Acharya Prashant addresses a question about the relevance of religious rituals. He begins by challenging the assumption inherent in the question: that our actions, especially long-standing traditions, must have a valid reason. He asks the audience to reflect on their own lives and question whether their decisions are always based on solid reasoning. He suggests that our actions are often driven by emotional upsurges, fear, ignorance, or simply because someone told us to do them, rather than any profound cause. The speaker explains that the only true reason for any right action is truth or understanding (bodh). However, he asserts that most of our actions are not caused by understanding but by darkness and ignorance. He provides examples of mindless actions like endlessly scrolling on social media or fighting over trivial matters, which lack any real cause. He likens human beings to a straw blown about by the wind, slaves to their impulses and conditioning, without true free will or discretion. He identifies the six enemies (Shadripu), such as lust, anger, and greed, as the real drivers behind our actions. Therefore, one should not assume that traditions persist due to some deep-seated reason. The very fact that one has to ask about the reason for a tradition indicates that it is being followed blindly. He advises that before following any tradition, one must first endeavor to understand what is behind it. Regarding the peace derived from rituals like singing bhajans or performing havan, Acharya Prashant explains that this feeling is subjective and rooted in pre-existing belief. He illustrates that if a havan were performed, not everyone would feel peace; some might just experience a cough from the smoke. Peace is felt only by those who have already decided that the ritual will bring them tranquility. He argues that if peace comes from one's own imagination, then one can simply imagine being peaceful without any external act. This, he says, is a false, imagined peace. He further deconstructs the effect of bhajans, noting they consist of words and music. He describes music as a potent force that can suppress consciousness and carry one away. He observes that many contemporary bhajans are set to the tunes of popular film songs, which means people are often drawn to the familiar music rather than the meaning of the words. He suggests that if the music is the primary attraction, one should be honest about it instead of using the bhajan as a religious pretext. He strongly criticizes the practice of using tunes from vulgar or objectifying songs for bhajans, calling it a poisonous act. He concludes by emphasizing that understanding (bodh) must always precede the act of singing (gayan).