Any śloka or sākhi by the saint poets, when in the language of the masses, is a mantra. Nanak Sahib, Kabir Sahib say something—all of that is a mantra.… read_more

“The sage has no connection with action since he has no idea of accepting or giving up. Therefore through constant engrossment on Brahman alone, do away with thy superimposition.”

- Vivekachundamani (verse 282)

Questioner (Q): Dearest Acharya Ji,Pranam. How does one go about a stage where one has no… read_more

Mumukshatva is the burning desire to free oneself by realizing one’s true self from all bondages, from that of egotism to that of identification with the body, which are bondages imagined due to ignorance.

~ Vivekchuramani (Verse 27)

Questioner: Dear Acharya Ji, Pranam. Desire seems to be the root cause… read_more

अतीताननुसन्धानं भविष्यदविचारणम् । अउदासीन्यमपि प्राप्तं जीवन्मुक्तस्य लक्षणम् ॥

atītānanusandhānaṃ bhaviṣyadavicāraṇam audāsīnyamapi prāptaṃ jīvanmuktasya lakṣaṇam

Not dwelling in the past, taking no thought for future, and looking with indifference upon the present, are characteristics of the liberated-in-life.

~ Verse 432

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Questioner (Q): My mind wanders into the past… read_more

Questioner: My wife has recently joined me on the spiritual journey, and she has been watching your videos since the last few weeks. She still feels strongly that she is the body and mind, and the possibility of being beyond body and mind is just a concept for her. The… read_more

छायया स्पृष्टमुष्णं वा शीतं वा सुष्ठु दुःष्ठु वा । न स्पृशत्येव यत्किंचित्पुरुषं तद्विलक्षणम् ॥

chāyayā spṛṣṭamuṣṇaṃ vā śītaṃ vā suṣṭhu duḥṣṭhu vā na spṛśatyeva yatkiṃcitpuruṣaṃ tadvilakṣaṇam

If the shadow of a man is touched by heat or cold, good or evil, it does not in the least affect the man, … read_more

यावद्वा यत्किंचिद्विषदोषस्फूर्तिरस्ति चेद्देहे । कथमारोग्याय भवेत्तद्वदहन्तापि योगिनो मुक्त्यै ॥

yāvadvā yatkiṃcidviṣadoṣasphūrtirasti ceddehe kathamārogyāya bhavettadvadahantāpi yogino muktyai

As long as there is even a trace of poison left in the body, how can one hope for complete recovery? Even so, the yogi cannot attain liberation as long as a trace of … read_more

Questioner: When I read and understand any verse from the Upanishads, is that understanding emerging from a personal comprehension or is it universal? Is understanding personal or universal? Is there a way to touch upon real understanding? Also, emptiness, lust, anger, intoxication and darkness appear and disappear. They do not… read_more

Just as gold, by thorough heating and fire gives up its impurities and gains its own lustre. So too, the mind through meditation sheds its impurities of sattva, rajas, and tamas and attains the nature of Brahma.

~ Vivekachudamani (Verse Number: 362)

Questioner (Q): Dear Acharya Ji, is meditation the… read_more

Listener (L):

Yog Vasistha Sara, Chapter 3, Verse 18:

“He who does not, like one blind, recognise(lit. leaves far behind) his relatives, who dreads attachment as he would a serpent, who looks upon sense-enjoyments and disease alike, who disregards the company of women as he would a blade of grass … read_more

All the arts acquired by men are lost by lack of practice, but this art of wisdom grows steadily once it rises.

~ Yoga Vasishth Sara, Chapter 1, Verse 13

Questioner: Acharya Ji, what is the litmus test to determine whether one’s wisdom is rising, or is it new clothes… read_more

अत्यन्तवैराग्यवतः समाधिः समाहितस्यैव दृढप्रबोधः । प्रबुद्धतत्त्वस्य हि बन्धमुक्तिः मुक्तात्मनो नित्यसुखानुभूतिः ॥

atyantavairāgyavataḥ samādhiḥ samāhitasyaiva dṛḍhaprabodhaḥ prabuddhatattvasya hi bandhamuktiḥ muktātmano nityasukhānubhūtiḥ

For the extremely dispassionate man alone there is samādhi, and the man of samādhi alone gets steady realization, the man who has realized the Truth is alone free from bondage, … read_more

यत: सर्वाणि भूतानि प्रतिभान्ति स्थितानि च| यत्रैवोपशमं यान्ति तस्मै सत्यात्मने नम:|| ~ योगवाशिष्ठ: (वैराग्यप्रकरण श्लोक 1)

Translation: Salutations to that calm effulgence which is endless and unlimited by space, time, etc., the pure consciousness which can be known by experience only. ~ Yogvashishtha Vairagya Prakaran Verse 1

Acharya Prashant: The… read_more

Questioner: * I am Darshan, and my question is very simple yet complicated. So why do we not work? So even after knowing that if we work, we will get something that we are looking for. So, to take an example, I had the opportunity to interact with a lot… read_more

किससे मिल रहे हो? किससे नहीं मिल रहे हो? कहाँ रोज़ पहुँच जाते हो? कहाँ से पैसे ला रहे हो? पहली बात – क्या ईमानदारी से काम रहे हो? दूसरी बात – जो कमा रहे हो, उसको खर्च कहाँ कर रहे हो? छः घण्टे से कोई खबरिया चैनल लगा कर… read_more

Questioner (Q): Sir, if we do something to make someone else happy by deceiving our own self, is it worth it?

Acharya Prashant (AP): No, you cannot make someone else happy by deceiving your own self. That kind of a thing cannot exist; that kind of a thing exists only… read_more