Shri Ram

What is it that Shri Rama stands for? He stands for detachment. He stands for fearlessness. He stands for compassion. He stands for Dharma.

Is there Dharma really in your life? And by Dharma I do not mean a creed or a cult, or observation of certain rituals, or the… read_more

I say, if you have lived up to Rama for 364 days, only then must you celebrate the festival of Rama-ness. How is it that for 364 days your life had nothing to do with Shri Rama, and on the 365th day you jump up and join the bandwagon, the… read_more

Rama’s festival has become the festival of shopping, shoppers and shopkeepers—Rama, who never had anything to do with shops; Rama, who was never a buyer or a seller or a consumer; Shri Rama, who stands for that which can neither be bought nor be sold. This festival has turned into… read_more

सागर पार करके लंका पहुँचने हेतु पुल बन रहा था। उसमें यह सब वानर, भालू सब लगे हुए थे, हनुमान तो थे ही, इंजीनियर थे नल-नील, यह सब। और वहाँ एक फुदकी गिलहरी, वो भी लगी हुई है साथ में पूँछ उठाए। वह क्या कर रही है? वह बालू के… read_more

Just think if Rama was there in his bodily shape, in his mortal life, and were to see you celebrating his festival. What would he say? He would call you, “Hey you! Yes, you! Come here. You just did something taking my name? All this tamasha (commotion) is in my… read_more

When you stand in front of a client and make a presentation, what is it that makes you go weak in the knees? Expectation. Greed. And there is only one solution to greed: Rama.

You try to feel like a champion, but in front of your boss you have feet… read_more

I say, if for 364 days you have really lived up to Rama, only then must you honestly celebrate the festival of ‘Rama-ness’. How is it that for 364 days your life really had nothing to do with Shri Rama, and on the 365th day you jump up and join… read_more

Diwali, for most people, must be a festival of austerity, of repentance. We must, on this day, offer our prayers to Shri Rama and say, “We are very sorry, O Holy One! We are extremely sorry. We couldn’t live by your life, your message, your teachings. We are very sorry.… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी, जब सीता और हनुमान दोनों ही राम तक पहुँचने के मार्ग हैं, तो इनमें मूलभूत रूप से क्या अंतर है?

आचार्य प्रशांत: एक है अपने को मिटा देना, और दूसरा है अपने को मिला देना।

मिटा देना ऐसा है कि जैसे कोई सपने से उठ गया हो,… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: गर्भवती पत्नी को वन में छोड़ने पर भी राम मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम कहलाए। जुऐ में द्रौपदी को हारकर भी युधिष्ठिर धर्मराज कहलाए। अरे! अगर ये धर्म है तो, फिर अधर्म क्या है?

आचार्य प्रशांत: ताली बजादूँ डायलॉग पर या जवाब दूँ? चलो जवाब दिए देता हूँ।

क्रिकेट विश्व कप के… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी, श्रीराम को 'मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम' कहा जाता है, जबकि उन्होंने सीता जी की अग्नि परीक्षा ली थी, और जब वो गर्भवती थीं तो उन्हें घर से निकाल दिया था। मैं श्रीराम के इस व्यवहार को ग़लत मानती हूँ। कृपया मेरी इस शंका को दूर कीजिए।

आचार्य प्रशांत: मर्यादा… read_more

How do you, asks the chief of police, patrol a city, where the butcher shops are guarded by vultures, where bulls get pregnant, cows are barren, and calves give milk three times a day, where mice are the boatmen, and tomcats row the boats, where frogs keep snakes as watchdogs,… read_more

किससे मिल रहे हो? किससे नहीं मिल रहे हो? कहाँ रोज़ पहुँच जाते हो? कहाँ से पैसे ला रहे हो? पहली बात – क्या ईमानदारी से काम रहे हो? दूसरी बात – जो कमा रहे हो, उसको खर्च कहाँ कर रहे हो? छः घण्टे से कोई खबरिया चैनल लगा कर… read_more

Does the person you are with encourage you to read? You have to ask, “What does he bring for me, roses or books?”

Be very cautious of those who bring roses for you, especially red roses. Books are what we all need, and books are dangerous. Books are dangerous because… read_more

In our country, most people marry because that is sometimes the only way of getting some good sex—good and assured sex. Otherwise, the fellow would either have to spend a lot of money or a lot of time, or both, and then still return empty-handed. Isn’t that so?

Now, if… read_more

लड़की को पढ़ाई के लिए दो-सौ किलोमीटर दूर भेजना हो तो यही माँ-बाप और भाई कन्नी काट जाते हैं, और ब्याह कर वो दो-हज़ार किलोमीटर दूर जा रही हो इन्हें कोई फ़र्क नहीं पड़ेगा। और पढ़ाई के लिए जाएगी तो किसी यूनिवर्सिटी के हॉस्टल में रहेगी, सुरक्षा में रहेगी, हॉस्टल… read_more

A strange situation is that a beautiful woman’s life is perhaps more complex than an average-looking woman’s life, because a beautiful looking woman has a lot of men eyeing upon her, and she can get whatever she wants. And what you will get for your beauty, that is the real… read_more

Now, mind is movement, right? Why does the mind move at all? The mind wants to reach somewhere. Where does the mind want to reach? Is that place within the mind? The mind wants to reach somewhere. Every thought, every action, every motivation, every emotion rides on a desire, is… read_more

श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: | ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति || ४, ३९ || जितेन्द्रिय, साधनापरायण और श्रद्धावान मनुष्य ज्ञान को प्राप्त होता है तथा ज्ञान को प्राप्त होकर वह बिना विलम्ब के तत्काल ही भगवत्प्राप्तिरूप शान्ति को प्राप्त हो जाता है। —श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, अध्याय ४, श्लोक ३९प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी,… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: पिछली बार चंडीगढ़ तरफ़ से आया था जी,। आप से जुड़ा था। तबजब मैं अकेला आया था, बिलकुल हताश, परेशान था। आज मेरीमेरे साथ श्रीमती जी भी आईं हैं। मेरा प्रश्न यह है जी, जैसे संतों ने कहा है—

प्रेम-गली अति सांकरी, तामे दो न समाहिं। जब मैं था… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: नमस्कार, सर। आज का सबसे पहला प्रश्न जो है वह सनातन के ऊपर है कि सनातन माने क्या? और ऐसा क्या है जिसको वास्तविक रूप में सनातन कहा जा सकता है?

आचार्य प्रशांत: देखिए, सनातन का अर्थ होता है वो जो काल की सीमाओं से के बाहर का हो।… read_more

सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च ।। पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रिया: ।।1.42।।

saṅkaro narakāyaiva kula-ghnānāṁ kulasya cha patanti pitaro hy eṣhāṁ lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyāḥ

When the castes mix, that spells hell for the family. It destroys the family, in the way that the ancestors all fall because they are deprived of the Pindokdakriya.… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: पिछली बार चंडीगढ़ तरफ़ से आया था जी, आपसे जुड़ा था। तब मैं अकेला आया था, बिलकुल हताश, परेशान था। आज मेरी साथ श्रीमती जी भी आई हैं। मेरा प्रश्न यह है जी, जैसे संतों ने कहा है—

"प्रेम-गली अति सांकरी, तामे दो न समाहिं। जब मैं था तब… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: मन, आत्मा और मैं, जैसे कि मैं अतृप्त आत्मा हूँ, हम बोलते हैं या मैं बोलता हूँ तो उसमें से, मैं और अतृप्त चेतना हूँ तो…।

आचार्य प्रशांत: सब पता है क्यों मुस्कुरा रहे हैं? क्योंकि अभी मैं गया भी नहीं, और आपने कहानियाँ बना लीं।

प्र: सवाल मन… read_more

प्रश्नकर्ता: आचार्य जी, जैसे मैं पहले किसी सत्संग में जाती थी, वहाँ पर कुछ बातें बतायी जाती थीं। अष्टावक्र गीता पर आपने बताया कि आज यहाँ पर उसकी उपयोगिता नहीं है। और अष्टावक्र जी ने जैसे बताया है कि ब्रह्म-ही-ब्रह्म है, आत्मा-ही-आत्मा है। तो अभी कुछ दिन पहले मैं अपने… read_more

You cannot love someone or something you know very little of. The nation at its root represents a community of people united through certain values. A nation does not become admirable or respectable or lovable just by the dint of being a nation.

If you are to fall in love… read_more

The politician, we very well know, is a criminal and yet we belong to his fan club. So, who is it who is promoting crime, then? Look at the parliament of the country. I suppose half the parliamentarians have criminal cases against them, close to half. And they didn’t muscle… read_more

Hurt is not automatic. Somewhere there is an admission from you that you are hurt, and that you would be hurt, and that you would call yourself as hurt. Don’t call yourself as hurt, and see what happens.

Hurt is not an obligation. Hurt is a choice. Insecurity, fear, temptations—none… read_more

There is nothing in spirituality that will ever violate science. It’s just that spirituality will venture into areas where science never goes at all. Spirituality, for example, will talk about you. Science never talks about you. That’s the difference—that’s the only difference.

It is very, very sad that 99%, I… read_more

Have you looked at kids playing? If you look at kids playing and if you look at animals playing, you won’t find much difference. In fact, human kids go along very well with animal kids. Later on, when we cover ourselves with a lot of acquired knowledge, with a lot… read_more

Veganism cannot succeed if you just keep talking of animals. You keep saying, “Oh, it is bad to look at animals as a commodity. It is bad to exploit animals.” If man is exploiting man, why will man refrain from exploiting animals?

So, veganism has to be holistic, comprehensive. You… read_more

Hope is a very dangerous animal. It can make you do the most stupid things. It can make you fall in the same trap one million times.

There was the Cricket World Cup in 2003, and the finals were played between India and Australia. I know of a man who… read_more

What does it mean to have an inauthentic relationship?

To be authentic is to be complete and secure in yourself. Anything authentic is not in need of further improvement or refinement; it is already authentic. That is the way the authentic mind functions: it does not relate with the other… read_more

Welcome pain. You have no option. That’s the way life is meant to be. Life is suffering. Because not only are you designed to have pain, you are also designed to resist pain.

Have pain, and have a lot of depth in your being. So much depth that it can… read_more

No situation is too bad to make a right choice in, and no situation is so good that you no more need the right choice—in a good situation, in a bad situation, in apparently easy situations, in apparently tough situations. Anything can happen anytime.

It’s a matter of your choice,… read_more

Just as the ego loves to take credit, it also loves to play the victim.

If something good has happened, “I did it!”

If something bad happened, “It happened to me.”

“Good things I do, bad things happen to me”—this is astounding.

Playing the victim is a favorite pastime of… read_more

You were once a girl; you would have read mathematics, history, science, geography, languages. Didn’t you find inspiring figures there? Didn’t those books arouse fantastic ideas in you?

I am sure that when you were younger, you thought of excellence, didn’t you? You would have had dreams. In your dreams,… read_more

Happiness and sadness are both wonderful, are both welcome.

But in some deep sense, sadness is a little better than happiness. It teaches us a little more than happiness does. It elevates us a little more than happiness does. It has a certain purifying effect that happiness does not quite… read_more