Acharya Prashant explains that India, despite being the cradle of religion, remained enslaved and backward because its religion devolved into superstition. He asserts that while pure religion is the greatest liberating force, it becomes a form of bondage when it turns into fossilized beliefs. A truly religious mind must be sharp, strong, and unwilling to believe easily or follow popular conventions. He points out that for a thousand years, India experienced zero scientific growth because religion became a distorted, anti-life force that stifled originality and creativity. This stagnation is evident across all spheres of human endeavor, including science, art, and sports. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that religion is the fundamental force that can rejuvenate a nation and provide everything else, such as great polity, science, poetry, and architecture, by producing great human beings. He contrasts the current state of mediocrity with the legacy of great pioneers like the authors of the Upanishads, Buddha, Mahavir, Guru Nanak, and Kabir Saheb, who were non-compromising leaders rather than followers. He concludes that when religion is disfigured and lifeless, it turns a population into people with nothing grand about them.