Acharya Prashant addresses the question of why he continues to mention his IIT, IIM, and Civil Services background in his videos. He explains that this "garland of small coins" is not for his own sake but is necessary for the audience. He states that if these achievements were important to him, he would not have left them behind twenty years ago. Their lack of importance to him is precisely why he was able to leave them. He elaborates that these credentials are still important to the audience, and his work is to teach them that such things are ultimately of no significance. However, to impart this teaching, he first needs to attract people to listen to him. Therefore, he uses these worldly achievements as a lure, like a jingling garland of coins, especially for newcomers. He contrasts this with the current trend where some spiritual figures gain popularity by claiming to be illiterate, an approach he cannot take as his education becomes evident when he speaks. He must, therefore, present his entire background to draw people in. Acharya Prashant points out the inherent insult in this situation for himself: people do not value his essential being but are more impressed by the degrees he has long since discarded. There is an irony in people valuing what he left behind, while not valuing the very reason for which he left them. He uses the example of his YouTube channel approaching ten million subscribers, noting how people are excited about this quantitative, worldly milestone. He questions why this numerical achievement is considered such a significant event. He contrasts the celebration of subscriber numbers with the lack of appreciation for the qualitative, spiritual work he does. Bringing the wisdom of Shri Krishna or the teachings of hundreds of sages and philosophers to the public is not seen as a major accomplishment. The world celebrates quantitative, worldly achievements that can be counted like currency notes, but the qualitative, the talk of the Atman (the Self), is often overlooked. He concludes that this is the nature of the world, and one should not have expectations from it, as that only leads to heartbreak. The essence of Nishkama Karma (desireless action) is to do the right thing with joy, without expectation, which fills the heart. He advises that hurt comes not from others but from one's own expectations, and one has no right to hold such expectations.
