Sep 16th 2025

Jnana is defined as insight. The word ‘sight’ brings us information. ‘Insight’ brings transformation. We change because of insight. We are told that our sense objects and sense organs are dangerous, and we should desist from these at all cost. But these are not what traps us, but it is our projection onto our sense objects and sense organs that traps us. The way we can ensure that we are shifting from information to transformation is to go through principles and personalize these principles. Principles come from our trust triangle (guide, map and divinity). The principles are like an open hand. To personalize this is to open our hand into their hand. Both hands have to be opened and united. 

In Manah Shodanam, the very first verse is like Bhagavad Gita’s chapter 2, it is like a table of contents with a lot shared (in reference to divinity, in reference to why we don’t feel divine, in reference to what it is that we do feel which is the mind). 

Verse 1:

paramātmā advayānandah, sarva-bhūta-sthitah api ha;

ajnānena āvritah adrishtah, tathā eva cha mano-malaih

Verse 1, Line 1:

Atma means center, parama means the highest or deepest, it means all centers – paramatma means the same center.  Advaya means there is no othering because there is no ‘other’, there is only love. When one feels the center which is the nature of love, there is Ananda (the feeling of being completely natural). This first quarter of the verse is like a Mahavakya, it is a great identity teaching. 

Sarva means all, bhuta is all beings, sthitha means the presence is established and it does not change. When it comes to subjective science, we should follow it to know it. The framework of getting into the parama, the deeper aspects of us is as follows: The most superficial aspect is ‘nama’ (our name). If there is no form then there is no name, so name depends on ‘rupa’ (form). The ‘guna’ (qualities) is deeper than the form. Deeper than guna is ‘leela’. Leela is the purpose of all beings. 

We will always feel insecure until we feel oneness with all of creation. Every being’s purpose is the same, which is the need to be joy. The most deep aspect of ‘sarvabhuta’ is the ‘dhama’ which means foundation. ‘Leela’ is someone who wants to know God, ‘Dhama’ is someone who is God. 

Sri Rama was the greatest leaders of our culture. Some of His qualities are – Gunavaan means virtuous, Dharmajna means responsible, Dridha means steady and Vidwan means wise.  The sign that someone is virtuous is they are focused. The sign that someone is responsible is they are intentional. The sign that someone is steady is they are sincere. The sign that someone is a Vidwan is that one is unaffected. 

Verse 1, Line 2: 

Ajnana means not remembering. If we don’t remember then there is aavrta (not realizing), and if we don’t realize then there is adrishta (not rejoicing). 

‘Tatha eva’ means synonymous to. The ‘not remembering’, ‘not realizing’ and ‘not rejoicing’ is synonymous to  ‘mano-malaih’ (the impurities of the mind).

Those who have strong likes are the ones who are easily affected. Because of that volatility, they judge, criticize and micromanage a lot. They try to change everything around them.  

Our body is a worker, our mind is the manager of this worker, our intellect is the supervisor. Between these three personnel, it is the supervisor that can hold these teachings. If the manager is volatile and unestablished type of personnel, then it is hard for the supervisor to function. At the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, the loudest voice is that of Prince Arjuna, but as the Bhagavad Gita goes on, the loudest voice is that of Sri Krishna. So it is important for the manager to chill out, so that the supervisor can hold the teachings and remember our Atma is Parama.