The Hinduʼs Guide to the Brahmanda

A Complete Encyclopedia on Sanatan Dharma

brahmanda (noun, pronounced “bhruhm-maan-da”)

Meaning - Brahmaʼs Anda. The galaxy, the whole universe, the whole of existence, which is
the egg and creation of the Supreme Power, who some, I dare say, call “God.”

Welcome to this Guidebook on Hinduism. Iʼm Manik and my goal is to give you a taste of
the vast ocean of knowledge that this way of life has to offer.

It is impossible to put together all the infinite knowledge that our Dharma offers in one
single book. But Iʼve tried my best to summarise everything in a Gen-Z friendly style.

That said, the guide may feel heavy and overwhelming at times, and for this very reason,
Iʼve put marker strips at specific points that will prompt you to pause and reflect, then come
back in an hour, maybe?

Spread over twenty-one chapters, the goal of my writing is to familiarise you with the
basics of our culture in a month - thatʼs your cue to take it slow, one chapter a day. In any
case, each chapter has a summary to help you get the gist if you get lost.

I have spent years curating this guide but Iʼm keeping it free for everybodyʼs learning and
spiritual growth. Know more about me here 󰚣
Introduction

Can we play a quick game? All you have to do is say “Yes” if youʼve ever thought about
these questions.

1. What happens after death?

2. Why do I feel the way I do?
3. Why am I confused/stressed often?
4. Why am I built this way?
5. Why did those things happen to me?
6. Why isnʼt God helping me?
7. Whatʼs the proof that God exists anyway?
8. If He does, why do bad things happen?
9. Wait, why is God a “He?” Is it a He?
10. How was the universe created?
11. Do aliens exist?
12. What is the point of life?
13. How should I live my life daily?
14. What is my purpose here?
15. Who am I?

If you said “Yes” to at least 5 questions, this guidebook will be a treat for you!

Sanatan Dharma (or its more modern name, “Hinduism”) has interesting answers to all the
anxieties that might be keeping you up at night.

And thatʼs why itʼs a practically useful way of life to explore - it gives us the mental clarity
and emotional safety needed to feel complete - at ease, at peace.

In fact, the goal of pursuing any kind of faith, belief, religion or system is (or should be) to
understand our own inner self better. And this is certainly the case with Dharma - the
deeper we go, the more youʼll realise that it actually has nothing to do with some “God
Almighty” sitting in the sky, nor is it about fearing and obeying his commandments. Instead,
it has more to do with understanding your inner self better, so that you can live your life in
peace without anxiety.

I use the term “way of life” and not “religion” because Dharma is not based on a single
book of instructions or even a singular core belief. Itʼs more like an infinite game world to
explore - with many roads (margas) to walk on, styles (yogas) to follow, and items
(realisations) to unlock on the way.

While this is exciting, itʼs also true that many superstitions and misinterpretations do exist in
our culture, especially in todayʼs world where many over-smart people have turned it into
their business for their selfish interests - so for the Gen-Z, the idea of adopting “religion”
might look scammy, fake or hopeless on the surface.

But true knowledge of Dharma has mature concepts and ideas deeply rooted in rigorous
observations that span the deepest depths of the outer universe and the most nuanced
inner workings of our mind.

So letʼs take a deep dive into this fascinating world today. Are you excited?
Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Table of Contents 7
Chp. 1) Ancient Bharat 12
Nastik and Aastik 13
Vedanta 18
Advaita 19
Vishishtadvaita 20
Dvaita 21
Dvaitadvaita 22
Achintya Bheda Abheda 22
Shuddhadvaita 23
Shaiva 25
Pashupatas 25
Shaiva Siddhanta 26
Kashmir Shaivism 27
Other Traditions 28
Shakti 29
Faith in Levels 31
Chapter Summary 32
Chp. 2) Sanatan Dharma 35
Key Takeaways (Summary) 38
Chp. 3) Who is a Hindu? 41
Conversion 45
Sampradayas 47
Everyday Practices 49
Chapter Summary 52
Chp. 4) Hindu Texts 56
Srimad Bhagavad Gita 56
Vedas 58
Chatur Vedas 60
Structure 60
Upanishads 62
Bhashyas 64
Puranas 65
Itihasas 68
Ramayana 68
Mahabharata 71
 Shiva Shakti 73
Upavedas 74
Vedangas 75
Chapter Summary 75
Chp. 5) On God 79
On Devtas 80
On Evolution 82
Avatars 83
Colour 84
Sex 86
Tenure 87
Ishta 87
Chapter Summary 88
Chp. 6) The Human 92
Shariras 92
Yonis 95
Chapter Summary 96
Chp. 7) Karma 100
Types 103
Speciality 106
Free Will 107
Ignorance 108
Chapter Summary 110
Chp. 8) Time 113
Yugas 113
Chapter Summary 119
Chp. 9) Universe 122
Lokas 123
Narkas 126
Chapter Summary 128
Chp. 10) Symbolism 131
Aum (Om) 131
Swastika 133
Temples 134
Idols 136
Kalash 137
Namaste 139
Tilak 139
Saffron 141
 Animals 141
Chapter Summary 142
Chp. 11) Guna-Doshas 145
Chapter Summary 149
Chp. 12) Sex and Sexuality 153
Kama Sutra 154
LGBTQIA+ 155
Chapter Summary 156
Chp. 13) Yoga 159
Kleshas 159
Ashtanga 162
Yama 163
Niyama 164
Asana 165
Pranayama 165
Pratyahara 165
Dharana 166
Dhyana 166
Samadhi 166
Surya Namaskar 167
Chapter Summary 168
Chp. 14) Tantra 171
Chakras 173
Nadis 176
Kundalini 176
Mantras 177
Yantras 177
Siddhis 178
Chapter Summary 180
Chp. 15) Rituals 183
Samskaras 183
Upanayanam (Janeu) 184
Sandhyavandanam 185
Saptapadi 186
Kanyadaan 188
Antyesti 189
Pitru Paksha 191
Chapter Summary 192
Chp. 16) Prayer 196
 Beej 197
Gayatri 198
Maha Mantra 200
Hanuman Chalisa 200
Maha Mrityunjaya 201
Chapter Summary 203
Chp. 17) Jyotish Shastra 206
The Hindu Sky 207
Navagrahas 209
Rahu and Ketu 210
Surya 211
Chandra 211
Mangal 211
Budha 211
Shukra 211
Shani 212
Guru 212
Kundali 213
Chapter Summary 215
Chp. 18) Characters 219
Saptarishis 219
Chiranjeevi 220
Aliens 222
Chapter Summary 222
Chp. 19) Misconceptions 226
On Varna/Caste 226
On Access 227
On Women 228
On Money (Artha) 229
Chapter Summary 230
Chp. 20) Celebrations 233
Practicing Hinduism 236
Best Resources for Hindus 237
Chp. 1) Ancient Bharat

Yeah, yeah, I know youʼre bored of hearing that India is a land of “diversity.”

But itʼs not just about the different traditions and cultures you get to see here, weʼve got a
whole bunch of opinions on how to think about life altogether, forming a web of belief
systems that run like gushing rivers.

Sometimes, these rivers clash violently, sometimes they seem to hug each other in peace,
and one might be tempted to say that they all lead to the same ocean - one goal, one
destination; but whatʼs funny is that even their definition of the ocean differs! To complicate
it further, their definitions of water itself are also different.

So is it really that hopeless? Not if you understand that this diversity is supposed to be a
strength, not weakness. Ancient Bharat was a blossoming fountain of wild ideas - it was
common to see all kinds of mind-blowing geniuses living together in harmony - they all held
strong individual beliefs and participated in fierce debates, but in the end, they focused on
learning from each other - oh boy, I wish you were there to see it. It was the place to be for
thinkers, dreamers, wanderers, outcasts, weirdos, creatives, artists, pioneers, scientists
and visionaries!

To begin our journey through this Disneyland of ideas, we must pay our visit to the two
towering buildings at the entrance - Aastik and Nastik. They are the two main divisions of
Bharatiya thought, the Indian Way of Thinking.

In the Aastik building, we see classrooms that get their ideas from the Vedas (pronounced
vay-daaz) - they consider these ancient textbooks, written in the Sanskrit language, to be
the ultimate authority, the “OG” singular source of truth, much like their Google. Veda
comes from Vid, knowledge or to know, so they are said to contain the answers to the
biggest mysteries of this universe and instructions on how to play our part in it.

Aastik schools interpret the knowledge given in our Vedas in their own style, showing the
liberal flexibility of our Dharma. These schools are often called darshanas. Each darshana
presents their own POV on the Vedic verses.

In contrast, the folks in the Nastik building simply say, “Nah, we donʼt accept these Vedas.”

So letʼs quickly run through the hall of this building first.

Nastik and Aastik

Our first class in the Nastik routine is Charvaka. What you know as the motto “YOLO - You
Only Live Once” was actually quite trendy with our ancestors 2500 years ago. Also known
as “Lokayata” - the philosophy grounded in the everyday world, the Charvaks basically
said the ideas of God, Soul, rituals, liberation, etc. are all lies. Donʼt dismiss them just yet
because they only rejected these ideas because, as per them, we canʼt prove their
existence directly through pratyaksha i.e. direct perception. Since weʼre just blobs of
natural material (and nothing more) as per the Charvakas, they believed our only goal is to
party, drink, make merry, enjoy pleasures, and die.

Thankfully, we have much less reckless, and in fact, very mature Nastika classrooms just
next to this, called Buddhism and Jainism. Most people are surprised to see them here
because in Hindi, calling someone “nastik” popularly means they donʼt believe in God,
essentially atheists, but here, the rejection is of the Vedas.
Buddhism and Jainism do share a lot of concepts with our Dharma - Atman, Moksha,
Samsara, etc. (weʼll define all of them soon). But their definitions of these ideas are a bit
different. The first key difference is that these two sister faiths do not accept a single
Creator God.

Going deeper, the former (Buddhism), established by Gautam Buddha (The Enlightened
One), also does not believe in an eternal soul (instead saying we are made of five materials
called Skandhas). The latter (Jainism), looking up to the twenty four Tirthankaras
(preachers who guide us to the end) says there are infinite souls in this samsara (the real
universe), and all of us have a separate one. For them, moksha means that we rise to the
top of the universe with good conduct, staying there alone happily forever and ever.

Finally, itʼs time to walk across to the Aastik building and meet the mighty darshanas.

Before we step in, itʼs helpful to understand that all Hindus agree on the idea of an Atman
(pronounced “Aat-maa”), a soul that sits within us. We are not our bodies, our minds, but
our souls. Our bodies and minds are temporary and change after death. But our Atman is
constant, timeless, without an end. And the goal of all Atmans is “moksha” i.e. liberation.

Liberation from what? This world. Aastik folks usually agree that this world is a painful
game, full of beauty and interesting stuff to see, yes, but also an overwhelming amount of
suffering - it is a bondage, like a cage or a jail cellʼs shackles around our wrists.

We are stuck in an unending cycle of birth and death, taking on body after body (weʼll cover
how and why later). So the present you, with your name, is not the only person youʼve been
- youʼve come on this Earth a thousand times before and will continue coming back.

Sounds very hectic and boring, almost scary right? So itʼs just best to escape this mess,
because like a rat running a rat race, even if we get ahead of others, we will never really win
anything - there is no prize. Since there is no end to this game, letʼs just throw the table and
run away.

This escape is called, quite simply, “moksha” - the Ultimate Liberation and Freedom.
Our Sanatan Dharma/Hinduism, then, stands out from most of the other faiths in the world,
because it does not hinge on the promise “attaining heaven” or “infinite, timeless
pleasures” as the goal, nor does it use the fear of “being damned to hell” to get you to
follow the guidelines.

As weʼll see ahead, even svarga i.e. heaven is considered temporary in our culture, and our
narkas (hells) are also temporary “correction facilities” for learning our lessons - the only
permanent thing is freedom from both pleasure and pain.

But donʼt think youʼve got it figured out just yet (if only it was this easy, hahaha).

We should also know that this “moksha” has a different meaning for different folks.

● Some say itʼs a point or destination to reach by doing good karma, or more
specifically, following Dharma
 ● Others say we are already free, already liberated, and we just need to wake up from
our dream

● Yet others say there is nothing to wake up to, nothing to realise, nowhere to go, and
no one to become - we should just “BE” as we are right now, just exist

Sounds interesting? Letʼs begin our tour.

In the Aastik routine, we begin with Sage Gautamaʼs class called Nyaya, which basically
says that if there is a God, etc. we can and will know about Him eventually - itʼs the
philosophy of finding things out rationally and scientifically bit by bit through a combo of
techniques like pratyakṣa (perception), anumāṇa (inference), upamāna (comparison and
analogy) and śabda (word, testimony of past or present reliable experts). It is based on
hard-core logic, reasoning, and epistemology, which is the study of how we actually come
to know about things, and how to verify if theyʼre true.

Our next class of the day is Sage Kapilaʼs Sāṅkhya, which gives a simple two-ingredient
recipe of the Universe - there is firstly the Purusha, the eternal raw consciousness and
Observer who is streaming the Netflix show called Prakriti, the material nature, which is
basically everything you see around you.

Kapila actually breaks down this show into twenty-four actors dancing on the stage, called
the 24 Tattvas.

● 1 Prakriti - the root cause, the Chef who makes everything, has always existed

● 1 Mahat/Buddhi - the cosmic intellect, it helps us think

● 1 Ahamkara - the Ego, the force which makes you say “I am” (an individual)

● 5 Jnanendriyas - the Sense Organs - Ear, Skin, Eyes, Tongue, Nose (they observe)

● 5 Karmendriyas - the Action Organs - Speech, Hands, Feet, Excretory Organ,

Reproductive Organ (they do)

● 5 Tanmatras - the Subtle Elements - Sound, Touch, Form (Vision), Taste, Smell
 ● 1 Manas - the Mind - coordinates between the Senses and Ahamkara

● 5 Mahabhutas - the Elements - Akasa (Space/Ether), Vayu (Air), Tejas/Agni (Fire),

Apa/Jala (Water), Prithvi (Earth)

As per this theory, we get free moksha when we realise we are not these twenty four
actors but rather just the Purusha - the unborn, formless, all-encompassing Higher Self.

After Sankhya, we have Sage Jaiminiʼs Mimamsa, which stresses on the importance of the
rituals given in the Vedas. These guys say that just like working out helps our body achieve
our fitness goals, performing the right rituals (like fire rituals called yagna or homa) and
following our ethical duties as given in the Vedas, helps us achieve our spiritual goals.
Mimansaks, basically, are all about doing stuff.

As a footnote, we also have Sage Jaiminiʼs Vaisesika, based on the atomic theory of
parmanu (yes, we Indians cracked atoms way before Western physicists) and different
categories of existence.

Finally, we come to the most interesting, developed, and complete classes of the entire lot,
together called Vedanta. Vedanta literally means “anta” or the end of the Vedas, referring
to the conclusive ideas found in their fourth and concluding sections called Upanishads,
which contain answers to the deepest mysteries of our existence.

Now, Hindus believe that these Vedas themselves do not have a publishing date because
they were originally said by God and hence like God, they too are eternal or timeless. But
we do know that one of the earliest formal summaries of Vedic Knowledge (apart from
whatʼs found in the text called Srimad Bhagavad Gita) was Sage Bradrayaanʼs Brahma
Sūtras, dated between 200 BCE - 200 CE., which formed the basis for everything to come.

Based on his work, a lot of smart folks wrote their bhashyas or commentaries, which weʼll
now explore ahead. In other words, the Vedanta Schools give us different POVs on the
verses found in those Upanishads.

Wait, how can that be possible?

When I say “That guy is big”, different people might interpret the sentence differently -
some would say I mean heʼs fat, while others would say I mean he has a loud personality,
while yet others would think I mean to say he has a very big heart i.e. he is very giving and
kind in nature.

Similarly, different acharyas (wise students) have come up with their own explanations on
what the cryptic messages of the Upanishads mean.

The six main schools of Vedanta are - Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, Shuddhadvaita, and
Achintya Bheda Abheda. Letʼs meet the guys who came up with this wacky stuff - theyʼve
all assembled in the great cosmic hall, and are very excited to meet you!

Vedanta

Welcome to the great conference of Vedanta Darshanas. Itʼs going to be one trippy ride, I
promise you, so hold on tight!
Advaita

Our first guest is Sri Adi Shankaracharya Ji. Apart from being an overall rockstar who saved
Hinduism in many ways (weʼll fangirl over him later), he founded what is arguably the most
ancient school of Vedanta called “Advaita.”

Advaita literally means not two. It is the idea of non-duality. It says that the absolute reality
is Brahman (pronounced Brahm-ma). This Brahman is -

● Formless, without a body, shape, form, border or other qualities (nirguna)

● Timeless, without beginning, without an end
● Attributeless, without any features, sex, colour, gender
● Full of sat-chit-ananda (existence, awareness/consciousness, bliss/peace)
● Omnipotent - present everywhere

The Brahman is the one without a second. The entire universe is Brahman. They are
everything, in everyone, and everywhere.

Secondly, inside us, we have the Atman, the individual soul.

The twist is that this Atman is equal to the Brahman, not just similar but identical to it. This is
where the famous saying “Aham Brahmasmi” comes from - “I am the Brahman. I am the
Universe. I am God.”

But then how do we not see this reality? Enter Maya, the mystical force that gives us the
impression of “I” or ego, which is ignorance, better known as Avidya. Maya is the force that
makes us think that this material world of ours, in which we see ourselves as a separate
individual from others, is the real world.

In essence, this world is only real as long as we are seeing it that way. The goal of the game
now becomes to remove our ignorance, thereby disabling Maya, and realise the Ultimate
Truth of Oneness.

If youʼre confused, the simplest way to understand Advaita is through the snake-rope story
- a person walks into a dark room and sees the faint outline of something long, which he
thinks is a snake. But as he turns on the light of jnana, knowledge, he realises it's actually
just a rope.
Another way to think of Advaita is to understand that we are in a dream. When weʼre
dreaming, the dreams seem real, and in a way, they are real because weʼre experiencing
them. But as soon as we wake up, we realise the truth.

In practical terms, Advaita pushes the idea of Oneness of all beings. The spiritual path for
the Advaitin is Jnana Yoga - the path of knowledge.

So thatʼs Advaita in a nutshell. Now letʼs add a layer to it, which brings us to Sri Ramnujaʼs
Vishishtadvaita class.

Vishishtadvaita

Vishishtadvaita is “qualified” non-dualism. Whoʼs qualified here? God. By qualified, we

mean to say that now He has actual good and beautiful qualities. We can give them
adjectives to describe Him.

Traditionally, this God is a more personal one than the formless Advaita guy, taking the form
of Vishnu-Narayana. For non-Indians, yes, this is the same character from that picture
youʼve seen of a Blue guy sitting on a lotus.

This guy is the “anantha-kalyana-guna-sagara”, basically heʼs the ultimate pookie. Heʼs full
of infinitely gorgeous qualities like knowledge, bliss, power, compassion, love, awareness.

Interestingly, Vishishtadvaita agrees that this God, also called Brahman, is One, a unity. He
is all there is in the end - thatʼs why weʼre still in the class of non-dualism.

But this God “expresses”, or in simple words, “dresses Himself up” in a plurality, the result
being all of us. We are His jivas. To clarify, when our Atman takes the physical body, we call
it the “jiva.” And our world (jagat) is also real at our level, but both the jivas and the jagat are
dependent entirely on Him. That is why He is called Isvara, which means the Master
Controller or Lord of everything.

Think of this as us being a “part of him.” This universe is basically the Body of God, an
infinity who has given himself a border called the Brahmanda.

The example or analogy thatʼs given here is that just as our Soul i.e. the Atman needs our
body to experience pleasure and pain, God, too, has this universe so that They can interact
with it and experience their own self.
Our goal now becomes to realise our Oneness with God and go to Them. We will still
remain ourselves (atman) but will “merge” with Him, living happily ever after with Them,
without constant life and death.

Ramanuja basically said to Shankara that calling God formless is denying all the amazing
qualities They have (kind of an insult to God), so rather than just having jnana, the path
Ramanuja advocated for is Bhakti Yoga - the part of true selfless Devotion to God.

Dvaita

Just opposite to the two folks we met, stands Madhavacharya with his stance called Dvaita
or strict dualism.

Dvaita says that God, Brahman, and us (the jivas) are two different parties who can never
be the same. Unlike Advaita, here God is real but we are also very much real, his creations.
Which is why this stance is also called pluralistic realism - it does not say this world is fake.

Here, God is seen as a potter, shaping the pot of this world with the clay called jada or acit,
called the Prakriti with its 3 building blocks called Gunas, which weʼll explore later. This
prakriti is not an illusion, it totally exists. And in this prakriti arrive you and me, the souls,
numerous and infinite in number. These souls are “similar” to God in that they contain his
good essence in one limited way, but they are entirely dependent on God. They are
servants of God.

This God also has a name and form - Vishnu. One interesting aspect here is that traditional
Dvaita places Vishnu at the highest position, with other Gods like Shiva and Devi below him,
in that they are forms of him but he remains the top boss.

The goal, moksha, in the context of Dvaita, becomes to please God and get in his good
books by doing good karma, singing his praises, going for pilgrimages, living a righteous
life, and reading the scriptures, thereby attaining his grace. This is why the path for Dvaita
believes is also Bhakti Yoga.

Dvaitadvaita

Where are you off to? The party is not over yet haha!

Bridging the gap between Dvaita and Advaita schools sits Nimbarkacharyaʼs Dvaitadvaita -
dualism AND non-dualism.

This is a Vaishnava school, which means it leans towards Vishnu worship, but this time,
instead of Vishnu, the Brahman takes the prime form of one of his avatars or incarnations
(this basically a specialist version of Him who came to the material world Earth with a
specific purpose).

This prime form is Sri Krishna (the guy with a peacock feather on his crown from the
Mahabharata), with Radha Rani as his partner consort (who becomes Lakshmi, Goddess of
Wealth, when paired with Vishnu).

Here again, Nimbarka says that the individual soul (Atman or cit) is part of the Ishvara (the
super soul or Brahman), but also absolutely dependent on him. They are separate from him,
but at the same time not separate.

If that confuses you, the simple example to understand this theory is to look at the Sun and
its rays. The Sun is the Brahman and the sunlight that spreads out, its energy, is us. Since
we are the Sunʼs energy, we come out of it, we are technically not different. But you canʼt
call the ray of a Sun as the Sun itself, so we are different in that sense - more specifically,
we do not possess the super-divinity that God does.

The idea of Moksha again becomes that of reuniting with Krishna as his friend and servant,
becoming a part of his nitya-lila, the divine play. The obvious path given is Bhakti Yoga.

Achintya Bheda Abheda

Sitting very close to Nimbarkaʼs system, we have Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhuʼs Achintya
Bheda Abheda (ABA), which literally means inconceivable difference and non-difference.
If you try to explain physics to an ant, it will not understand it, right? Just like that, ABA says
that the nature of our relationship with God is inconceivable.

God here again takes the form of Sri Krishna, a very cute, intimate, charming and personal
one, hence called “Bhagavan.” This concept of God is called Saguna - with qualities and a
shape, as opposed to Shankaraʼs Saguna true God, who is without a shape.

For the ABA believer, first and foremost, Krishna is the source of all energies, including this
creation, which is his the Jagat, created by his maya-shakti - the power that puts a
illusion-causing veil or blanket over reality, making us think we are different from him. In the
end, We are his amsas - eternal fragments or essence of Krishna, much like the juice of a
fruit. So in that sense, we are kind-of one with him.

But we are also each individual unit, subordinate to him and dependent wholly on him.
When we gain moksha through Bhakti, we do not “become” him - we simply get released
from rebirth. But more specifically, moksha for the ABA follower also means the freedom to
love and engage in Godʼs worship without any stress or problems - they see bhakti not as a
means but as an END to itself - getting to worship Krishna worry-free is moksha, the
ultimate reward, in itself.

ABA says this dual state, of being one and also being separate, is inconceivable to us as
mortal humans. We are like sparks to his fire. So the focus should be on trying to
understand this craziness but just surrender ourselves to him, like a baby surrenders to his
mother - this is sharanagati, a complete surrender, faith and belief in Godʼs power,
protection and will.

Shuddhadvaita

While weʼre on the topic of Krishna, itʼs best to also finish our sprint by meeting Sri Vallabha
Acharya from Varanasi, Gujarat, who preached Shuddhadvaita - pure non-duality.

He builds on Shankaraʼs Advaita but says God, Krishna, is not “dirtied” by Maya - he is pure.
He does not need the tool called the illusion-causing blanket of Maya to make this world.
He creates this world but his hands are not dirtied by the mud - he remains pure. He is the
sat-chit-ananda (full of existence, consciousness, and bliss).

Maya is not seen as a negative or obstacle here, it is His creative power, a positive force
which He uses to sculpt and shape the universe.
So in this system, we are very real creations exactly as we exist right now (unlike Advaita,
which says this world and our bodies are all false). This, of course, does not mean we donʼt
have Souls. We have our individual souls but weʼre like pearls in the string that is God, One
eternal continuous endless existence, hence still non-dual.

Moksha becomes realising all of this and joining God forever in his devotion. Seva is the
highest means and the end here - service to God - He is seen as a family member, so seva
will involve dressing him, feeding him, singing Him lullabies, celebrating his stories, etc.

On this belief, Vallabha Acharya founded the Pusti Marg sect, which worships Krishna
notably in his child form of Sri Nathji, the seven-year-old boy who lifted the Govardhan
mountain to protect his people from Indraʼs furious thunderstorm (that story for later).

And thatʼs a wrap - how are you feeling? Overwhelmed, Iʼm sure. But stick with me for a bit
more because, as you guessed it, things donʼt end here.

Weʼve looked at the six major Vedanta schools which are popular around the world, but
many guides miss out the other schools that are not part of the mainstream Vaishnav route
of thinking i.e. they do not see the God mentioned in the Upanishads as Vishnu or Krishna.

Instead, in the school of Shaivism, God takes another form - Shiva, the guy with the damru
(drum) and jata (long matted hair), and the blue neck from his sacrifice in an ancient battle
saga, earning him the name Neel Kantha. This Shiva, in the Vedas, appears as his other
more ancient name, Rudra.

Even so, in the school of Shaktism, God takes yet another form - that of the loving yet
protective female Shakti, Devi, Adi Mata or the Mother of the baby that is our Universe.

So letʼs finish our marathon by driving through these two schools.

Shaiva

Hinduism is made up of many sects, which weʼll visit soon. Similar to how the Vaishnav sect
of Hindus worships Vishnu, the Shaivas interpret the God “Shiva” as the top guy in charge.
In the Vedas, particularly in the Shweteshvara Upanishad, he is called Rudra, The Great
Roarer. It points to his ability to destroy the universe, not as a negative act, but as part of
the continuous, unending cycle of creation, in which he renews and heals.

Shaivism has many sub-sects who see and worship Shiva differently.

Pashupatas

One of the earliest sub-sects is Pashupatas with Sage Lakulisha often considered the
founder. These folks call Shiva the Pashupati (Lord of all Creatures). He is the root cause,
the underlying energy in everything. He is initially Nishkala (without time and form), much
like the Advaita Brahman, but becomes Sakala for us (with parts and manifested form).

Interestingly, Pashu means “animal” i.e. our inner instinct, so the idea of moksha is that
meditating on Shiva helps us gain control over that instinct and rid ourselves of all
bondages (pasa) like sorrows, karma (effects/consequences of actions), suffering and
other impurities, since he is the Pati - the Lord, the Protector, and Caregiver.

Shaiva Siddhanta

Secondly, we have the Shiva/Shaiva Siddhanta (SS), the major school of Shaivism. Like
Vedanta means the conclusions of Vedas, Siddhanta means the conclusions of whatʼs said
by God, the Siddha - the Prime Liberated One.

In addition to the Vedas, Shiva Siddhanta also draws from two other major bodies of texts
in Hindu literature, called the Agamas and the Tantras (which weʼll look at later).

At this point, we just need to know that like the Vedas, the Agamas are considered to be
spoken by Shiva Himself, so they are also believed to have a non-human authorship and
origin. Tantras, on the other hand, are books and practices that bring an aspect of Devi
(female energy) worship into the fold.

SS is popular in South India since it also has roots in the devotional songs of Nayanar saints,
together compiled as the Tirumurai.

SS takes a dualist stance, which means it considers us as separate to the Ultimate God.
Like Pashupatas, SS followers also call Shiva the Pashupati. But they say that even when
we get moksha, we donʼt “become” God Himself, just merge with him - the example given
is that if a salt crystal is dropped in the ocean, it dissolves in it but still has its own identity, in
that it did exist individually.

So moksha here becomes shaivatva - achieving the realisation of being (a part of) Shiva, a
state of perfect peace, along with his divine qualities. This is done through a four-step
method of Charya (outer worship and conduct), Kriya (rituals, rites, devotion), Yoga
(internal meditation and discipline) and Jnyaya (Knowledge).

Interestingly, SS also borrows from Sankhya, expanding its library of twenty-four tattvas
into thirty-six elements or categories of existence. Some of the new additions to the list are
as follows -

● Shiva Tattva - the top-most firstelement, the formless Brahman

● Shakti Tattva - the inherent power through which Shiva creates (considered female)
● Sadashiva Tattva - the power which creates a sense of duality (I, this)
 ● Kala (Godʼs aspect of time)
● Niyati (Order)

For folks in SS, Shiva takes on various forms, three notable ones being -

● The black pillar called “Linga,” the abstract mark of identity which represents Shiva
as an endless tower of fire (and not the penis, as many people misunderstand)

● Nataraja - the many-handed God who Dances the Universe into Creation and
Destruction (his dance is called Tandava), with the Apasmara (demon of Ignorance)
being crushed under his foot

● The adorable Bhole Naath sitting atop Mount Kailash with his partner consort
Parvati Ma, representing the female half of cosmic creation, Shakti

Kashmir Shaivism

Third, we have the non-dualist, Advaita-style school of Shaivism, called “Kashmir Shaivism”
(KS) since it originated in Kashmir and upper North India. Here, Shiva is considered the only
absolute Consciousness that truly exists, everything else being his manifestation.

He is the Paramshiva - the infinite entity. But the twist is that this Paramshiva does have
two internal but inseparable parts - Shiva (pure consciousness) and Shakti (divine energy
that creates). When these two dance together, their spanda (vibrations) creates this world.

Unlike in SS (Shiva Siddhanta), where Shakti is seen only as one of the elements/tattvas
(part of Shiva, subordinate to Him), here Shakti has an equal part in the process.

The world, created out of their “spanda”, is seen as a manifestation of Shiva - in other
words, it is very much real, but only as His expression. Think of it as Shiva being the painter,
and we being his art.

Moksha, for the Kashmir Shaivites, becomes the realisation of our nature as this whole
Oneness called Paramshiva.

KS is also called Trika, as it refers to the three levels of consciousness that exist - Para (the
Supreme), Apara (the world of senses and experience - this universe), Parapara (the mixing
or interaction of Para and Apara, the level at which we identify and experience life as
human beings).

On the opposite side of Shakti worship (those who see Devi as the #1), this Trika system
again comes up, but this time it is in the worship of the three forms of the Goddess
operating at the same three levels.

In simple words, the Trika school exists in both Shaiva and Shakti sects because we already
discussed that in Trika, Shiva and Shakti are seen as two equal parts of a whole.

Apart from Agamas, Tantras and Upanishads, KS draws from a major text called Tantraloka
by Abhinavgupta, considered the “Bible of Tantra worship.”

Other Traditions

In addition to the three Shaiva Vedanta we just saw, we also have Lingayatism
(Virashaivism), a group of folks who worship Shiva in his Linga form.

We also have Shiva-Advaita, which leans heavily towards the Vedas rather than depending
on Agamas or Tantras.

And lastly, we have the Nathas or Siddhas, who combine Shiva worship with yet another
style called Yoga, more particularly the Hatha Yoga system, which has its own set of eight
steps towards moksha - a topic weʼll dive into soon.

But even at this stage, itʼs interesting for us to note that in the Natha/Siddha sect, we begin
to see elements that coincide with the next group weʼll visit (Shakta), which are “chakras”
(energy circles in our body), and “kundalini” (a sleeping energy, in the form of a serpent,
sitting at the base of our spine, waiting to be awakened to open the door to moksha).
Shakti

So now we have seen Shaivism, in which Shakti is a partner. Flip that belief and we get the
“Feminist Worship Movement” of India, called Shaktism.

Now, Shakti, the Devi is in the driving seat. She is the Queen - all other Gods originate from
her, including Vishnu, Shiva and the Creator Architect sitting on top of the Lotus (Brahma).

An important Vedic reference of Shaktas (people who follow Shaktism) is the Devi Sukta
hymn in the Rig Veda, in which the Goddess is praised. But beyond the Vedas, Shaktas look
at the Devi Mahatmya as one of their main sources of reference.

The Devi is seen as the Mother of all Creation. And like a mummy bear, she is soft, kind,
generous and loving. But at the same time, she is protective, fierce, fearsome and
aggressive against anyone who hurts her children. In the context of these two possible
qualities, Shaktas may be split into two sub-sects - Shrikula and Kalikula.

Kula here means lineage or group. Srikula, Family of Shri - the Auspicious One, worships
the chill form of the Goddess, the milder, beautiful and motherly “pookie-like” forms. Itʼs
relatively popular in South India. This includes the Lalita, or the Tripura Sundari - the Beauty
of the Three Words - heaven, earth and hell.

On the other hand, Kalikula focuses on Deviʼs fiercer forms. Itʼs more popular in North and
East India, notably in Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Nepal. This list includes forms like Kali,
Durga, Chandika, and Tara.

Regardless of which Form of the Devi they worship, all Shaktas agree that the Goddesses
in question are ultimately manifestations of one Mahadevi.

The general worship style of Shaktas is called Tantra - it sprouts from the Sanskrit terms
“tanoti” and “trayate”, which mean to expand oneʼs mind to liberate oneself respectively.
Going deeper, at the heart of Tantra, we have tan, which means to weave together.

What is being weaved? The physical world, along with the spiritual world. In other words,
Tantra weaves together physical practices to unite us with the spiritual realm. These
practices are called “tantric rituals,” and they include -

● Using chants called “mantras” (chant = that which is repeated again and again)

● Concentrating on geometrical doorways called “yantras” (spiritual devices) and

other physical objects found in everyday life

● Incorporating aspects of physical yoga into their practices

All of this made Tantra a deeply personal “at-home” DIY form of worship for the masses, in
opposition to the outdoor Vedic rituals, which were sometimes male-dominated and
gatekept from the general public by the Higher Class called Brahmins.

Coming back to our two sub-sects, Srikula and Kalikula, the former largely believes in the
Lalita Tripura Sundari - a beautiful young Goddess, red in colour, who rules the universe as
its Divine Queen.

The Sri Vidya style within the Srikula division is a popular route. It combines the worship of
this Tripura Sundari with aspects of Yoga and Tantra, most notably using the Sri Yantra as
its point of focus. This Sri Yantra is a geometric diagram of nine interlocking triangles, which
is said to represent the Deviʼs home. The meditation on this Sri Yantra is often done while
chanting the Lalita Sahasranama, 1000 names of the Devi.
In contrast, Kalikula worships the notably “scarier” forms of Devi (scary only for the people
who dare to hurt her children, otherwise she is very kind and soft to them, just like a mom).
These forms are usually shown in a set of ten, called the Dasha Mahavidyas -

1. Kali - the ruler of Kaal, time, clad-black and infinite like the universe
2. Tara - the guide and projector
3. Tripura Sundari
4. Bhuvaneshwari - the fair mother
5. Bhairavi - the furious female version of the Bhairava, Shivaʼs fierce form
6. Chinnamasta - the self-decapitated, or the one with the severed head
7. Dhumavati - the widow
8. Bagalamukhi - who paralyzes her enemies
9. Matangi - the Tantric version of Saraswati, Goddess of knowledge
10. Kamala - the Tantric version of Lakshmi, Vishnuʼs consort, sitting on the lotus

Kali Ma is ugra (fierce) and ghora (terrifying) because she destroys demons and evil. But
facing her takes you beyond fear and ego, leading to quick transformation.

Itʼs important to understand that some forms of Tantra worship, often practiced by the
Kaula school, often have controversial ingredients which we may consider dirty, called the
pancha makara (wine, meat, dried grain, fish, sex), and controversial practices which may
look radical, unclean, and dangerous to us (such as sexual orgies and practices, standing
on crematorium grounds, bathing oneself in human ash, and carrying skulls or human
bones of the dead).

But all these rituals are done in controlled settings under the guidance of Gurus, with the
intention to remove our irrational fears and disgust of the senses. So one must not look
down upon them without understanding their context and intent.

Faith in Levels

At last, we have reached the end of our journey through the ocean of major Ancient Indian
philosophies. It goes without saying that we have left out many, many minor faith systems,
which would need an entire book of their own.

But you can safely say that now you have a clear gist of the picture. So how do you feel?
If “confused” and “overwhelming” come to your mind, trust me, it's very natural. This begs
the question, why is Hinduism so complicated? Why canʼt it be one single set of rules and
beliefs? If there is a “Hindu” God, why didnʼt He just make it straightforward like some other
religions, which have clearly laid out rules?

Thatʼs because Hinduism works on the “Theory of Levels.” The theory of levels says that
we, humans, cannot just jump to a huge idea in one leap. We have to be guided to it, step
by step. These systems do exactly that.

In simple words, all the angles that we looked at, are true and correct in their own right. At
the basic level, we have Dvaita systems - which believe God to be our coach. When we
enter the gym of spirituality, he meets us and greets us. He prepares us for our journey by
giving us basic instructions on how to live life. This needs him to have a uniform so we can
instantly recognize him and respect his authority, much like we would respect a police
officer or a doctor in their official uniforms. So God, too, being a smart dude, allowed us to
see Them in the forms of Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Shakti, etc.

Depending on our inner qualities, personalities and tendencies, we paint them upon Them,
so it's a lot like “spiritual customization.” Dvaita worship is for the masses.

As we cover the basics and become stronger, God lets go, like a Dad letting go of his son
while riding the bicycle. And Dvaita worship turns into Advaita - we start seeing God
everywhere and no longer need a shape, idol or an image to follow the path to Them.
Advaita worship is for the advanced students.

So this diversity of thought is intentional - even if you are an atheist and remove the idea of
“God” from the equation, you can still see that our ancestors designed Hinduism in a way
that would align with how human psychology and evolution of our maturity works!

If anything, the Vedas themselves admit this idea - Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti - God is
One, but wise people call Him by different names. With that, I congratulate you on
completing Level 1 of our journey. Take a break and weʼll meet right back at the entrance for
Level 2.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.
● Hinduism is an ocean of different beliefs. These belief systems can be broadly
classified into two schools - Aastik and Nastik. The Aastik group believes in the
authority of the texts called the Vedas. The Nastiks reject the Vedas, saying they are
not the source of truth

● In Aastik schools, we have Sankhya (which believes in the Purusha and Prakriti duo),
Nyaya (which believes in rigorous detective-style study of the universe), and the
Vedanta classes

● The Vedanta classes are based on the ending chapters of Vedas, Upanishads.

● Advaita says that we and God are the same. All of us belong to One True Being, but
we have forgotten this because of Maya i.e. the illusion that makes us think we are
different from others. This God is formless.

● Vishishtadvaita says we are part of One God but this God is not formless. They can
be given qualities of being a good, kind and generous guy. We should be grateful to
this God because he has created us with his “love.”

● Dvaita says we are totally unique and different from God. We are Their creation,
parts of Them, but not Them entirely. We need to work hard to cross the ocean of
Maya and then “reach God”, like visiting their home

● Dvaitadvaita says that both Dvaita and Advaita philosophies are right in their own
way - we are part of God but also not part of Them at the same time.

● Achintya Bheda Abheda says that this whole idea of being part of God, and also not
being part of God, is inconceivable to us because we donʼt have the minds for it. So
itʼs best to just praise and thank God for the magic They do.

● Shaiva schools say God is Shiva. Shakti schools say God is Devi, Shakti, the female
energy. They worship using a form called “Tantra”, which basically means weaving
different methods to help us see the reality of this Devi.

● Hinduism has so much diversity because all of us are different, so it allows all of us
to view and worship God in our own way. When we begin, we worship using Dvaita
forms to know Them better. As we go forward, we become Advaita worshippers as
we donʼt need a form to worship God. This is a journey and all roads lead to One.
Chp. 2) Sanatan Dharma

We have explored all the different major philosophies from the land Ancient Bharat/India.
Which one did you naturally like the most? Which one did you find confusing?

Now, keeping all of them as points on a circleʼs radius, we turn to the Centre, the heart of all
these philosophies, the Mother of all concepts and ideas, called Sanatan Dharma (SD).

I will use the word “religion” now for everyoneʼs ease of understanding - Sanatan Dharma is
the religion based on the main idea of the Vedas, which is that the game of life can only be
won by becoming truly selfless - the dissolution of the Ego like paint dissolves in water.

The whole game is about losing the notions of “I am”, “I do”, and “I make.” This selflessness
doesnʼt come automatically, nor can it be forced - logically, it can only be developed by
continuously serving others in the society - this is called seva dharma. When you do work
without selfish intentions, goals and expectations, in the interest of the greater good, you
automatically start losing the personal identity youʼre clinging to (which can feel scary at
first, but will help you lose all your stress and sadness as you go).
Without your Ego, you will see that youʼre the True Highest Self - who you always have
been, are, and will always be.

In fact, Sanatan means eternal, timeless, that which does not have a starting or an ending
point, that which has always existed, does exist, and will continue to exist for absolute
infinity. It is like the Force from Star Wars, always in the background.

This little word has major implications. Firstly, it implies that all of us are “Sanatanis” or born
as Hindus, before the world gives us labels or we choose to adopt other faiths (which, as
weʼll see are well-tolerated in our Dharma).

This is why there is no official “conversion” ceremony in Hinduism, unlike the initiation rites
found in other religions - because we believe weʼre born as Hindus, so in that context,
conversion essentially means just going back to our original states - more on the process
letter.

Secondly, the word “sanatan” means that this force cannot be “destroyed” by any power.
No matter how much of our culture is destroyed by violent cults, it will always endure and
prevail. So while we do need to protect and preserve it, we need not worry about it
vanishing.

But what is this Force called? It is Dharma. Dharma has roots in the Sanskrit word
“dharyate” i.e. the foundation that supports. Dharma is the Ultimate Truth of our life, the
purpose of our existence. This simple Truth is that we are here to experience the world, in
all its beauty, by serving others, and through good selfless deeds, leave it. The meaning of
our lives is service.

Living this truth is our duty, and hence Dharma also means our biggest job in this world as
human beings. In no way does it refer to one particular faith or religion (unfortunately, itʼs
often used to refer to religions in the modern Hindi language). It stresses on a personʼs
ethics and duties to others, regardless of what that person believes in.

Ethics always need the welfare of someone else other than you to be thought about - they
canʼt exist in a world which has only one person. So in simple terms, Dharma applies to
everybody, for the sake of everybody.
Bringing both ideas together, Sanatan Dharma, or its more modern name Hinduism, then,
can be defined as the “way of life that focuses on realising your Oneness with the
world by (a) striving to become your Highest Ideal Self (through restraint), (b)
practicing righteousness in all walks of life (through morals), and (c) dedicating your
lives to the service of this society (through service).”

What do the a, b and c mean - how do they logically connect?

● Well, firstly, SD says that unless we ourselves are strong, we cannot lift others. This
makes sense. But how do we become strong?

○ In SD, physical, mental and emotional growth is possible primarily through

restraint of or control over our senses, which are constantly distracted by
material desires of food, sex, alcohol, drugs, uncleanliness and the likes.

○ Only with the senses in control, our energy can be directed to inner
strengthening. We will learn more on how to do this in the chapter on Yoga.

● Secondly, with our mind now strong, we follow strict ethics (niyams) when it comes
to interacting with others - this includes ahimsa (do no harm or violence), asteya (do
not steal), etc. When we start to consider the welfare of others, it prepares us to see
from their perspective and empathise with them.

● Thirdly, with our focus on others, we end up dedicating our lives to making this
society better and spreading the good vibes - by doing so, we achieve a continuous
state of selflessness, which helps us kill the Ego, which gets us to moksha. Thatʼs
how the game is played.

Notice how nowhere in this definition you are obliged to believe in a God Almighty or even
worship him every day - because yes, while Bhakti is a major key component of our lives, it
is still a part of it, a pathway for the masses, but not a compulsory route.

As we discussed in the last chapter, many people use Bhakti as a tool to start their
journeys. Because seeing God in everyone, while the idea sounds cool, is not something
everyone can easily grasp or continuously stick to. After all, an abstract Nirguna God is
difficult to understand.
So we make up this separate entity called “God” (who is not us), consider him our Lord,
give him a svarupa i.e. a form, and worship him - itʼs just like hiring a personal trainer for
your gym sessions - the idea of God will certainly help and guide you, but thatʼs just what it
is - an idea, use it as you wish, itʼs fine as long as youʼre following the basics of being a
Sanatani, which weʼll cover next!

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Sanatan Dharma (SD) is the central, timeless philosophy from which all Indian
schools of thought radiate. SD can be seen as a “religion” only for ease of
understanding, but it is actually a universal way of life.

● The Vedas form its core, emphasizing selflessness as the ultimate goal.

● The dissolution of the ego ("I am", "I do", "I make") is the primary aim. This
dissolution cannot be forced; it naturally arises through selfless service (seva). By
doing work without selfish motives and for the welfare of society, one begins
 shedding personal identity. The disappearance of ego leads to the realization of
one's true eternal self.

● "Sanatan" means eternal, without beginning or end, always existing. Everyone is

considered born Sanatani; conversion rituals are unnecessary. Returning to
Hinduism is seen not as conversion but as re-alignment with oneʼs original state.

● Sanatan Dharma cannot be destroyed by external forces; it will always survive. The
eternal force at the heart of SD is called Dharma.

● Dharma comes from “dharyate” – that which upholds or supports. Dharma is the
Truth of existence: to serve others and live righteously. Dharma is not a religion but a
code of ethics and duty, universal in application. Ethics can only exist in relation to
others – they require concern for someone beyond oneself.

● SD is a life-path focused on oneness with the world through restraint,

righteousness, and service. Restraint (a) builds strength; righteousness (b) guides
interaction; service (c) dissolves ego.

● Physical, mental, and emotional strength is achieved through controlling the senses.
Sense restraint is key to inner stability and progress on the path.

● Ethical discipline (like ahimsa and asteya) arises once the mind is stable. Ethical
living builds empathy, expanding awareness beyond the self. This expanded
awareness leads to societal service, completing the ego-loss process.

● Giving up our Ego helps us get liberation (moksha).

● Belief in or daily worship of God is not mandatory in SD. Bhakti (devotion) is an

optional but helpful path, especially for the masses.

● Since an abstract God is hard to relate to, a personal God-form (svarupa) is created
and worshipped. This God is like a personal trainer – a tool to guide, not an absolute
necessity. What matters most is living by the core principles of restraint, ethics, and
service.
Chp. 3) Who is a Hindu?

A person who adopts Santan Dharma is called a Sanatani, or in modern terms, a Hindu.
Hold on, where did “Hindu” come from?

Hindu belongs to the term “Hinduism.” Hinduism comes from the name of the river
“Sindhu”, another name for the Indus River, which Persian and other invaders happened to
cross while exploring India. They named all the different groups they saw on this eastern
side of the Indus river as Hindus, and the diverse practices of these Hindus were
collectively called “Hinduism.”

So given the diversity, who exactly is a Hindu?

A Hindu is someone who believes in the four basic building principles of everyday Hindu life
- Dharma, Atman, Sampradaya, Yoga (DASY) - all other beliefs stem from these four main
pillars of our community.
Briefly put, a Hindu -

1. Dharma - Sees protection of their Dharma as their prime duty

2. Atam - Believes in the Atman (soul) and treats everyone as equals
3. Sampradaya - Accepts that the paths to liberation are many
4. Yoga - Dedicates their lives to knowing the ideal Higher Self

Now letʼs break down those 4 points.

1. DHARMA - A True Hindu accepts the protection of Dharma to be their prime,

absolute, all-encompassing, all-overriding duty and purpose - they are welcoming
and tolerant of all beliefs but must actively fight against perpetrators who cause or
take part in any kind of violence in the name of their beliefs (or otherwise), do any
social injustice, and hurt, abuse, cheat or kill the weak and needy.

a. In such cases, even the core principle of ahimsa (non-violence) is overridden

so the Hindu has not just the right but the obligation to speak up and step up
to protect Dharma, for only then will Dharma protect them - Dharmo Rakshati
Rakshitah. A True Hindu cannot stay quiet in the face of injustice.

b. Dharma is also actively protected by social welfare and charity, by taking care
of the weak and loving the needy. So A True Hindu is permanently involved
and genuinely interested in daan dharma - continuously donating and giving
back to the society, which can be in the form of food, water, shelter, money,
time, effort, knowledge, skills, jobs, clothes, possessions, volunteering, etc.

2. ATMAN - A True Hindu accepts the idea of “atman”, the eternal soul, that sits within
all living beings, making all of them equal inside. This means that the Hindu learns to
eventually not identify with their body, mind, name, gender, sex, sexuality,
nationality, race, religion and all other labels given by the society - because they are
ultimately the Atman within.
a. Because we have the Atman, a True Hindu believes in the law of karma
(effects of oneʼs actions), based on which the Atman takes births in new
bodies (reincarnation).

b. This Atman takes shelter in/is part of/is identical to the Super-Soul
“Brahman” and so the True Hindu believes in the one Ultimate God, who is
 the omni-present manager of this Universe.

c. Because all of us have the same Atman, a True Hindu does not differentiate
or discriminate between any person on the basis of their class, economic
status, skin colour, religion, nationality, race, gender, sexuality, sex or belief.

d. A True Hindu rejects even the idea of caste or the varna system (which may
have made sense before but is no longer relevant). So there are no Brahmins,
Kshatriyas, Vaishyas or Shudras. A True Hindu cannot believe in lower or
upper castes and must actively fight to phase out and eventually abolish the
caste system or caste mindset.

e. As we are One, it also follows that the Hindu is kind and compassionate to all,
always practicing ahimsa (non-injury to all sentient beings, including animals).

3. SAMPRADAYA - A True Hindu recognizes, accepts and celebrates the value of a

diverse community as it adds flavour and flexibility to our cause, united by the
common goal of world peace and unity, but also divided by -

a. Gods they primarily worship - Vaishnav (Vishnu/Krishna), Shaiva (Shiva),

Shakta (devi), Smartha (five Gods), etc.

b. Modes of worship - Temple, Idol, Karma (work), Knowledge, Japa (recitation),

Yoga, Meditation, etc.

c. Texts of Reference - Vedas, Agamas, Tantras, Nigamas, Puranas, Itihasas,

Upanishads, Siddhantas, etc.

d. Festivals they celebrate and traditions they observe

e. Languages they speak - although many of our Scriptures are in Sanskrit or

Tamil, the True Hindu considers the study of Dharma in all languages as
equally valid and beneficial, none being superior and therefore not
enforceable

f. Religions other people observe - A True Hindu also tolerates and accepts
other faiths or religions as long as they are practiced in peace by their people
- they see these are lower forms of worship which will ultimately lead one
 back to the same realisations of a Hindu. Because ultimately, the True Hindu
knows deep down that all of us are born Sanatanis i.e. Hindus before weʼre
given/we adopt other labels.

4. YOGA - A True Hindu dedicates their lives to becoming and knowing their highest
ideal self, which can be done through different ways. This is called Yoga - our way of
life centered around spiritual awakening. Note that although we have guides and
tools to help us at our disposal, this is ultimately a solo (solitary) pursuit - we are on
our own journey and ultimately only we can achieve the goal.

a. Moksha - The final goal and destination of Yoga becomes Samadhi or

Moksha, liberation or freedom from the karmic cycle of life and death
because this world is full of suffering, so we must return to Brahman i.e. God
to experience eternal peace.

b. Ahimsa - Non-injury and non-violence is the non-negotiable core building

block of Yoga - it is an essential yama (constraint) and niyama (rule). A True
Hindu practices ahimsa towards all living beings, not just humans, that too, in
their speech, actions, jobs, diet (plant-based), and daily lives.

c. We have many margas (paths) at our disposal, called “Yogas” (plural), the
four main Yogas being Karma (hard work), Bhakti (love), Raja (meditation) and
Jnyana (knowledge, pronounced “Dnyaa-na”). Theyʼre not entirely separate,
even converging at times, and ultimately lead to one realisation.

d. Guru - Yoga cannot be done alone. A True Hindu appreciates and accepts
the guidance of a bonafide Guru who can ignite the spark in them and guide
them to see the reality (but also understands that no Guru can “give” them
moksha, it must be attained ourselves). A Guruʼs role is simply giving the right
direction and setting us on our best recommended path.

By now, you have a decent idea of who can be called a Hindu. But given that there are so
many points to unpack here, where can we begin our journey?
How does one become a “Hindu”?

More importantly, how does one stay a Hindu?

Conversion

When we were speaking about SD, we covered the Hindu belief that everyone is ultimately
born a Hindu. That is why there is no official “conversion” routine. But in todayʼs context,
thatʼs a major drawback and practical obstacle because we all need a starting point to feel
like we are making progress in our spiritual journey.

As such, some organizations have started offering “initiation” ceremonies to welcome

non-Hindus into the fold, or bring back folks who converted at an earlier point in life due to
their personal situations, which was often due to external peer pressures or aggressively
threatening or deceptive conversion tactics by missionaries of other faiths.

Generally the conversion ceremony is simply a Shuddhikaran (basic spiritual cleansing) but
in the latter case, the ceremony is also called Ghar Wapsi - returning to oneʼs home.

You can visit these websites to learn about Hindu Conversion -

● The Himalayan Academy

● Arya Samaj Mandirs offer conversion services
● Vishva Hindu Parishad

Broadly speaking, and borrowing some ideas from the book “How to Become a Hindu - A
Guide for Seekers and Born Hindus” by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, a Hindu conversion can
happen in four steps - Severance, Name-keeping, Group-joining, Declaration.

As the first resort, you should find a Guruji, a Priest, from your nearby temple (find all
temples in the world on this Google Map) and ask them for guidance. But while that would
be amazing, not everyone has access to them or has the confidence to walk up and ask for
this. And so these four steps mostly require self-involvement -

1. SEVERANCE - Respectfully sever ties with your current religion or faith - let the
authorities (pastors, imams, etc.) know of your intention if you feel they are
open-minded.

a. But you are not obligated to do this if you fear backlash or hate from the
community). If they are peaceful, request them to formally
“ex-communicate” you i.e. remove you from their group.
 b. If you fear your current community may not be supportive (it is a crime to
leave certain religions), then you can mentally and internally say goodbye

2. NAME-KEEPING - Adopt a new Hindu name - you can pick and choose from Gen-Z
friendly Hindu names in this large database. There is a certain method to calculate
the best name for you (as per Vedic astrology) but if you donʼt have a guru to guide
you on that, you can choose the name that personally calls to you based on the
meaning or qualities it signifies.

a. Try to get this name changed on as many legal documents as possible - your
passport, driving license, college or school certificates, employment IDs at
work, Aadhar card and PAN Card (for Indians), tax documents, phone
records, electricity and other bills, home address documents (residence), any
major property or contractual agreements, and any other documents that
identify you as a citizen of a country.

b. Declare your name change on social media if you feel that helps using the
hashtag #HinduAndProud.

3. GROUP-JOINING - This Guide youʼre reading right now is a useful starting point but
Iʼd encourage you to go deeper and self-study the main books of our culture (find
the entire recommended reading list and library) and through the texts, find the
contact of a Sampradaya (group) member whose practices resonate with your
lifestyle personally - weʼll see our options with regards to this in the next section.

a. But once you do fix upon a Sampradaya (you are free to explore many at the
beginning), then do make it a point to actively participate in their festivals,
events, and community activities.

b. Befriend people from the community, seek their guidance, and integrate your
life into it slowly at your own pace you deem fit.

c. Understand that there is no obligation for a Hindu to follow every single belief
or practice a sampradaya does - for e.g. a very small percentage
sampradayas condone animal sacrifice, which would not be acceptable for
many vegans who practice cruelty-free living, so you can disagree with that
particular aspect and still identify yourself with the sampradaya).
 4. DECLARATION - Once you have done your self-study and legal name/document
changes with the help of a lawyer, you can take a print out of this 1-page certificate,
sign it yourself and get it signed by three other Hindu witnesses, then publish it
online if you like or just frame it at your home as a formal declaration that “Yes, I
have done it and started my journey as a Hindu!”

Sampradayas

Do you remember the final battle at the end of the movie Avengers - Endgame, in which all
our favourite superheroes from across the universe assemble together to defeat Thanos?
The reason they all succeeded is because they were united as one but diverse in the
powers they all brought.

Similarly, Hinduism is based on the concept of many sampradayas or sects that you can
join to feel as part of a tribe, which is part of our bigger overall family. This sampradaya will
become your emotional and social support system, helping you stay on your path.

The main sampradayas are -

1. Vaishnavs, who worship Vishnu and his avatars, most notably Krishna

2. ISKCON/Hare Krishnas (International Society of Krishna Consciousness), which is

doing a great job in spreading the idea of Bhakti and Dharma around the world

3. Shaivas, who consider Shiva as their God, with schools like Kashmir Shavism, Shiva
Siddhanta in the South, and Lingayatism

4. Shaktas, who worship Devi or Shakti, the female energy

5. Smartas, who worship the five-member team of deities including Shiva, Vishnu,
Devi, Surya, and Ganesha

6. Pushtimarg, which focuses on devotion and bhakti to Krishna in his child form.

7. Saurism, which focuses on Surya or the Solar Deity

8. Ganapatyas, who worship Ganesha

9. Kaumarams, who worship Kartikeya/Murugan/Skanda

10. Naths, who combine Yoga, Shaivism and Shakti worship, also sometimes
worshipping Dattatreya as their main deity (weʼll meet him later)

11. Warkaris, who worship Vithoba or Pandurang, a Krishna avatar; this sect is found
mostly in Maharashtra and Gujarat

12. Radha Vallabhas, who worship Radha Rani

13. Brahmo Samaj of Bengal who believe in social reform, strive for upliftment of the
backward and needy classes, and reject all forms of class/caste-based rituals

14. Santa Mats, led by saints, who believe in bhakti (for e.g. Swami Samartha)

15. Swami Narayans, who worship a person called “Swami Narayan”, considering him to
have been an avatar of God when we was on Earth
And the list goes on for 100+ sampradayas. You can Google the search term “sampradaya
name + temples or organizations near me” and easily find the representatives of the
sampradaya youʼre interested in exploring.

But donʼt worry, you donʼt have to commit as such. Hinduism allows the worship of two or
more deities at the same time; in fact, youʼll see in many Hindu homes that photos or idols
of deities are kept right next to each other in the mandir room (which acts as a personal
pocket temple) almost as if theyʼre family members.

Everyday Practices

Now that youʼve found a tribe and call yourself a Hindu, how do you integrate this faith in
real life? This is better explained in the form of a story, so here are the typical diary entries
of a typical Hindu person.

Note that this list includes pointers of “ideal” practices and beliefs - theyʼre not meant to
romanticise or even generalise the complex Hindu life - theyʼre just a way of fictionally
depicting how Hindus usually think and behave, serving as a starting point for you to mould
your life accordingly.

● WAKING UP EARLY - I wake up at 4.30 - 5 AM (or as early as possible) as this is a

Brahma Murtha (an auspicious time to begin our day, also validated by many great
successful thinkers)

● KEEPING BODY HEALTHY - After freshening up and brushing my teeth, I join my

yoga class - this is not to learn mere posture and breathing techniques, the asanas
make my body flexible and healthier (especially with complete body exercises like
the Surya Namaskara), which leads to my body being sound, which eventually
affects my mental state, making me energised yet also calmer for the rest of my day

● KEEPING SURROUNDINGS CLEAN - I take bath, keep myself well-groomed, and

also clean up my bed along with tidying my entire room, because if my body and
environment is clean, my mind will be, too.

● DOING SADHANA - For 15 minutes, I sit down to do my sadhana meditation on my

Ishta Dev, i.e. my chosen deity and personal coach (youʼll learn how to choose your
Ishta soon). chanting the mantra a priest from the local mandir has “initiated” me
into (authorised me to use daily). I pray in gratefulness, not asking for anything in
 return or wishing for anything - because prayer should not be a transaction with
God; it should always be done as an exercise of humility and thankfulness for
whatever we are going through in life.

● WEARING A JANEU - I chant the Gayatri Mantra 10 times, thanking Surya Deva for
giving me warmth and energy, energising the sacred thread (janeu) given to me in
my upanayana or yagnopavit ceremony (usually men wear it but women are also
allowed) - like a machine needs daily maintenance, chanting the Gayatri Mantra
keeps the thread “activated.” This thread acts as a reminder for myself that I am
walking the path of Dharma - whenever I feel the urge to indulge in any pleasure to
the senses (e.g. sex, excess food, drinks, drugs, anger, hurtful conduct), this thread
literally pulls me back so I respect it.

● SHOWING BHAKTI I.E. TRUE LOVE - I offer a couple of flowers to the Ganesha idol
on my study table and light an incense stick - although God has no form, I worship
him as this idol merely as a point of focus - I do not believe he actually “lives” in idols
or images - but this idol serves a focus point for me to understand, experience and
love him as a friend, my personal God, the Bhagavan. I treat him as my forever
buddy and love him like one, without selfishness, desires or expectations.

● FOLLOWING SVADHARMA - I head off to work because it is my karmabhumi - I

cannot abandon my work, my career, my duty, to pursue spirituality. Inaction is not
the way. I must work hard with sincerity without any personal expectations or
desires, so I can generate “artha” (wealth/money generated for the purpose of
redistributing it to the society). Basically, I strive to be successful or do business not
because I want to personally benefit, but so that I can be in a position to give back
and help others freely.

● DOING BHUTASEVA - On my way, I feed the stray dogs in my neighbourhood - I

show them love and give them pats. I feed the cow and give hot breakfast to her
caretaker aunty. All creatures (bhutas) are holy in my Dharma, no animal is dirty or
inferior or bad. I also buy a snack for the poor kid who lives down the street, and
offer it to them as I wait for the bus. Daan i.e. donation, charity, and social welfare is
the highest duty - it is all-cleansing for the soul. It keeps us humble and kind.

● BEING RESPECTFUL and CALM AT WORK - At work, I encourage healthy

competition but ultimately see everyone as the same team, and try to work
peacefully together with all kinds of people, always keeping my anger in check even
 if anyone provokes me because I know that it is one of the six big evils - krodha
(anger), madha (pride), lobha (greed), kama (lust), moha (delusion or attachment),
and matsarya (jealousy).

● BEING ETHICAL IN BUSINESS - Whether Iʼm doing my own business or employed, I

put ethics first firmly and do not give in to the temptation of taking decisions that
would knowingly hurt someone or cause them loss. I try to keep up the attitude of
“We all profit, we all win.”

● FOLLOWING A SATTVIC DIET - At lunch and all my other meals, I try my best to
have “sattvik” food as much as possible - this is fresh, natural, light, non-spicy food
that creates “sattva” i.e. the quality of inner peace and goodness in my mind, unlike
tamasic or rajasic food thatʼs manufactured, very spicy, very pungent, or frozen -
which creates lethargy and/or anger and desire.

● AVOIDING ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN DIET - I do indulge in new cuisines or junk food I

like sometimes (itʼs alright) but always, in all circumstances, follow a cruelty-free,
sattvic diet - by cruelty-free, I mean to be plant-based or vegan as I avoid animal
ingredients like meat, eggs, honey, fish and dairy - cruelty to animals, through diet,
too, is forbidden in my culture.

● SUPPORTING LOCAL TEMPLES - On my way back home, I pay a trip to my local

temple, supporting it by giving a small donation and thanking the priest Guruji for
their service. I usually avoid big public crowded temples and instead try to do my bit
in saving the little local ones. One may not believe in idol worships but they should
still support temples because they are the pillars of our culture, they are essential in
keeping our culture alive, just as a hospital is essential in keeping the people in a
community alive. Temples are our heart and soul.

● SERVING ONEʼS FAMILY UNCONDITIONALLY - I come home and take happiness

in spending time with my family and serving my parents in whatever way I can - not
as an attachment (because even calling them “yours” is a form of bondage) - but as
a gesture of thanks, also because it is one of the five debts I must pay in this life -
debt to ancestors and parents (by remembering and donating food in their name),
debt to the elements (by thanking them), debt to the society (by doing service and
uplifting the needy), debt to animals and creatures (by feeding and sponsoring care
for animals, and by adopting a cruelty-free, plant-based diet), and debt to
 gurus/rishis (by thanking our teachers, mentors and those who give us knowledge).

● CELEBRATING FESTIVALS - I go down to celebrate the festival thatʼs going on right

now (e.g. Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi), thinking of it as an opportunity to connect
with the community and build strong social ties so we can help each other out

● GOING FOR SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGES - Before sleeping, I browse the internet to

plan my trip to the holy place of Rishikesh. I make it a point to go to holy spots every
six months, not to gain anything but to meet other spiritual seekers there and just
bathe in the good vibes of those places.

● BEING GRATEFUL - I say a short prayer and meditate for 5-10 minutes before
sleeping, thanking the Creator for everything, even my miseries, sadness, pain and
losses because even they are lessons and gifts, no matter how inconceivable it may
be for us. I always keep Them at the center of my mind, and go to sleep, embracing
this life fully, knowing I am pure, I am eternal, I am infinite. Hari Om Tat Sat.

By now, you have a picture of what a typical Hinduʼs lifestyle looks like - relax, if that seems
like a long checklist, know that you donʼt have to adopt all of these points right away, take it
one at a time and above all, trust your inner instincts - your heart is Hindu, so it will tell you
what is right (dharmic) and whatʼs wrong (adharmic).

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● The term Hindu originates from the river Sindhu (Indus); Persian invaders called
those east of it “Hindus,” and their diverse practices “Hinduism.”

● Despite the diversity, a Hindu is defined by four core principles: Dharma, Atman,
Sampradaya, Yoga (DASY) - all beliefs and practices flow from these.
● Dharma is seen as the supreme duty - to protect Dharma even at the cost of
breaking ahimsa. Hindus are obliged to resist injustice, protect the weak, and stand
against exploitation. Social service, charity, and daan are integral.

● Atman is accepted as the true identity - beyond body, gender, caste, race, or labels.
A Hindu sees all beings as equal due to the shared Self. This leads to belief in karma,
rebirth, and the divine unity of all.

● Discrimination of any kind - especially caste - is rejected by the True Hindu. The
caste system is to be abolished; no Hindu can believe in superiority or inferiority
based on birth.

● Ahimsa is extended to all living beings, reinforcing vegetarianism or veganism as the

ideal dharmic diet.

● Sampradaya is acceptance of Hinduismʼs pluralism - many deities, texts, paths, and

practices are valid. A Hindu does not claim exclusive truth; unity is achieved through
diversity.

● All scriptural languages are respected equally - Sanskrit is not superior; truth can be
studied and realised in any language.

● Other religions are respected as valid stepping stones. Hindus see them as part of
the larger journey towards the same truth.

● Yoga is the path of self-transformation. A Hindu must strive to realise their highest
Self through discipline, practice and inner work.

● The ultimate goal is Moksha - freedom from the karmic cycle. This is achieved
through self-purification and inward growth.

● Four key paths (Yogas) are followed: Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion), Raja
(meditation), and Jnana (wisdom) - all lead to the same Self.

● Ahimsa is a strict requirement in Yoga - in thoughts, actions, food, and profession.

● A Guru is necessary for direction, though not a substitute for personal effort. No one
else can give you Moksha.

● There is no forced or compulsory conversion to Hinduism. You are born Hindu, but
modern Ghar Wapsi/initiation is available for re-entry, involving steps of Severance,
Name-change, Group-joining, Declaration.

● Choosing a sampradaya (e.g. Vaishnav, Shaiva, Shakta, ISKCON, Smarta, Warkari,

etc.) helps build your tribe and support system, but you are free to explore and
follow what aligns with your values.

● A Hinduʼs daily life includes: rising early, yoga, inner cleanliness, sadhana (spiritual
practice), gratitude, seva (service), non-violence, sattvik eating, family service,
ethical work, social responsibility, and constant remembrance of the Self.

● Idol worship is symbolic, not literal. The idol is a tool to build focus and love.

● Festivals, pilgrimages, and temple visits are celebrated not as obligations, but as
ways to connect with the community and align with dharmic rhythm.

● The purpose of work is not personal gain but redistribution - to become a source of
help to others. Artha is not hoarded but shared.

● Spirituality is integrated into daily life - in food, sleep, relationships, and thoughts.
Dharma is not abstract; it is practiced in every action.

● A Hindu ends their day in gratitude, recognising pain as a teacher and remembering
their divine essence - “I am eternal. I am infinite. Hari Om Tat Sat.”
Chp. 4) Hindu Texts

Now that we have a sense of the Hindu life, the natural question to ask is, “Where do these
instructions come from? What is our source of information?”

For that, letʼs enter the Grand Library of Hindu texts! You can also see the recommended
literature list along with reading links here, which Iʼll be expanding on below.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita

Having a gateway into a culture as vast as our Dharma is a blessing because it allows
newcomers to “dip their legs” into the ocean before jumping in.

For us, we have the Srimad Bhagavad Gita (SBG) that plays this role of being a “starter kit”
or beginnerʼs guide, condensing and summarising in relatively simple language the essence
of all the literature you can ever read over many lifetimes.

The SBG literally means “Song of God”, a text of eighteen chapters written in the form of a
dialogue between the adorable yet wise and protective Krishna, who many consider as the
Supreme God, and his warrior friend Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Arjuna, a member of the five Pandava warrior gang, is mighty stressed because of the
battle that lies ahead - he is up against his own brothers, teachers and family members, the
Kauravas, due to a long backstory filled with the Kauravasʼ deceptions, abuses and
betrayals that broke their family apart. This story forms the larger epic called Mahabharata,
essentially the Game of Thrones saga of the Hindu world, inside which the SBG is a small
but very important section.

Like we go to our friends in times of trouble, the confused and depressed Arjuna turns to
Krishna, asking him for advice to gain the strength to fight. Krishna reveals to him Divine
Wisdom, not just for Arjunaʼs benefit but also for our learning, thousands of years after the
battle actually took place.

This has a lot of symbolism - Arjuna acts as us, the learners, who are torn in between
pursuing spirituality and also tending to our daily lives which are filled with their own tangle
of issues, anxieties, distractions, bonds, and fears. Krishna is our charioteer, steering us on
the path of right conduct - Dharma - by clearly outlining whatʼs bad, whatʼs good, and why
the two exist.

The SBG clarifies a lot of core Hindu concepts like -

● Human Nature - why we act the way we do

● Atman, the soul
● Brahman, the Supersoul
● Karma, the path of action
● Dharma, ethical conduct and duty
● Birth, Death and Rebirth
● Heavens and Hells

The SBGʼs English Translation by Gita Press Gorakhpur is considered the most authentic
copy closest to the source, so you can check that out online.
An important point to make here is that this is not the only “Gita” in our culture. We have
other Gitas (Divine Songs) in similar dialogue or monologue formats that give us similar or
unique insights in different styles. These include -

● Avadhoot Gita, credited to Dattatreya, a divine saint and monk

● Anu Gita, a follow-up to Krishnaʼs main speech, repeated for Arjunaʼs revision
● Ashtavakra Gita
● Vashishta Gita
● Yama Gita
● Shiva Gita
● Devi Gita

Beyond this set of Gitas, different Sampradayas revere different texts as their main books
of reference. So highlighting the SBG here doesnʼt mean it is our “central” book, only that it
is a good introduction to the world of Hindu ideas because of its simplicity, moderate
length, broad strokes of philosophy, and relatively interesting takes that are not dry like
some of the overly complicated books youʼll find elsewhere.

Ultimately, the SBG, too, and its Divine Author, claims to draw from our original source of
truth - the Vedas.

Vedas

Although you will see many “datings” of the Vedas, ranging from 1500 - 1000 BCE, these
predictions usually refer to the written manuscripts preserved and found by archeologists.
But the Vedas are said to be “apaurusheya” i.e. not of human origin; they were “revealed”
by God to sages orally for the benefit of mankind, and were also passed down orally from
generation to generation. Again, like many texts, they were revealed in the Language of the
Gods, Sanskrit.

So because of their non-human origins, the Vedas are believed to be surviving the epic
cycles of time, which weʼll study soon - in simple words, they will always exist, in this age,
and in the vastly distant future as well.

In their original form, they were like a continuous morse code or Godʼs divine radio
broadcast channel heard by sages, and in the lines (verses), there are built-in “verification
systems” (through techniques of pronunciation, gramma and verse structure) to ensure
that when one sage/student passed it onto the other, it wouldnʼt end up like the Telephone
Game or Chinese whispers, in which one word becomes something else over time,
ensuring timeless preservation.

Vedas are thus called the Shrutis - that which is heard from up above, as opposed to
Smritis, the modern texts of law and management written by men to govern the society.
As such, while Vedic knowledge isnʼt believed to be human, we credit the original receiving
of this to sages like Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Vamadeva, Atri and Bharadvaja.

Since this knowledge was vast, the sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa took it upon himself to
curate, divide and organize it, giving us the Vedas in the four-book form we know them to
be of today - Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. He possibly gave these titles to four of his
disciples, who then became their custodians or chiefs in-charge, guarding and passing
them on in their own lineages and branches (shakhas) in an unbroken line of gurus
(teachers) and sishyas (students).

Although the number is four today, many experts believe that originally Atharva Veda was
not included in the set as it was relatively modern and, as weʼll see, had a slightly different
purpose from the first three. That said, a lot of the ideas, sometimes entire literal verses, are
found to be repeating across the four titles, which means you can expect a lot of overlap
and sharing of themes (e.g. Sama lifts almost all of its verses from Rig).
Chatur Vedas

The oldest of the lot, the Rig, the Book of Creation and Prayers, has more than a thousand
hymns (suktas) spread over 10 books (mandalas). Most of the hymns praise and hype up
various ancient deities who preserve our nature and cosmic order, with the goal being that
the praises will “feed” them power and they will reward us with better natural conditions to
live in - more sunlight, more rains, and plenty of grains and water to survive.

These Devtas act like God's Council or Team of Specialists, each guarding some areas of
the universe, much like employees in a company have their own departments. The most
Agni (governing Fire), Indra (storms and war), Varuna (water and moral order), Surya
(represented by the Sun), Soma (represented by the Moon, also referring to the holy nectar
that gave Gods their power).

The next, Sama, is the book of Chants, with the focus now turning towards how to “sing”
the verses in the Rig to produce specific effects. It has the building blocks of all the classical
Indian musical techniques and systems we enjoy today - so you must thank Sama for all
the Indian songs on your Spotify playlist!

The third, Yajur, is the Book of Formulae - if Rig is about mantras and Sama about the
music, Yajur explains how to exactly perform the rituals, what their symbolic meanings, and
how they tie into the larger philosophical secrets that the Vedas are trying to reveal. Most
notably, the Yajur has two divisions - Krishna (Black) and Shulka (White), named after the
different styles in which theyʼre organized.

Finally, we have the Atharva, the Book of Spells. While the first three have very big ideas for
the long-term, Atharva is more relevant to everyday life, containing manuals and directions
on how to cure common diseases with herbs and natural medicine, how to keep bad
“vibes” away, how to rule the kingdom properly, and even how to find a good partner.
These also laid the foundation for a secondary Vedic branch of knowledge, Ayurveda - the
science of natural healing and long life.

Structure

Each of the four Vedas is further divided into four parts -

1. Samhita
2. Brahmana
 3. Aranyaka
4. Upanishad

The Samhitas are the core collection of mantras to be directly used in the rituals - they are
deeply symbolic, mystic, and will appear as gibberish to the everyday reader, so donʼt even
try to read them by yourself - youʼll get easily confused and bored!

The Brahmanas explain and interpret these rituals, giving the meanings behind why we do
certain things like preparing a kunda (square of bricks for a fire ritual), setting a homa yagna
(starting a fire), and pouring oil, clarified butter (ghee) or other things into that fire. They
connect the rituals to the workings of the larger cosmos - which is why it is said that our
Hindu fire altars are basically the mini lego models of the real universe.

The Aranyakas are the Forest Books, meant to be opened only in the forests because they
have more complex rituals and ideas which might not be understood for the common
public (and may even be dangerous for them).

Practically speaking, however, this section is reserved for learning in the forests to be in
smart alignment with the recommended Hindu order of life, divided into four stages -
Brahmacharya (learning the way as a student), Grihastha (becoming a responsible
householder, beginning with marriage), Vanaprastha (retirement by self-seclusion in the
forest, turning oneʼs focus inward), and Sanyasa (final renunciation into old age and death).

The older and more mature one grows, the deeper one can go into our sea of ideas, so only
when people retired, were they suggested to access the Aranyakas, which shift the
conversation from external rituals to internal meditation, more suitable for an older body.

Fourthly, we have the most interesting and relevant section of the Vedas for our learning in
the modern age, called Upanishads. As they are the final conclusions of all the big Vedic
themes and ideas, they are called Vedanta (Anta i.e. end of Vedas).
Upanishads

Each Veda has some Upanishads attached to it, which explain in their own ways -

● How was the universe created?

● Who created it?
● How does the world, our body, senses and mind all function?
● Who are we exactly and why do we exist?
● How can we get moksha?

We have hundreds of Upanishads but the Maha Upanishads (major ones) are given below.

They are in approximate chronological order, starting from the older ones to the more
modern ones that refine big ideas from the OGs, making them more digestible -

Upanishad Location Major Ideas

Brihadaranyaka Shukla Yajur ● Oldest and one of the longest

● Debates on the Self (soul/atman)
● Concepts of karma and rebirth

Chandogya Sama ● Meaning and importance of chanting Om

● Ethics of speech and dialogue
● Famous idea that you are That (God)

Taittiriya Krishna Yajur ● Structure of our internal self (five layers)

● Description of highest state (bliss)

Aitareya Rig ● Significance of human birth

● Defining the ultimate reality
● Knowledge of oneʼs true identity

Kena Sama ● Asks the question, “Who made all this?”

● Stories of Gods
● Focus on internal knowledge

Katha Krishna Yajur ● Dialogue with God of Death, Yama

● Secret of afterlife
● Knowledge of immortality

Isha Shukla Yajur ● Seeing all beings as the one Self

● Balancing action and letting go
 Mundaka Atharva ● Difference between the ignorant and wise
● What is higher and lower knowledge
● Rejects rituals and focuses on letting go

Mandukya Mandukya ● Concise (only 12 mantras)

● Analysis of Om
● Different states of being

Prashna Atharva ● Asks six big questions

● Origins of all beings
● Explanation of the life force Prana

Shvetashvatara Krishna Yajur ● Positions Shiva (Rudra) as the #1 God

● Explains idea of personal God (Ishvara)
● Blends Yoga and Sankhya philosophies

Maitri Krishna Yajur ● Explains Time (Kala) as God

● Talks about the grand illusion Maya
● Importance of meditation

Today, we can read the original Sanskrit and English versions of these Vedas and
Upanishads online but what most people donʼt understand is that their magic is in their
pronunciation, rhythm and flow, so like Shankara explained, merely reading them like books
is like seeing their dead bodies.

If anything, trying to read a Veda online will bore you to death - you will neither understand
anything, nor genuinely enjoy it because the metaphors are far too layered and dense, so
itʼs not nearly as fun as reading Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings.

As well-intentioned as our attempt would be, it wonʼt do us any good and it's best to learn
them through the oral guidance of a certified Guru.

Unfortunately, not everyone might be lucky enough to find such a reliable guru, which is
why we have our next set of books, Bhashyas, commentaries on the Vedic knowledge by
men who distilled it for the benefit of common people.
Bhashyas

Great folks in the past few centuries have tried to address the problem of inaccessibility of
Vedic knowledge by giving their own commentaries, called “Bhashyas.” The most famous
Bhashyas one can find online are as follows -

● Rig Bhashya by Shri Madhavacharya

● Rigvedadi Bhashya by Shri Danayand Saraswati
● Vedartha Sangraha of Shri Ramnujacarya
● Sri Adi Shankaracharyaʼs Bhashya on Upanishads (found on WisdomLib)
● Secret of the Vedas by Shri Aurobindo
● Bhashya by Sayana (oldest and longest one)
For someone who wants a single reference, arguably the most rigorous modern
commentary with great authority and 21st-century relevance must be credited to Swami
Vivekananda, a great monk and teacher who popularised Hinduism in the West in the late
1800s. His speeches and teachings are compiled in Jaicoʼs “The Book of Yoga”, which may
feel long and tedious at first, but I promise you, it is a totally worthwhile and satisfying read.

Swamiji takes Vedic knowledge and presents it in the form of four practical paths (Yogas) to
not just understand it but practically live it everyday - Karma, Bhakti, Raja, Jnyana.

Puranas

Even the Bhashyas can be too heavy for many people, and Vyasa predicted this would
happen, so he also compiled various stories written to dRamtize the rituals and teachings
given in the Vedas.

These storybooks, which feature many mini-anecdotes and fables, are called the Puranas,
literally meaning “ancient.” There are hundreds of them to binge on, but before we dive into
the 18 Maha Puranas (major ones), we need to know two important points.

The first is the concept of Kalpa Bheda. Youʼll find different Puranas giving different
accounts of the same story, or crediting different Gods for the same feat. These variations
are because the same story unfolds differently in each Kalpa (cosmic time cycle).

For instance, there are multiple versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata because these
events happen repeatedly across epochs. An immortal sage, who has the form of a crow,
Kakabhushundi, even mentions witnessing these events countless times (much like the
Watcher in Marvelʼs “What If” series who is shown as seeing different timelines play out in
their multiverse).
This is why we hear different stories on how Ganpati was born, what happened to the
Narasimha lion avatar of Vishnu after he killed Pralhadʼs oppressor King Hiranyakashipu,
how the universe was created.

The second concept to note with regards to Puranas is Ishta Bhaava (Personal Devotion).
Each Purana emphasizes a specific deity to inspire devotion (Bhakti) towards that God. To
do this, they sometimes use a technique called Nahi Ninda Nyaya, where other deities
might appear "criticised" to highlight the glory of the central deity but this is only in that
context. The actual goal is to elevate the position of the deity in question, not intentionally
attack its opponents per se.

Itʼs like cheering for your favorite team without discrediting others. In the end, we need to
remember that Shiva and Vishnu are both each otherʼs biggest devotees so thereʼs no
need to fight on whoʼs better.

So in conclusion, donʼt take everything you read in the Puranas literally at face value - the
stories are rooted in Bhakti, devotion towards a personal God, to strengthen our faith so we
can move forward in our spiritual journeys.
To be called a Purana, the book must give its own answers to these basic questions -

● How was the universe created?

● How was life created, how did it evolve, and how can it be sustained?
● How does time work at the cosmic level?
● Histories of lineages and dynasties of kings
● Backstory of the prime causation, supreme beings

Out of hundreds of such books, the eighteen Mahapuranas are as follows -

Purana Important Themes

Matsya ● Explains the fish version/form taken by Vishnu

● Origins of kingship, how to construct temples
● Duties of priests (Brahmins) and warriors (Kshatriyas)

Vayu ● Explains how time works

● Details of ancient geography - structure of the world

Brahmanda ● Has its own version of the epic story - Adhyatma Ramayana
● Names of Goddesses
● Description of the universe
Markandeya ● Houses the Devi Mahatmya, an important Shakti text
● Glorifies the Female Divine Energy, Shakti
● Stories of the Goddess being an awesome Queen

Bhavishya ● Predictions and prophecies of the future

● Rituals for different occasions

Brahma ● Pilgrimage of Orissa, Konark and Puri

● Praises vishnu and Surya Dev

Vishnu ● Hails Vishnu as the ultimate God

● Explains the concept of time cycles (yugas and kalpas)
● Talks about the great dissolution/destruction/end (pralaya)

Narada ● Has the sage Narada as the main character

● Descriptions of festivals and devotional songs (kirtans)
● Focuses on bhakti - pure devotion and love for God

Agni ● Covers fire rituals and rites

● Explains architecture, warfare, law
● Practical instructions to manage kingdoms

Padma ● Describes holy places

● Praises Ram and Krishna

Linga ● Focuses on the Linga (pillar) form of Shiva

● Explains Varanasiʼs spiritual importance

Garuda ● Interesting theories on afterlife

● Explains funeral rituals and rites - what to do upon death
● Explores the heavens and hellish realms

Kurma ● Narrated by the tortoise (Kurma) form of Vishnu

● Explains the structure of the universe
● Gives instructions on yoga, pilgrimages and moral living

Skanda ● Hypes up the Kartikeya deity and Shiva worship

● Gives details of Southern Indiaʼs sacred sites

Vamana ● Focuses on the dwarf form of Vishnu (Vamana)

● Narrates King Baliʼs story

Varaha ● Focuses on the boar form of Vishnu (Varaha)

● Gives details of ethics, duty and holy sites

Shiva ● Devoted to Shiva

 ● Contain concepts of yoga, linga worship

Bhagavata ● Stresses on devotion to Krishna as God

● Explain the stories of different Vishnu Avatars (forms)

Like bedtime stories for kids use imaginary tells to teach them morals, sometimes the
Puranas may also use “fiction” and “myth-ology” to put forward their points. But in
contrast, we have two very real tales in our culture based on historic events that most
Hindus believe actually happened - these are called Itihasa.

Itihasas

Iti-hasa means “And so, it happened.” Like the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer are two Greek
epics known to the entire world, Ramayana and Mahabharata are two historic pillars of our
Indian culture.

Ramayana

Ramayana follows King Ram of Ayodhya (in Northern India) who is exiled to the forest on his
father Dashrataʼs orders, who is forced and tricked into doing so by one of his Queens,
Kaikeyi, under the evil influence of the old crutch Manthara.
As his beloved son Ram leaves, Dashratha grieves and dies from guilt. While Ramʼs brother
Bharata reluctantly accepts the position of King, originally meant for him, Ram retreats into
the forest for fourteen years to live as a hermit along with his wife, Sita, and younger
brother, Lakshmana.

In a twist of events, Ramʼs wife, Sita, is kidnapped by the evil demon king Ravana, who
imprisons her in his kingdom of Lanka (present day Sri Lanka).

Ram rushes to rescue her with the help of the Vanaras, the monkey tribes of the forest, led
by Sugriv and Ramʼs biggest fan, the ever-devoted Hanuman. To cross the ocean, Ramʼs
army builds a long bridge, and rides into Lanka, defeating Ravanaʼs generals one by one.

In the final face-off, Ram confronts Ravana and puts an end to his evil.

The most authoritative version of the Ramayana was written by Sage Valmiki but there are
many other versions, each having their own style and element of truth (as this story unfolds
over and over again in each time cycle with different variations). While Valmiki tells a very
realistic story, with Ram shown as a relatable human figure, sage Tulsidasʼ more modern
Ramcharitramanas puts a more fantasy-led magical spin on it, with supernatural elements
of people flying and having other mythical powers.

Most people know the bigger theme of this story, which celebrates “good winning over
evil”, whatʼs not popularly known is the reason behind why we have this story in the first
place. Ram is a Vishnu avatar (form), sent to Earth, to teach us what exactly does Dharma
mean. Despite his divine nature, Ram is shown to have a lot of human emotions.

He cries on his first night of exile in the forest, collapses after finding out his Dad died, and
becomes extremely angry when Sita is kidnapped, even threatening to destroy the whole
universe in his fury.

Ram faces many ethical dilemmas in his journey, too, the most notable one being in the
conclusion, when he asks his wife Sita to go through the Agni Pariksha, the test of purity,
after rescuing her from Ravana, to ensure her chastity as a woman has not been disturbed.

This is not Ram being a misogynist, sexist or cruel husband - he knows that after spending
so much time away, the people back in Ayodhya will gossip about Sitaʼs purity, so making
her go through the Agni pariksha is the best way to quash such rumours. Rama is acting as
a just king here. Of course, Sita being an avatar of Lakshmi, passes the Pariksha, the both
go back to Ayodhya and rule it successfully, and the official story ends there.

So in essence, Ram goes through a lot of mental, emotional and physical pain - like we all
do - but he does not abandon his Dharma as a Kshatriya (warrior), never hurting anyone
intentionally but always standing up against whatʼs wrong, represented by Ravana. And this
is the main takeaway - how to stick by our Dharma.

One very clear example of Ram always following Dharma is seen towards the climax at the
first sunset and night of the epic clash between Ram and Ravanaʼs army. Ram cremates
Ravanaʼs dead soldiers right beside his fallen soldiers (weʼll discuss cremation later), telling
his council that everyone is equal in death - there are no enemies, especially when one has
died fighting for their land - and so we must give all dead bodies a respectful and dignified
ending with the holy fire rites.

As a side note, a newly added chapter, Uttara Kanda, narrates the aftermath of this story,
many debate its legitimacy and donʼt consider it an original part of the epic.
Mahabharata

If Ramayana is about maintaining oneʼs Dharma, the Mahabharata, also credited to Vyasa,
shows us what happens when everything goes wrong and Dharma is abandoned.

It is set in the ancient kingdom of Hastinapura, with King Shantanuʼs sons, Dhritarashtra
(whoʼs blind), Pandu, and Bhishma (a step son). Dhritarashtra has a hundred sons and one
daughter - that number was possible as these were allegedly the first test tube babies in
human history. These are the Kauravas, descendents of the Kuru clan. Pandu also gets five
sons who are born to his wives through divine blessings - Bhima, Arjuna, Yudhisthira,
Nakula and Sahadeva - together called the Pandavas, sons of Pandu.

When Yudhishthira is crowned as the next new king, the Kaurava leader Duryodhana
becomes jealous and plans to burn them all down in a wax palace. But the Pandavas
escape with their common wife Draupadi (which happened because of their motherʼs vow)
and return to claim their kingdom.

But to permanently remove them, Duryodhana comes up with the invite to a rigged
gambling game of dice, planned by his cunning uncle Shakuni. The Pandavas gamble away
their freedom, kingship, and also Draupadi, who is humiliated by Duryodhana in front of
everyone.

As the helpless Pandavas watch their wife being disrobed, Draupadi calls on Krishna, a
nearby King of Dwarka who happens to have befriended the Pandavas as their advisor.
Krishna steps in and protects her modesty as a woman with his divine power. This is one of
the most heart-wrenching chapters in the story, acting as a lesson of the power of true
belief in God - They will always show up for devotees who call Them in pain.

Like Ram, the Pandavas, too, having lost everything, are exiled for a few years with the
hope that by the time they return, Duryodhana will have cemented his rule. He refuses to
give them anything when they do come back, and so war becomes inevitable.

The smart Krishna, always acting neutral, actually offers Duryodhana the choice between
his friendship and his mighty Yadava clan army. Duryodhana, not knowing Krishna is God,
chooses the army, leaving Arjuna with Krishna as his charioteer.
In the war, despite the Kauravasʼ might, the Pandavas and their small army defeat them
with the help of Krishna. It is also during this war that Krishna gives Arjuna Divine
Knowledge, which we saw in the section on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

He also reveals his Vishwaroop, an infinite cosmic super-form so wide, so big, so beautiful
and yet so scarily overwhelming, that Arjuna has to beg him to stop because he is flooded
with fear after seeing Krishna in that form.

Having won the battle, called the War of Kurukshetra, the Pandava Yudhishtira becomes
King and rules the kingdom.

The Mahabharata is a non-negotiable reading for every Hindu - it is essentially our Star
Wars, showing the jaw-dropping clash of Darkness and Light, and how the Force (Krishna)
balances them.
Shiva Shakti

Books on Shiva and Shakti, the cosmic pair, can be generally classified into three types -
Agamas, Yamalas and Nigamas. Together, they are often called “Tantra Shastra” or “Tantra
Vidya”, knowledge that helps us achieve material and spiritual desires.

Firstly, Agamas mean that which has come down from God, which are truths told by Shiva
to his partner consort Ma Parvati, in which many topics such as origin stories, space
cosmology, rituals, philosophical ideas, etc. are covered.

The Agamas each have four padas or parts -

● Jnana Pada - Philosophical teachings

● Yoga Pada - Guidelines for yogic practices
● Kriya Pada - Instructions for rituals and temple rituals
● Charya Pada - Guidelines on daily conduct and prayer

Most experts say there are twenty-eight Agamas, with the Kamika Agama being the most
complete and widely followed one today, especially with respect to how Shiva temple
priests go about their day. The Shiva Siddhanta school in South India follows these books.

On top of this, when it comes to Shiva, we have the Shweteshvara and Markandeya
Upanishads, Shiva Purana and Shiva Gita as other major texts the Shaivas look up to.

Secondly, Nigamas, on the other hand, are conversations started by Ma Parvati, told to
Shiva, bringing us to the other side of the pair into Shakta (female) territory.

Thirdly, we have the Yamalas (literally meaning pairs) which are conversations between
Shiva and Shakti that give secret knowledge (rahasyas) of mantras, initiations, unions
(sexual), etc. These are called “esoteric” i.e. stuff thatʼs very mystical, secretive and known
to only some people.

To summarise Shakti literature, some often cited reference books are -

Tantra Description

Devi Mahatmya ● Part of Markandeya Purana

● Celebrates the Mahakali form of Goddess
 Devi Bhagavata Purana ● One of the minor puranas
● Establishes Devi as the ultimate Brahman

Lalita Sahasranama ● Found in Brahmanda Purana

● 1000 names of Goddess Lalita Tripurasundari
● Gives the base for devi upasana (meditation)

Tripura Rahasya ● Dialogue between Dattatreya and Parshurama

● Focuses on non-dualism (Advaita ideas)

Soundarya Lahari ● Credited to Adi Shankaracharya

● 100 verses to praise Devi

Devi Upanishad ● One of the minor Upanishads in Atharvaveda

● Identifies the Devi as the Brahman

Rudra Yamala Tantra ● Esoteric dialogue between Shiva and Shakti

● Contains secretive energy activation practices

Tantraloka ● Big book by Abhinavgupta

● Basis of Kashmir Shaivism
● Philosophical encyclopedia of Trika

Before we finish our tour of the Hindu Library, we have to stop at one small but important
section, that of the Upavedas - the applied extensions of the Vedas.

Upavedas

Vedas in themselves are leaning towards heavy theory and philosophy. Their practical
applications are seen in the Upavedas, which tell us how to manage specific domains. The
four main Upavedas and their main reference books are -

1. Ayurveda - medicine, health and long life - Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita,
Ashtanga Hridaya

2. Dhanurveda - warfare, military and martial arts - Bhargavaʼs Dhanurveda, Agni

Purana, Manusmriti, Mahabharata

3. Gandharvaveda - music, dance and performing arts - Bharataʼs Natya Shastra,

Samgadevaʼs Sangita Ratnakara, Dattilaʼs Dattilam
 4. Arthashastra - politics, economics and governance - Kautilyaʼs Arthashastra,
Manusmriti, Hitopadesha, Sukraniti

Vedangas

As a side note, these four Upavedas should not be confused with the six Vedangas, limbs
of the Vedas (anga = limbs), a completely different set of studies which are like the keys or
tools to unlock and understand Vedic knowledge.

The six Vedangas are -

1. Shiksha - how to pronounce

2. Vyakarana - grammar
3. Chhandas - structures or meters of singing/writing
4. Nirukta - origins of words
5. Kalpa - ritual procedures
6. Jyotisha - best timings to do rituals

With that, weʼre through with our library tour. Ultimately, even if you donʼt remember what
we discussed, the only thing to understand is that all of this Hindu literature centers around
the search for manʼs true identity - who are we? Who created us?

Wait, there must be someone, no?

Something cannot come out of nothing. That logically and scientifically doesnʼt make
sense. We must have an origin. And that origin must have a force to push it forward. This
brings us to our next chapter, the anatomy of the Hindu God.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.
● Hinduismʼs vast body of knowledge comes from a layered tradition of scriptures,
beginning with the Vedas and culminating in commentaries, stories, and
practical texts.

● The Bhagavad Gita is the gateway text - a concise, accessible dialogue between
Krishna and Arjuna, condensing core Hindu ideas: karma, dharma, atman, Brahman,
rebirth, ethics, and moksha. It is not the only “Gita” - there are many others like
Ashtavakra, Avadhuta, Anu, Devi and Shiva Gitas.

● The Gita draws its authority from the Vedas, considered apaurusheya (not of
human origin), heard and transmitted orally by rishis. Divided by Vyasa into four: Rig,
Sama, Yajur, Atharva.

● Each Veda contains four layers: Samhita (mantras), Brahmana (ritual meanings),
Aranyaka (forest teachings), and Upanishad (spiritual insights).

● The Upanishads (or Vedanta) are the final and most profound sections -
philosophical deep-dives into creation, Self, God, and moksha. Key Upanishads
include Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Isha, Kena, Katha, Mandukya, Taittiriya,
Shvetashvatara, and others.

● Vedas are hard to study alone. To make them accessible, sages wrote Bhashyas
(commentaries) - key ones are by Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Swami
Vivekananda, and Dayananda Saraswati.

● For the masses, Vyasa composed Puranas - mythological storybooks teaching

dharma, devotion, and cosmology. Each Purana has a focus deity and symbolic
angle. There are 18 Maha Puranas (e.g. Bhagavata, Shiva, Vishnu, Agni, Garuda).

● Kalpa Bheda explains conflicting stories in Puranas - different yugas, different

versions. Ishta Bhava (personal devotion) allows different Puranas to glorify
different deities.

● Itihasas - the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata - are not symbolic but historical.
Ramayana teaches ideal dharma through Rama, while Mahabharata reveals the
chaos when dharma is abandoned.
● Ramayana emphasizes dharma over emotions. Mahabharata explores the moral
greyness of life. Both are mirrors to human struggles and choices.

● Agamas, Nigamas and Yamalas form the scriptural base for Shaiva and Shakta
Tantra. Agamas are Shivaʼs teachings to Parvati, Nigamas are Parvatiʼs questions to
Shiva, Yamalas are their esoteric dialogues.

● Key Shakta texts include Devi Mahatmya, Devi Bhagavata, Lalita Sahasranama,
Tripura Rahasya, Soundarya Lahari, Tantraloka.

● The Upavedas are applied sciences branching from the Vedas: Ayurveda (health),
Dhanurveda (warfare), Gandharvaveda (arts), Arthashastra (governance).

● The Vedangas are six auxiliary limbs of the Vedas: Shiksha (phonetics),
Vyakarana (grammar), Chhandas (meters), Nirukta (etymology), Kalpa (ritual
rules), Jyotisha (astrology).

● All Hindu texts revolve around one central quest: Who are we? Who created us?
What is our true Self? The scriptures donʼt impose answers - they guide seekers on
how to uncover it through inquiry, practice, and inner evolution.
Chp. 5) On God

Itʼs famously said in the Kena Upanishad that anyone who claims to understand and know
God has NOT understood him - but this is not to disappoint readers, what it means is that
itʼs just not easy as it sounds, takes an entire lifetime and immense inner strength to master,
and so one could use a dash of humility to keep them on their path always.

But letʼs make an attempt to get some idea of this Almighty Being.

Before diving in, the deeper question of God is not the “who” or “what” but the WHY? Why
did someone feel the need to make all of this?

Well, you just have to think about what youʼre doing at this very moment. You are existing
right now, and so you are “experiencing” the feeling of being you. Experience is not just the
product of existence - it is existence itself.

That simple line is actually very important to understand because many people look for the
“reason” behind things - we will never really know that for sure but God doesnʼt have to
“want” or “need” to create. They simply Are and so they See us as their form. We are the
Experience of God.

At the top level, the Hindu God is necessarily Nirguna - without qualities and formless. The
name given to It, as we already saw in the introductory chapter, is Brahman.

This Brahman sits in all of us, as our inner moral compass, and as the Divine Light of
Goodness within all of us - this form is called the Paramatman (Supreme Self). This is an
important form to consider because Hinduism, like all religions, considers man to be
inherently good - the “evil” we do is out of ignorance of this inherent good nature.

Now, these two concepts are hard to understand and accept, so Brahman takes the
saguna roop - the physical form. This is our Bhagavan - the Personal God with human-like
qualities and attributes. All “physical” forms of God, with a name and body, that people
worship are Bhagavan - Krishna, Ram, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, Ganpati, etc.

To reiterate, Hinduism rests on the Vedic belief “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti” - God is
one but the wise call him by different names.
There are a few important qualities that separate our idea God from other faiths, though,
and theyʼre crucial to call out here -

● First, as our Sri Krishna declares in the SBG, God doesnʼt interfere in our daily lives,
so one canʼt blame him for everything happening in the world and label him evil or
cruel - God does the basic setup, and he also does intervene when things get out of
control (weʼll meet the “Avatars” soon) or when his true devotees call sincerely. But
usually he leaves the Universe to its own device, called the Rita, the cosmic order of
balance or force that manages everything, keeping all things in balance.

● Second, our God is all-knowing and all-powerful - that doesnʼt mean he “lets” and
“wants” wrong things to happen - these are either our karmas (consequences of
actions) and/or just plain dubhagya (bad luck, nobodyʼs fault).
○ Natural calamities, crimes, wars, etc. are the realities of this world, yes,
nobody is denying them, and God is also aware of them, but it doesnʼt mean
They are some sadistic guy who enjoys our miseries,
○ These are all events in a complicated, tangled mess of energies, so itʼs no
use calling God cruel

● The Hindu, therefore, has free will at a certain level - He is most certainly under
Godʼs wing but not like a prisoner of a jailer or a slave of a Master. At the basic level,
the world spins on its own and events just happen here; there is no point turning to
our God for each and everything.

On Devtas

Now managing the Universe is no easy task, so God appoints Devtas (Demigods) who take
care of different departments and aspects of our lives. This is why we have a pantheon of
Gods in our culture. These can be broadly divided into kotis i.e. categories.

A misconception here is that we have three hundred and thirty million Gods (330 million),
drawn from the Sanskrit or Marathi phrase “tetis koti”, which incorrectly assumes koti to
mean crores, an Indian unit of measurement (1 crore = 10 million so 33 crore is 330 million).

But as I clarified just now, kotis are the primal categories of Devtas, the original batch of
deities in the pantheon. This includes -
 ● 12 Adityas - those who Govern - Vishnu, Mitra, Varuna, Aryaman, Bhaga, Daksha,
Amsa, Tvastr, Savitr, Pushan, Vivasvan, Indra

● 8 Vasus - the Elemental Powers that are building blocks - Apa (water), Dhruva
(stability), Soma (bliss/moon), Dhara (earth), Anila (wind), Anala (fire), Pratyusha
(dawn), Prabhasa (light)

● 11 Rudras - the Transformers who Destroy and Renew - Shambhu, pinaki, Girish,
Sthanu, Bharga, Bhava, Sadashiva, Shiva, Har, Sharva, Kapali

● 2 Ashwini Kumars - the medical experts or doctors/physicians of these deities

To simplify everything, Hindus often revere the Trimurti, the Triad that represents the three
functions of God as a maintainer of the universe - Vishnu (Preserver), Brahma (Creator
Architect), and Shiva (Dissolution and Destruction to heal and renew).

Each of the Gods have their own gangs/tribes - Shiva has the Ganas and various others
have their Maruts called “Marutgana.”

Complimenting the male deities, we have an entire family of Devis, each with their own
sub-forms - Saraswati, who sits with Brahma, has twelve main forms; Lakshmi, who sits
with Vishnu, has her own eight main forms, and Parvati has her own, too.

Some other forms are -

Deva Function

Yama God of death, justice and afterlife

Ganpati (Ganesh) Son of Shiva, God of Beginnings, Wisdom and Protection, has an
Elephant Head representing above qualities

Hanuman Elevated to this position, God of Protection

Chitragupta Keeps the records of everything we do (karma)

Kamdev God of lust and love, the cosmic cupid

Shani God of karma and justice (weʼll meet him in astrology 101)
One commonly asked question on Hindu Gods is why do they “change?” Why canʼt they
have one form, one name throughout - like in the case of other religions?

On Evolution
Gods change simply because we change - we learn to understand the Brahmanʼs qualities
differently over time, so we give him newer names.

When we first got brains to think as homo sapiens, we thought deeply about the idea of
God and his three functions - creation, preservation and destruction. In the Vedas, this
destroyer was called Rudra, today we know this Rudra as Shiva.

The creator and preservation aspects evolved to be called Vishnu/Narayana and Brahma,
the Lotus God who is the First Being and Architect of the Universe. We will see soon in the
chapter on Time how these two manage the event we call our universe.

Then when we started farming, we began to see nature as our ally, and we saw the forces
shaping or breaking our farms, so we introduced the elemental Gods like -

● Agni - representing fire

● Vayu - representing air
● Varuna - representing water
● Surya - representing Sun and warmth
 ● Chandra/Soma - representing Moon and emotions
● Bhumi - representing mother Earth/soil

As we ventured into space, we also met the Navgraha, nine celestial deities who are like the
mascots of some planets in our solar system - weʼll come back to them later. Then, as we
began to form societies, we needed friends who would guide and help us, and so we met
Krishna, Rama and the likes. Who knows, in the future, we will know him by more names?
One is coming up for sure - His name will be Kalki. This brings us to the concept of Avatars.

Avatars

An Avatar is a form God takes with a specific purpose to help humanity in a certain way. All
major deities have their own Avatars that act as amplifiers of one of their qualities.

Most famously, Vishnu takes twenty-four avatars, ten of which are very famous, together
called the Dashavatar. Each of them has an epic backstory (for some other time) but more
importantly, comes with a lesson.

1. Matsya - the Fish - preservation of knowledge

2. Kurma - the Tortoise - balance and cooperation
3. Varaha - the Boar - preservation of Dharma
4. Narasimha - the Lion - protection of devotees
5. Vaman - the Dwarf - to teach humility and service
6. Parashuram - the Warrior - killing the corrupt
7. Ram - the King - to uphold justice
8. Krishna - the Friend - to love and protect devotees
9. Buddha - the Wise - to teach compassion (yes, popular texts include Buddha in the
larger scheme of Hinduism)
10. Kalki - the Saviour - yet to arrive, will come when darkness is at its peak and the
world looks bleak, to wipe out evil, and take us into the next cycle

Krishna delivers the famous line the SBG, “Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya …” which essentially
means that whenever evil has risen its peak beyond control, and the good souls are
suffering beyond measure, he comes back as his Avatars to take matters into his own
hands, destroy the darkness, and deliver the good souls ahead.

Shiva also takes Avatars - Virabhadra, Bhairava, Nandi, Hanuman, etc. On the Devi side, we
see many Avatars, too - Durga (protector), Kali (destroyer), Annapurna (nourisher and giver
of food), etc. While weʼre on the topic of Gods, there are two major misconceptions that we
can address right away - their colour and their gender/sex.

Colour

When it comes to Hindu Gods, they are shown as blue-skinned in many paintings, movies
and other depictions in mainstream media. This is the case mostly with Shiva, Vishnu and
also Krishna.

Why so? We have a few theories to look at.

First, it is simply a way to signify their divinity i.e. special non-human nature. Blue
represents the infinite sky, and so as God is infinite, They are imagined as blue, too.

Second, it may simply be the product of the cheapest or most available colours at the time
when many Gods were first imagined and shown in human form through art and painting,
most notably by the artist Raja Ravi Verma - known for his hyper-realistic art style that has
shaped how we imagine our Gods to be today.

Third is most interesting - it may be a case of inferiority complex - our British rulers gave us
the notion of brown/black skin being inferior to white, so we may have had second
thoughts while painting our Gods black or brown.
But surprise - that is probably how they looked when they were here on Earth! Letʼs take a
few examples to prove this theory.

“दन्ु द ु भस्वन नघ ष िस्स्नग्धवणः प्रतापवान ्।सम स्सम वभक्ताङ्गो वण श्यामं समा श्रतः।।5.35.16।।

The second half of this verse, taken from Valmiki Ramayana, transliterates into “SamaH
sama vibhakta ango varNam shyaamam samaashritaH.”

That is Hanumanʼs description of Sri Ram in the Sundara Kanda chapter, in which “shayma”
means a dark-brown skin complexion.

Similarly, take the prayer, “Vishwadharam Gagana Sadrusham, Megha Varnam

Shubhangam”, which references Vishnuʼs appearance as resembling a dark rain cloud.

The same is used along with ghana-shyama i.e. intensely bluish-dark skin comparable to
that of a dark blue flower like atasi, to describe Krishna in many of the authoritative texts.

द्वापरे भगवाञ्श्याम: पीतवासा नजायध

ु : ।श्रीवत्सा द भरङ्कैश्च लक्षणैरुपल क्षत: ॥ २७ ॥ ~ Srimad
Bhagavatam, 11.5.27

In fact, Krishna in Sanskrit literally translates into dark, which is why another character in
the Mahabharata, Drapaudi, and Veda Vyasa, are also called “Krishna” in some places.

Even for Shiva, his Neelkantha name comes from his neck being blue due to his drinking of
poison during the Amrit Manthan Saga but his skin is described as “karpura gauram” i.e.
white like camphor. Interestingly, some texts also refer to him as “red” with white ash
covering the skin, making him look fairer.

However, his Kaala-Bhairava form takes on black skin to represent his dominion over the
eternal void of time.

So with all those examples in front of us, maybe itʼs time to depixelate our Gods and
recognize them as they were/are!
Sex

On that note, a lot of people are worried that our God is a He - a male. This is more a
reflection of our patriarchal (male dominated) society than the reality - and so male Gods
have emerged as the popular ones. Of course, the Nirguna Brahman doesnʼt have a sex.

But almost all saguna rupas have their equal female counterparts, called consorts, who
complement and complete them, and depending on your mode of worship, you may also
revere the female team (Shakta worshippers).

● Lakshmi Vishnu
● Radha Krishna
● Parvati Shiva
● Sita Ram
● Dhumorna Yama
● Varuni Varuna
● … and the list goes on!

Not to forget, we also have the Ardhanarishvara form of Shiva - who is ardha nari, half
woman - a joint form with Parvati he took to teach a sage this very lesson. So letʼs not fall
for the rumour that our God is patriarchal or male - this duality of man and woman is not
something that applies to Them.

God is fair, and in fact so fair, that even his Devtas have an evaluation/KPI system, and they
are appraised in a just way. Letʼs see how!
Tenure

A very interesting concept of Hindu Devtas, which youʼll not find in other faiths, is that they
are actually not immortal.

Many of the terms we hear - Indra, Agni, etc. are not exactly peopleʼs names, but rather
their designations or posts, much like CEO, CMO, Vice President, etc.

These posts can be achieved by karmic merit, much like one steps up the corporate ladder
with promotions given as rewards for hard work.

So if a soul sitting at the position of a Devta messes up and does Adharma (that which is
not right), they may “fall down.”

If anything, at the end of each time cycle (i.e. manvantara - weʼll study time soon), the Gods
sitting in these positions will change!

Phew, phew, phew - so many constantly changing Gods to pray to (and maybe become?)
So which one to choose?

If you feel like you are lost in a Bazaar of God with no one to call out to, you should know
the concept of an Ishta.

Ishta

An Ishta Deva means “chosen” or “desired” God. They are like our personal coach, who
guides us on our spiritual journey, who helps us “feel” and “see” God like a friend.

Can we have more than one Ishta? Well, itʼs not wrong to have different Ishtas in different
phases of your life depending on what kind of growth or powers you need - the idea is to
find someone who you are naturally attracted to and curious about, using that form simply
as a tool to focus and meditate.

But over time, itʼs best to stick with one - so you can deepen your faith and not keep
jumping from one energy to another, leaving you with no one to depend on in particular.
The first way to find out who you can pray to for better results is to ask a certified jyotish
(Vedic astrologer) to look at your Kundali i.e. birth chart. They will study technical things
and find out the deity which is suitable for you.

Second, if you donʼt have access to a reliable and certified Jyotish, you can check with
your parents or grandparents on your Kula Devata, the deity who has been protecting your
family and lineage since the time of your ancestors - you may already have natural bond
with this Dev without even having realised it.

Third, you can go to a temple and ask a guru to meditate and help you find out + initiate you
with any deityʼs mantra.

The fourth and coolest way to find it out is to use the free AI Bot called as “IshtaDev GPT”
which will recommend someone based on your current problems, needs, wants, desires,
personality traits, virtues, expectations and gaps in life. It will also tell you how to worship
and where to read more about the deity, so try it out and let me know how it goes!

With that, we end our discussion on God and move on to Their most interesting creation -
Manav, the Human.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● The Kena Upanishad humbles us: if you think you fully understand God, you
havenʼt. Realising God takes a lifetime of humility and experience, not just intellect.

● The question isnʼt “Who is God?” but “Why did God create?” The answer: not out of
need or intent, but because experience is the essence of existence. We are Godʼs
self-expression.

● Brahman is the formless, eternal Reality - nirguna, beyond attributes. Inside us, it is
Paramatman, the Supreme Self - pure goodness.

● To be relatable, Brahman appears as Bhagavan, the personal God in form - Krishna,

Shiva, Devi, etc. All Gods are valid representations: Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti.
● God doesnʼt micromanage. The universe runs via Rita, a self-governing cosmic
order. God only intervenes when absolutely necessary or when sincerely invoked.

● Evil, suffering, and injustice are outcomes of karma, human actions, or randomness
- not sadistic will of God.

● God gives us free will within the framework of cosmic law. We are neither puppets
nor prisoners, but agents within dharmic constraints.

● God delegates duties to Devtas, divine administrators grouped into Koti

(types/categories), not 33 crore individuals. Examples:

○ Adityas (governing forces) - Vishnu, Varuna, etc.

○ Vasus (elements) - Agni, Anila, etc.
Rudras (transformers) - Shivaʼs forms.
○ Ashwinis - divine healers.

● The Trimurti simplifies divine functions: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Shiva
(destroyer).

● Each God has tribes (e.g. Ganas for Shiva), and all male Gods have female
counterparts (e.g. Lakshmi–Vishnu, Parvati–Shiva).

● Many Gods are functionally titled roles, not eternal identities. These divine posts
rotate at the end of cosmic cycles - Gods arenʼt immortal, theyʼre karmically
promoted beings.

● Gods evolve as human consciousness evolves. Early Vedic gods like Rudra evolved
into Shiva; elemental forces became personalized deities like Krishna and Rama.

● Avatars are special forms God takes to reset Dharma. Vishnuʼs Dashavatar teaches
life lessons through epic stories - from Matsya (preserving knowledge) to Kalki (yet
to come).

● Avatars also include Devi forms - Durga (protector), Kali (destroyer), Annapurna
(nourisher), etc. Even Buddha is considered a Vishnu avatar in many texts.
● Skin colour of Gods (e.g. Krishnaʼs blue) is symbolic, not literal. Blue = vastness and
divinity. Texts describe Gods as shyama (dark), ghana-megha-varna
(cloud-coloured), not white.

● The gender of God is fluid. Brahman has no sex. Saguna forms are male–female
pairs. The idea of Ardhanarishvara shows God as both. Hinduism isn't male-centric -
Shakti is as central as Shiva.

● Feeling overwhelmed by many Gods? Choose an Ishta Devata - your personal deity
or spiritual coach. Ways to find your Ishta:

○ Consult a Jyotish (Vedic astrologer).

○ Ask your family for your Kula Devata (ancestral deity).
○ Visit a temple and get initiated by a guru.
○ Use AI tools like IshtaDev GPT to discover your match.

● You may change Ishtas over time, but sticking to one deepens faith and builds real
connection.

● Ultimately, all deities are windows to the same Truth - choose whichever form draws
your heart, and walk the path with devotion, not confusion.
Chp. 6) The Human

We have come very far in understanding our biology and Hinduism not only
acknowledges/respects this physical science but has forwarded deep ground-breaking
research on it through our ancient surgeons Sushruta and the likes - these guys performed
surgeries thousands of years ago so they had a very advanced understanding of the body.

But beyond the normal known physical self, Hinduism gives us a lot of metaphysical layers
to peel, too. Before we dissect it, the important aspect to understand is that Hinduism
firmly states we are not this physical body. We are the Atman inside it.

This body is like a temporary shell - it breaks when we die. And like we change clothes, the
Atman just jumps out and goes to another body (as to why this happens is a question weʼll
answer in the chapter on Karma).

This means you have lived endless lives before this one, and will live endless lives after
(unless youʼre interested in moksha) - making physical death a very normal thing in
Hinduism, and certainly not the end of the story.

So how are we built inside?

Shariras

Well, the basic structure to understand here is that of our three shariras - Sthula Sharira,
Sukshma Sharira, and Karana Sharira.

Firstly, the Sthula sharira is the gross physical body you know, made up of the five elements
- earth, fire, water, air and ether/space, together called the panchamahabhuta. This
physical body eats, sleeps and eventually dies.

Secondly, inside this physical body is the sukshma sharira - the subtle body - containing
the Antahkarana, the inner instrument which moves the body. This is the body that thinks
and feels, leading to us doing things.

Long before Western psychologists dismantled our mind, Hinduism had already worked out
some interesting concepts on our inner mental workings.
 ● Mahat - the cosmic “common/hive” mind which creates the force of thought
● Ahamkara - our Ego, which gives us the feeling of “I am this”
● Manas - the individual mind which perceives and reacts
● Buddhi - the thinking aspect which decides, reflects, decodes
● Chitta - the aspect that absorbs our memories, habits and impressions (samskaras)

Our mind is in touch with the Indriyas, sense organs of knowledge - eyes, ears, nose,
tongue and skin, which further connect to the Karmendriyas, organs of action - hands, feet,
speech, reproduction and excretion.

These actions are possible because of the Prana (life force) in us, divided into five types
(winds, breaths, forces) that flow through the body, controlling five important functions that
give us the experience of being alive i.e. “animation” - Prana (respiration), Apana
(evacuation of waste), Vyana (blood circulation), Udana (actions like sneezing, crying,
vomiting, transfer or the sukshma sharira after death), and Samana (digestion).

Finally, inside the Sukshma, we have the Karana Sharira, the Causal Body, a formless seed
that is the seed of the subtle and physical bodies. It holds a memory of all our karmas
(actions), causing us to take birth after birth in different physical bodies until that karmic
balance is completely closed (weʼll explore karma soon).

The Karana Sharira exists only because of our avidya, ignorance of the fact that beneath it,
we have always been the Atman, the soul, which is the Brahman, the Universe. Once we
realise truly realise this through years of meditation, it fades away as well, and *tada*, we
get moksha.

Of course, that isnʼt such an easy thing. Our state in this ignorance makes us a Jivatma -
the unrealised being.

Normally, when we die in each life, our sukshma gets separated from the sthoola, leaving
behind the decaying gross body, and moves on. Two things are carried forward in the next
body - karma and samskaras.

First, on samskaras. Many of our deep habits that we have developed in this life get stuck
to the cloth of the mind, and show themselves as natural tendencies in the next life. This is
one of the explanations for “geniuses” or “child prodigies” who somehow seem to know
what theyʼre doing from their childhood, or less dramatically, the reason behind why you
like a certain ice cream flavour or do certain things in odd ways.
They may appear negatively as vasanas, too - bad habits like a deep desire to drink, have
sex, or be lazy and dull.

About karma, we will see separately how it gets transferred. Oddly enough though, what is
apparently NOT transferred is our memories - we donʼt remember our past lives, do we?
But on this topic, weʼll see that we actually do - just hold on until we get to the mechanics
of how Karma works!

This whole “spiritual anatomy of ours” is often explained with the analogy of five layers of
sheaths called the koshas.

1. Annamaya - physical body made of the food we eat

2. Pranamaya - vital life force, prana, breath
3. Manomaya - the basal “animal” mind with thoughts and emotions
4. Vijnanamaya - the higher intellect and wisdom
5. Anandamaya - the bliss state of peace and joy, closest to the Atman but NOT it

Moksha occurs when we go BEYOND pleasure, joy, peace and pain - into an eternal state
of absolute nothingness, 0, nada, no time, no space, no cause, no nothing.

So as youʼve just seen, on top of the already complex biologies we have, which we havenʼt
even come close to understanding, we are very skillfully designed as human beings.

In fact, to be born as a human requires a lot of spiritual merit - because there are countless
other bodies we wouldʼve been born into (and have in the past), which brings us to the
concept of yonis.
Yonis

The Universe is a fascinating place, or should I say space and weʼll take a tour through it
soon - so there are many bodies in which we can be born, not all of them are here on Earth!

But on Earth alone, our Puranas give a well-categorized list of 84,00,000 yonis or possible
places of origin (8.4 million) we can be born into. The term yoni is mistakenly sexualised as
the female reproductive organ (vagina) but actually means wombs.

Note that this “8.4 million” number is not to be taken literally as an exact calculation - itʼs an
approximation, thatʼs all. But funnily enough, this estimation is very similar to the number of
species scientists have reported as inhabitants of the planet, so our ancestors may have
just been up to something!

The list of known yonis include -

● Aquatics (Jalaja): 900,000 species

● Plants (Sthavara): 2 million species
● Insects and Reptiles (Krimaya): 1.1 million species
● Birds (Pakshinam): 1 million species
● Animals (Pashavah): 3 million species
● Humans (Manushyah): 400,000 species

Thatʼs not all, of course. Weʼll meet other creatures and aliens who exist elsewhere in the
cosmos, too! Human life is considered a rare lucky event because it is said that we must
first go through all of these yonis to arrive at this point.

It is said that when we die, we are made to look back at all the karma we did (actions we
performed on our own will), and depending on the habits or tendencies, we will go into the
yoni we deserve. If we have craved and indulged in sex all our life, we will enter the bodies
of monkeys or dogs who have the same lifestyles, and if we have been unclean and filthy,
we will come back as animals who live in filth or dirt.

The only way to escape being born again in a yoni is to remember God at the time of our
death, which seems easy but itʼs not, because when weʼre about to die, our entire life
flashes in front of our eyes, and we remember only the things we have been doing
constantly throughout our lives.
As our soul leaves our body, we feel the pain of a thousand scorpions stinging us all at once
- so remembering God is next to impossible unless we have been thinking of Them all our
lives, so much so that it has become our second nature.

But in this web of yonis, why are you a human right now anyway? (Iʼm assuming you to be)
Are we special or just another small option in this endless menu of jivatmas/living beings?

Why do our souls get passed around anyway?

Get ready to dive into the most layered, mind-shattering, profound and yet practically
relevant concept of Sanatan Dharma - The Law of Karma.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.
● Hinduism respects modern biology but adds deeper metaphysical layers to
human existence. The body is not the Self - the Atman is.

● Physical death is not the end. The Atman changes bodies like clothes, moving
through endless cycles of birth and death, unless moksha is attained.

● Our being has three bodies:

○ Sthula Sharira: gross physical body, made of the five elements

(panchamahabhuta).
○ Sukshma Sharira: subtle body, housing the antahkarana (mind-complex),
sense organs, and prana (life force).
○ Karana Sharira: causal body, seed-form of identity holding all karmic
residues and samskaras, sustained by ignorance (avidya).

● The antahkarana is composed of:

○ Mahat (universal mind), Ahamkara (ego), Manas (processing mind), Buddhi

(discrimination), Chitta (memory-impression bank).

● The prana (life force) has five vital currents that control the body:

○ Prana (breathing), Apana (waste expulsion), Samana (digestion), Vyana

(circulation), Udana (speech, energy exit at death).

● Upon death, the sukshma sharira carries two things forward:

○ Samskaras: subtle impressions from past lives, forming habits, inclinations,

talents, even vasanas (negative tendencies).
Karma: actions and consequences, driving future births (to be explained).

● Our being is layered in five koshas (sheaths):

○ Annamaya (body made from food),

○ Pranamaya (breath, life force),
○ Manomaya (emotional mind),

○ Vijnanamaya (intellect, higher wisdom),

 ○ Anandamaya (bliss-layer, nearest to the Self but still not the Self).

● True moksha lies beyond all five - in pure formless Atman, beyond peace and
pleasure, where time, space, and identity dissolve.

● To be born as a human is rare and karmically earned. There are said to be

84,00,000 yonis (wombs/species) - symbolic of the vast spectrum of existence.

● Humans are just one type; we rotate across species depending on karma and deep
tendencies. Examples of yonis:

○ Aquatics: 9 lakh
○ Plants: 20 lakh
○ Insects: 11 lakh
○ Birds: 10 lakh
○ Animals: 30 lakh
○ Humans: 4 lakh types

● Birth in a particular yoni depends on oneʼs dominant habits and cravings - those
who overindulge in lust may be born as animals with similar lifestyles.

● Remembering God at the moment of death can break the rebirth cycle - but itʼs
incredibly difficult unless one lives a deeply spiritual life every day.

● Human birth is not an accident, but a high point in spiritual evolution - offering the
only realistic shot at moksha.

This layered view of who we are - from body to Atman - sets the stage for the next and
deepest idea in Hindu thought: the Law of Karma.
Chp. 7) Karma

Karma, karma, karma - probably the most misunderstood idea of our Dharma!

To untangle this web, letʼs just start with what people think it is - instant justice. Say you are
sitting in the park, eating your favourite ice cream. A tough big guy walks by, and just for his
fun as a prank, punches your ice cream out of your hand, causing it to spill all over you.
Youʼre angry and confused, but before you can respond, the guy starts running away.

In a twist, just a few steps out, he slips on a banana peel near the dustbin, and falls down
on his head, groaning and screaming. You laugh and say, “Haha - see, karma got to you!
What you sow, you reap!”

When people treat karma as your balance of merit coins, which you can use to get stuff by
dropping them into vanity fairsʼ slot machines, or which can be taken away from you if you
do bad stuff, then you will end up with two misleading and wrong ideas.

One is that you can keep doing good and be “rewarded” with better gifts, and two, you
were given a certain “balance of coins” when you first started out in this universe.

Letʼs kill the second misunderstanding first.

People understand this much that we are in this human body because of karma (actions) in
our past lives, as a reward or a punishment. But this leads us to asking, “What were we at
the beginning? Microbes? An amoeba cell? Did we start out as humans? Did we rise from
insects to humans? Or were we Gods who fell down to the rank of humans?”

The mind-boggling answer to this is that there is no start, as weʼll learn in the chapter on
Time - the universe does not have an origin or starting point - it is a circle that has always
been going on, not just since trillions of years, but even beyond that, even beyond anything.

In other words, Hinduism doesnʼt have the concept of “Creationism” like most
religions do. God didnʼt “create” you. Itʼs more like you are standing in the middle of
the story as you read this book.

Your Atman was never created, never born. The further you try to go back to find the
“beginning”, the more lost and mad you will become in seeing the countless infinite lives
youʼve ever lived and done karma i.e. actions in. So trying to answer the question of who
we were at the start, which led to us being here now, is a useless attempt.

Think of your journey as a movie that has always been going on for infinity (a concept thatʼs
uneasy or difficult to understand because the human mind cannot mathematically grasp it)
- you are right in the middle of it. We keep arguing that there has to be a beginning right?
Hinduism says No. Life is a circle, you can start drawing it from a point, but once complete,
a circle cannot logically be said to have a starting point as there are no ends like in a
straight line.

Itʼs very irritating, I know, but this is the truth.

So now that weʼve cleared that, the next thing to understand is that karma is not some
cosmic currency that you can use, steal, exchange or give out.

To truly understand it, we have to understand its two main categories - Sakama and
Nishkama. Most of what we do is Sakama - an action done with a selfish goal, expectation,
dream or intention in mind which would please, help, reward or benefit ourselves.

When there is this desire (iccha) attached to our actions, that desire binds us and ties us
back to this material world - itʼs like tying yet another rope around ourselves. This creates
one karma point. Once you have done one sakama, thereʼs no going back - the Atman will
generate a ledger entry of it in your book of karmas and remember it forever.

Karma then, is, quite simply, the memory of your actions done with a goal - it is the ripple
that you see in the pond after you throw a stone. For as long as you act for your needs and
wants, you are bound to create ripple after ripple. Sakama creates attachment to this world.

This leads to the question - “We eat, sleep, breathe and act for our own survival all the time
- itʼs natural behaviour and not something we can just stop. So are we doomed to repeat
this forever and ever?”

“Because we canʼt just abandon everything and go to a cave in the mountain to stop doing
actions - even there, weʼll need something to eat, or weʼll just die! And even if we stop
doing actions, what about the balance karma of our previous infinite lives - it will still keep
bringing us back, right?”

Well, thereʼs a way out.

When you do Nishkama, an action without selfish desire, done to serve the society, help
others - as an offering or gift to God - you do NOT generate one karma point. You do not
generate any karma. When there is no karma, no balance, the door to moksha opens and
you get out.

So the goal becomes not just to “do good” - it becomes to do good for others WITHOUT
expectations, desires, goals in mind - not even the expectation of being thanked,
recognized or appreciated for it.

You canʼt give food to a beggar, then expect them to thank you, or hope that someone will
see you doing it and clap for you, or hope that God up above will see it and reward you with
lots of money or power, and then call it nishkama - you are still secretly hoping and wanting
something from God or other people.

So we know now that the escape hatch is nishkama karma.

Itʼs a good thing to start now - but we didnʼt know this earlier, so what to do about our
previous lives? This brings us to the three types of sakama karma - sanchita, prarabdha,
and agami.
Types

Itʼs best to use the example of a bank account here. Sanchita is the total store of all your
karmas, ever! It is like a huge bank account with a crazy big number.

Now of course, you canʼt bring it all back in this one life as it would be too heavy a burden
to carry, so when the Atman takes on a new body, it “withdraws” some of the Sanchita,
converting it into a form called Prarabdha.

This conversion leads to the Atman getting a certain type of birth - your starting point in
this particular single life is decided by prarabdha - it decides which type of womb (yoni) you
will be born into. It also decides where you are born, in what kind of environment, to which
kind of parents, in wealth or in poverty, in a village or in a city, as an animal and insect or a
human, etc.

Prarabdha is like a teacher or coach. It is helping you learn from your past mistakes by
giving you the necessary experience to truly know the weight of what you did. And so, in
many cases, it is also the force behind some of the bad or tragic events that happen in your
life - if you have harmed others in a previous incarnation (birth), your soul remembers that
harm done, and it comes back to you, often in the same exact form.

Fortunately, if you have done good work (with desire nonetheless, which is why itʼs still a
karma), you will probably have a positive balance and positive past track record - so you
will be given a good placement offer. So you will be born in a great and Dharmic family, and
you will meet good people along the way who will pay back the help you mustʼve given
them in a previous life.

All of this support will indirectly give you the stability and foundation to think of a Higher
Goal and start doing nishkama.

So weʼre told to do good deeds not to get moksha (because even the desire to get moksha
is a desire or expectation after all) but to generate enough positive balance to be able to be
born in a good body in which your tummy is full, so that you have the time and mental
energy to study the game of karma and just get out of it.

Now this current set of choices youʼre making, the actions youʼre doing right now in this life,
which can be good or bad, are your Agami Karma. Depending on the good and bad you do,
you will generate Agami, and this Agami will get added back into your total score, which we
have already seen i.e. the Sanchita.

The cycle repeats forever. What you do now (Agami) becomes your Sanchita, then comes
back to you in Prarabdha, leading you to do Agami, adding it to your Sanchita, and so on.

There is an interesting case in which some people achieve “moksha”, the ultimate
realisation, but they continue living in this world because their body is still paying off the
Prarabdha karmic balance - this is why we have had enlightened souls like Swami
Vivekananda, Nityananda Maharaj, Anandamayi Ma, etc. who continued to live their lives.

And when they were done, they took Samadhi, voluntarily leaving their bodies and going to
the home of God. (not a natural or artificial death but a self-initiated one). Weʼll come back
to this Samadhi aspect a little later.

Justification

All this talk of Prarabdha karma (what youʼve done before) brings us to a very
uncomfortable question on morality - does it justify abuse and suffering? Basically, if poor
people starve, if a woman gets raped, is it because they did bad things in their past lives?

So are victims of all the horrible crimes “deserving” of the struggles and pain they go
through? No, says Karma. That would be absurd, cruel and downright wrong.

Weʼve already cleared that karma is not meant as a whipping punishment - it is a teacher
that gives you certain experiences but not as payback, as education.

But this does not mean people “deserves” suffer, especially not victims of rape or abuse.
Hindu scriptures strictly forbid crimes like rape, murder, and theft, and they prescribe
severe punishments for such acts.
The criminal who is doing this is acting out of their own choices and free will - Purushartha.
Even God doesnʼt make anyone do these things as weʼve already talked about how they
donʼt interfere in our daily lives. So the perpetrators alone are responsible for their actions,
and they will face justice.

Karma is a checkpoint for the wrongdoer, never a justification for the victimʼs pain. Blaming
the victim by using karma as an excuse or justification, is just stupid.

So if not because of their karma, then why else do people suffer? Well, there are three
other forces at place. The first is Rita - the cosmic order that keeps everything in balance.
The uncomfortable truth is that as long as there is good in the world, there will be bad.
They are two sides of the same coin. If you do good here at point A, something bad will
happen at point B - you cannot “save” the world and make it a paradise. All your good
actions have unintended, indirect consequences elsewhere.

Whenever someone benefits, someone somewhere else will suffer. This is the truth, hard to
understand and digest, but it is what it is.

Of course this doesnʼt mean we stop doing good and let the world fall - we must do good
to uplift others from their miseries and dark places, so that they can survive, thrive,
progress and also do good in return.

Then, they too, would be born in better, more privileged positions like the ones we are (and
we should be grateful for it). And eventually, they, too, will get a chance to think about
moksha.

Secondly, thereʼs just plain bad luck - Durbhagya - that happens to some people. It is just a
misfortune, an unlucky thing in this game of chances.

So blaming victims is not just wrong, itʼs ignorant.Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita that
the web of karma is a complicated mess for the human mind to fully decode.

So instead of obsessing over why things happen, he tells Arjuna to focus on Dharma right
here and now - doing whatʼs right, standing for justice, and letting God handle the rest.

So if you ever hear someone say suffering is “deserved” because of past life karma, please
call them out. Thatʼs not karma, thatʼs just dumb. More importantly, itʼs a dangerous
adharmic thought to have and spread.
Speciality

Whatever be the case of our past karmas, the conclusion is that we are here as humans
right now - so why is it such a special event to stop and celebrate? Why is this the best
shot weʼve got at moksha?

Well, thatʼs because, on the scale of karma, a human life is the only place in which we can
actually do good karma i.e. generate a positive balance.

We are in the middle of the line - neither in the negative and neither in the absolute positive.
When weʼre born into plant, insect, bird, fish, beast or other animal yonis, we are exhausting
the previous negative balance, repaying for it, and spending it away to bring it back to 0.

Animals operate on their natural instinct purely so when a lion kills a deer for food, you canʼt
say the lion is a murderer and heʼs generated bad karma. The lionʼs desire to eat or do
anything is not the same as ours - it doesnʼt understand who it is, who is God, etc. It does
have feelings and it does have sentience (the ability to feel pain) but it doesnʼt have the
concept of morality i.e. good or bad done to others. It just operates to survive - it hunts, kills
and eats purely to live.

So as much as we tell our dogs that theyʼre good boys and girls (which is cute), you canʼt
technically be a “good” animal and get moksha.

At the opposite end, when we do a lot of good karma, we may be offered the option to to a
better place, which many call Heaven, to be born as Gods and Higher Beings. We will see
these upper realms (i.e. higher than our human realm) in the chapter on the Hindu Universe
but for now, the point to note is that these are better planets to immigrate to than staying
back on our Earth, especially given its current horrible state.
At first, this is a tempting offer - this heavenly life would be full of pleasure, with no
sickness, no hunger and no old age - sounds cool, right?

But thereʼs a catch - itʼs also temporary. Going to heaven is like getting a one-night access
pass to an airport lounge. Once you have exhausted your good karmic merit, you will fall
down and become a human again (or become an animal and then start the journey through
the 84,00,000 yonis).

Life in heaven is more boring and torturing than it seems - you will enjoy the luxury for the
first few days, but once the part is over, you will have an endless hangover and suffer from
boredom, laziness and intoxication.

That is why, funnily enough, it is said that even our Devtas, the Gods we pray to, are bored
and sick of heaven, and they yearn to be born as humans again - because they know that
this is the only life where we can even think of true moksha or real freedom, as opposed to
the temporary joys of heaven.

This is why our current realm is called the karma bhoomi - the land of karma.

Free Will

Now when we say we can “do karma”, it leads to the question, “Does that mean we have
free will?”

The short answer is “Yes, actually, as per Hinduism, we do.”

But the long answer? Itʼs complicated.

There are three levels of Will.

We should be most concerned with the bottom half - we do have the individual free will to
decide if we want to continue living in delulu or think of the solulu i.e. moksha.

God has given us the freedom to choose the spiritual path or continue living life as we were
previously, ignorant of all this knowledge. He doesnʼt force us to pray to him - They donʼt
control our fates and destiny at the ground level.

So we totally have the power to change our fate, to turn around our lives, and be better.
But as we walk the spiritual path, doing our Dharma i.e. duty as human beings sincerely,
working hard every day for years and years, we start losing the desire to control our fates
altogether, slipping into a higher state of flow, unlocking the second level - that of Bhakti.

At this level, we voluntarily “submit ourselves” to Godʼs power, blindly trusting that They will
watch our backs and save us. When he was Krishna, God promised that those who do this,
those who take shelter in Them (called sharanagati - total surrender), will always get
warmth and protection without fail. So you can hold Them to Their word but first you must
be sure that youʼre practicing true sharanagati - it is not easy as it sounds, to be able to
truly trust God in your heart.

Once sharanagati has occurred, we unlock the third and final state of Will - Godʼs infinite
grace and love. Like a good boss, God WANTS us to win and succeed in this game of
moksha - They donʼt want us to be stuck suffering forever, they want us to get out and go
back to Them to chill together forever.

So they have planted the idea of this moksha in our minds - the very core inner desire for
moksha or spiritual liberation, the very desire in you to think about God and meet Them, is a
product of their Love and Grace for us. If they didnʼt want it to happen, we wouldʼve never
thought of it and continued living in avidya - ignorance.

So the takeaway from all this discussion is that we should be grateful for this life and focus
on doing good right now.

Ignorance

But before we conclude, one last question to tackle is that if God wants us to be free, why
canʼt we already understand this game from the get go as babies - why donʼt we
remember our past lives and all the knowledge amassed?

Why do we technically start from scratch when weʼre born, like fresh slates? Why the
ignorance avidya of all our lives

Also isnʼt this unfair - since we donʼt know what we did previously, we can never
understand why we are suffering currently!
The answer remains the same - it is Godʼs Kripa (grace) that we donʼt remember and
thereʼs a logical explanation to it.

Well, the truth is that we do have a memory of all our lives stored somewhere. But the sheer
physical trauma of birth causes us to forget all of it (think of how babies cry loudly when
they come out of the motherʼs womb - it is a very painful experience for us, too).

This is purely to ensure that we arenʼt overwhelmed by everything weʼve done over the
course of literally millions and millions of past lives. Imagine having all that data on your hard
drive - your server would crash instantly and die of overwhelming fear, dread, anger and
confusion.

So our “memories” arenʼt technically destroyed, theyʼre stored in a secret vault by Maya,
the force of illusion that makes us forget everything (leading to avidya).

So this “forgetting” is actually a gift, because it lets us focus on creating positive karma
right now, moving forward, rather than getting bogged down with the weight of all our
previous actions. If you knew everything you did, youʼd turn your energy to correcting an
endless backlog of past mistakes. But now that you're in a clean state, you can calmly
focus on doing good now and moving forward. Do that and you will automatically start
balancing your old karma naturally - there will be no need to know anything.

As per Patanjaliʼs Yoga Sutras (a topic we will cover ahead), you can actually unlock these
memories through intense meditation but thatʼs just a rare byproduct experienced by some
sadhaks (spiritual seekers) on their journey, and in short, the memory of past lives is not
required for us to grow spiritually.

All this talk about lives after lives, puts us in a loop. Or at least the illusion of a loop caused
by Maya, which creates the feeling of a past, present and future - we will now dive into this
loop called Kaal, Time.
Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Karma is not instant justice or cosmic revenge. Itʼs not a reward–punishment

system like divine bookkeeping.

● There is no “start” to your karmic journey - Hinduism doesnʼt believe in a singular

moment of creation. Life is cyclical and eternal, like a circle, not a straight line.

● Karma is not cosmic currency, but the memory of actions done with desire - it
binds you by generating attachment.

● Two types of karma:

1. Sakama: action done with desire/expectation (binds you).

2. Nishkama: selfless action done without expectation (frees you).

● Sakama karma creates ripples in the universe that must resolve. Even if you do
good but expect recognition or results, it still binds.

● The escape path is Nishkama karma - doing good purely as service, with zero
self-interest. This alone leads to moksha.

● Karma unfolds in three forms:

1. Sanchita: all accumulated karma across infinite lives (total karmic bank).
2. Prarabdha: a portion of that karma chosen to be played out in this life
(determines birth, body, parents, major life events).
3. Agami: the karma youʼre creating now, to be added to future lives.

● Even enlightened beings continue to live until prarabdha is exhausted - hence

saints live on even after realisation, before voluntarily taking Samadhi.

● Karma does not justify suffering. Victims of crime are not “deserving” of it. Karma
is a teaching tool, not punishment. The wrongdoer alone is fully accountable for
their act, using their free will.
 ● Three reasons people suffer beyond karma:

1. Rita: cosmic balance (good and bad coexist).

2. Durbhagya: plain misfortune, randomness of existence.
3. Adharmic actions of others using their free will.

● Human birth is the only yoni where you can consciously perform karma that
frees you. All other yonis (animals, gods, etc.) either pay back past karma or enjoy its
fruits but canʼt generate moksha-seeking actions.

● Heaven is temporary - a lounge pass. Once your good karma expires, you fall back
to Earth or lower yonis. Even Devtas envy human birth because only humans can
escape the cycle.

● Free will exists in Hinduism, but in stages:

1. Individual free will to choose dharma vs delusion.

2. Surrender (Sharanagati) - trusting Godʼs guidance.

3. Grace - God plants the desire for moksha in us out of love.

● We forget past lives due to avidya (ignorance), caused by Maya, which blocks
overwhelming memories for our protection.

● The trauma of birth wipes conscious memory, but the karmic data is stored and
carried forward in chitta.

● Remembering past lives isnʼt needed - just do good now. That alone rewires the
karmic cycle.

● Karma is not fatalistic - itʼs dynamic, living, and transformable. The power to break
free lies in your present action, not past guilt.

This leads naturally into the next illusion that binds us: Time - the ever-spinning wheel weʼll
now learn to see through.
Chp. 8) Time

Among all faiths, Hinduism certainly has the most insane and mind-numbing explanation of
how time works. At the basic level, the thing to know about Kaal (which is also a product or
energy of God) is that it is always cyclical. It has no start, no end. It is always going on. This
is why it is the Kaal Chakra, the wheel of time.

There is no starting point in the stopwatch. No ending either. Time moves in cycle. So letʼs
zoom into it and then slowly zoom out, step by step.

Yugas

At the micro-level, we have extremely small “quantum-scale” units building up to what we

know as to be one day in our human lives.

● 1 Kriti - 34,000th part of a second

● 1 Truti = 300th part of a second
● … this goes on with more technical terms

Our entire day is called a Divas, Din or Var. We have synced with the Western concept of
there being seven days, together called a week or saptah.

Like the West labelled each day after a planet or body in space, each of our days (vars) also
has a governing deity (a topic weʼll study deeper in a later chapter) -

1. Sunday - Sun - Surya - Ravi - Ravivar

2. Monday - Moon - Som - Somvar
3. Tuesday - Mars - Mangal - Mangalvar
4. Wednesday - Mercury - Buddha - Budhvar
5. Thursday - Jupiter - Guru - Guruvar
6. Friday - Venus - Shukra - Shukravar
7. Saturday - Saturn - Shani - Shanivar

Like seven days (vars) form a week (saptah), fifteen days together form a fortnight, which
we call a Paksha.
This Paksha is synced with the 15-day cycle of the waning (grows smaller) and waxing
(grows bigger) moon that rotates around Earth and the Sunʼs light falling on it from different
angles give us the illusion that itʼs growing bigger or smaller. and so we have two Pakshas -

● Shukla Paksha - Waxing Moon - New Moon i.e. Amavasya to Full Moon ie. Purnima
● Krishna Paksha - Waning Moon - Full Moon to New Moon

These two Pakshas, together make a Masa, a month, of approximately 30 days. Like the
Western calendar of 12 months, we have twelve coinciding Masas -

1. Chaitra - March-April
2. Vaishakh - April-May
3. Jyestha - May-June
4. Ashadh - June-July
5. Shravan - July-August
6. Bhadrapada - August-September
7. Ashwin - September-October
8. Kartik - October-November
9. Margashirsha - November-December
10. Pausha - December-January
11. Magh - January-February
12. Falgun - February-March

These twelve Masas together make a Varsha, a year. This is where things get interesting.

A large cluster of years makes one Yuga. A Yuga is a distinct period of time that has its own
stories, qualities, environment and purpose.

There are four such different periods, called the Chaturyuga (chatur = four). These are -

● Kali (the one weʼre in right now) - 432,000 human years

● Dwapara (the last one with Krishna) - 864,000 human years
● Treta - 12,96,000 human years
● Satya - 17,28,0000 human years

If youʼre good at math, youʼll have noticed that theyʼre all multiples of the base Kali Yuga -
why so? Why is the Kali the shortest?
In the Satya Yuga, age of Truth, which was far far ago (approximately 38,00,000 years or
more ago) everyone was happy and there were no diseases or old age as such. And so the
dharma of that Yuga i.e. duty of people in that context (called Yuga Dharma) was purely
Meditation - they didnʼt have anything else to worry about as their basic needs were
sorted.

As hard as it is to believe, “death” in this Yuga was chosen at will. People lived for nearly
100,000 years. They were very tall, too.

Then as we slipped into the Treta Yuga, the power of Maya increased, and desire crept into
our hearts, and so society or tribes emerged, people started forming their own groups.

This led to trade, and trade led to laws and government. Slowly, people started becoming
greedy to get someone elseʼs kingdom and possessions, and so the concept of “adharma”
(wrongdoings) emerged.

Our lives were reduced to 10,000 years.

The Kaal Chakra moved, and we went into the Dwapar Yuga, and now we were fully
immersed in desire, wanting power, glory and fame.

Bad habits, lying, and cheating started to become the norm. Humans lived only up to a
thousand years or so, and we started fighting each other based on the fake labels of caste,
religion, nationalities, etc.

To save ourselves, we turned to the tool of Bhakti, led by saints who reunited the broken
suffering masses for the devotion of God.

Finally, we entered the Kali Yuga, the Age of Darkness, in which crime is at an all-time high -
we hardly live a hundred years now, even that is rare. And there is very little love,
compassion and kindness in the world. It is filled with hate, crime, sex, evil, drugs, drinks,
junk, filth, etc.

Our only hope now is - Naam Jaap, calling the name of God as a reminder of our true inner
nature, which would keep us on our path of currently needed Dharma i.e. duty and need of
the hour, which is social service/welfare.

As we come towards the end of this Chaturyuga cycle, time accelerates and even a year
feels like eternity in a dark place. We finally end with the Pralaya - the Cosmic Flood, which
will wipe everything out.

Kalki, Godʼs final Avatar, will appear to guide the good folks into the next cycle, the new
Satya Yuga, and squash the evil folks down into hell (which weʼll visit for a quick tour soon).

But Kaal doesnʼt stop there.

Seventy-one Chatur Yugas (also called a Mahayuga) create one Manvantara.

If the Yuga cycle is about the revamp of our smaller material world, think of the larger
Manvantara cycle as the reset of the bigger cosmic world, in which many of the positions
get reset and the admin Gods are replaced as per their performance.

Each Manvantara has its own leader, called Manu. We have fourteen Manvantaras in total,
each with its own Manu, the first Man who creates our civilization.
Currently, we are in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, and Manu is the Son of the Surya Dev,
Vivasvan who built everything.

Fourteen Manvantaras in total are called a Kalpa. A Kalpa is the Day in the life of the
Architect responsible for designing our Universe, called Brahma (this is the Old guy sitting
on the Lotus, not to be confused with the Universal Brahman).

Brahma is the cosmic interior designer, also the First Being. For him, a Kalpa is just one
normal Day Time, followed by another Kalpa, which is the Night Time.

So if we consider one day = 24 hours, technically, the day of a Brahma is 2 Kalpas, one Day
Time and one Night time.

365 such complete days is One Year of Brahma. A Brahma lives for 100 years, which is
called a Mahakalpa, his entire lifespan.

After this, we have the Mahapralaya, the ultimate grand flood of dissolution and destruction
where all of the universe is destroyed.

Where does it go?

It goes into the body of a Being called the Karanodakshi Vishnu (the Final Boss Preserver),
who inhales and exhales multiple universes at the same time as pores from his body.

So when he inhales our universe, we go back into nothingness as part of his body, and
when he exhales, we come back into a freshly made universe ready to rock and roll.

In short, our universe is just one the breath of this Mahavishnu, which is not a time scale we
can understand without little human minds, but for the sake of fun, the approximate
lifespan of the universe is 311,040,000,000,000 human years!

And there are mini-prayalas happening continuously at smaller levels before the mega
event happens at the end.
Thanks to our Vedas, we even know the calculation of where we are currently on this grand
scale of time -

● Approx. fifty years of the current Brahma have passed

● We are on the first day of his 51st year
● This day is called the Shweta-Varaha Kalpa
● And we are in the seventh Manvantara of this kalpa, the Vaivasvatha
● And within this Vaisvastha, we are in the 28th Mahayuga
● Within that Mahayuga, we are in the fourth and final stage, the Kali Yuga

Crazy, right? Do you feel “WOW” at knowing all of this?

Well, hold on to that amazement, because after covering time, we are now about to enter
the realm of space.

What does our Universe, travelling through this time scale, look like? Letʼs take our rocket
ship and fly through it!
Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Kaal, or Time, in Hinduism is cyclical, not linear. There is no beginning or end - it's
the ever-spinning Kaal Chakra (Wheel of Time).

● Time zoom-in:

○ Micro-units like Kriti (34,000th of a second) build up to a divas (day).

○ Days named after planets & deities: Ravivar (Sun), Somvar (Moon), etc.
○ 15 days = Paksha (Shukla – waxing, Krishna – waning)
2 Pakshas = Masa (Month); 12 Masas = Varsha (Year)

● Time zoom-out:

○ Chaturyuga (set of 4 Yugas):

■ Kali Yuga: 432,000 years
■ Dwapara Yuga: 864,000 years
■ Treta Yuga: 1,296,000 years
Satya Yuga: 1,728,000 years
○ One Mahayuga = all 4 Yugas = 4.32 million years
71 Mahayugas = 1 Manvantara
14 Manvantaras = 1 Kalpa = One Day of Brahma

● We are currently in:

○ 51st year of current Brahmaʼs life

○ First day of that year = Shweta Varaha Kalpa
○ 7th Manvantara = Vaivasvata
○ 28th Mahayuga
○ In the Kali Yuga (the last yuga in the cycle)

● Yuga characteristics:

○ Satya Yuga: Age of Truth, no suffering, meditation was the dharma,

lifespans of ~100,000 years
 ○ Treta Yuga: Desire and ego emerge, law and society form, lifespan ~10,000
years
○ Dwapara Yuga: Chaos grows, bhakti emerges, lifespan ~1,000 years
○ Kali Yuga: Corruption, hate, decay. Current dharma: Naam Jaap + seva
(social service). Lifespan ~100 years

● End of Kali leads to Pralaya (cosmic flood); God arrives as Kalki Avatar to reset the
world into a new Satya Yuga.

● Beyond Yugas:

○ Each Manvantara has a Manu (progenitor of humanity); we are under

Vaivasvata Manu, son of Surya
○ One Kalpa (14 Manvantaras) = 1 Day of Brahma
1 Brahma Day + 1 Brahma Night = 1 Full Day
○ 365 such days = 1 Brahma Year
○ Brahma lives 100 years = 1 Mahakalpa

● At Brahmaʼs death comes Mahapralaya, complete cosmic dissolution.

● The entire universe is just one exhale of Karanodakshi Vishnu (Mahavishnu).

When He inhales, the universe dissolves; when He exhales, creation restarts.

● Age of the universe: ~311 trillion human years.

● Hindu cosmology measures time as nested fractals - from milliseconds to trillions

of years - all unfolding in rhythmic loops, not random chaos.

● This isn't a myth - it's cosmic time engineering on an incomprehensible scale.

Time is not a linear destiny. Itʼs a repeatable pattern-your role is to wake up within it and
get out.

Next stop: Space - what does this infinite stage for karma and time actually look like? Letʼs
fly in.
Chp. 9) Universe

The Hindu cosmos is a beautiful form. It doesnʼt deny, of course, what we know about the
universe through the lens of science - there is a planet Earth, it does revolve around the
Sun only (and not the other way around). We are in a Solar System, part of the Milky Way.

Where things get interesting is the new level of spiritual realms Hindu beliefs stack on top of
this physical world.

So letʼs begin the tour.

The India we know today as a political country was part of a much bigger land called the
Bharat Khanda, which spanned all from current Israel down to current Indonesia. The term
Bharat allegedly comes from one of the Royal Princes who ruled the lands.

This Bharat Khanda, along with eight other Khandas, made up the Bharat Varsha, which is
basically the whole of Earth that we know today.

So when our books use the term Bharat Varsha, they donʼt mean just India, they mean the
entire world, an important nuance to keep in mind as the guidelines are meant to benefit all
of mankind, not just Indians.

This Varsha is divided from eight other Varshas (9 in total) by vast mountain ranges. The
separating range we know is the Himalayas. Beyond that, we have other realms, too. If you
want to access these realms, one way is to find and climb the invisible Mount Meru, a tall
mythical mountain that takes us to other worlds.

Together, these nine Varshas make up the Jambudweepa - the cosmic island, looking like a
pulpy jambhul fruit, surrounded by a huge ocean of salt water. So yes, we are island
dwellers after all.

This island is part of a family of seven islands that each have their own surrounding seas.
There is the Plaksha Dweepa, surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice. And there is also
the Kusa Dweepa, surrounded by an ocean of liquor (wouldnʼt you want to go there now,
hahaha).

Together, all these islands, mountains, and oceans make up our Karmabhoomi - the
Bhurloka, also called the Bhumandal.
This is not, of course, the only Loka to live in. We have many lokas, many worlds to visit
both above and below us, summarised as the fourteen main ones, each of which have their
own inhabitants.

Think of these Lokas as cookies stacked on top of each other. Sitting in the Bhurloka, we
are right now in the middle of this stack.

Lokas

The fourteen main Lokas or levels of existence are as follows, starting from the lowest and
going to the highest -

Loka Description

Patala Loka ● Ruled by the cosmic serpent Vasuki (the one seen tangled
around Shivaʼs neck)
● Home to the darkest beings, hoodest serpents, many
scary things, not worth staying

Rasatala Loka ● Home to Danavas and Daityas, enemies of the Devtas

● Creatures filled with darkness and desires
● Living in caves and dark places, not a fun place

Talatala Loka ● Ruled by the Demon Maya who creates dark illusions
● Again, a dark deadly realm - click pictures and move on

Sutala Loka ● Overseen by Bali, who was given this realm to rule by
Vishnuʼs Vaman (dwarf) avatar
● Home to demons and dark beings

Vitala Loka ● Ruled by the Bhootas of Shiva

● Has lots of treasures and gold
● But home to dark beings, why even bother staying?
 Atala Loka ● Ruled by Danavas and other dark beings
● Home to many charming dark beings who seduce the
souls here with sex and keep them trapped

Mrityu Loka ● Our Bhur Loka, where you are right now
● The only place we can do karma and get liberated

Bhuvar Loka ● The realm above us, home to Graha deities, and other
beings like Yakshas, ghosts, spirits, Rakshashas
● Often interchangeable or parallel to Pitr Loka, home of our
ancestors, where their souls are resting before taking
another life

Svar Loka ● The heaven, swarga/svarga, home to Gods like Indra,

Adityas, Rudras and Vasus
● Home to the celestial singers and musicians Gandharvas
and the angels, Apsaras
● As you notice, it is just one level, not a final destination

Mahar Loka ● Home to wise souls who have done intense meditation
and have gotten the reward of retreating into a peaceful
realm where they can grow more
● All Rishis live here

Jana Loka ● The mega/alpha Rishis who lead the way are here with
their wives
● They continue their Sadhanas, spiritual practice

Tapa Loka ● A Realm of intense tapasya

● Home to Brahmaʼs first 4 children, born from his mind (and
not the normal way), the Sanat Kumaras

Brahma Loka ● The end of the material world

● Where Brahma, Saraswati and the primal beings live
● Closest to God

Beyond these realms, the material world ends, and the Devotee (Bhakta) i.e. their soul
enters Vaikuntha, the true home of God, where he or she meets and unites with God in the
form he has most commonly known and loved Them.

A Ram Bhakta will meet their Ram in Ayodhya Dham, a Shiv Bhakta will meet their Shiva in
Kailash Dham and a Krishna Bhakta will see Krishna in the Dwarika/Mathura Dhams.
This is the end of the road for the Soul - true unity with the loving God, true realisation of
its nature as God Itself.

Of course, itʼs easier said than done. We all make mistakes and some are quite nasty, and
for that, the soul must first endure the fire of the Narkas, before it can come back up to
Earth and give it another shot.
Narkas

When you die, you are collected by the Yamadutas - the servants of Yama, who is this
Universal Auditor. You are taken to his house where all your karmas (actions) are tallied.

Yama is the God of Dharma - he ensures your karmic record is in check, before you move
and if youʼve not followed Dharma, he will ensure you get the teaching required to cleanse
your sins and move on.

Hell, then, is a very personal concept in Hinduism - it is not a place where you are sent to
suffer and repent forever. It is merely a pitstop, a correction facility as I explained earlier.

As your soul has left your body, youʼre given a temporary body so that you can experience
all the suffering.

The punishments listed below will feel very cruel and scary - and yes, they are meant to be
painful for the wrongdoers - but deep down, they are to be understood as an exact
education for the immoral things weʼve done, so that we can dust off the karmic dirt and go
back to the Karmabhoomi to do a better job next time around.

As per our Puranas, some of the narka lokas that exist are -

Narka Method Sinners

Tamisara Beaten and starved in darkness Thieves, Cheaters

Kumbhipakam Boiled alive in hot oil Meat eaters and animal

killers

Raurava Burned alive, eaten by serpents Fraudsters, Liars

Shulaprota Impaled on sharp spears Murderers, Deceivers

Ayahpana Forced to drink molten hot metal Alcoholics, drug abusers

Vaitarani Drowned in a river of urine, semen, blood All kinds of criminals

Lohashanku Pierced by fiery tridents Rapists, extreme cruelty

Together, all these realms form one Brahmanda - here, the anda means an egg. This egg is
the product of God, who is its Mother and Father. Itʼs worth mentioning the related concept
of “Hiranyagarbha” here, which refers to the divine cosmic womb out of which we have
been born.

Of course, we are only one Brahmanda - as we saw in the previous chapter, there are many
such universes going round and round, dissolving and emerging forever. So Hinduism
boldly forwards the theory of a Multiverse - a world with many worlds.

So that is how the universe is, or rather are (plural).

Such a scarily big concept, no?

Well, our rituals recommended in the Vedas make it smaller, distilling it with symbols and
symbolic practices, thus making it easier to understand and conquer.

This brings us to the next chapter on Hindu symbols, a rich tapestry of markers that hide
deep meanings beyond their physical forms.
Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Hinduism accepts modern science (Earth revolves around the Sun, part of the Solar
System), but layers spiritual realms on top of the physical world.

● Earth = Bharat Varsha, not just political India. It includes nine Khandas divided by
mountain ranges like the Himalayas, all part of Jambudweepa, the central “island”
in the cosmic ocean.

● Jambudweepa is surrounded by other islands with symbolic oceans (e.g.,

sugarcane juice, liquor), forming Bhumandal – the karmic land.

● The 14 Lokas (Realms) are stacked vertically – like cosmic floors. We live in Mrityu
Loka, the only realm where karma and liberation (moksha) are possible.

● Lokas breakdown (from lowest to highest):

○ Patala to Atala: Realms of serpents, demons, illusion, seduction, ruled by

dark beings.
○ Mrityu Loka: Earth – the only place where karma can be performed.
Bhuvar and Svar Lokas: Ghosts, ancestors, planetary deities, and heaven
with Indra, Gandharvas, Apsaras.
○ Mahar to Brahma Loka: Realms of sages, rishis, and ultimately, Brahma –
the architect of our universe.

● Beyond Brahma Loka lies Vaikuntha, the transcendental realm where the devotee
unites with God in their personal form (Ram, Krishna, Shiva, etc.). This is moksha –
the end of the soulʼs journey.

● Before moksha, wrongdoers go through Narka Lokas (Hells), correctional realms

governed by Yama, the God of Dharma. Punishments are symbolic educational
karmic cleansing, not eternal damnation.

● Notable Narkas:

○ Kumbhipakam: Boiled in oil (meat-eaters)

 ○ Raurava: Burned and devoured (liars)
○ Shulaprota: Impalement (murderers)
○ Vaitarani: Drowned in foul river (criminals)
○ Others target thieves, addicts, rapists, etc.

● All this is within one Brahmanda – cosmic egg – born of Hiranyagarbha, the
golden womb.

● Hindu cosmology proposes a Multiverse: countless Brahmandas, each with their

own laws and timelines, eternally created and dissolved in the breath of
Mahavishnu.

● These massive truths are made manageable through symbols and rituals, which
translate cosmic concepts into human experience.

Next: the symbols of Hinduism – their deep meanings, usages, and how they unlock the
Brahmanda within you.
Chp. 10) Symbolism

The symbols in our culture make large ideas much easier to understand. There are
thousands of symbols, each having layers and layers of thought behind them, so
uncovering all that would require a separate book in itself.

Today, we will gloss over the most significant ones.

Aum (Om)

If you ask me what God's pen name is, it would be ”Aum” (often called Om). Aum is
considered the naad Brahman - the Sonic Logo or Form of God.

It is a concept which first came up in our ancient Vedas, with the Rig Veda calling it as the
“udgitha,” meaning the original sound of the Big Bang, when our universe first exploded out
of Narayanaʼs body.

Om is like the ABC of all other mantras that followed, the mantras we recite today, and so it
is often called the “maha bij mantra”, the ultimate audio seed.

Aum is the easiest way to do meditation because it helps our Being vibrate at the same
frequency as that of the universe - we are essentially experiencing what God is, when we
meditate on the sound of Aum, with its three syllables pronounced in a chain of breath - A
(as in “a”, not ae), U (as in “oo,” not “you”), M (ma, not “maa”).

A - oo - Ma - not simply Om, which is the incorrect way.

Aum represents the entire universe and its three states - creation, preservation and
destruction, and its symbol also tells us the same story.

The lower curve is our waking state - the one youʼre in now, which is “Jagrat.” It represents
the “A”, the Bhrama God of Creation.

The middle curve is our dream state, which, to take a reference from pop culture, is the
major theme in Christopher Nolanʼs movie Inception - this represents Vishnu or the soul
and preservation.
Itʼs called the “Swapna” and represents the U. U is also the Preserver, Vishnu.

The upper curve is the Sushupti i.e. the subconscious state beyond dreams, the Limbo,
which is represented by Shiva or destruction, characterized by the ending “M.”

The curved semi-circle in the middle is “Maya,” which includes the illusions we all fall for,
such as money, fame and success.

The greed for these illusions is what keeps us trapped. The Maya keeps us from the fourth
and final state, which is beyond all the three states of the universe.

If we meditate regularly, we may be able to break through this fake ceiling and reach the
fourth state, the Turiya, represented by the dot - itʼs basically the infinite version of God we
call the Brahman.

You can look up various Om Chanting tracks on YouTube to begin your Sadhana (spiritual
pursuit and practice).
Swastika

Complementing the Aum, we have the Swastika. The word Swastika was derived from the
two Sanskrit origins of Su and Asti meaning “Good Exists.” This Good, of course, is referring
to the Brahman.

The symbol was an amalgamation of four hands being combined to represent our four
Vedas and also the four Yugas. The four hands also represent the original four goals of
Hindu Life - Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha.

● Dharma being our duty, to follow it always is our goal

● Artha being wealth creation, weʼll come back to this later
● Kama being healthy desire and love, weʼll explore it soon, too
● And Moksha being the final end goal - liberation
This Swastika was also seen appearing in many religions and beliefs around the world,
including Buddhist scriptures and also in Jainism where it acted as a symbol of their
seventh tirthankara. In distant Norse Mythology, it actually meant Thorʼs Hammer.

The symbol was a positive one until 1870, when the German Heinrich Schliemann was
excavating a site in Turkey and he found the world famous city of Homerʼs Legend Troy and
found this symbol in all the artefacts.

He mistook it as a proof of the Superhuman Aryan race from which Nazis believed they had
descended from and so he took it to his boss, Mr. Hitler.

Hitler understood the power of symbols in politics so he tweaked the Swastika into the
Hakenkreuz and used it for his propaganda. So thatʼs how another Hindu symbol or
knowledge was corrupted by the Westerners who made it dirty and evil.

But originally, the Swastika represents the ultimate Good.

Temples

Swastikas are seen often in our mandirs i.e. temples, the sacred places of Hindu worship.
But temples arenʼt just meant to house idols of God (coming up next).

In ancient times, we didnʼt have any mandirs. We had homa kundas i.e. wide open ritual
grounds with fire pits where our rishis conducted their yagnas (sacrifices).

But as communities grew and became denser, there was a need to demarcate one area of
the village or town for spiritual practice, so that those interested could do it undisturbed

The original real goal of temples was not to please or have selfish transactions with God but
as a center to grow spiritually, which is why youʼll be surprised to know that they initially
housed hospitals for the needy, performing art theatres for musicians and dancers, and
auditoriums to learn the vedas from rishis.

Thereʼs a detailed science behind where it should be built, what directions should each
room or entrances be in and which materials should be used - captured in our literature
called Agama, Vastu and Shilpa Shastras, and detailed in books like Vishkarma Prakasha,
with origins in the Atharva Veda.
At the center of this science is the Vastu-Purusha Mandala, a diagram (mandala)
connecting our body (Purusha) with the structure of the universe. This basic floor plan is
useful for all vastus, not just big and small temples but also your home, office, and factory.

You have squares called padas arranged in a grid of 64, 81, etc. And each square has one
of 45 deities or energies guarding it, with Brahma at the center, where the garbhagriha
(inner main room) exists along with the murthi (idol).

So one of the many reasons you feel peaceful is that everything, including the entrance,
the mandapas for seating and praying, the water bodies, and the sewage systems are
planned as per this model to be in sync with higher energies, creating a connection
between you, the Earthʼs larger geomagnetic forces and the infinite space around us.

The structure of the temple is also an interesting study. Because of the different natural
materials, weather conditions and artists, we have two main types - Nagara (famous in the
North) and Dravida (in the South). There are, of course, fusions of these two like Vesara,
and countless sub-types under each main category.
The base on which everything is built is Adhishthana and above it the flat platform, which is
Jagati. You enter through the Gopurams which are big doors seen in Dravida style and its
Northern equivalent is called Torana.

Once you pass the guarding statues called Dwarapalas, essentially the gatekeepers who
keep out evil spirits, youʼll enter through the Ardha Mandapa and then finally reach the
pillar-filled or empty gathering hall called as Mandapas where you can sit and meditate or
watch the gorgeous carvings called Prastara.

Youʼll find the bhadji/guruji (priest, who is like Godʼs servant and messenger) sitting in the
Antarala at the end, which separates the Mandapa from the inner windowless room at the
center, called the Garbhagriha, where we discussed that the murthi is placed facing the
East in alignment with the rising Sun.

You can move around this womb room using the pradakshina marg or parikrama in
clockwise direction only and in sets of odd numbers like 1, 3, 5 to mimic the revolution of
planets around the Sun and absorb the positive energies from the copper/metal plates
placed underneath.

Above, youʼll notice the tower - itʼs curved in the South, hence called “Shikara,” and its
Souther equivalent is Vimana which is like a pyramid of many steps. Mini shikaras around
the main one are called Urushringa.

Above the Shikara, we have the lotus-shaped Amlak and a Kalash acting as an antenna to
catch and spread divine signals.

All this considered, our temples are proof of Indiaʼs power in architecture, crafting and
science. But theyʼre being destroyed today by the government and by other political forces,
so even if you donʼt believe in God, please do consider my request to visit your local one
and support its maintenance.

Idols

Inseparable to the mandir is the concept of the murthi. The murthi is a saguna form of God
shaped by humans as a point of meditation. It comes from “murrch” - to give shape to
something, and we are giving an imaginary shape to God for our own understanding.
No educated, smart and sane Hindu actually believes God is “living” or “sitting” inside the
murthi - God is everywhere, outside the temple, too. Only the lower social classes and
masses believe in the superstition of a murthi being the real form of God.

That said, a murthi isnʼt just a random stone - it is purified to give it an authoritative status
worthy of worship, through a process which is called praan-pratistha - invoking the spirit of
God inside the idol.

So unless youʼre going to clean and pray to the murthi or Godʼs photo in your house every
day, you ideally shouldnʼt keep it because it has not gone through that procedure and so it
can lose its energy.

After the Shobha yatra, which is like a housewarming party for the murthi entering the
temple for the first time, the priest starts purifying it using the detoxifying darbha grass, and
smears its eyes closed. Itʼs submerged in water, grains and cow ghee one day at a time to
reveal any manufacturing defects and injuries.

Then, in the Abhishek stage, it is bathed in up to 108 items, including medicated water, the
panchamrit, which has honey, sugar, cow milk, curd and ghee. With the vibrations of
hundreds of vedic mantras and homas i.e. fire rituals, the murti is “awakened,” its eyes are
opened, and its placed in the complete garbhagriha.

There, it goes through nyasa which includes dressing it up and touching different parts of
its body to activate the sacred energy and transfer the priestʼs pure intentions into it. Finally,
after the first aarti and puja, it is believed to become a source of Godʼs energy.

Kalash

When it comes to murthis, we often also see a kalash pot placed as a substitute or
complementary ritual object of prayer in front of it. This holds a deep meaning, too.

The kalasha often represents the deity being worshipped, becoming a medium to connect
with the Divine. Like most symbols in Hinduism, itʼs a reminder of our belief in the cycle of
life and death - and the ultimate goal of breaking free from it by pursuing higher
consciousness.

Each part of the kalasha carries deep meaning:

 ● The pot, usually made of clay, copper, or silver, symbolizes the physical body. These
materials are chosen for their purity and ability to hold life-sustaining water. Iron and
steel pots are avoided as they rust and are considered tamasic (impure).

● The water inside represents purity, infinite consciousness, and the cosmic ocean on
which Lord Vishnu rests. This water is often sanctified with betel nut, turmeric, and
other sacred substances to make it sattvic - pure and calming for the mind.

● The mango leaves at the top stand for the five elements (Panchamahabhuta) -
earth, water, fire, air, and space - which sustain life.

● The coconut, placed above, represents the human mind and ego. Breaking it
symbolizes surrendering the ego to grow spiritually. It is also associated with fertility,
prosperity, and offering oneʼs best to the Divine.

● The thread around the pot signifies the unbroken spiritual connection between the
devotee and the Higher Power.

Sometimes, the kalasha is filled with grains, symbolising prosperity and growth. This is why
newlywed brides kick the kalasha upon entering their new home - it means that the
woman, a symbol of the Shakti, will bring abundance and happiness to her family.

Ultimately, the Kalash, too, reminds us that we are not our bodies, but the Atman within.
Namaste

Often, the first thing we do when weʼre in front of murthis is the namaskara, the namaste,
folding of hands and bringing the palms in front of us, levelled at the chest.

This is a sign of gratitude and respect.

The Namaste is also used to greet others - it basically says, “I see you as a form of God, as
a form of Oneness, and I humble myself before you. I welcome you with love, and hope we
can go about our business in harmony and unity.”

Such a profound meaning in such a simple gesture no?

Tilak

As visible as the namaste is a Hinduʼs tilak, a mark on top of their head. Tilaks are applied
directly on the location of our ajna or the third eye chakra (a point weʼll visit soon), which is
responsible for focus, concentration and calmness.

So smearing specific cool material on it can activate and increase our ability to look inward,
be at peace, meditate, work or pray.

The materials used such as sandalwood (chandan), ash or vibhuti, turmeric (haldi) and red
kumkum (vermilion) all have skin and body cooling benefits. They are also believed to be
naturally antiseptic. So spiritually, the tilak is a reminder for us to detach ourselves from the
material world and focus inward to connect with God.

Another benefit of wearing a tilak is that it acts as a marker of your sampradaya, sect of
worship and belief. This is not to create hostility but rather to celebrate diversity because all
sampradayas once lived in harmony - not so much today, and itʼs time to change that!

Vaishnavites wear the Urdhva Pundra (pundra meaning release), a U-shaped mark of
chandan with a dot in between signifying the footprints of Vishnu and his wife, Lakshmi.

Shaivites wear the Tripundra, three horizontal lines representing Shivaʼs rule over the 3
worlds and his ability to create, preserve and destroy.
Shaktas wear a red dot to symbolise the yoni, the cosmic womb, or the female Shakti
energy of their Goddesses.

Ganpatyas wear an orange or red mark like the rising Sun to honor Ganpati who is the God
of new beginnings and the remover of darkness or obstacles.
Saffron

Many Hindu tilaks are orange in colour. So are our flags and symbols. Why so?

Saffron is the colour of the rising Sun, Savitr, so it stands for a new beginning and new day,
giving us hope to pursue our new journey in life regardless of our past.

Saffron also stands for fire, agni, which is holy in Hinduism because it is all-cleansing, so in
a way, weʼre saying that weʼre killing or surrendering our own ego, self-interest, and
material desires to help others with our kindness, which is the easiest and most practical
way to achieve moksha or salvation.

When someoneʼs wearing saffron, theyʼre reminding themselves and others that theyʼre
here to serve people. Thatʼs why the term Bhagwa comes from the word Bhagwan, which
is God. And if youʼre calling it kesari, it comes from the word kesar, which is mixed with milk
to give it flavour and this symbolizes that we crush our ego to lend flavour and meaning to
the people who need our help.

Animals

These symbols of namaste and tilaks are for humans but our symbolism doesnʼt end with
our own species.

A core tenet of Hinduism is compassion to all beings and so even animals are considered
sacred in our culture. After all, with the theory of reincarnation, we too realise that we have
been animals in our past lives, so we wouldʼve wanted humans to have shown us kindness,
too, correct?

Chief of all, a sacred animal of Hinduism is the Cow. Cow is considered holy because she is
a docile, kind, harmless and ever-giving animal - she gives milk to drink, as well as her urine
and dung which are useful in fertilisation of the soil, cleaning (antiseptic propers) and also
house construction. The Cow also represents

But itʼs not just cows - even our Dogs, Cats, Snakes, every single animal has a rich legacy
of stories, myths and beliefs that make them all sacred. Killing any animal for food, meat,
sport and otherwise is forbidden in Hindu culture (you may hear of animal sacrifice in our
culture, which is a topic weʼll cover in the end).
In fact, many of our Gods are paired with animals as their vahanas, vehicles or companions,
each animal acting as the instinct the God has conquered or the good quality they have.

To take a few examples, Ma Parvati has the fierce protective Lion, Ganpati has the Mouse
who represents ignorance, Krishna has the Peacock, Vishnu has the three-headed Serpent
Shesh Naag who represents the three worlds - heaven, hell and earth, even Shiva has his
own snake buddy Vasuki, who represents his power of absolute destruction with the goal
of recreation.

Above all, loving animals and feeding them, bhutseva, is considered an important act in the
list of core Hindu duties.

All these symbols shape our understanding of life, and our thoughts shape our identities.
But Hinduism has two special theories about the “basic building blocks” that determine our
feelings, moods and states of being.

This brings us to the topic of Gunas and Doshas.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Aum (ॐ) is regarded as the primal sound of creation and is referred to as Nāda
Brahman. It encapsulates the entire universe in symbolic form: 'A' stands for the
waking state and is associated with Brahma, 'U' represents the dream state
connected to Vishnu, and 'M' indicates the deep sleep state linked to Shiva.
○ The dot above the symbol denotes Turiya, or pure consciousness, which
transcends all three states and represents Brahman.
○ The crescent below the dot symbolizes Maya, the illusion that prevents
realization of Turiya.
○ Chanting Aum is believed to tune oneʼs inner frequency with the cosmic
vibration and is foundational to all mantra practices.

● The Swastika, derived from ‘Su-Astiʼ meaning “good exists,” is an ancient symbol
representing auspiciousness and cosmic order. Its four arms stand for the four
Vedas, four Yugas (cosmic ages), and the four Purusharthas or goals of life: Dharma
(duty), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation). It has been used
across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and was also found in pre-Christian
 European traditions. The symbolʼs meaning was later misappropriated and distorted
by Nazi ideology, but in its original context, it remains a powerful emblem of
goodness and harmony.

● Hindu temples are not just places of worship but multidimensional centers
integrating architecture, science, art, and spirituality.
○ Constructed using Vastu Shastra, Agama scriptures, and Shilpa Shastra
guidelines, they embody cosmic principles through their structure.
○ The layout is based on the Vastu Purusha Mandala, a sacred grid with 45
deities mapped across it. The key structural elements include the Gopuram
(entrance tower), Mandapa (pillared hall), Antarala (connecting passage),
Garbhagriha (inner sanctum where the deity resides), Shikhara or Vimana
(superstructure above the sanctum), and Kalasha (auspicious finial at the
top).
○ Each part reflects an aspect of the cosmos or body, turning the temple into a
functional yantra aligning humans with universal energies.

● Murti worship in Hinduism is a practice of Saguna (form-based) devotion where the

divine is made accessible through consecrated forms.
○ These are not mere statues; they are ritually awakened representations of
divine consciousness through specific rites like Pran-Pratishtha, where
life-energy is invoked, and Nyasa, where symbolic energy placement is
performed.
○ Murtis are bathed with sacred substances like Panchamrita (milk, curd,
honey, ghee, sugar) and enshrined with proper mantras and processions.
Casual placement of such idols at home without adherence to ritual and
maintenance is discouraged, as it can disrupt the intended sacred balance.
Chp. 11) Guna-Doshas

We are now moving beyond theory and entering the practical side of Hindu thought.

At the basic level, this world has three building blocks of energy, the Primordial Matrix of the
three Gunas - Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. Neither of them are “bad” per se, and each serves
a function.

The three Gunas make up everything. They are inside all of us. We canʼt ditch one and exist
just with the other two. But we can manipulate their levels to serve our purposes.

Tamas is inertia or heaviness. It creates ignorance, dullness and decay. It is like the friend in
college who asks you to bunk class and chill in the park doing absolutely nothing. If you
have a lot of tamas, youʼll feel lethargic, bored, uninterested in anything, and sleepy all the
time. Oddly enough, Tamas are not all bad - in small quantities, it helps you get the sleep
and rest you deserve, otherwise, you would quickly burn out.

Rajas is all about activity or movement. It creates desire, change and restlessness. It is like
the friend in college who convinces you to start a business. If you have Rajas, youʼll be
motivated, ambitious and full of motion or action. Again, in large unhealthy quantities, Rajas
lead to anxiety, jitteriness and disappointment after failure.

Thatʼs why you have Sattva - all about clarity, harmony, and light. This is the sober wise guy
who encourages you to focus in class and studies with you. Sattva helps you be calm,
level-headed and wise in the long term.

By hanging out with more sattva, your soul gets to climb up faster but as Krishna says in
the SBG, at some point, you also need to leave sattva itself behind, along with all the other
strings holding you back, to reach Him i.e. get moksha.

One of the ways to regulate these gunas inside you, which affect your emotions and health,
is to control what you take in i.e. your diet and food.

Like everything else, food too has these three qualities. We can call it Rajasic, Tamasic, and
Sattvik.

While itʼs not practical to have a 100% sattvic diet today as weʼre constantly travelling and
moving around, and itʼs fine to indulge in cravings once a week or so, the intention is that
having more sattvic food just helps you feel better and more at peace, which ultimately
helps you in your sadhana.

To begin the walk through the Gunasʼ Kitchen, we have Tamasic food. This includes
packaged, reheated, processed, microwaved, chemically treated, and frozen food. Alcohol
and tobacco are tamasic, too, which is after the initial hit, you end up feeling like crap. This
is why you get hangovers - the alcohol you drank that night had tamas.

Secondly, Rajasic food includes coffee or tea, oily stuff, chocolate, eggs, meat and fish. All
the bitter, salty, sour or hot foods like chilly, peppers and non-sprouted dals are also rajasic.
These can help you get some warmth and energy but if eaten too much, they may make
you anxious or jittery.

Thirdly and lastly, Sattvic foods are always fresh and natural - this includes your green and
leafy vegetables or just veggies in general, fresh fruits (not juices), almonds and other nuts,
moong and sprouted pulses, coconut water, ginger, turmeric, and whole grains like whole
wheat, brown rice and oats.
An important point to note is that although milk was considered sattvik in the old days as it
was cooling and naturally pure, a sattvic diet in todayʼs modern context should as much as
possible avoid dairy, too, because todayʼs milk products are filled with hormones and
support factory farming which is animal abuse.

So sattvik means fresh, natural and plant-based/vegan/animal-free food.

If you want a complete list of Sattvic recipes to begin your journey towards a healthy
Sattvic lifestyle, you can visit this database.

Taking a step back, these gunas are later combined and crystalised to form the primal
gross elements called the Mahabhutas - Akasha (space), Vayu (wind, motion), Tejas (heat,
fire/Agni), Apas (cohesion or fluidity, water), Prithvi (stability, structure, earth) - we see their
manifestations in our nature as earth, fire, water, wind, space, etc.

When the bhutas move and interact within our body, they lead to certain substances (kind
of fuels) that power different processes, called Doshas.

These three Doshas in our body - kapha, pitta and vata - are also complementary like the
Gunas, and help in regulating the functions of internal food movement, digestion, internal
lubrication, and body structure.

Keeping all three in balance is how we stay healthy and happy. When one Dosha falls out of
balance, the body reacts and we fall sick.

Vata is a dry, light and rough substance. If youʼve got too much vata, you may feel gas,
bloating, anxiety and depression. So experts say to avoid sour foods like tamarind,
refrigerated and leftover food, dry fruits, coffee, tea, and raw vegetable salads.

Instead they may ask you to go for warm food like cooked vegetable curries, sprouts,
soaked almonds, and healthy oils like ghee, butter, avocado oil and coconut oil. You can
also have milk products.
Pitta is a hot, sharp and intense substance. If youʼve got too much pitta, you might face
bleeding problems, rashes, hair fall and anger. Experts usually recommend cutting down on
spicy, salt, masaledar and hot foods, including alcohol.

You can go for fruits and veggies that have high water content like cucumber and melons,
and also homemade sweets like jaggery.

Kapha is heavy, oily and slow. If youʼve got too much kapha, you may feel cold, obesity and
laziness. So cutting down deep fried food along with milk and milk products is what experts
would say.

And youʼre usually advised to have more fresh fruits, raw vegetable salads, ginger tea,
besan chillas, etc.

If you want to understand your current dominant/active Dosha, much like we have body
types in Western Science, you can take this quiz -

1. What does your body look like?

a) Thin and hard to gain weight
b) Medium and weight fluctuates
c) Heavy and difficult to lose weight

2. Which weather do you like?

a) Summery and warm
b) Wintery and cool
c) Flexible but prefer warm

3. Howʼs your appetite?

a) Irregular and not a foodie
b) Always strongly hungry
c) Moderate but you like to have yummy food

4. Howʼs your sleep?

a) light and you wake up quickly
b) moderate and you can go back to sleep easily
c) very deep and canʼt wake up in the morning
5. Howʼs your hair and skin?
a) dry, rough and frizzy
b) oily and sensitive, with straight hair
c) smooth or oily with thick or wavy hair

6. Howʼs your personality?

a) Anxious and restless, so overthink
b) Aggressive, so you like to move fast
c) Calm energy, so steady or lazy

If most of your answers are “a”, most experts would say you have more vata in your body.

If you selected “b” more often than others, you may have more pitta.

And if you selected “c”, youʼve got kapha. If you have mixed responses, you may be a
combo of two.

You can consult an Ayurvedic expert for more practical tips.

Of course, taking control of the body is a slow and hard process. We are all slaves to our
organs and desires by nature, chief of which is the desire for sex. Hinduism doesnʼt shy
away from this topic and presents a very progressive nuanced view.

So letʼs dive in!

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Hinduism moves from theory into practical application through the framework of the
three Gunas - Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These are not moral binaries but
fundamental energies or tendencies. Every person contains all three in varying
proportions, and life is about learning to regulate their balance depending on
context. You cannot eliminate any guna entirely, but you can strategically amplify or
reduce their influence to serve your spiritual or personal development.

● Tamas is the force of inertia, darkness, and decay. It brings sleep, rest, and the
ability to shut down, which is necessary in moderation. But excess tamas results in
lethargy, depression, and ignorance. Itʼs the energy of passivity, avoidance, and
 dullness. It helps with rest but hinders action and clarity when dominant.

● Rajas is the force of motion, desire, and dynamism. It fuels ambition, transformation,
and drive. However, too much rajas leads to hyperactivity, anxiety, overthinking, and
dissatisfaction. It is the energy of hustle and effort, which is required for worldly
progress but must be moderated.

● Sattva is the force of balance, clarity, wisdom, and harmony. It governs calmness,
compassion, and self-realization. Itʼs the quality that refines perception, detaches
from extremes, and moves the soul upward. Yet, even sattva must eventually be
transcended for moksha, as stated by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita-liberation lies
beyond all three gunas.

● Gunas manifest in food. Tamasic foods are stale, dead, processed, chemically
treated, microwaved or reheated-like alcohol, tobacco, packaged snacks, or frozen
meals. These dull the mind and body. Rajasic foods are stimulating, oily, spicy, bitter
or salty - coffee, tea, meat, eggs, chilies, or heavy masalas. They excite the senses
and increase restlessness. Sattvic food is fresh, light, plant-based, and
energy-giving - whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, ginger, turmeric, and clean
water. Traditionally, dairy was sattvic, but in the modern context with industrial dairy,
it's better excluded due to ethical and health concerns.

● The five gross elements (Mahabhutas) evolve out of these Gunas-Akasha (space),
Vayu (air), Tejas (fire), Apas (water), and Prithvi (earth). These elements express
physically and psychologically within us and outside. They represent both macro
(cosmic) and micro (bodily) structures.

● These Mahabhutas combine to form the three Doshas in Ayurveda-Vata, Pitta, and
Kapha. Doshas are psychophysical constitutions or bio-energies that govern all
physiological and mental processes. When balanced, you remain healthy. When
imbalanced, illness arises.

● Vata (air + ether) governs movement, nervous system, and communication. It is

light, dry, and cold. When excessive, it causes anxiety, gas, dryness, insomnia.
Vata-pacifying diet includes warm, oily, grounding foods like cooked vegetables,
soaked nuts, ghee, and dairy. Raw salads, cold food, and caffeine worsen it.
● Pitta (fire + water) governs digestion, heat, metabolism, and intensity. It is hot, sharp,
and oily. Excess pitta causes rashes, anger, ulcers, and inflammation. Cooling foods
like cucumbers, melons, and jaggery desserts help balance pitta. Spices, alcohol,
and salty or sour foods aggravate it.

● Kapha (earth + water) governs structure, stability, and cohesion. It is heavy, moist,
and slow. Too much kapha causes laziness, weight gain, congestion, and coldness.
Raw salads, warm herbal teas, and light foods reduce kapha. Fried foods, dairy, and
sugar aggravate it.

● By consciously managing your food, lifestyle, and thoughts, you regulate the Gunas
and Doshas, aligning your physical health with your spiritual trajectory. This is where
Hindu metaphysics transforms into everyday decision-making - what you eat is not
just nutrition but a direct input into your energetic state.
Chp. 12) Sex and Sexuality

The first point to note is that as per Tantra, the universe was created from Shiva and Shakti.
So there is the concept “union” of male and female at the very top of the universe.
Of course, this is not nearly the same as the physical sexual union as we have as human
boys and girls but the thought being there trickles down to the simple belief that Hinduism
does not view sex as inherently dirty.

It is a natural activity between two people but where Hinduism adds a nuance is that it is
done with your married wife or husband with the intent of procreation i.e. having a baby,
creating life, which is surprisingly one of the Hinduʼs duties (but weʼll come to that later).

Beyond that purpose, Hinduism says sex is a form of material attachment - the more
people you do it with, the deeper you fall in the pit of the world. And if it is not with your
partner, with random strangers, it's even worse, as you entangle yourselves with them at a
karmic level, pulling you deeper and deeper into the maya of this world.

So chastity or abstinence (brahmacharya) is the long-term goal of the sadhak. Of course, if

youʼve had consensual sex in the past with your partner (and not cheating with someone
else), or indulged in masturbation (self-pleasure), itʼs not exactly going to send you to hell -
Hinduism doesnʼt shame us into feeling guilty or humiliated, by using the fear of God
“watching” us do it.

It asks us to practice gaining eventual and gradual control on all our desires, kama, which it
admits are part of our natural makeup - Krishna says in the SBG that each being acts as per
their natural nature, and to deny it is wrong. Only when driven to its extreme as an addiction
and hunger, kama becomes “lust”, its negative meaning and form. This kama (lust) is one of
our shadripu - six enemies that prevent our spiritual growth towards moksha.

The Tantra Path, in fact, therefore sees sex as a form of yoga - it does not encourage you
to hold in your sexual energy, and under the right circumstances and contexts, sees sex as
an exchange of energies - but this is all the more reason to do it only with a partner, or it
would not be sacred. Sex is considered a type of yagna, sacrifice, and so making it
perverse with hookups is a slippery slope that will only lead us to darker worlds.

When we hear about kama, one text that springs to mind is the infamous Kama Sutra - The
Guidebook on Relationships. It is considered a “dirty text” full of “weird sex positions”,
smeared by the Western media. But thatʼs all fake.
Kama Sutra

Kama Sutra is our biggest contribution to the science and art of relationships, giving proper
sex education and people would know this if they read the true translation by Upadhyaya,
S.C. available on indianculture.gov.in instead of the European mistranslations which distort
and dirty the meanings.

The Kama Sutra is a curation of many teachings and texts, written in a dialogue format by
Vatsyayana somewhere around the 2nd century.

In his seven preserved books that bind together to form this text, we learn about the need
for maturity before having sex, how to clean our sex organs, look attractive, flirt well,
socialize and find the right match (which even your Bumble canʼt!), how to seduce,
propose, marry, the importance of consent, how female and male psychology works and
how to keep your partner happy by understanding their needs and giving pleasure, too, and
also responsibilities towards each other.

So the sex positions ridiculed by the media form less than 20% of the whole work. Even
they are taught with the intent of developing a stronger bond between you and your
partner (weʼll study marriage later).

Itʼs so progressive that in the ninth chapter of Book II, it normalizes homosexuality, along
with transgenderism and intersex folks i.e. tritiya prakriti, people of the third kind,
recognizing that sexuality is a fluid spectrum, while also teaching how to respect prostitutes
for their occupation. It even talks openly about the rules of polygamy and open
relationships (and explains that they are certainly not everyoneʼs cup of tea so we shouldnʼt
try them for cheap thrills) - concepts which were extremely progressive for those times.

So Kama is certainly not dirty. And so isnʼt homosexuality. Hinduism has a beautiful
perspective on sexuality, too.
LGBTQIA+

Hinduism says that our current behaviours and tendencies (vrittis) are samskaras, products
of our past life experiences.

Sometimes, these samskaras are strong, so they carry forward in our sexual preferences.
Maybe we were a man in our previous lives. Now in this life, even when weʼre in a womanʼs
body, we may end up feeling attracted to women, which Hinduism says is natural and fine -
as our mind remembers our past preferences.

Hinduism sees alternative sexualities and non-traditional gender identities (other than man
acting masculine, and woman acting feminine) as perfectly normal.

You can see proof of this open belief in the carvings on our temples of Khajuraho, Puri,
Tanjore, Bhubaneswar, Ajanta Ellora, Konark, etc. all of which show men or women making
love to the same sex, which proves it was a known concept during those times.

We have the tales of Shikhandini from the Mahabharata, who was born female but decided
to transform into a male after marrying a woman.

We have tales of Bhagiratha who was conceived by two widowed teams, and there are
tales of Hanuman seeing lesbian rakshasas while passing through Lanka.

Even though later texts like Manusmriti and Arthashatra do not endorse homosexuality,
even seeing it as sin, this was the result of the upper class Brahmin authors enforcing their
conservative beliefs on the masses.

In conclusion, Hinduism doesnʼt use the weapon of shaming to shun or censor the idea of
sex but certainly encourages us to rise about this animal desire as it binds us to this
material world. It asks us to consider becoming Brahmacharis - people who do not have
physical relationships, amongst many other rules and guidelines.

This idea of rising above our natural instincts, which is mandatorily needed to become our
Higher Self, is most popularly achieved through the practice Yoga.
Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● In Tantric cosmology, the universe originates from the union of Shiva

(consciousness) and Shakti (energy), symbolizing the cosmic interplay of masculine
and feminine. This divine union is metaphysical, not carnal, but it affirms that sex is
not inherently impure in Hinduism. It is viewed as a natural human act when bound
by dharma - ideally within marriage and oriented toward procreation, one of the four
goals of life (Purusharthas).

● Sex outside this framework, especially casual or indiscriminate sex, is seen as

spiritually binding -creating karmic entanglements that deepen our attachment to
the world (maya). Hinduism treats sexual energy as powerful, not sinful, and urges
control rather than repression. Masturbation or sex with a committed partner is not
condemned, but promiscuity and lust-driven actions are discouraged for spiritual
seekers.

● Brahmacharya (celibacy or chastity) is the eventual spiritual ideal, but it is not

enforced with guilt or fear. Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita acknowledges that every
being acts according to its svabhava (innate nature), and suppressing natural urges
artificially is unwise. The aim is not forced abstinence, but self-mastery -gradual
freedom from kama (desire), which, in its uncontrolled form as lust, becomes one of
the six inner enemies (shadripu) obstructing liberation.

● The Tantric tradition even recognizes sex as a sacred form of energy exchange and
under precise ritualistic circumstances, a form of yogic practice. But because sex
influences the soulʼs vibration deeply, Tantra insists on conscious, respectful union
with a committed partner. It is treated as a yagna - an energetic sacrifice -not to be
desecrated through casual indulgence.

● The Kama Sutra, often misunderstood and misrepresented, is not a manual of erotic
positions but a sophisticated guide on human relationships. Authored by Vatsyayana
in the 2nd century CE, it includes teachings on grooming, consent, courtship,
marriage, emotional bonding, and psychological understanding between partners.
Sexual techniques make up only a minor portion of the text. The true Sanskrit text
(as translated by S.C. Upadhyaya) emphasizes respect, maturity, and responsibility
in love.
● The Kama Sutra also includes inclusive and forward-thinking content for its time -
recognizing homosexuality, transgender identities (tritiya prakriti), intersex people,
and sex workers. It offers guidance on same-sex relationships, polygamy, and open
partnerships -not to promote them for hedonism but to acknowledge their reality
and establish ethical boundaries around them.

● Hinduism does not label LGBTQIA+ identities as unnatural. It holds that our sexual
tendencies are often samskaras - impressions from past lives that carry over into
our current incarnation. A soul may retain its prior gender orientation or attractions
across rebirths. Hence, a woman today may be attracted to women because of her
past life as a man, and this is accepted as spiritually logical and karmically valid.

● Numerous examples in scripture support this view: Shikhandini from the

Mahabharata transforms into a man after being born female; Bhagiratha is born from
two mothers; Hanuman witnesses lesbian rakshasis in Lanka. Ancient temple art
(Khajuraho, Konark, Tanjore, etc.) depicts same-sex unions openly -showing the
acceptance of sexual diversity in pre-modern Hindu culture.

● While later prescriptive texts like the Manusmriti or Arthashastra adopt a more
conservative tone, these reflect the sociopolitical control of elite Brahmin authors
rather than core Vedic philosophy. Earlier Hindu traditions were far more inclusive
and nuanced in their views on sexuality.

● Hinduism, therefore, does not shame sex or non-normative sexualities but places
sexual expression within a spiritual framework. It encourages transcendence of
bodily urges - not through guilt, but through understanding, restraint, and higher
purpose. Brahmacharya is one such path, ultimately geared toward aligning with the
soul's pursuit of moksha. This ideal of spiritual transcendence finds its most
powerful expression in the discipline of Yoga.
Chp. 13) Yoga

Yoga is Godʼs gift given to us to attain moksha. It is not merely stretching, poses and deep
breathing - it is an entire system and lifestyle with its roots in the ancient Sage Patanjaliʼs
magnum opus Yoga Sutras, which itself is derived from the Vedas.

The poses are one part of it because Yoga comes from the Sanskrit term “yuj” - which
means to unite our physical bodies with the spiritual reality.

And so preparing our body, and by extension, our mind to become flexible enough to reach
those higher realities, is a small part of yoga.

But one has to wonder, why pursue Yoga anyway? Because it helps us conquer the six
demons or enemies that prevent us from growing.

Kleshas

The Shadripu are similar to the seven sins of the Western world. They are negative inner
tendencies that hold us back and when uncontrolled, show up in our behaviour, generating
bad karma -

● Lobha - Greed
● Kama - Lust
● Krodha - Anger
● Moha - Delusion or Attachment
● Madha - Pride
● Matsarya - Jealousy

If youʼve seen the Indian horror, thriller and fantasy movie Tummbad, youʼll notice how it
artfully depicts the six vices in action through its characters.

Starting with Lobha obviously, which leads to the old greedy Dadi, Vinayak, and his son
Panduranga, chasing after the mystical treasure, making them lose everything in the end.

Both the father and son are also seen to be overtaken by Kama, and Vinayak explicitly
takes a mistress, exposing Pandurang to prostitution at a very tender age.
We also see Vinayakʼs complicated krodha at his mom and then directed at his son after he
fails to form good relationships with them.

Lastly, we have Matsarya, shown in Vinayakʼs friend, who meets his end because he gets
jealous of him and tries to steal his treasure, leading to his end, too.

Underlying everything is Madha because Vinayak refuses to act humble, seeing his mom as
a weak woman and taking pride in his secret knowledge of the treasure. This Madha is also
seen in his strict upbringing of his son as if heʼs the Owner or Master.

When we let them control us, these vices give birth to our kleshas, the five main miseries
that are the cause of all our suffering. They are -

1. Avidya i.e. ignorance or misidentification of this temporary world and our temporary
selves as the reality, which is not true. Avidya leads to all other kleshas.

2. Asmita i.e. ego or I-am-ness, thinking that you are the doer in charge of everything
and the Master.

3. Raga i.e. attachment and desire for pleasure in terms of wealth, buying things,
money, food, sex, and entertainment.

4. Dvesha i.e. repulsion or hatred and fear towards certain things that are considered
traditionally dirty or beyond our understanding.

5. And Abhinivesa i.e. the fear of dying and trying to cling on to life.

So interestingly, most of the Hindu practices our grandparents and parents ask us to do are
actually solutions to fight and prevent these kleshas -

● From meditating and reading texts like the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, that help us see
the true reality beyond our body and this world…

● … To fasting, donation and asking for bhiksha or alms (begging), which keep us
humble, help us detach from the material world, and help us keep our emotions in
check by regulating our body and mind.
Yoga is the system that helps us conquer all of this negative. It can be seen in two contexts,
which complement one another - the Marga system and the Ashtanga system.

The Marga system guides us along a natural path of spirituality, while the Ashtanga acts as
a supporting base beneath all these margas, ensuring we donʼt fall off that natural path -
Marga is the Path and Ashtanga is the guardrail which helps us stay consistent, focused.

The four chief margas of Yoga - Karma, Bhakti, Raja and Dnyana - are simply stages or
levels of realisation in the Yogiʼs journey (Yogi is a person who pursues Yoga). So they are
not separate roads; rather four strings that you must learn to hold together as per your
liking, which will lead you ultimately to one and the same goal.

These four margas are explained below -

Marga Realisations of the Yogi in this stage

Karma ● I cannot sit idle, work is inevitable. And so I must do my work, my

(Action) job, and my duty to society. I must do it sincerely, giving it my all

● But I will not do it as a selfish mission - I will do it as service to

God, practicing Vairagrya, dispassion or non-attachment

● I will not expect any fruits for my actions because I am only

entitled to duty and duty alone

Bhakti ● Since I have been working hard for so many years, it has become
(Devotion) my natural instinct, and I experience a “flow” trance state when I
enter into my work sprint

● As hard work has become my second nature, I have surrendered

to God and love them dearly

● My love for them is like that of a friend, a constant remembrance

 without malice or ego

● I begin to see them in myself and I spread the love, becoming a

medium for spreading their goodness and kindness

Raja ● I have done my duty, and I have loved God - I am seeing the
(Meditation) whole picture slowly, and so I turn my attention inward

● I am meditating deeper and deeper, going more and more inside

myself to truly understand who I am

Dnyana ● As I meditate, my mind becomes stable, clear, unmoving

(Knowledge)
● It gives me true knowledge of the Self - I begin to see the Self in
everyone and truly become a super-agent of love in this world

● I wake up to the ultimate realisation that I am, I have always been

this way, I just wasnʼt aware of it!

This path is a tough one to walk on, and so we have Patanjaliʼs eightfold Ashtanga system
that treats Yoga like a game of eight levels.

Ashtanga

The eight-limb Ashtanga system (also called Hatha Yoga) is a series of practices that
involve these parts -

1. Yama (Constraints)
2. Niyama (Rules)
3. Asana (Postures)
4. Pranayama (Breath Control)
5. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of Senses)
6. Dharana (Concentration)
7. Dhyana (Uninterrupted reflection)
8. Samadhi (final state of bliss and release)
Yama

The Yamas are the “Donʼts” of Ashtanga (not to be confused with the deity Yama).

They are constraints we put up on ourselves, not as shackles but as prevention measures
against doing bad karma. They may hurt and be uncomfortable at first but pay off in the
long run as they build mental resilience i.e. strengthen our mind.

These Yamas include -

● Ahimsa (non-violence) - do not injure or harm others through words, actions, abuse
or even through diet (no killing animals)

● Satya (truthfulness) - Do not lie, cheat, deceive, or betray. Do not gossip or

back-bite someone
 ● Asteya (not stealing) - Do not steal, donʼt fail to repay debt, live within your means,
do not gamble

● Brahmacharya (sexual restraint) - Control your sexual desire/lust, remain celebate

when single (no hookups), remain faithful in marriage, donʼt masturbate, donʼt see
porn, donʼt enjoy sexual humour

● Kshama (patience and forgiveness) - Do not be hot-headed and impatient, do not

be intolerant of others i.e. let others behave as they are, do not be in a hurry, be
patient with kids and the aged alike

● Dhriti (perseverance) - Donʼt be scared and fall to bear, be persistent in achieving

your goals, do no not procrastinate or become lazy

● Daya (compassion) - Donʼt be cruel, donʼt be insensitive, show empathy and

kindness to all beings, oppose cruelty and killing

● Arjava (sincerity) - Donʼt deceive or fool, practice what you preach, obey laws
yourself, donʼt bribe or accept bribes

● Mitahara (measured diet) - Donʼt overeat, donʼt starve yourself, donʼt eat in a hurry
and chew properly, follow a simple and regular diet, donʼt have food that destroys
your body

● Saucha (cleanliness and purity) - Donʼt live in a dirty environment, clean your room
and places of study, work, worship, etc., donʼt use unclean language, be pure

Niyama

Conversely, the Niayamas are the “Doʼs” of Ashtanga. They are the ideal behaviours and
the recommended qualities or ways of living.

While Yamas help us stay on our path, Niyamas help us walk forward. They include -

● Tapas (persistence) - take your spiritual practice seriously

● Santosha (contentment) - be happy and optimistic, donʼt complain
● Astikya (faith) - build an unshakable faith in Dharma, God and Guru
● Dana (generosity) - give food, shelter, money etc. to needy people
 ● Mati (reflect) - develop your own understanding with a guruʼs guidance
● Ishvarapujana (worship) - pray to God regularly in your own style
● Siddhanta Shravana (listening to scriptures) - invest in learning about our culture
● Hri (acceptance of our past and humility) - accept and work on your errors
● Japa (recitation) - recite the mantras or Godʼs names that personally appeal to you
● Huta/Vrata (do your rituals and sacrifices) - understand and perform our rituals

Yamas and Niyamas set the foundation to take us to the third level - Asanas.

Asana

Asanas are postures that help our body become healthy, flexible, balanced and strong.
There is a whole story behind how Shiva revealed 84 asanas, representing the 8.4 million
yonis, but the key to remember is that each Asana (posture) has a specific science,
symbolism and purpose behind it, oiling a specific part of our body and tuning our mind to a
particular frequency.

When the postures are mastered, the body becomes fit enough to control its inner life
force, called the Prana.

Pranayama

Prana, as we met earlier, is not just breath, so regulating it i.e. Pranayama cannot be merely
about breathing. This control of one's breath is only the outer surface of what we see in
Pranayama - beneath it, we are controlling the very life force which keeps us alive.

There are certain Pranayama techniques prescribed for various ailments or goals - ujjayi
breath (stressing on your throat), bhramari (buzzing like a bee to induce sleep and remedy
insomnia), kapalabhati (skull-shining breath to remedy headaches, sinuses and colds).

Pratyahara

Once our life force is under control, we can begin the process of withdrawing our senses so
that nothing can distract us when we go into the next stage. This withdrawing of senses is
called Pratyahara.
Dharana

Now we have no distractions as we do not feel or sense or notice anything. We will

meditate i.e. focus upon one point, which can be God, or a mantra (spoken), or a yantra
(physical device), or a chakra (point in our body), or just purely the Self.

This absolute concentration is called Dharana - the process of holding oneʼs mind on one
subject or topic or state, not letting it sway.

When we first start meditating, this seems impossible but thatʼs only because our mind is
filled with so many thoughts, so it is bound to become distracted. Do not become irritated
and let the thoughts pass by - let them settle down like dust.

Eventually, you will achieve Dharana - which is a focus on your object and all its qualities,
ideas, aspects, etc.

Dhyana

When this unbroken stream of concentration turns into deeper reflection on the true nature
and reality of that object, we enter Dhyana. A yogi in this stage has one thought, one single
thought, uninterrupted by any other thoughts about this object.

Prolonged dhyana leads to Samadhi, the final stage.

Samadhi

With the mind completely dissolved, the Yogi enters a state of complete bliss and merges
with the Brahman (or deity of his God). Many Yogis can visit this state at will temporarily
and then come back, which is called the Sahaja Samadhi.

But in the Maha Samadhi, they intentionally and permanently leave the body behind,
achieving moksha or Samadhi. Many yogis and sadhus have achieved Maha Samadhi in
front of us, “dying at will” in the physical world and moving up on their own accord.
Surya Namaskar

While this Yoga system might seem complex, we have the simple starting point to doing
yoga in the form of our world-famous exercise, called the Surya Namaskar. Apart from
being a prayer to Surya Dev who helps us become energised, itʼs a complete body
workout, too.

There are many offshoots and variations but the original traditional version has twelve
poses (asanas).

● No. 1 is the Pranamasana with your hands folded, helping you balance and relax the
nervous system. Itʼs done with the mantra “Om Mitraaya Namaha,” which means
the friend of all.

● No. 2 is the Hastauttanasana, in which you raise your arms and stretch backwards.
Itʼs said to stretch your tummy muscles and expand the chest, helping you take in
more oxygen. Itʼs done with the mantra, Om Ravaye Namaha, which means the
shining one.

● No. 3 is the Hastapadasana, in which you bend forward to touch your stretched
arms to your toes, which if youʼre new to it, you can have your knees slightly bent.
This flexes your waist and spine, also stretching your hamstrings so itʼs great for
back pain and it also engages the hips, shoulders, and arms. We do this with the
mantra, Om Suryaya Namah, which means the one who kills all darkness.

● No. 4 is the Ashwa Sanchalanasana, in which you keep one knee bent up front with
another leg stretched straight backward, your face pointing upward. This pose
strengthens your leg and tummy muscles, helping with indigestion and constipation.
We do this with the mantra Om Bhaanave Namaha, which means the bright one.
 ● No. 5 is Chaturanga Dandasana in which we stretch both legs back in sort of a
semi-plank position. It makes your arm and back solid. We do this with the mantra
Om Khagaaye Namaha, which means the one who controls and moves through the
Sky.

● No. 6 is the Ashtanga Namaskara, in which we fall to the ground only touching our
knees, chest and chin, then looking up. This pose is great for your spine and back.
We do this with the mantra Om Pooshne Namaha, which means one who nourishes
us.

● No. 7 is Bhujangasana, which is the Cobra pose, in which you move your head and
upper body upward like a cobra snake, increasing flexibility by stretching your
shoulders, arms and back. We do this with the mantra Om Hiranya Garbhay
Namaha, which means womb from which weʼve all been created.
● No. 8 is called the Parvatasana, the Mountain Pose, which strengthens your arms
and legs, also increasing blood flow to your spine. We do this with the mantra Om
Mareechaye Namaha, which means the giver of infinite light and rays.

● From no. 9 to no. 12 we go backward, starting with the Ashwa Sanchalana in which
one knee is bent up front and the other is straight back, followed by the touching of
our toes and hands, ending with the back stretch and the namaskar from the
beginning. We do these with the mantras Om Aadityaaya Namaha - which means
the son of the divine mother, Om Savitre Namaha - which means the giver of life and
Om Arkaaya Namaha - the one worthy of praise and Om Bhaskaraya Namaha - the
giver of wisdom respectively.

Trust me, itʼs a great way to build a stronger body and mind, so you should join a yoga class
immediately if you donʼt do this already!

Of course, Yoga isnʼt the only path. There is an alternative road called Tantra, which is our
next topic of discussion.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Yoga, far from being just physical stretching, is a system for self-realisation rooted in
the Vedas and structured by Patanjaliʼs Yoga Sutras.
● The word “Yoga” means union - to connect our body, mind and Atman with the
Brahman. The reason to walk this path is to conquer our six inner enemies - lust,
anger, greed, attachment, pride and jealousy - which, when left unchecked,
generate the five miseries called kleshas: ignorance (avidya), ego (asmita),
attachment (raga), hatred (dvesha), and fear of death (abhinivesha). These kleshas
are the real cause of all suffering.

● To fight them, Yoga offers two structures: Marga, which is the natural spiritual path,
and Ashtanga, the eight-limbed discipline system. The four main margas are Karma
Yoga (selfless action), Bhakti Yoga (love for God), Raja Yoga (meditation), and
Dnyana Yoga (wisdom and realisation). Each is a deeper level of the yogiʼs spiritual
maturity, not mutually exclusive, but rather a spiral one keeps evolving through.

● Patanjaliʼs Ashtanga Yoga begins with Yamas, the ethical “donʼts” like non-violence,
truthfulness, celibacy, and self-restraint. Then come the Niyamas, the personal
“doʼs” like faith, study, devotion, and purity.

The third step is Asana, which helps tune the body. Once this is stable, one moves
to Pranayama, the regulation of breath and life force. This enables Pratyahara, the
withdrawal from senses, and then Dharana, the concentrated focus on one object.

● With enough time, this becomes Dhyana, deep meditation. If sustained without
break, this leads to Samadhi - absolute blissful union with the Divine, and in rare
cases, complete moksha, often marked by Maha Samadhi - voluntary exit from the
body.

● A practical entry into this system is Surya Namaskar, the Sun Salutation, a
twelve-step movement prayer to energise the body and calm the mind, each pose
synchronised with breath and a solar mantra. From pranamasana to bhujangasana
and back, it embodies the ideal yoga: strength, focus, humility, and rhythm with
nature.

● Yoga isnʼt just a personal health routine. It is the ancient tech of becoming free from
our lower self. It gives us a weapon to rise beyond mental traps, toxic impulses, and
emotional confusion - offering us, at last, the control switch to our own evolution.
Chp. 14) Tantra

If Yoga is the old country road of Hinduism, taking decades to master but paying off quite
handsomely in the end, then Tantra is the express highway form of worship. When done
the right way, it accelerates your growth, giving you bhukti (material success) and mukti
(spiritual liberation, same as moksha).

But faster doesnʼt always mean better, Tantra involves dealing with the more dangerous
forms of Gods (called ‘ugraʼ or warmer/hotter deities), who should not be messed around
with by common people. Do it wrong, and you risk going mad or hurting yourself.

That is why a core aspect of tantra is the “guru shishya” parampara. In this tradition, a guru
(certified teacher) initiates their shishya (student) into the practice by giving them a diksha
(gift) of a mantra (chant), authorising them to use it as a tool to invoke a certain energy.

This points to the fact that tantra is esoteric, which just means that it is rather “secretive” in
nature, with its knowledge guarded by those who practice it - maybe thatʼs why it is widely
misunderstood and even wrongly considered to be “black magic”, “voodoo”, or even
“superstition.”

All those practices are the abused, backward and distorted applications of Tantra but
theyʼre not the correct way.

Tantra has many schools, many sects, and many customs, which will require its own book
because it is as vast a religion as Hinduism on the whole. But broadly speaking, we may see
two major types of worship here - Dakshinachara (right hand) and Vamachara (left hand).

Vamachara means unconventional, radical, taboo. They use taboo substances like meat,
sex, wine, etc. to bring out the chaotic internal energies of human nature, seeing them as
paths to opening up our inner spirit rather than keeping our instincts trapped and repressed
inside our body.

They embrace experiences which may feel scary to us, like crematorium grounds, blood,
sexual practices and night activities - but these are not evil or bad, so donʼt dismiss them.

They stem from the idea of embracing the “aghori” life, which means going BEYOND the
terrible. They say, once you have conquered these things the common men consider as
dirty, then you have conquered the material world.
Because of this belief, their Gods are also ugra in nature - fierce and dangerous. The tribes
or sects who usually follow this route are Kaula, Kapalika, Aghora and Krama. They can be
broadly put into the Kalikula division (which we discussed in the introduction) - house of
Kali Ma.

On the other hand, Dakshinachara means mainstream, auspicious or orthodox. They follow
Vedic and Yogic ideas of cleanliness, bhakti and meditation, shifting the conversation from
external practices to inner meditation.

They use mantras, yantras, dhyana, bhakti and yoga in their journeys, worshipping milder
forms of the Devi. The major sub-sects within this fold are Sri Vidya, Puran-following folks,
and those who emphasise temple-based worship of Mata. They can be broadly bucketed
in the Shrikula division - house of Shri.

Thatʼs all fine. But where do the terms “left hand” and “right hand” come from?
Well, in India, we clean ourselves after defecation with water and hands (arguably more
hygienic than using rough toilet paper, considering we do wash our hands with soap after).
This washing is primarily done with the left hand as most people eat with the right hand (as
right handedness is dominant in general) so they donʼt feel it would be appropriate to use it
with the same hand for this purpose.

As such, left-handedness is rare and is considered less acceptable in Indian households. So

thatʼs how the right hand emerged as a mainstream form, while the left symbolises
radicalness (not dirtiness).

Whether right or left, Tantra worship has three common aspects that its followers consider
to be vital in spiritual growth - kundalini, nadis, prana, and chakras. Letʼs look at them one
by one.

So all that said, Tantra is highly ritualistic but not all rituals are Tantric in nature. There are
some more general rituals that apply to all Hindus and so they can be performed by all.

Letʼs look at them one by one.

Chakras

We already know the concept of Prana, which is the life force that keeps us alive - this is a
bigger concept than just the physical oxygen or air we breathe. Prana is the literal energy
thatʼs Hinduismʼs answer to “How do we define life?”

That which has Prana flowing through it is said to be alive.

Now this pran vayu (vayu = wind) enters through our nose and lungs but it's not like it stays
there ... it's distributed everywhere through our body's internal railway system to warm it up
- in some places there's more heat and in some places less heat.
Just like there are different diversions and machines in place to carry trains throughout a
network, Hindus believe that our bodies also have certain invisible but very crucial points in
our body that help in distributing this air.

These centres are nothing but the chakras - deriving from the words Chalana and Karoti
which translates into a machine that enables movement. In this case, they're enabling
energy to move throughout.

When we do yoga, we recharge, stabilize and “open” these chakras, which is why it's said
that when they're correctly activated, we feel better and stronger.

We have hundreds of mini chakras all around the body. But the seven main ones are
Moolaadhara (Root), Swadhishthana (Sacral), Manipuraka (Naval), Anahata (Heart i.e. Solar
Plexus), Vishuddhi (Throat), Aadnya (Third Eye), Sahasraara (Crown).

Each of these seven chakras play a part in keeping us alive, keeping us active, and also in
advancing our spiritual growth. People who are lower or early in their journeys have the
bottom-most chakras active, and as we go ahead, the higher ones light up, ultimately
taking us to the last one, which is where we open the door to moksha.

Each of the chakras has presiding deities guarding over it, and have special mantras or
instructions to activate them.

● The Mooladhara or root chakra i.e. perineum is at the base of your spine in between
your sex organ and your anus. Itʼs the most rigid chakra associated with your
survival instincts.

● The Swadhisthana i.e. the sacral chakra is on top of your sex organ, dealing with
pleasure, confidence, creativity or sexual needs.

● The Manipura or the naval chakra in your navel is related to power, hunger and
nourishment.

● The Anahata or the solar plexus and heart chakra is related to kindness,
compassion, warmth and love.
 ● The Vishuddhi or the purifying throat chakra deals with speech and communication.

● The aadnya i.e. the third eye chakra deals with sight and perception.

● The sahasrara i.e. the crown chakra at the top of our head is related to our spiritual
connection.

If these chakras are the levers or gears, then the tubes or channels which carry the prana
are called our Nadis.

Nadis

Like the hundreds of chakras, we are said to have tens of thousands of nadis that form an
intricate network within our body (these may not be visible on our Stholla Sharia to our
scientific instruments, but they exist on the separate plane, sitting in our Sukshma Sharira).

We have three main nadis - Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Ida starts on the left side of the
base chakra (Mooladhara) and winds up through the spine, ending in our left nostril. It is
said to manage the parasympathetic nervous function of the body, responsible for calming
the body and restoring it to a relaxed state after a stressful or dangerous situation.

The Pingala mirrors the Ida, starting from the right side, twisting through the spine, and
ending up in our right nostril. It is said to manage the sympathetic nervous function of the
body, responsible for the "fight or flight" response, preparing the body for action during
stress, danger, or physical activity.

These two cross each other, forming a DNA-style helix structure around our spine. At the
center is the main channel, sushumna. It is the main highway channel connecting the base
chakra to the crown at the top. It is not normally activated, because we need a third aspect
to bring it alive, which is the Kundalini.

Kundalini

The Kundalini is a sleeping Goddess sitting at the base of our spine in the base chakra. It is
coiled up, and hence imagined to be like a snake in many photos. It is the untapped energy,
which the sadhak (spiritual seeker) awakens with their Tantra and Yoga practices. This
kundalini snake then slithers upward and rises through each chakra, activating the buttons
one by one.
As this happens, the sadhak will experience uncomfortable, unusual but ultimately relaxing
states of mind, wild traces or “trips”, in Gen-Z language. Finally, once the Kundalini, carrying
the prana, runs through the middle sushumna nadi channel, all the way up, through the
crown chakra, we achieve the ultimate feeling of bliss, reunion with the Shakti, which is the
Tantricʼs definition of moksha.

The simple goal of Tantra is exactly this - awaken the kundalini and ride it all the way up,
breaking the crown chakra at the top of our head.

In the Tantricʼs practice, two common tools used are mantras and tantras, among others.

Mantras

Mantras are like sound formulae, or in other words, short sacred lyrics.

Like youʼd use a formula to arrive at a result in math class, you use mantras to achieve
certain energies or powers. They are used for meditation (focus), purification, for invoking
protective guardians, for offering oneself up to a deity as sacrifice or as their devotee, or
simply for the deityʼs dhyana (internal visualization).

As Iʼd said earlier, an important aspect of tantric mantras is that you shouldnʼt just Google
and start using them on your own - it will either not give you results or hurt you. A guru
must give you the mantraʼs diksha to start your daily practice.

Mantras often go hand in hand with yantras.

Yantras

If mantras are sounds, yantras are their drawing. They are basically the translation of these
sound vibrations, acting as physical logos or maps that help us meditate and concentrate
our energy to switch on a specific deitieʼs radio channel and get their energy.
Yantra comes from yam i.e. to sustain or support so theyʼre just focus tools. They can be
made using numbers, shapes or circles, but commonly have a square representing the
stable bhumi or earth element.

The upward triangles are Shiva i.e. masculine or static energy i.e. fire. The inverted triangles
are Shakti or creative and feminine energy i.e. water, and so their merging represents a
union of both energies.

The lotus petals represent the surrounding effects of this union, also corresponding to our
chakras, and at the center is the bindu i.e. aakasha or sky, the infinite Brahman.

The deity enters through the four doors, standing for the four Tantric paths to moksha -
kriya i.e. action, yoga i.e. meditation, gyana i.e. knowledge, and charya i.e. devotion.

We have popular yantras like Sri Yantra, worshipping the Tripura Sundari Ma, who we pray
to for wisdom and power. We have the Saraswati Yantra for knowledge, Ganesha Yantra for
success, and Kali or Hanuman yantras for divine protection.

Like mantras, you shouldnʼt toy around with yantras as randomly keeping them in your
home can have unintended negative side-effects. So itʼs best to always consult a bonafide
guru before using them.

Finally along the Sadhakʼs journey in Tantra, they may get to experience certain
superhuman powers, called Siddhis.

Siddhis

Siddhis are a side-effect of spiritual practice. They are powers that appear after meditation
and rigorous tapas - our rishis and sadhus of the vedic times achieved them very often as
they were more focused in their spiritual pursuits, than we are today because of all our
modern distractions.

We have 8 main siddhis from sources like Patanjaliʼs Yoga Sutras:

● Anima (अ णमा): The ability to reduce one's body size to the atomic level, becoming
invisible or minuscule.
 ● Mahima (म हमा): The power to expand oneʼs body to an immense size.

● Garima (ग रमा): The ability to increase oneʼs body weight infinitely, making it heavy
and immovable.

● Laghima (ल घमा): The power to become extremely light, as light as a feather,

allowing one to float or levitate.

● Prapti (प्राि त): The ability to attain or reach anything anywhere, such as obtaining
distant objects or touching the sky.

● Prakamya (प्राकाम्य): The ability to fulfill any desire, including entering another body.

● Ishita (ई शता): The power of absolute supremacy, enabling control over nature and
other people.

● Vashita (व शता): The power to control all beings, including animals and humans.

Historically, Hanuman from Ramayana has been known to have all of them, which is why
you hear the line “ashta siddhi, nava nidhi ke data” in the Hanuman Chalisa, a prayer
praising Hanuman and calling for his protection.

And another God whoʼs associated with them is Ganesha - who is the Siddhivinayak i.e. the
giver of Siddhis. Additionally, folks like Narada, Vishwamitra, etc. have also acquired some
of them.

In modern times, the sage Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was alleged to have some of
them when he was alive.

One thing to note is that Siddhis are not the ultimate goal - they are markers of your
progress and if youʼre pursuing spirituality just to achieve them, they will become more like
distractions, hindering your growth if youʼre too attached to them.

The ultimate goal in Tantra, like all Hindu schools ever, remains moksha i.e. liberation from
this material world and all its components, including the siddhis.

Tantra, as we saw, is highly ritualistic. But not all rituals are tantrics. Some of them are
general, applying to all Hindus. So letʼs look at them one by one!
Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Tantra = fast-track path to moksha + bhukti (material success + liberation)

● But dangerous if done wrong - deals with ugra deities, can destabilize mind/body

● Requires guru-shishya parampara - mantra is given via diksha (initiation)

● Tantra is esoteric, secretive, often misunderstood as black magic

● Two broad types:

○ Dakshinachara (Right-hand path): clean, devotional, mantra-based,
temple-focused, inner-focused (Shri-kula)
○ Vamachara (Left-hand path): taboo-breaking, raw, extreme, sex/meat/blood
rituals, cremation ground sadhanas (Kali-kula)

● Names explained: left = unconventional (used for cleaning), right = orthodox

● Key tantric elements:

○ Chakras = 7 energy hubs from spine base to crown, regulate mind, body,
spirit
○ Nadis = energy channels (Ida = calming, Pingala = action, Sushumna =
central)
○ Kundalini = coiled serpent energy at spine base, rises through chakras when
awakened
○ Mantras = sound formulas, need guruʼs diksha, not DIY Google use
○ Yantras = visual maps of energy; sound translated into geometry (e.g. Sri
Yantra)

● Siddhis = supernatural powers (8 main ones), but just side-effects, not goals.
Examples of siddhis:
○ Anima – become tiny
○ Mahima – become huge
○ Garima – become super-heavy
○ Laghima – float/lightness
○ Prapti – reach anywhere
 ○ Prakamya – fulfill any desire
○ Ishita – supreme control
○ Vashita – command all beings

● Main goal of Tantra remains moksha, not powers, not thrills. Next up: general
rituals that apply to all Hindus, not just Tantrics.
Chp. 15) Rituals

Hindu Rituals are exercises for the soul - we do them not as fun but as reminders and
symbols of our Dharma. At the basic level, each Hindu ideally goes through sixteen rites of
passage in his/her life.

These are called the Samskaras (different context from the mental impressions we
discussed in Karma).

Samskaras

The sixteen main rites of passage/rituals, marking some significant points in a Hinduʼs life
are called Shodasha Samskaras (shodasha = sixteen). Some of them are performed under
the guidance of gurus, others are more solitarily done at home -

1. Gabhadana - the act of conceiving, which raises it from a mere sexual act to a
sacred activity

2. Pumsavana - performed between the second and fourth month of pregnancy to

ensure the foetusʼ good health and proper organs

3. Simantonoyana - performed to protect the foetus and guard its independently

developing mind from negative influences

4. Jatakarma - performed at the birth of a child, noting their time and creating a
kundali, the map of cosmic events in the sky during the birth, which may have clues
to how oneʼs life will play out

5. Namakarana - giving them the name, on the eleventh day after birth

6. Nishkramana - first outing in the word, beyond the home

7. Annaprashana - first feeding of solid food, usually at six months

8. Karnavedha - piercing of the ear lobes which has some health benefits
 9. Chudakarana - shaving of the head, first year after birth

10. Vidyarambha - beginning of the primary education

11. Upanayana - initiation into formal study of Vedas (where the janeu thread is worn)

12. Samavartana - graduation as a student from Vedic study

13. Vivaha - marriage

14. Panchamahayagna - performing the grand ritual with your partner

15. Vanaprastha - retiring for self-study and serving the society

16. Antyeshti - funeral rituals done after dying, cremating/burning the dead body

Letʼs go a bit deeper into the most important of these samskaras, which is the Upanayana
or sacred thread-receiving ceremony.

Upanayanam (Janeu)

In the old days, when kids grew up, they were accepted in gurukuls and they went through
the yagnopavit sanskar i.e. the thread ceremony or janeu/munja/janva as an admission test
into the school.
They were called dwija i.e. “born again” because their teacher would impart them all the
essential knowledge to become responsible adults in the next ashram or stage called
Grihasthashram, where one marries and manages their household.

So who could do this ceremony? Was it restricted to just the rich privileged folks?

Ancient texts like Rigveda, Sushrut Sutra Sthaan and Savarkarʼs records from the British
Rule, prove that people of all four varnas i.e. the ancient Hindu classes of the society -
Brahmins, Vaishyas, Shudras and Kshatriyas (which weʼll come to later) - had the complete
freedom and right to wear janeu as long as their character was pure and good, so it was
not restricted to one class, caste or social group because varna did not originally mean
caste, but rather oneʼs chosen occupation, but unfortunately this became a rigid system
later, creating hierarchy based on oneʼs birth rather than merit.
Nonetheless, before this happened, our rituals were not restrictive but rather inclusive,
even extending to women equally.

Harit Dharmasutra, Ashwa Layana Graha Sutra, Yam Smriti and Kurma Puran also prove
that women have the right to wear it, too, and also recite the Gayatri Mantra - such women
were called Brahmavaadinis.

The janeuʼs 3 cotton threads, worn over the left shoulder, are meant to activate our three
nervous systems called as nadis, ida (Parasympathetic), pingala (Sympathetic) and
Sushumna (central). They also represent the Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva triad, as well as our
three gunas - Rajas, Tamas, Sattva.

When we wear the janeu, we have to keep it pure and recite the Gayatri mantra daily, and in
doing so, we remind ourselves of our true to our spiritual purpose so that we can be calm,
mentally strong and focused on doing good karma, so it is a tool to help us stay humble and
on the right path.

Unfortunately, since it united all Hindus, Mughal invaders and Britishers both played dirty
tricks to not only kill janeu wearers and burn down tonnes of janeus but also defame its
actual meaning.

Our Hindu rituals and prayers are always inherently pure, donʼt let anyone shake your faith
in them - and in fact, they are very conscious of time, too, which brings us to the concept
of sandhyavandanam.

Sandhyavandanam

Technically, we are allowed to do our prayers and rituals when we need the energy.

But if you go to our Vedas, youʼll see roots of the practice called Sandhyavandanam, which
points to the three sandhyaas or transitions during the day - the dawn before sunrise i.e.
prataha, the mid-day i.e. madhyana, and just before sunset i.e. sayam.

The way in which we should pray at these junctions was designed with the scientific
knowledge of our bodyʼs circadian rhythm clocks to keep us productive and focused
throughout the day.
We start with achamana and marjana which are like the pre-gaming purification rituals
before the actual prayers, done by reciting mantras while sipping water, touching different
parts of the body, and sprinkling water over ourselves.

You then do Pranayama (which we studied in Yoga), followed by Sankalp which is you
declaring your intent to pray and prepping your mind to go into meditation mode.

Then we recite the Gayatri Mantra which is the foundation of this practice and itʼs
interesting to note here that itʼs not just said in the morning but also in the evening because
weʼre not praying to the actual Sun but rather the deity called Savitra, which is the divine
light thatʼs more than the physical light we see.

You then do Arghya i.e. offering water to God as a symbolic sacrifice, followed by a
concluding prayer called Upasthana for Surya or Agni Dev.

These practices are done daily but one rare event in life, that happens only once for a
Hindu, is marriage. The Hindu marriage is a beautiful cluster of many traditions. Today, weʼll
stress on the two most popular but also misunderstood ones - saptapadi (the seven steps)
and kanyadaan.

Saptapadi

You mustʼve seen couples in Hindu movies or serials doing seven rounds around a fire pit,
called the pheras, during their marriage ceremony. Why only seven?

Well, there are variations of this ritual in different regions - some states or families only have
four to symbolize our four main goals - dharma, artha, kama and moksha - which the
couple promises to achieve together.

And the pheras or walking around the agni (fire) concept is a bit modern, too.
But in the original shlokas, we have the concept of saptapadi which means seven steps
(not rounds), accompanying the seven prayers to Vishnu, along with the corresponding
beautiful promises both partners take.

1. Om ekameeshe vishnustvaa nayatu - First, the couple promises to nourish each

other with food, emotional support and other basic needs through happiness and
sorrow.

2. Om dvay oorjje vishnustvaa nayatu - Second, you pray for and promise to give
your partner strength, physical and mental.

3. Om trinirayasposhaaya vishnustvaa nayatu - Third, you promise to be together in

each other's joys and sorrows, also ensuring to preserve your wealth and prosper
together.

4. Om chatvaarimaayo bhavaaya vishnustvaa nayatu - Fourth, we promise to be

there for each other in joys and sorrows and take care of our elders and family.
 5. Om panchapashubhyo vishnustvaa nayatu - Fifth, we walk together, take care of
our children and pray for their long life and be generous in caring for all the creatures
and people around them.

6. Om Shadrutubhyo vishnustvaa nayatu - Sixth, we will grow old together, through

thick and thin, hopefully having a healthy and long life

7. Om sakhesaptapadaa bhavasaamaam anuvrata-bhava vishnustvaa nayatu -

Seventh, we become friends forever and ever, giving each other companionship for
a lifetime … isnʼt this such a beautiful thing?

Another beautiful event thatʼs been tarnished by the media is kanyadaan.

Kanyadaan

Kanyadaan is often misinterpreted as the sexist patriarchal practice of a father giving away
his daughter to the groom. Firstly, this “giving away” is not only Hindu - the same practice
is seen in Christianity but no one complains then, and most people who do it for Hinduism
have the goal of tarnishing its name.

Even then, our kanyadaan is nothing like the Christian practice - the word “Daan” is
mistranslated as giving away, donation, charity, gifting or transferring but actually, itʼs a
pure offering of an energy you love and cherish personally. That is how we have other
daans like vidya or praan for the greater good and continuation of society.

In the context of marriage, weʼre not donating our daughter here because when we say
women are the “dhan” of a house, it doesnʼt mean our property or wealth. It means they
are a blessing from God (who owns all of us), which can make an entire house dhanya
(happy). Dhanya is where dhan comes from, so women = happiness. And

So the Gen-Z meaning here is that parents are, in fact, asking the guy to preserve their
biggest source of happiness and meet her needs.

Instead of triggering words like “equal” or “unequal,” Hinduism logically says men and
women are both important in their separate way, incomplete without one another. Women,
as we saw earlier, are represented by Lakshmi, Prakriti or Shakti, the kinetic energy of the
universe, existing not just to reproduce but to do creative stuff that the Men, represented
as the Purusha, Vishnu or Shiva, which is potential energy, cannot do.
Furthermore, as we saw just now in the last section, women are not seen as inferior
because while taking saptapadi, both the bride and groom must promise that they will not
hurt each other, walking together at the same level to pursue the four goals.

This is the original thought which was later distorted by people, so we must take the
positive and leave the negative behind, which doesnʼt apply in our modern days.

On the topic of the status of a bride or a woman, it needs to be understood that Hinduism is
not anti-feminist because we also do have putradaan so you can do that, too, and in fact,
we have strict codes protecting women from unfair treatment, specifically prohibiting the
sale of women, sex with minors, and even dowry.

So donʼt let anyone tell you a woman is inferior in the Hindu household!

Moving on, after marriage and what will hopefully be a long life, the person has to die and
leave behind their body in the end. This brings us to the final rites - the Hindu funeral.

Antyesti

There are many funerary mantras and rites that are done when a person dies, and a guruji
will guide the surviving family through them all - these are together called the Antim
Samskara or the Antyesti.

The most commonly photographed and known practice is cremation, burning off the body,
which is quite different from Abrahamic burials.

This is done because we believe that during our lives, our soul might develop attachments
to the body so when its job is done, it might be difficult for it to move on.
After the subtle sukshma sharira (which we saw in an earlier chapter) has left behind the
sthula sharira which is our physical body, the soul is said to hover around it for a while, also
watching as an audience of the antim sanskar i.e. the last rites being done.

In our culture, Agni, fire, is considered the all-cleansing holy element so cremation cuts any
physical ties to this body and allows the soul to accept its fate, continuing its journey ahead
- but thatʼs not the end of the story. For a few days, itʼll hover around our plane and go
through a chain of processes before its new life begins.

So simply put, cremation is done to help the soul move on faster without more pain.

In practical terms, cremation saves space, is faster and cheaper to do, destroys any
diseases or germs inhibiting the body, and also allows the family members to accept the
reality once and for all since there is no revisiting the body like in the case of a grave.

Of course, different religions have different beliefs in this regard and we should respect all
of them but this is how Hindus view it.
Before the soul moves on to another body, however, it may have a temporary pit stop in the
Pitru Loka, the Home of Ancestors. During its stay here, it will watch over its family
members and predecessors as angels from the sky.

And so to honour our ancestors, we have the concept of Pitru Paksha.

Pitru Paksha

Just like in the animated movie “Coco” by Disney Pixar in 2017, which takes place on the
Day of the Dead i.e. Día de los Muertos, even we have a similar fortnight to worship our
ancestors, called Pitru Paksha.

We already discussed that after we die, our soul doesnʼt necessarily immediately go into
another body. We go through a process of our karma being weighed and the soul passes
through various astral realms. We may also come to pass through the Pitra Loka, the realm
of ancestors.

This is like a sabbatical or waiting period before weʼre sent to the appropriate bodies in
higher or lower realms based on our karma by Lord Yama.

To mark this event, we have the period of Pitru Paksha, during the Krishna Paksha (waning
phase) of the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada. If you remember what we learned in the
chapter on Kaal, this month may usually fall around August or September after the festival
of Ganesh Chaturthi.

In this fortnight, we perform Shraaddha i.e. rituals designed to honour the last few
generations of our ancestors and ensure they have a smooth transition through the realms.

This includes homa (fire rituals), offering Tarpana i.e. water near water bodies, and Pinda
Daan, which include rice balls covered in ghee, barley flour and sesame seeds as symbolic
offerings to the ancestors. Additionally, one may also feed cows or Brahmins on behalf of
ancestors to help their soul get karmic merit.

Thereʼs a specially-made lunch with pumpkin and beans vegetables also offered to animals
and if black crows and cows come to feed on the food offered, it is considered that the
ancestors have come and accepted our prayers.
So in essence, Pitru Paksha is basically to help in resolving any karmic debts of our
ancestors so that their soul can peacefully and easily move ahead to higher realms without
any blockages or delays.

During this time, the souls are believed to visit our Bhu Loka i.e. Earth Realm so weʼre asked
to grieve and pray for them. On the other hand, as this is a relatively sad time, it's best to
avoid any major activities like initiating new ventures or making significant purchases.

Praying to our ancestors and getting their blessings is part of our higher duties, called the
set of Rins or debts we must pay to resolve our karmic balance.

This particular debt is called the “Pitra Rin”, debt to ancestors. Others include “Guru Rin” (to
teachers) and “Deva Rin” (to deities) and Rishi Rin (to rishis/sadhus).

Weʼve seen some common Hindu rituals, and with them, prayers go hand in hand.

What is prayer? What are the mantras chanted as we pray? That takes us to the next
chapter on Hindu Prayers!

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Hindu rituals are symbolic spiritual exercises that mark key transitions in life and
remind us of our dharma. Central to these are the Shodasha Samskaras, the 16
rites of passage every Hindu ideally undergoes - from conception (Garbhaadhaan)
to death (Antyeshti). Each ritual is not arbitrary but designed to align our mind and
body with cosmic rhythms and societal harmony.

● One of the most significant samskaras is Upanayana or the sacred thread

ceremony, which initiates a child into formal spiritual learning. It grants the title Dwija
(twice-born) and was never meant to be caste-exclusive. Ancient texts and
pre-colonial records show that all varnas - Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra -
had access to this rite based on character, not birth. Women too, referred to as
Brahmavaadinis, had the right to wear the janeu and chant the Gayatri mantra,
according to texts like Harit Dharmasutra and Kurma Purana.

● The janeuʼs three threads symbolise the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), the
Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva), and our three nadis (Ida, Pingala, Sushumna). It
 acts as a daily wearable reminder of spiritual commitment, to be maintained with
purity and the chanting of Gayatri mantra. The ritual was historically attacked by
invaders due to its unifying power.

● Sandhyavandanam is the core daily ritual structured around the three junctions of
the day - dawn, noon, and dusk - linking spiritual practice with the body's circadian
rhythm. It includes purification (Achamana, Marjana), breathwork (Pranayama),
mental preparation (Sankalpa), chanting (primarily Gayatri), and water offering
(Arghya), ending with Upasthana. It ensures energy alignment throughout the day.

● In marriage, rituals like Saptapadi are widely misunderstood. The original version
involves seven steps, not seven rounds, each paired with a solemn promise to
oneʼs partner - from mutual nourishment, strength, and prosperity to lifelong
companionship. These are addressed to Vishnu and form the spiritual and emotional
contract of a Hindu marriage.

● Kanyadaan is misrepresented as patriarchal. In truth, the word daan means a sacred

offering - not donation or surrender. The daughter is seen as dhan not in material
terms, but as a source of happiness (from dhanya). It is a trust-based transfer
asking the groom to care for her joy, not a property exchange. Hinduism honours
women as embodiments of Shakti and Lakshmi, and traditional marriage rituals
reinforce equality in dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.

● Antyeshti, the final rite, involves cremation, not burial, to help the soul detach from
the physical body. Fire (Agni) is used to purify and dissolve earthly attachments,
enabling the sukshma sharira (subtle body) to move on. Cremation is symbolic but
also practical - it prevents disease, is cost-effective, and provides emotional closure.
The soul temporarily resides in Pitru Loka, the realm of ancestors.

● During its stay in Pitru Loka, the soul watches over its descendants. To aid its
transition, we observe Pitru Paksha, a two-week period of ancestor worship. It
includes rituals like Shraddha, Tarpana (water offering), Pinda Daan (symbolic food
offerings), and feeding Brahmins, cows, or crows. These actions reduce the karmic
burden (Pitra Rin) we carry from our forebears.

● Pitru Paksha is spiritually significant and emotionally sobering. It aligns with the lunar
month of Bhadrapada (August–September), and during this time, auspicious
activities are avoided. It reflects the Hindu ethic of repaying debts - not just material,
 but spiritual - through Pitra Rin, Rishi Rin, Guru Rin, and Deva Rin.

● In all these rituals - from samskaras and daily practices to funerals and ancestor
worship - the underlying philosophy is evolution of the soul through mindful
participation in lifeʼs turning points, not mechanical tradition. They are not
backward customs but encoded pathways for remembering who we are, where we
come from, and where we are going.
Chp. 16) Prayer

Why do we pray? What exactly is prayer?

Almost all Hindus have a wrong understanding of this because they were taught the wrong
meaning by their parents and teachers in school.

Many of us have grown up in families who teach us to worship God with the goal of getting
something from him or out of fear of his authority.

We take flowers, garlands and sweets to big public temples, we ask God to help us pass
our exams, make us richer or healthier, bless us with girlfriends, boyfriends or kids, etc.

We ask Him to grant us our wishes or solve our problems.

But in the 9th Mantra of the Isha Upanishad, itʼs said:

अन्धं तमः प्र वशिन्त येऽ वद्यामप

ु ासते।
ततो भयू इव ते तमो य उ वद्यायां रताः॥

(Andham - tamaha, pravishanti ye vidhyaamupaasate

tato bhuya iva te tamo ya u vidhayaam rataah)

This means that those who worship with a desire of getting pleasure or good things, and
also those who do it merely to feel superior to others as scholars with an ego - both fall into
darker hells.

So praying should never be done as a transaction or business deal, never ask God to give
you anything by bribing him - They donʼt need anything.

It should be done with Bhakti - humility, gratefulness and pure love without any selfish
expectations or motives.

So the next time you go to a temple or sit down to pray, keep this in mind.

Prayers are often done through mantras or their more musical and longer forms, shlokas. In
simple words, Mantras have Vedic roots, while Shlokas are more like fan lyrics, taking the
essence and adding flowery devotional aspects to them.
Before the actual mantras, we have their original seeds, called the beej mantras.

Beej

Usually, we tend to think of mantras as long lines but we also have their most basic seed
versions, which are like call signs to help us connect with the energies of specific Gods.

Theyʼre based on the theory that everything in the universe has a vibration or sound so
uttering those sounds helps you sync with it and get that deityʼs energy or blessing.

As we saw in the chapter on Symbols, Om (Aum) ॐis the ultimate beej mantra. But there
are many others.

● गं (pronounced Gam) is for Ganpati, the remover of obstacles and the God of new
beginnings and success.
 ● ऐं (pronounced Ayim) is for Goddess Saraswati, who blesses us with knowledge and
wisdom.

● श्रीं (pronounced Shrim) is for Goddess Lakshmi who stands for wealth and
prosperity.

● क्रीं (prounounced Kreem/Krim) is for Ma Kali, the Goddess of transformation, change

and destruction of oneʼs ego.

● क्लीं (prounounced Klim) is for Kamadeva who governs love, attraction and material
as well as spiritual growth.

● हूं (Hum) is for the Rudra aspect of Shiva, symbolising the power of will and force.

● दं ु (prounounced Dum) is for Goddess Durga who provides protection and strength.

Now just because theyʼre single words, it doesnʼt mean theyʼre not powerful - they contain
the deityʼs essence and chanting them long enough can work wonders.

Of course, it isnʼt a buffet of mantras so you canʼt just combine them as you wish and like
always, itʼs important to repeatedly stress that you shouldnʼt just start chanting these
randomly on your own without an initiation from a proper bonafide guru.

Gayatri

Going beyond Beej mantras and coming to our main ones, a very powerful mantra in our
culture is the Gayatri Mantra.

It has its roots in the Rig Veda, making it ancient and therefore authoritative. In the modern
context, the term “Gayatri” is said to refer to Gayatri Ma, the Primal Goddess with three
heads, a combined avatar of Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

She is said to be the source of all energy and creation. But originally, this term “Gayatri”
actually refers to the “meter” of the mantra.

All Hindu scriptures are written in certain metres, called Chhandas, which are styles and
structures that produce a specific emotional effect when chanted or read.
In other words, just like we have “aabb” or “abab” rhyme schemes for poems, the spiritual
poetry we read in Vedas, shlokas, mantras, and other texts, is also organised in meters.

If you see the Gayatri Mantra, it has a total of 24 syllables, arranged in 3 lines or padas -
this is the Gayatri Chhanda, which is a sacred compact structure that invokes meditative
clarity, which is why we feel clear after reciting it.

Although the mantra you know is the most popular use case, there are more hymns also
written in the same Chhanda, dedicated to Indra and other deities.

Some other chhandas are:

● Anustubh - 8 syllables in 4 lines each - in which epics like the Gita and Mahabharata
are written

● Jagati - 12 syllables in 4 lines each - which are used for hymns praising Gods

● Tristubh - 11 syllables in 4 lines each - used in Rig Veda for lofty hymns, itʼs deep and
resonant

Interestingly, these chhandas also act as verification systems to quickly confirm that the
mantra hasnʼt been modified or tampered with, which would break the pattern.

And thatʼs how our scriptures have been able to survive for so many centuries.

Coming back to the Gayatri Mantra, here is the meaning -

● Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha - It means youʼre calling the om, the Creator of the earth
i.e. physical, the Astral i.e. soul, and the Heavenly i.e. celestial Planes.

● Tat Savitur Varenyam - Youʼre praying to the source of all reality which is worthy of
worship

● Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi - Youʼre meditating on the divine spirit of God and the
spiritual reality of this world
● Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat - Youʼre requesting that your mind or intellect be
boosted by God.
So the Mantra is not just for Savitra who is the God of the east rising Sun, but going beyond
that, weʼre praying to the Para Bhraman, which is why you can use this Mantra no matter
which God you personally believe in, or the sampradaya you belong to.

It is a myth that only men can chant it. The Gayatri Mantra is open to all, and is best
chanted in the morning after taking a bath.

Maha Mantra

Next up, we have the Maha Mantra - “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,
Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

It has been popularized and spread by authorities at ISKCON - International Society of

Krishna Consciousness, which reveres the Krishna-Radha pair, alongside Vishnuʼs other
avatar, Ram.

Krishna and Ram are both beautiful sacred names of God. Krishna means the One who
attracts everyone, and Ram means the One who gives us joy or pleasure. So theyʼre two
sides of the same coin.

The “Hare” refers to Godʼs feminine energy, often represented by Radha Ma in Krishnaʼs
case, and Sita Ma in Ramʼs case.

It is a powerful chant that represents the Bhakti movement - the group that believes in
surrendering to God and getting lost in Their praises.

Hanuman Chalisa

Where there is Ram, there is His biggest fan and devotee, the Vanara God, Hanuman.
Vanara refers to his tribe, the Monkey Tribe, which dwelled in the forest - contrary to what
the media popularly shows, Hanuman wasnʼt an actual “monkey” - he was part of the tribe
that lived and dressed like monkeys.

That doesnʼt mean he wasnʼt special, of course. Hanuman is a Pavan Putra - Son of the
Wind God, with supernatural powers.

For his loyalty, devotion, friendship, courage, and service, he was also awarded the
“Chiranjeevi” position by Shri Ram, making him one of the very few immortal chiefs of
Dharma who are still present right here on our Earth/Bhurloka (weʼll meet them towards the
end soon).

To call upon his protection and receive his strength, we chant the Hanuman Chalisa, a
40-verse devotional hymn written by the reformed bandit-turned-saint Tulsidas, who also
authored his own version of the Ramayana, the Ramcharitramanas (if you remember, we
discussed this in the second chapter).

Hanuman Chalisa gives various accounts of Hanumanʼs greatness and helps us feel strong,
protected, and courageous - so it is often invoked in times of danger, loss and stress.

Speaking about loss and death, we have another mantra that puts a beautiful spin on this
usually negative or sad topic.

Maha Mrityunjaya

The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, one of the most powerful mantras in the Vedas, isnʼt about
avoiding death, like many people believe it to be - itʼs about conquering the fear of death.

Hereʼs the mantra - ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सग

ु िन्धं पिु टवधनम ्।उवारुक मव बन्धनान ् मत्ृ योमक्षीय
ु
मामत
ृ ात ्।

The pronunciation goes - “Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam,

Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat.”

This translates to - “We meditate on Shiva, the three-eyed Lord, who nourishes and
sustains life with his sweet fragrance of bliss and inner cosmic strength. May He free us
from the bondage of death, just as a ripe fruit effortlessly detaches from the vine - not to
avoid death, but to face it with grace and peace as per our karma.”
In the Shiva Purana, a young sage, Markandeya, chanted this mantra when Yama came to
take him away as his time to die had come. Lord Shiva appeared, and impressed by
Markandeyaʼs devotion, defeated Yama, blessing his devotee with moksha (while some say
Markandeya is also a Chiranjeevi, others say he died but achieved moksha).

The mantra teaches us to embrace death as a natural transition, not something to fear. In
Hinduism, we believe the soul is eternal, and death is merely the shedding of one body to
take another. The ultimate goal is to go beyond this cycle of birth and death - called
moksha - a state of liberation and bliss.

So then why is this mantra chanted during accidents, medical emergencies or deaths?
Well, itʼs not necessarily to "save" someone but to give them and their loved ones the
spiritual strength to face the future calmly. Itʼs a reminder that Shiva, the conqueror of
death, helps dissolve the fear, anxiety, and pain surrounding it.

In this mantra, Shiva is referred to as the “Tryambakam” (three-eyed One). The three eyes
of Shiva represent his mastery over time - past, present, and future. They also represent his
ability to see beyond life and death. A popular legend says that when he does his Tandav
(cosmic dance in anger) and opens his Third Eye, it leads to a pralaya - destruction and end
of the world.

So those were some of our famous mantras. In Hinduism, generally God does not
“interfere” in our lives. But some of his administrative Devtas, the celestial deities, sitting in
different realms all around our Bhur Loka (Earth), can subtly impact aspects like our
relationships, careers, fortunes and misfortunes.

This brings us to the topic of Jyotish Shastra.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Most Hindus misunderstand prayer as a transaction with God - offering rituals to

gain rewards or out of fear. This is incorrect. The Isha Upanishad (Mantra 9) warns
that both materialistic worship and egoistic spiritual showmanship lead to spiritual
darkness. Prayer must be rooted in Bhakti - pure love, humility, and gratitude, not
bribery or bargaining.

● Prayer in Hinduism is not for asking from God but for aligning with God. It is a
spiritual attunement, a clearing of the ego, a dissolving of personal cravings, and a
reminder of the Higher Self. You donʼt worship out of fear or greed; you surrender in
love and awareness.

● Mantras and shlokas are tools of prayer. Mantras are precise Vedic sound formulas,
whereas shlokas are more poetic, often devotional compositions with aesthetic or
emotional layers. Both work through vibration - mantras especially are sound-based
codes that carry the essence of deities.

● Beej mantras are seed syllables, compact yet powerful. Each one resonates with a
specific deityʼs energy: “Gam” for Ganpati (obstacle remover), “Aim” for Saraswati
(wisdom), “Shrim” for Lakshmi (prosperity), “Kreem” for Kali (ego destruction),
“Klim” for Kamadeva (love), “Dum” for Durga (protection), and “Hum” for Rudra
(willpower). These are not to be chanted casually; they require proper initiation and
context.

● The Gayatri Mantra, from the Rig Veda, is one of the most spiritually elevating
chants. While popularly associated with Gayatri Devi (a feminine composite of
Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati), the term Gayatri originally refers to a poetic meter - 3
lines of 8 syllables (24 total). Its meaning transcends sects: it's an invocation to
Savitra, the divine light, and ultimately to Para Brahman, the supreme reality. Itʼs
open to all, not restricted to men, and is best chanted at dawn for mental clarity.

● Chhandas (poetic meters) like Gayatri, Anustubh, Tristubh, and Jagati are not just
aesthetic structures but integrity mechanisms that preserve the scriptural accuracy
across millennia. If a mantraʼs meter is broken, it indicates distortion - this is how the
oral tradition maintained purity over thousands of years.
● The Maha Mantra - “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama…” - is a core chant of the Bhakti
movement and was globally popularized by ISKCON. “Krishna” and “Rama” are
names of God representing joy and attraction. “Hare” invokes the feminine aspect
(Radha, Sita). This chant is not just repetition; itʼs devotional surrender, calling on
Godʼs grace through love.

● Hanuman Chalisa, written by Tulsidas, is a 40-verse hymn to Hanuman, the

immortal Chiranjeevi and divine servant of Ram. It praises Hanumanʼs strength,
loyalty, and fearlessness. Itʼs invoked for courage, protection, and mental resilience,
especially during fear, grief, or crises.

● The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra, addressed to Tryambakam (three-eyed Shiva), is not

for avoiding death, but for releasing fear of it. It prays for liberation from bondage
just as a ripe fruit detaches from its stem. It emphasizes spiritual acceptance of
mortality and the continuity of the soul beyond bodily death.

● This mantra is often chanted in medical emergencies or terminal moments - not to

“save” someone, but to offer strength, peace, and surrender. Shivaʼs third eye
represents transcendent vision, mastery over time, and the capacity to annihilate
ego and illusion.

● In Hindu thought, God generally does not intervene in human life directly. But devas
- celestial administrators - can influence karmic events. Mantras, prayers, and
sadhanas are ways to align yourself with their energies, helping you stabilize your
path through life, reduce suffering, and move closer to moksha.
Chp. 17) Jyotish Shastra

Jyotish Shastra is misunderstood and misused as pop astrology to predict our futures.

Itʼs much more than that. Jyotish is actually one of the six vedangas (we covered this in the
first chapter) so it has a high position of authority in our culture. It means the study of Light
or Knowledge, thus being called the Eye of the Vedas as it helps us see their knowledge.

It is a legitimate science divided into -

● Siddhanta i.e. astronomy, which is the study of the positions and movements of
planets, stars and other bodies in space. Long before the West made their
discoveries, we had books like Surya Siddhanta and Aryabhatiya charting out space.
● Samhita i.e. mundane astrology that uses geography, weather, geometry and other
calculations to make predictions for agriculture, seasons, and other natural or social
events.

● Hora i.e. predictive astrology. Hora is further divided into Jataka i.e. the science of
drawing birth charts i.e. kundalis, Prashna i.e. asking questions with regards to our
future, Muhurat i.e. naturally best time to do things or rituals, and Nimitta i.e.
interpreting the secret meanings behind natural events

Real Jyotish Shastra is not about assuredly knowing the future because the future is not
entirely predictive, nor is it fixed for us - instead, it is more about understanding how our
past karma is influencing our current lives by studying the behaviour of celestial deities
called the “navagrahas” (nine space deities) and then taking steps to move ahead smartly
with minimal intrusion to our routines.

Some core books that explain this science are the Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira, Brihat
Parashara Hora Shastra, and Saravali.

Before we meet the Navagrahas and truly understand who they are, we need to look up at
the Hindu sky and understand how we see the cosmos sitting here on Earth.
The Hindu Sky

Our Vedic Jyotishas (astronomers) looked at the sky as the cosmic clock with our Sun
(Surya) at the center. All the planets are all revolving around it - this much, we agree.

But from our perspective here on Earth, the Sun (Surya) looks like itʼs moving in a complete
circle through a 360° belt, called the ecliptic. It takes 365 days for it to complete this
journey (technically, for us to complete one round around it). We divided its approximately
365-day journey into twelve equal parts of 30° each, called the Rashis, or zodiac zones.

So our Rashis are solar-based i.e. they depend on the Sun. They get their names from the
clusters of stars (constellations), which fall in that particular zone. Itʼs important to keep in
mind that constellations are human imagination - we imagine a certain set of stars to form
certain shapes, even bodies of animals and figures.

Our twelve rashis are -

1. Mesha - the Ram

2. Vrishabha - the Bull
3. Mithuna - the Twins/Couple
4. Karkata - the Crab
5. Simha - the Lion
6. Kanya - the Virgin Lady
7. Tula - the balancing Scales
8. Vrishchika - the Scorpion
9. Dhanu - the Bow
10. Makara - the crocodile
11. Kumbha - the Pot/Water bearer
12. Meena - the fish

This is where most Western or Pop/Fake Astrology starts and stops - it uses these Zodiac
Houses to give you Sun Signs, assign you personality traits, or tell you what will happen in
the future, based on how different planets (which apparently exert their energies) are
travelling through the zodiac.
But Vedic Jyotish Shashtra brings another detail into the picture - nakshatras. It also tracks
the movement of the Moon (Chandra). Now the moon has its own speed, so its sky is
divided accordingly into the Nakshatras, which overlap the Rashis. Each Nakshatra is
spread across ~1.3 Rashis, or in other word, each Rashi overlaps with ~2.5 Nakshatras.

We have 27 primary Nakshatras within the system, including Ashwini, Rohini, Revati, Chitra,
Jyeshtha, etc. If you remember the chapter on Time/Kaal, youʼll notice that our twelve
masas (months) are based on these nakshatras - thatʼs the link!

The Sun and the Moon are guarded by deities called Surya and Chandra - itʼs important to
understand this detail. It clarifies that when we donʼt actually think the Sun itself as a body
is the “God” - it is managed and presided over by a deity behind it, called Surya Dev.

Weʼll soon see why we consider both the Sun and Moon in our culture, not just the Sun.

And heʼs not the only guy in the park. There are other deities all around us, chief of which
are together called the Navagrahas, and they even have their own Navagraha Puja to
placate/please them.
Navagrahas

When we hear this term, we think of the literal planets in our solar system. But the term
planet comes from Greek planates which means wandering things, usually around a center.

Graha on the other hand comes from the Sanskrit root verb Grnhati which means to grab or
take hold of - which is why we have the word grahak, the customer who takes.

The concept of Grahas uses the Earth as a reference point, still keeping the Sun at the
center scientifically, but focusing on how the positions of different physical bodies can be
markers or indicators of the pressures exerted by other deities in space sitting behind these
planet bodies, which can tell us about some patterns in our life.

Howʼs that possible? Itʼs because the Vedas tell us of the Devtas, Godʼs admin deities who
control certain aspects of our lives. For example, the Sun (Surya Dev) rules leadership while
Shukra manifesting as Venus, rules your love and sex life.

In simple words, imagine you and your friends are using crayons to talk about your feelings
on a paper, so if you use red, it means youʼre angry or if you use yellow it means youʼre
happy. Similarly jyotish shastra at its core uses the universe as a paper with positions of
planets acting as colored crayons to explain your relationship with the deities, revealing the
possibilities of how things went (which is our karma) and how things can go for us because
of forces in space.

So who are these nine deities or forces? Letʼs meet them.

But before we do, remember that these space energies are not bad or good all the time -
theyʼre just moody folks and a legitimate expert will tell you some good deeds or simple
inexpensive practices you can do to keep them relaxed, like some folks suggest that
feeding oily stuff to poor people on Saturdays can help you develop a rapport with Shani
Dev, who weʼll visit soon.

Also, although these forces have their own specializations, they often interact with each
other to create positive or negative chemistry so it's often not just about one Graha.

Rahu and Ketu

Starting with the most misunderstood ones, Rahu and Ketu. We know that the Earth
revolves around the Sun in one circle and the moon around the Earth in another circle. The
two points where these circles meet to cause an eclipse are called Rahu for the north
intersection point and Ketu for the south one.
Rahu symbolizes obsession and desire so in its up phase, itʼll give you innovation and
growth but in its down phase it can cause sudden changes or confusion.

Ketuʼs the opposite and it symbolizes detachment, spirituality and liberation by learning
through lessons, so while it can cause obstacles, it can also help you grow spiritually.

Surya

Say hello to Surya Dev - as explained earlier, he manifests as our Sun and represents the
confident state of mind, dealing with our confidence and leadership.

A simple way to be in his good books is to say the Gayatri Mantra in the morning, and
donate wheat and jaggery because they go well with his qualities of adding a dash strength
and sweetness to our lives.

Chandra

Next up, we have Chandra, the physical form being our Moon, and it stands for the
emotional state of mind, focusing on intuition, feelings, nurturing and public life. Like for
Surya, donating white items like milk, rice and white clothes to needy people works well in
this case.

Mangal

Third, we have Mangal, God of War, sitting on top of Mars. This guyʼs all about physical
energy, strength, courage. He also dabbles into our property or sibling-relationships.

As per experts, donating blood on Tuesdays and going to the gym is a good way to
channelize energy. Interestingly, since Hanuman shares the same job description, saying
the Hanuman Chalisa can help you calm down not just him but all the grahas.

Budha

Then, we have Budha or Mercury governing intellect, communication and analytical

thinking. Donating green gram and green cloth can help you make friends.

Shukra
Then we have Shukra, a form of the famous Rishi Shukracharya who was the coach of the
Daitya clan of beings famously called Asuras and Danavas. Heʼs embodied in Venus and
looks after your relationships, sex life, luxury, artistic flair and creativity.

Like the famous book title, “Women are from Venus,” Shukra symbolises feminine powers
and so being kind and respectful to the women around you, as well as donating white food
like rice or sugar to poor women and also feeding cows since theyʼre considered gau mata
or the divine feminine form, can help you placate Shukra.

Shani

Shani, embodying Saturn, is misunderstood as an evil guy but heʼs actually just like a bitter
detox pill to cleanse your bad karma by forcing you to pay the fines for it so you can move
on and in fact, if you do good karma, heʼll reward you a lot, too. Shani cares about your hard
work and discipline so as long as you do that, youʼll be fine.

Shani also has a connection to Hanuman so saying the Chalisa helps and feeding the poor
is the ultimate remedy.

Guru

Lastly, Guru, sitting on Jupiter, stands for higher education, wisdom, spiritual learning,
teachers, etc. (as the name suggests) so in essence, he looks after how much you learn.
Being nice to your teachers and donating yellow stuff like turmeric or chickpeas can help
you make friends with him.

These deities move through the sky but how are they connected to you? Their movements
are tracked in relation to your kundali, the birth chart.
Kundali

A Kundali is the snapshot of how the space/sky looked at the time of your birth. It is taken
from the perspective of the Earth, so for the sake of drawing the Kundali, the Earth acts as
the center of the universe.

Why is it taken at the time of birth only?

Because as we discussed in the chapter of Karma, your previous Karma in past lives
determines where, when and how you will be born.

So by studying the positions of the planets and stars at the exact time and place of your
birth, Jyotish Shashta gives us clues to understand the specific karma we have carried
forward from past lives - which we know is called prarabdha karma.

This doesnʼt predict your future with certainty, but it does show the likely patterns,
tendencies, and life events you may experience. Itʼs not fate, but a map of how your past
actions may unfold in this life, based on timing and influence of the Navagrahas.
Now you will find many regional styles of mapping a Kundali, but at its core, it is your Rashi
Zodiac circle, converted into a square.

The Rashi in which the Moon was sitting at the time you were born is your Chandra Rashi. It
is essentially your Moon/Indian/Desi/Vedic Zodiac Sign. In other words, our culture places
more importance on the Moon Sign rather than the Sun Sign, which is the basis for
Western Astrology.

Why so? Because the Moon (Chandra) is responsible for our inner feelings, emotions and
thinking so it immediately affects who we are (personalities) much more than the Sun.

This doesnʼt mean we donʼt have Sun Sign - we do have Surya Rashis, which are parallely
considered, too.

But beyond the two, we also have our Lagna, the ascendant sign, which is the absolute
necessary base for making a kundali. The Lagna is the Zodiac Zone that was rising in the
East at the time of your birth - essentially the start of “your universe/sky”, since from our
perspective, all bodies seem to “rise” in our sky from the East.

If the Zodiac rising on the Eastern front at the time of your birth was Simha (Leo), then your
Lagna Sign is Simha.

This Lagna matters because it becomes the starting point of your twelve Bhavas, the 12
houses of a Kundali, each representing an aspect of your life.

If your Lagna is Simha, itʼs placed in the first house. And the next Rashi/Zodiac after your
Lagna is placed in the second house. And so on and so forth.

The 12 houses serve as “potential or probable indicators” -

1. Tanu - body, personality

2. Dhana - wealth, family, speech
3. Sahaja - siblings, courage, skills
4. … and so on.

Now based on which Rashis (Zodiac Zones) the Grahas (Planets) were positioned in, they
are placed in the respective Houses. To make this simple, if my Lagna is Simha (Leo) - it
means that is the first zodiac zone that was seen in the sky, assuming the East to be the
starting point. If Chandra (Moon) was travelling in this zone, then we say that the “Moon is
in the First House.”

Now combining everything weʼve seen so far, a jyotisha looks at your Bhavas (Houses), the
Grahas within them, and a host of other factors to tell you how your future might look.

Ultimately, remember that our fate is still in our hands - no deity or power in the universe is
stronger than the human will. Any jyotisha who tells you that they can predict your future
with certainty, is lying to your face.

A true jyotish wonʼt scare us, nor would they suggest expensive and superficial measures
like rubies, etc. to solve our problems. They will direct you to do the correct karma at the
right times to neutralise any negative powers, so you can live without fear or worries.

We are almost at the end of our journey now. But before we come back to Earth, it would
be nice to say quick Hellos to some of the famous characters and beings who have either
played a huge role in preserving this knowledge, or represent the side that is at a constant
war to destroy it. With that, we enter the museum which holds some of the most interesting
characters to know in the Hindu universe!

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● Jyotish Shastra is one of the six Vedangas - making it a foundational discipline of

Vedic knowledge, not superstition or pop astrology. It literally means “the study of
light” and is called the Eye of the Vedas because it illuminates karmic patterns and
cosmic truths using astronomy and spiritual intuition.

● It comprises three main branches: Siddhanta (pure astronomy and mathematics,

e.g. Surya Siddhanta), Samhita (mundane astrology involving seasons, disasters,
agriculture), and Hora (predictive astrology), which further divides into Jataka (birth
charts), Prashna (question-based astrology), Muhurat (timing), and Nimitta (omens
and signs). It is not deterministic - it reveals karmic tendencies, not fixed futures.

● The Hindu view of the cosmos is geocentric in perception (not science), seeing the
Sun (Surya) move across a 360° belt called the ecliptic, divided into 12 Rashis
(zodiac signs) each 30° wide. These are: Mesha (Aries) to Meena (Pisces), named
 after imagined constellations. These Rashis are solar divisions.

● However, Vedic astrology adds another key dimension: Nakshatras, which are lunar
divisions of the sky into 27 star clusters. Each Nakshatra spans roughly 13.3°,
overlapping the Rashis. The Moon moves quickly, so the Chandra Rashi (Moon sign)
becomes more important than the Sun sign in Jyotish, as it governs your inner mind
and emotions.

● All cosmic bodies are not merely inert objects but associated with Grahas - space
deities who symbolize specific karmic functions. The Sanskrit word Graha means "to
seize" or "influence", unlike the Greek-rooted "planet" (wanderer). These Grahas are
not good or bad; they are neutral forces exerting influence based on your karma and
deserve conscious engagement, not superstition.

● The Navagrahas are:

○ Rahu (North node): obsession, illusion, innovation, disruption

○ Ketu (South node): detachment, past karma, spirituality, sudden loss
○ Surya (Sun): confidence, ego, vitality, father, leadership
○ Chandra (Moon): emotions, mind, mother, public image
○ Mangal (Mars): action, courage, anger, energy, property
○ Budha (Mercury): intelligence, speech, logic, adaptability
○ Shukra (Venus): relationships, sensuality, luxury, creativity
○ Shani (Saturn): justice, hardship, discipline, karmaʼs accountant
○ Guru (Jupiter): wisdom, teaching, dharma, expansion

● Each Graha has its remedies (donations, food offerings, behavior changes) that help
tune in to its energy respectfully. True Jyotish never demands gems or costly rituals;
itʼs about karma correction and intelligent action, not magic fixes.

● A Kundali (birth chart) is the snapshot of the sky at your time of birth. It marks the
positions of Grahas in relation to your Lagna (rising sign at the eastern horizon). This
becomes the first house of your chart, with 12 Bhavas (houses) in total, each
representing aspects like body, wealth, courage, home, love, career, etc.

● Kundali interpretation involves reading which Grahas sit in which Bhavas, what
Rashis they occupy, their lordships, aspects, conjunctions, transits (Gochar), and
dashas (planetary periods). This doesnʼt “predict” your future - it reads the karmic
 tendencies you're born with, your Prarabdha karma.

● Western astrology is simplistic in comparison - focused mostly on Sun Signs. Vedic

Jyotish integrates multiple dimensions: Sun (Surya Rashi), Moon (Chandra Rashi),
and most crucially Lagna (Ascendant) as the base.

● Ultimately, Jyotish Shastra is not about control or helplessness. It teaches

self-awareness, timing, alignment with dharma, and humility. You are not a puppet
of fate. A good Jyotishi teaches you how to navigate your karmic map with wisdom
- not fear.

● With Jyotish explored, the next step is to meet the guardians and disruptors of this
cosmic knowledge - legendary characters who either preserved or challenged the
divine order of the Hindu cosmos.
Chp. 18) Characters

The Hindu universe is vast and our knowledge of it comes from the Saptarishis, the seven
leaders of the original Seers who compiled the Vedas.

Saptarishis

The Saptarishis are VIPs of our Dharma - they are the original teachers who deserve the
credit for sharing everything we know today. So itʼs good to know them.

They keep changing in every Manvantara, a time period we discussed in an earlier chapter.
For this Manvantara (Vaivasvata), the assigned saptarishis are - Vashishta, Kashyapa, Atri,
Jamadagni, Gautama, Vishvamitra, Bharadvaja. Note that this list will have slightly different
names as per the source you refer to.

● First, we have rishi Atri, who made major contributions to the Rigveda. He was also
the father of Dattatreya, who many people worship in Maharashtra.

● Second, thereʼs Bharadvaja, who not only contributed to Rigveda but also laid the
foundation for Ayurveda, the science of healing and medicine. He played a role in
Mahabharata and Ramayana, with the famous teacher Dronacharya, coming from
his lineage.

● Third, thereʼs Gautama Maharishi, who was known for his ideas on our duties, ethics
and morality, thus getting the title of the “seer.” He was married to Ahalya and is
credited with creating the Godavari river.

● Fourth, we have Kashyap, who married Diti, Aditi, Danu, and others, thus fathering
all the creatures we hear about in the Hindu universe, like Devtas, Danavas,
Yakshas, Nagas, etc. He was known for his contributions to human biology and
cosmology.

● Fifth, thereʼs Vishwamitra, the original King and kshatriya. He gave the world the
Gayatri Mantra. He was Bharataʼs grandpa, who lent his name to our country.

● Sixth, we have Vashishta, from whose lineage we have the Suryavanshis, which
Lord Sri Ram belongs to. His role in Ramayana is crucial and he is also said to be the
 owner of the Kamdhenu cow.

● And finally seventh, we have Jamadagni, the hot-tempered father of Parshurama,

who contributed to both military and spiritual knowledge. He was known for his
challenges to the warrior classʼs wrongdoings and excesses.

In other lists, we also see Rishi Agastya, who is considered a Cheeranjeevi (immortal) and
gave us Siddha medicine. We also have Angiras who contributed to the vedas, and also
contributed to the idea of fire worship. Yet other lists also cite new names like Pulastya,
Kratu, Brighu, Kutsa, Marichi and Pulaha.

Beyond the Rishis, who now sit in the Upper Realms, having done their jobs, we have the
eight immortal beings who are still on our planet, waiting for Vishnuʼs last avatar, Kalki, to
come down at the end of our currently ongoing Kali Yuga.

Like the Four Horsemen of the West, these will be part of Kalkiʼs army against the evil Kali,
who is the ultimate villain and monster of our age, hiding in the shadows, destroying our
world with his forces of the Shadripus, the six evils we met earlier in the chapter on Yoga -
lust, greed, pride, jealousy, anger and delusion.

Chiranjeevi

Chiranjeevi means the immortal ones. These are beings wandering our Earth right now,
waiting to come out from hiding when Kalki Avatar comes down to end Adharma (evil) and
re-establish Dharma (good), taking us into the next mahayuga cycle, making the end of this
Kali Yuga, and the start of the new beautiful Satya Yuga.

These Chiranjeevi each have their backstory.

● First, we have Hanuman. Sri Ram gave him the status for his unmatched devotion,
selfless service and commitment to him. Heʼs currently speculated to roam the
Gandhamadana Mountain in deep Southern Indian and will be coming back to fight
alongside Kalki.

● Second, we have Ved Vyas - the guy we met when we were discussing the Vedas -
Heʼs currently said to be somewhere near Gangaʼs origins, refining his own work and
may come out to mentor Kalki.
 ● Third, we have Parshuram, another Vishnu avatar who, if you remember our talk on
Avatars, was responsible for wiping out evil kings and rulers during the Treta yug.
Heʼs a skilled weapons guy so heʼs meditating in Eastern India, waiting for Kalki to
come so he can train him in combat.

● Fourth, thereʼs Ashwatthama - An avatar of Shiva and also Dronaʼs son in

Mahabharata who sided with the Kauravas i.e. bad guys. Heʼs the only one on the
list who was cursed, not blessed, by Krishna, for killing the Pandavasʼ kids. Krishna
cursed his wounds to never heal and heʼs said to roam around Narmada River
waiting for Kalki to redeem his sins and free him from his misery.

● Fifth ,thereʼs Vibhishana - Who sided with Ram and his dharma despite being
Ravanaʼs brother, is said to be tasked by Ram with watching over Lanka and he
regularly Lord Ramʼs temple to continue his worship.

● Sixth, we have Kripacharya, who taught warfare to both the good and bad guys in
Mahabharata. He was blessed by Krishna because of his impartiality and devotion
towards teaching his students. Heʼll also be one of Kalkiʼs coaches in warfare.

● Seventh, we have Bali - When Vishnu took the Vaman Avatar and asked the King
Bali to grant him the land he could cover three steps, Bali also offered his own head
after Vaman stepped on Earth and Heaven. Vishnu then pushed Bali down to rule
over the Patala Loka and granted him freedom from death to continue his duty of
guarding the realm.

● The eighth Chiranjeevi, Rishi Markandeya, is a debated entry in the list but like we
said before, he is believed to have been blessed by Lord Shiva for showing an
unwavering faith and devotion to God even at the hour of death when Yama came
to take him away.

Chiranjeevi live here on Earth. But what about people on other planets? Are there beings on
other planets at all? Hinduism says yes, aliens do exist!
Aliens
What science calls “aliens” are spiritually advanced souls that have moved beyond humans
or lower beings that have been pushed in those bodies because of their bad karma.

Up we have the Gandharvas and Apsaras who are dancers and musicians in the courts of
demigods. Theyʼre joined by Kinnaras who are half-horse, half-man and Charanas and
poets.

Downstairs, you have the Asuras which are actually the fallen siblings of the Devas. We also
have demonic Danavas, angry Pretas, and flesh-eating Pisaachas, who are pure evil.

Third, you have forest spirits called Yakshas who protect treasures. And like the Watchers
or Timekeepers in Marvel, You have Kaalakuta who ensure cosmic flow and order.

Near water bodies, you may meet Jaladevatas and dark-hooded serpent-like beings like
Nagas who have access to our world and can give us blessings.

Last, we have a class of our ancestral Pitras (who are the equivalent of angels) and above
them are the Rishis and Siddhas who sit close to the final destination (moksha), owing to
their ages of meditation and advanced spiritual practice.

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● The knowledge of Hindu Dharma is preserved and transmitted by the Saptarishis,

the seven great seers. These sages are not fixed forever - they rotate with each
Manvantara (cosmic era). In our current era (Vaivasvata Manvantara), the seven are
Vashishta, Vishwamitra, Atri, Bharadvaja, Jamadagni, Gautama, and Kashyapa. Each
of them played a distinct role in shaping Hindu thought, contributing to the Vedas,
Ayurveda, ethics, cosmology, and ritual knowledge.

● Atri fathered Dattatreya, a composite deity revered in Maharashtra. Bharadvaja

contributed to both the Rigveda and Ayurveda, and his lineage includes
Dronacharya. Gautama emphasized dharma and was linked to the creation of the
Godavari River. Kashyapa fathered the Devatas, Asuras, Yakshas, and Nagas,
becoming the cosmic ancestor of many beings. Vishwamitra, originally a king, gave
 us the Gayatri Mantra and lent his name to Bharat. Vashishta was guru to the
Suryavanshis and Ramʼs mentor. Jamadagni, Parshuramʼs father, symbolized fierce
dharma and spiritual power.

● Some texts replace or expand this list to include Agastya (who pioneered Siddha
medicine), Angiras (linked to fire worship), or Pulastya and others. These sages now
reside in higher lokas but their legacy defines the scriptural framework of Hinduism.

● Still residing on Earth are the Chiranjeevis, eight immortals who await the arrival of
Vishnuʼs final avatar, Kalki, to help end the Kali Yuga and restore Dharma. Each
Chiranjeevi has a reason for their eternal presence, ranging from blessings for
service to curses that must be redeemed.

● Hanuman is the most famous - still alive, possibly at Gandhamadana, he symbolizes

perfect devotion and strength. Ved Vyas, author of the Mahabharata and compiler
of the Vedas, is meditating near the source of the Ganga. Parshuram, a past Vishnu
avatar, waits to train Kalki in weapons and warfare.

● Ashwatthama, cursed by Krishna to live forever with an unhealing wound for killing
the Pandavasʼ children, roams the Narmada region. Vibhishana, Ravanaʼs righteous
brother, governs Lanka in Ramʼs name. Kripacharya, master of warfare, will serve as
a guru to Kalki. Bali, the noble king of Patala (sent down by Vamana), guards the
underworld. Rishi Markandeya, blessed by Shiva for defeating death, is a debated
yet widely accepted immortal.

● Hindu cosmology extends beyond Earth. It affirms the existence of extraterrestrial

beings across realms. Aliens in this context are spiritually evolved or devolved souls
in non-human forms. The upper realms house Gandharvas, Apsaras, and Kinnaras -
celestial musicians and dancers. Charanas and Kaalakutas serve as divine
messengers and timekeepers.

● Lower realms host Asuras (fallen siblings of the Devas), Danavas (warriors with
demonic tendencies), Pretas (hungry ghosts), and Pisachas (malevolent spirits).
Yakshas guard earthly treasures, while Nagas (serpent beings) dwell in water realms
and possess spiritual wisdom. Jaladevatas preside over rivers and lakes.

● At an even subtler level exist Pitras - ancestral spirits who guide descendants - and
above them are the Siddhas and Rishis, souls on the brink of moksha due to their
 intense tapasya and cosmic service.

● Together, these characters - mortal, immortal, divine, and demonic - form the
populated mythic ecology of Hinduism. They are not just mythological fixtures, but
symbolic archetypes representing states of consciousness, forces of nature, and
aspects of Dharma. Understanding them is essential to decoding the spiritual logic
of the Hindu universe.
Chp. 19) Misconceptions

We are almost done with our journey through the cosmos we call our Brahmanda. As we
come back on Earth, I hope this will prove to be the trigger for you to start your sadhana -
spiritual practice. But before we let you go, itʼs important to dispel some common myths
and misconceptions about our Dharma, so that they donʼt shake your faith, create doubt or
make you feel bad/guilty for being a Hindu.

So as a final step, letʼs clear some of the biggest misconceptions on Hinduism!

On Varna/Caste

Perhaps the biggest stigma or taboo attached to Hinduism is the issue of caste. The Vedas
provide a simplistic blueprint to manage our society - one group would take care of
everyoneʼs learning and development, the second would be responsible for our tribeʼs
protection, the third would manage trade and commerce, and the fourth would serve as
workers and labourers supporting the other three.

These are essentially the four Varnas - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras.
Someone from ancient India would confirm that these were interchangeable positions, like
the careers we can choose today.

Inside these Varnas, we had many jaatis, representing their roles or occupations (e.g.
cobbler, farmer, etc.)

Unfortunately, some of our own people (Hindus) realised they could abuse this concept,
and turned it into a birth-based system. Now, a Brahminʼs son would be qualified to
become a Brahmin and study the Vedas because he was born in that family. But a Shudra
would not be allowed to read the Vedas, making him inferior, almost like a slave.

This created a social divide or hierarchy in the society, with varnas and jatis turning into the
dark idea of “caste” - and we divided our own people into upper and lower classes.

Brahmins rose to the top, gatekeeping our knowledge, and Kshatriyas used their power to
turn on their own, leaving the Vaishyas and Shudras to suffer.
To add to this problem, our Mughal Invaders and then the Britishers who colonised India for
almost two centuries, further supported and solidified this idea because they knew it would
keep us from joining one another.

Cut to today, caste discrimination is still an issue. No sane educated Hindu denies it.
Millions and millions of people have suffered because of their caste. And neither varna nor
caste makes sense anymore.

We are educated people now - we know that we all have the same skins, same blood, and
above all, the same Soul (Atman). There is no inferior human, no higher human.

Anyone who claims to be better or higher than others is taking us into the dangerous
territory of dictatorship over others, and we all know what it leads to, because Hitler,
Musolini, and other dictators in history have used this very same ideology of hating other
groups to gain support and traction for their evil missions.

The conclusion is that the modern Hindu should not follow this system of caste or even
varna anymore - they may be well-intentioned but they are outdated useless ideas that we
can let go of because our society is not so simple anymore, and because our Dharma is
flexible enough to change as per the need of the times.

Today, we need Hindus to come together and unite against the common enemy - groups
that abuse our Dharma, spread hate, and spread terror in the name of their religion.

Educated Hindus do not endorse caste, and in fact, support abolishing the caste system,
speak up against casteism, and work towards building an equal world for all.

On Access

Heavily related to caste is the concept of Vedic access - many people are made to believe
that this knowledge of our Dharma cannot be touched by certain people.
Again, this whole idea of untouchability is a backward mindset - it belongs to the stone
ages when we were animals, and so we didnʼt understand morals and equality.

In fact, the Vedas themselves have clearly said that their knowledge is and should be
accessible to everyone. The Vedas strictly ask us to live as equals.
In Rig Veda, we have the verse 10.191.2 -

सं ग॑च्छध्वं॒ सं व॑दध्वं॒ सं वो॒ मनां॑ स जानताम ् । दे॒ वा भा॒गं यथा॒ पवू ॑ संजाना॒ना उ॒ पास॑ते ॥
सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं सं वो मनां स जानताम ् । दे वा भागं यथा पव ू संजानाना उपासते ॥

“Meet together, talk together, let your minds apprehend alike; in like manner as the ancient
gods concurring accepted their portion of the sacrifice.”

There are many more verses from all the four Vedas that we can pluck out to reinforce this
core belief but the clear conclusion is that Sanatan Dharma does not gatekeep knowledge
from anybody.

On the topic of gatekeeping, another wrong accusation thrown against Hinduism is that it is
against women - that it is sexist, misogynistic, etc.

Firstly, weʼve already seen the proof of the female energy being highly revered in Tantra
and Devi worship, which is a mainstream form. We consider women Goddesses, and the
books clearly state that any Hindu who disrespects, cheats, abuses, rapes or hurts women,
will fall down to the darkest, most painful hells.

Secondly, women themselves have played a huge role in creating and curating the very
Vedic knowledge we have studied so far.

On Women

Many hymns in the Vedas were composed by Rishikas (female sages) like Vak Ambhrini,
who wrote the famous Devi Sukta (Rigveda 10.125), Lopamudra, Apala, Ghosha, Sulabha,
Saswati, Vishavara, Indrani and Apala Atryeyi.

These women werenʼt just passive participants but key contributors to sacred knowledge.
Moreover, women known as Brahmavadini - like Gargi Vachaknavi, Maitreyi, and Sulabha
Maitreyi - debated philosophy publicly and authored sections of texts like the
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.6). We also have Katyayani, Romasha, Shaibya, Chandramati
and Vadava Prathiteyi.

During the Vedic era, women had the freedom to study, teach, and participate in intellectual
and spiritual pursuits. While restrictions on certain rituals existed, they were often rooted in
protecting female energy or addressing physiological differences - not because women
were seen as inferior.

So that is the overview of women in the Vedic Era.

Now whether youʼre a man or a woman, you still need to eat to survive. Everyone must
work for their bread. Everyone must earn their living.

Hinduism understands the necessity of work, commerce and business. It doesnʼt forbid us
from making money, it just warns us against getting attached to it or becoming greedy and
doing something unethical to profit ourselves.

This brings us to the next myth on Artha.

On Money (Artha)

Hinduism recognizes ambition as a natural expression of rajas, the quality of motion and
drive. Balanced rajas keep us productive and prevent lethargy.

In that regard, pursuing artha (wealth) has been solidified as one of our four Purushartha
goals, alongside dharma, kama and moksha.

But mind you, artha isnʼt about greed - itʼs about creating wealth ethically to sustain
dharma. The Rigveda (10.117.2) says wealth should be shared with others, ensuring social
harmony. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.4.5) emphasizes charity as a core
responsibility.

Even texts like the Arthashastra by Chanakya provide a blueprint for creating wealth
responsibly while serving society.
Hinduism even honors deities of prosperity - Lakshmi and Kubera - symbolizing wealth as a
positive force when used wisely.

So in todayʼs world, being ambitious, building startups, and monetizing your skills isnʼt
against dharma. But to stay dharmic, make sure you use your wealth to help others through
daan (charity) and seva (service).

Remember, wealth becomes bad only when it feeds the Shadaripus of lobha (greed), kama
(lust) or madha (pride).

So dream big, work hard, and share the fruits! Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (2.47) urges us
to perform our duties without attachment to the results: “You have the right to perform
your action, but not the fruits of it.”

As Swami Vivekananda adds to this belief in his own style, “Arise, Awake, and Stop Not until
the goal is achieved!”

So I leave you with the greeting “Vijayi Bhava” - May Success be yours in this journey!

Chapter Summary
Here are key points to take away from this chapter.

● One of the most damaging misconceptions about Hinduism is around varna and
caste. Originally, varna was a fluid occupational structure designed to divide societal
responsibilities - not a birth-based hierarchy.

● The four varnas - Brahmins (knowledge), Kshatriyas (protection), Vaishyas (trade),

and Shudras (support) - were meant to be chosen based on skill and character, not
inherited. Over time, this system was corrupted by both internal social manipulation
and external forces like Mughal and British colonization, which cemented it into a
rigid, discriminatory caste system.

● Caste-based discrimination is a distortion of Dharma and has no spiritual basis. The

idea that someone is superior or inferior by birth is not just un-Vedic, it's ethically
wrong. The Atman (soul) is the same in all beings. A modern Hindu must reject
casteism and work toward unity and equality - our real enemy today is not caste but
those who misuse religion to divide, control, or incite violence.
● Access to Vedic knowledge is open to all. The Rig Veda (10.191.2) explicitly promotes
unity of thought, speech, and understanding for everyone, not just an elite few.
Untouchability and the denial of access to spiritual knowledge are regressive and
anti-Vedic mindsets. The scriptures do not support exclusion - they demand
inclusivity.

● Hinduism is also wrongly accused of being misogynistic. In reality, female sages

(Rishikas) like Vak Ambhrini, Lopamudra, Ghosha, and Sulabha contributed hymns to
the Vedas. Philosophers like Gargi and Maitreyi engaged in public debate and
authored Upanishadic texts.

● Women known as Brahmavadinis were respected thinkers and teachers. During the
Vedic era, women had full access to learning and spiritual practice. Later restrictions
were circumstantial, not spiritual decrees.

● Hinduism has always recognized that wealth (artha) is a legitimate goal of life, as
long as itʼs pursued ethically and in alignment with dharma. Artha is one of the four
Purusharthas (goals of human life), alongside Dharma, Kama, and Moksha. Wealth is
not sinful - it becomes a problem only when it fuels greed, lust, or arrogance
(Shadripus). The Rig Veda and Upanishads encourage charity, fairness, and
generosity.

● Deities like Lakshmi and Kubera personify prosperity and abundance, not as vices
but as blessings when wealth is earned and shared responsibly. Even the
Arthashastra by Chanakya is a treatise on how to grow and use wealth for societal
benefit.

● Being ambitious, starting a business, or chasing success is not against Dharma.

What matters is your intent and how you use the fruits of your labour. Krishna in the
Gita (2.47) teaches action without attachment, and Swami Vivekananda builds on
this: “Arise, Awake, and Stop Not till the goal is achieved.”

● In conclusion, a modern Hindu must be informed, fearless, and unashamed of their

Dharma. Casteism, exclusion, and gender bias are human distortions, not spiritual
truths. Dharma evolves to match the needs of the time, and today, it demands unity,
equality, ethical ambition, and a commitment to truth. Vijayi Bhava - may success,
awareness, and spiritual strength be yours.
Chp. 20) Celebrations

After taking a wild grand tour of the Brahmanda, we have landed back on Earth, where
Hinduism thrives in various colours. These colours are reflected in our vast buffet of
festivals and celebrations.

Taking part in them is every Hinduʼs duty, because they help us preserve our culture. Many
of their dates are not fixed because they are calculated as per the movements of the Sun
and the Moon, which have small variations each year. But we do know the months they
usually fall in. How many of these have you experienced so far?

Festival Region Usual Time Notes

Diwali Pan-india November Festival of lights celebrating the

return of Prince Ram to Ayodhya

Holi North March Festival of colours marking the

arrival of Spring and defeat of an
evil demon

Navratri Gujarat, September - Nine nights dedicated to

Bengal, October worshipping the Devi in different
Maharashtra forms

Durga Pujo West Bengal, September - Celebration of Goddess Durgaʼs

Assam, Odisha October victory over Mahishasura

Ganesh Chaturthi Maharashtra August - Birthday of Lord Ganesha,

September celebrated together in
communities

Janmashtami North and August Lord Krishnaʼs Birthday

West

Raksha Bandhan North, Central August Sisters tie rakhi to their brothers as
thanks for their protection

Onam Kerala August - Harvest festival welcoming King

September Mahabali

Pongal Tamil Nadu January Harvest festival thanking the Sun

God (Surya Dev)
Mahashivratri Pan-India June - July Night of devotion to Lord Shiva

Guru Purnima Pan-India June - July Honouring spiritual and academic

teachers (gurus)

Did I miss a name? Let me know on Instagram @manikthinks!

Practicing Hinduism

Oh dude, weʼve finally reached the end and itʼs time to say goodbye (for now).

I hope this massive guide gave you a glimpse into what Hindu life is like, and how we see
our place in the universe. The essential root teaching of Sanatan Dharma is too simple for
anyone to miss - It teaches Oneness. It teaches us that all human beings have the same
Atman, and we are part of a cosmic Whole. We are one family.

Hinduism, above all, asks for kindness. It teaches us to see our lives as an opportunity to
help, uplift, and serve others. So all you really need to do, to win at Hinduism, is to figure out
how you can mould your life around this belief of social service and sacrifice - seva.

There is a beautiful Brahmanda around us, within us - so try not to be alone, no matter how
fast you want to go. If you want to go far, take everyone with you. While we practice
Oneness, though, let us not forget that the biggest threat to our Dharma is people who
attempt to shake up our faith with terrorism, hate, and the brutal abuse of our women,
sisters and children.

Violence against Hindus has been on the rise for the past few years, the most recent attack
on our faith being the Pahalgam shooting incident, when Islamic Terrorists practiced their
Jihad and gunned down our Hindu brothers and sisters. This is not acceptable in our
Dharma and we have the duty to speak up against it.

Hinduism preaches Oneness and kindness, but it doesnʼt ask us to sleep ignorantly in the
middle of Adharma - it asks us to step up and fight for it. Shri Ram, Krishna, Parshuram, and
Shivaji Maharaj, and all our heroes also fought against people who practiced violence and
threatened our faith.

Protecting our Dharma is our biggest duty, which means calling out the wrong teachings
and calling out violence incited by, and encouraged by other faiths - there is nothing
ethically wrong in it, and you should not feel any shame or guilt in doing it. So speak up, itʼs
not just your right but your duty.

Pick up the weapons of knowledge, Bhakti and ambition - take back control of our land, our
jobs, and protect our families. Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah - Dharma protects those who
protect it.
Contact the Author

● Website - www.manikrege.org/support-me
● Email - namaste@manikrege.org
● LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/manikrege
● Instagram - www.instagram.com/manikthinks
● Proudly born and made in India, by India 󰏝
Best Resources for Hindus

Name Link

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