Acharya Prashant explains the concept of 'Panchvarg' (five categories). He states that Panchvarg refers to the five forms or categories of Maya (illusion). These are five different ways of describing how Maya, ignorance (Agyan), or nescience (Avidya) covers or hides the Atman (the Self) or the Truth. The first way is to say that Prakriti (Nature), with its three Gunas (qualities), has covered the Atman. The second way is to say that the four divisions of the Antahkarana (the inner instrument)—mind (man), intellect (buddhi), consciousness (chitta), and ego (ahankar)—have covered the Atman. The third way is to say that the Jiva's (individual soul's) attachment to the fourteen types of Prana (life forces), which makes it call itself 'alive', has covered the Truth. The fourth way is to say that attraction and aversion (Raga-Dvesha), or pleasure and pain (Sukha-Dukha), have covered the Truth. The fifth way is to say that the concepts of duty and non-duty (Kartavya-Akartavya), or sin and merit (Paap-Punya), have covered the Truth. Acharya Prashant further elaborates, referencing Shri Krishna's words in the Gita, that just as fire can be hidden by the smoke it produces, the Truth is not visible because of the Maya that covers it. He also cites the Upanishads, which say that the face of Truth is covered by a golden vessel, a dazzling illusion that is attractive and blinds the eyes, preventing one from seeing beyond it. When a person looks at any of these five categories, they are drawn in by them, either through desire or some other relationship, which prevents them from seeing the underlying Truth. The moment a relationship is formed with any object of perception, its underlying Truth becomes hidden. He concludes by clarifying that these five categories are not truly separate; they are all manifestations of the same central tendency: ignorance (Agyan) or, from another perspective, a lack of love (Aprem). The division into five is for the convenience of understanding and remembering. In reality, there are as many reasons for being away from the Truth as there are minds. Every individual has their own personal reason for maintaining a distance from the Truth. The core issue is the central tendency of ignorance or lack of love, which manifests in various forms, categorized as the Panchvarg.