Adi Shankaracharya

Rejecting Illusions: The True Meaning of Shiv and Mahashivratri

With Mahashivratri around the corner, many of us find ourselves struggling to discover the actual and deeper meaning of the festival. We wonder: surely there has to be something beyond the rituals and performances. More importantly, it strikes us when we are contemplative: who is Shiv?

Mahashivaratri is the only… read_more

Advait or Dvait?

4 min

Questioner: Shankaracharya proclaimed the Advait (non-dualism) philosophy and Madhavacharya proclaimed Dvait (dualism) philosophy. We cannot say who is correct and who is incorrect. That was their truth. These two are extremely opposite. Which is the exact Truth?

Acharya Prashant: One may put it in words of his personal choice. And… read_more

Shiva's Caste

15 min

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

How to Be True to Oneself? Are Memory and Intelligence Related?

9 min

Intelligence isn’t the same as knowledge. Knowledge relies on history, memory, and experience, while intelligence allows one to relate to others in the present moment. Knowledge helps with comprehension, but true understanding comes from intelligence, which goes beyond knowledge. Even without knowing the language, intelligence can still enable a deep connection. If knowledge is there—wonderful! Even without knowledge, intelligence isn’t limited or lame. It can still operate effectively, allowing one to relate and understand fully.

The two levels of falseness || On Vivekachudamani (2018)

25 min

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

The love for the Truth and the love for the world || On Vivekachudamani (2018)

8 min

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

Gita: Beware false interpretations || Acharya Prashant, with NIT-Calicut (2022)

6 min

Questioner (Q): Good afternoon, Sir. I have a doubt. In the market, there are a number of Bhagavad Gitas available. Somebody told me that there are eighty varieties of the Gita. Even though the slokas are the same, from what I have seen, the explanation was not making sense. In… read_more

The master and the shadow || On Vivekachudamani (2018)

13 min

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

To get rid of suffering, pass through a higher suffering || On Vivekachudamani (2018)

23 min

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

The call beyond the personal universe || On Vivekachudamani (2018)

16 min

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

Should You Trust Your Feelings?

7 min

When feelings surge in your mind and body, be careful and pay attention! This is the moment when you lose the plot. The initial surge of energy that a feeling has is beyond your consciousness and control; it is determined mostly by your conditioning and partly by your genes. So, don't add conscious energy to the unconscious uprising. The most important mark of a wise man is that he does not live by feelings.

Spirituality Is Basic Honesty

9 min

The distinction between spiritual life and worldly life is a false distinction. Spirituality is not morality or a set of commandments. It is never instructive. You do not need great formulations or special practices. Spirituality is basic honesty. Just see and acknowledge what is going on, and then the right action follows. Nothing else is needed.

Does corporate life dehumanize the workers? || Acharya Prashant, at IIM Bangalore (2022)

11 min

Questioner (Q): I watched your recent video - “Loving your fake lifestyle.” In that video you talked about two things. One is abuse of consciousness and another was that corporates are dehumanizing the employees.

In that context I wanted to ask you, this dehumanization actually is not only happening in… read_more

Trick Your Habits Before They Trap You

8 min

As long as one is alive, habits will remain. Nature gave us habits for the sake of efficiency. In habits, there is no decision-making involved. You just do it. So habit is not a problem, the problem is that we are habituated in the wrong things. Be habituated towards the Truth. Towards Freedom. Be habituated towards keeping it simple and straight. Let these be your habits.

Science and Spirituality Always Go Hand in Hand

5 min

The most common thing in spirituality and science is 'an honest urge to know the Truth.' Science observes the external universe, and spirituality observes the mind. These two have to be in tandem. The one thing that enables true knowledge in any field is honesty and integrity.

Why Bad Thoughts Never Really Go Away

6 min

If you know that a thought is not beneficial to you, you won't support it, and it cannot survive. So, if a bad thought continues in your mind, it means you're only calling it a "bad thought," yet deep down, you support it. Deep down, you think it is a ‘good thought.’ Had you really known it was ‘bad', it would have gone. But our minds are full of so-called bad thoughts. What does that mean? We call them ‘bad', but we do not truly consider them bad. We enjoy them.

Shivling: Understanding Before the Debate

28 min

Now comes the deeper symbolism of Shivlinga. It says—look, if you have taken birth, then you are there in the body. But even while living in the body, you have to live as if you are without a body. So, the shape of the Yoni that you see in the Shivalinga is actually the world or the body, and this Lingam that you see in the middle of it is the Consciousness—the Consciousness which is located in the body.

Rishikesh: The City of Shiva

24 min

Rishikesh is the city of Shiva; it is the city of ending. While many cities mark beginnings, Rishikesh is where you come to stop. Haven’t we already had enough beginnings? Things must end somewhere. Having passed through Brahma and Vishnu, it is now time to meet Shiva. Shiva is annihilation—a full stop.

Are Shiv And Shankar Same?

6 min

Shiv is unthinkable—beyond words, thought, and representation. He cannot be captured in pictures or idols. Yet, for most people, imagining truth without form feels impossible. This is where Shankar arrives. Shankar is the highest point a man’s imagination can reach. The maximum flight of the mind is Shankar, and Shiv is the disappearance of the mind into the sky.

How to Abide in The Shiva Truth? On Ribhu Gita

11 min

So 'know', don’t try to know about Shiva. Shiva is not furniture. Shiva is not a tree. Shiva is not a cloud, not even the sky. How will you know Shiva? Do you know of anything that has no shape, no form, and is eternal? How will you know Shiva? But know, do know. What can you know? This world and yourself. Know that. That knowing is Shiva-ness. Shivatva.

How Is The Bhagavad Gita Relevant Today?

44 min

The Gita is useful because its setting is extremely relatable. Just like us, Arjuna does not know himself—he's a victim of multiple identities and all kinds of conditioning. Therefore, the Gita is about letting Arjuna know who he is, and this illumination enables him to do what he must. So, first of all, see that you are Arjuna. Then, step by step, verse by verse, there will be some resolution.

Why Words Fail to Capture Life’s Truth?

9 min

And you can extend this observation to all the things in the world in the sense of our relationship with them. If we are highlighting something in this world, chances are we are going to destroy and distort it. We do not highlight things because they are virtuous or truthful. The ego does not want virtue. The ego has nothing for the truth. For the ego, its own security and preservation come first.

Ghosts Flee from Hanuman’s Power

6 min

Mahavir Hanuman is to be taken as the representative of truth. When you are close to the truth, then stupid imaginations do not bother you. Bhoot Pishaach Nikat Nahi Aawe, Mahavir Jab Naam Sunawe. When you are close to the truth, then stupid imaginations do not bother you. That's what these words mean, that's all.

Do We Really Have a Choice or Is It All an Illusion?

10 min

You know, the ego fights so many battles. The ego is always surrounded with problems, is it not? Every problem is a battle, right? The ego is always surrounded with problems. Do you know why we love problems? Because they secure us. There are so many problems, and that proves that I exist. And if the problems disappear, then the logic of my existence disappears.

Are Your Thoughts and Emotions Just Words?

5 min

All words have existential connotations to the ego. That existential connotation is the meaning. If that connotation is removed, words will do nothing. All words carry something that impinges on your very existence. If you can clear the word of that, then words will remain just words, and no words will have the power to shake you up or disturb you.

How to Recognize Experiences that Nurture Egolessness

6 min

So, if you can do away with the old object, you have done away with the old ego. It's not that straightforward, but I'm pointing at something—changing the objects that you have been habitually associated with is a necessary but not sufficient condition. It is quite possible that you change all the stuff around you, but the stuff inside you still remains the same. But if you refuse to change even the stuff around you, then it is almost guaranteed that the stuff inside will never change.

Quiet the Mind to Receive Krishna's Wisdom

5 min

No, no, you don't have to be empty of anything. You just have to be empty of the choice to use anything in your defense. You are born with ammunition; you don't have to keep the ammunition aside. Let the gun be there with you—just don't fire at the teacher. That's all that Shri Krishna is saying. You don't have to empty the gun. Keep it loaded; it's all right.

How to Use Prakriti for Liberation?

10 min

All three gunas, all said and done, belong to prakriti, and you have to move beyond prakriti, move beyond your association with prakriti, move beyond your consumption of prakriti. Even sattva can become an object of consumption. Don't we know of so many learned and knowledgeable people whose knowledge becomes their identity, who eat their knowledge? Just as it is possible to get trapped in tamas and raja, it is equally possible to get trapped in sattva.

(Gita-8) The Self and the Joy of Immortality

37 min

If all that the Ego wants is liberation from itself, which means coming to see its own non-existence, then the only way to see its non-existence is by paying attention to itself. The more the Ego pays attention to itself, it sees that it does not exist. The more the Ego remains attached to this and that, all the sensory inputs, the Ego feels that is real and this is real.

Kumbh: Truth Beyond the Myth

28 min

Amrit is at the center of the story. And where can we get Amrit from? By self introspection. The more a person knows himself, the more he will become free from himself. Free from death. What you think of yourself is known as death. And the more you look at yourself, the more you understand that what I think of myself is all futile. I'm actually not that. Negation, Neti Neti. Amrit does not mean gaining something. Amrit means being free from death.

Is Your Mind Controlled by Society?

7 min

I have been insisting continuously that consciousness, real consciousness is a choice. In a process, there is no choice. The fellow in front of you, how much of a choice does he have? If he has no choice, why get angry? And if he has choice, then the mark of having choice is that you will not choose wrongly. And then you will not get a reason to be angry at him. Had he really had a choice, he would have chosen rightly. And had chosen rightly, you would have found no reason to get mad at him.

Liberation Seems Distant, Gratification Seems Easier. What to Do?

12 min

One has to come to a certain purposelessness with respect to what one has always been doing. And when one comes to that purposelessness, that’s now like being with a clean slate. One does not like the words futility. So something within us just silently conspires from inside. So there is futility but then in that futility some meaning will be found. And that’s a conspiracy. There is purposelessness but some meaning will be attached to the word purposeless and that defeats the whole thing.

Break Free from the Ego’s Trap

9 min

The ego does not need an entire purpose of life. It's so much in pain and so full of immediate distress that it's enough for it to pay attention to its immediate surroundings. And the most immediate to the ego is itself. So words like ultimate mean nothing to the ego. The ego is like a patient on a ventilator. That fellow is looking forward to the next hour. Will I see the next day? Will I survive the next hour? That's the ego so much in distress that even the next one hour is difficult to to predict or see through or navigate.

Can Thought Truly Be Selfless?

13 min

Thought is a servant; thought is a shadow. The shadow cannot betray its owner, its master. So, what changes is the nature of the ego itself, not the nature of thought. So when we say, for example, selfless thought, that primarily implies that the ego has improved, loosely put. Since I have become better, so have my thoughts. Now, I cannot remain the same and say my thoughts have become selfless, and if I do that, then I'm being pretentious and just fooling myself.

Connection Between Thoughts and Wrong Relationships

13 min

I’m already bad, and through the thought process, I make a choice that makes my condition worse. I will always choose a woman who does me no good. And if a woman exists, coincidentally, who can be of real help to me, the job of thought will be to push that woman aside. Ditto for the other combination. As a woman, you don’t want a man who will challenge your most fundamental beliefs.

Sir, I Feel Addicted to You

10 min

The ego seeks security from the world and even when it comes to the truth, it still wants to somehow uphold its security. It is all right if one wants to guarantee one's security against the world. But when it comes to truth and beauty, that's when one should just drop the defenses. It is all right to be immersed. It is all right even to be drowned. It is all right even to die. What is the point in conserving something that is anyway imperfect?

Why Do We Insult Our Scriptures?

27 min

In modern times, reading and respecting the Shastras is often seen in a derogatory light. An Asura disregards the scriptures, saying, “What I know is right. My own experience determines the Truth,” rejecting them because they will not allow him to do what he wants. We have come to a point where we are not merely ignoring but actually insulting the scriptures. If you're sincere about knowing life, why avoid a document with deep insights into it?

Living a selfish life? || Neem Candies

1 min

People talk of personal time as opposed to professional time, right? They forget that the profession that they have chosen has also been chosen by the person. So, even that which they are mistakenly calling as professional time is only personal time.

Our lives have only personal time. To be… read_more