Acharya Prashant begins by explaining the fundamental state of the individual self (Jeev). He illustrates this by drawing a dot representing the ego (Aham) within a larger circle, which signifies nature or the world (Prakriti). This ego is constantly influenced and conditioned by the world, which is the root of suffering. To address this suffering, there are two primary paths: the path of knowledge (Gyan) and the path of devotion (Bhakti). He elaborates on the path of devotion using an analogy of a new student being bullied by seniors in a school. The world represents the school, and its conditionings are the bullies. The devotee's initial reaction is to escape this suffering. However, he finds himself trapped by the boundaries of the world, which are intrinsically linked to his own ego. At this boundary, the devotee faces a choice. A common, but flawed, approach is to bring God inside this world of suffering. This is a form of self-preservation where the devotee projects his own human qualities and relationships onto the divine, leading to various forms of devotion like seeing God as a child (Vatsalya Bhakti), a lover (Madhurya Bhakti), or a master (Dasya Bhakti). This allows the devotee to continue with his worldly attachments by associating them with the divine. The true devotee, however, upon reaching this boundary and struggling, realizes that to transcend it, the self must be dissolved. This realization is knowledge (Gyan). Therefore, true devotion must culminate in knowledge to be complete. The path of knowledge, on the other hand, is one of direct inquiry (Jigyasa) and conflict (Sangharsh). The wise one (Gyani) confronts the world and its conditionings head-on, seeking to unmask their true nature. Through this process, the Gyani understands that the experiencer, the experienced, and the experience are all one entity—Prakriti. This is the triad (traita) of duality. The Gyani realizes that to overcome the world, he must overcome himself. This path is akin to a 'suicide bombing' of the ego, leading to the understanding of 'Neti, Neti' (not this, not this), and the dissolution of the self into non-duality (Advaita). The path of knowledge is difficult and requires immense courage, which is why the path of devotion, with its element of sweetness and surrender, is more popular. The devotee surrenders the objects of his world, which ultimately leads to the surrender of the self, while the Gyani directly confronts and dissolves the self.