Yogavidya May 2026

Arjuna knew what was required of him. He was a warrior, the cause was just, and the battle was legitimate. None of it helped. When he looked across and saw his own teachers and family on the other side, he could not do it. He put his bow down.

This is not a story about someone who did not know his duty. It is a story about someone who knew it and still found himself unable to act — because everything had become too personal. The action and what it would cost him had become the same thing in his mind, and he could not separate them.

That feeling is not limited to battlefields or ancient texts. It shows up in ordinary situations where what you are supposed to do and what you want to do stop pointing in the same direction. When one duty pulls against another. When acting rightly means giving something up that matters to you.

This month we look at what the Gita offers in response — karma-yoga, the practice of doing what is yours to do without treating the result as something you are owed. Not an abstract idea, but something that applies to how you handle a difficult conversation, how you respond when your effort goes unrecognised, how you act when no one is watching and there is nothing in it for you. We draw on Sant Jnaneshwar’s Jnaneshwari, which does not make any of this easier than it actually is.

The question at the centre of it is not complicated, even if living it takes some doing: can you do what the moment requires without needing it to go a particular way?
Om Tat Sat.

Duty, Action, and the Conflict in Between
Near the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna looks across the battlefield and sees his teachers, his cousins, his grandfather. He does not reach for an arrow. He puts his bow down and tells Krishna he cannot do this. What kind of victory, he says, is worth building on the bodies of the people you love.

That is not a coward speaking. That is someone whose whole framework for what is right has stopped working at once.
Most of us will not stand between two armies. But that moment of paralysis — knowing what you are supposed to do and finding you cannot make yourself do it — is not rare. It comes when being honest with someone means hurting them. When one loyalty directly contradicts another. When you have done what was required and have nothing to show for it, and you have started wondering why you bother. The mind gets very noisy in these moments and very unhelpful.

The Gita does not brush past any of this. It does not tell Arjuna to harden up. It takes his question seriously, and what comes out of it — karma-yoga — is the teaching this month.
—
Sant Jnaneshwar wrote his commentary on the Gita, the Jnaneshwari, when he was about sixteen. It is not a scholar’s text. It is written by someone who understood the Gita from experience, and when he comes to this scene, he notices something worth pausing on: Arjuna is not suffering because of anything that has happened yet. The battle has not started. No one has been harmed. The suffering is entirely in his own mind, in the anticipation, in the attachment to how things should turn out.

He wants to act rightly. He also wants the people he loves to survive. Both of these are real. But they are pointed at different things, and because he is gripping both, he cannot move.

This is not a flaw in him. It is what happens when you care about more than one thing and cannot see clearly which one to act from.
What Jnaneshwar points to is that the trouble is not the caring itself. The trouble is that the caring has turned into ownership. My teacher. My family. My grandfather. He has claimed them, and now any action that puts what he has claimed at risk feels like it puts him at risk. This is ahamkara — the “I”-sense we looked at last month — doing what it always does: taking whatever passes through and stamping it as mine. Once that happens, loss stops being just loss. It becomes personal. And personal loss makes it almost impossible to think clearly about what to do.
—
Krishna does not tell Arjuna to stop feeling. That reading of the Gita is wrong, and it flattens the whole teaching.
What Krishna says, and what Jnaneshwar unpacks at length, is about where action comes from and what you do with it once it is done.
Karma-yoga means doing what belongs to you — your dharma, the action that fits your situation and your role — without treating the result as something owed to you. You act, and then you do not stand waiting to collect. The action is not a transaction. You do it because it is what is required, not because you have calculated what you will get in return, and when it is finished, you let it finish.

Jnaneshwar uses an image here: a lamp burning in a room with no draught. The flame does not flicker or lean. It burns without being pulled in any direction. That is what this kind of action looks like. Not cold. Not blank. But not at the mercy of every shift in what you want the outcome to be.

This is genuinely hard to do, because wanting a particular result is usually why we act at all. We do things because we want recognition, safety, fairness, to be loved. Ask someone to act without any of that driving it, and it can feel like pulling the floor out from under the action. But karma-yoga is not asking for indifference. It is asking you to do the thing completely, with full effort, and then not make the result your property.

Arjuna’s difficulty was not that the fight was unjust. His difficulty was that he had turned the fight into something about him — his grief, his image, what it would cost him personally. When Krishna asks him to set all of that aside and fulfil his role because that is what the moment requires, it is not a small request. He is asking Arjuna to act without the action being about himself.
—
Last month we went into chitta — the part of the mind that holds every impression, every habitual reaction, every old pattern. When we act from wanting, when we act to secure a result or protect a self-image, that action leaves something in chitta. The wanting does not disappear when the action ends. It goes in and sits there.

This is why people with no obvious external problems still cannot settle. The accumulation is inside, not outside. Old resentments surface in situations that have nothing to do with their origin. The same reactions keep coming up because the impressions feeding them have never been cleaned out.

When you act without that grasping — when the action is done and you release the outcome — nothing new is deposited. Over time, what is already stored loses force. Not because anything was extracted or forced out, but because nothing is being added to it.

Jnaneshwar makes this connection directly. Karma-yoga does not produce jnana — knowledge, understanding — on its own. What it does is make the mind capable of it. A mind that has spent years calculating what it will get from every action, protecting its image, keeping score, is not a mind that can see clearly. When you stop acting from that place, the noise in the mind reduces. Buddhi — discernment — gets room to work. Things that were previously unclear become clearer, not because you studied harder, but because the mental weather changed.
—
Jnaneshwar is honest about why this is difficult. Karma-yoga is not hard because the actions themselves are difficult. It is hard because the ego does not want to release what it considers its due.

We do something kind and find ourselves watching to see if it will be acknowledged. We exercise restraint in an argument and wait for that to be noticed too. We do what is right when it costs us something, and in some part of the mind we are recording the cost, expecting it to be repaid at some point. None of this is deliberate. It is just how ahamkara operates — it is always keeping accounts.

The practice is not to pretend the accounting is not happening. It is to see that it is happening, and act rightly anyway, without letting that ledger decide whether you show up properly.

Sir put it this way once, and it has stayed: the test is not how you act when things work out. It is what you do when they do not. When the effort goes unnoticed. When you acted well and it did not matter to anyone. When doing the right thing cost you and you were not thanked for it. That is where this either holds or it does not.
—
The situations this teaching is for are not extraordinary.
Someone needs help with something that will take your time and benefit only them. A conversation at home requires you to say something true that will be uncomfortable. You do careful work that no one acknowledges. You are asked to accept responsibility for something that was not entirely your fault.

In each of these, the ego knows what it wants. Credit. Fairness. Some return on the investment. These are not unreasonable things to want. But if getting them is what determines whether you act decently, then you are governed by whether the world cooperates — and the world is not reliable about that.

The question this practice keeps returning to is not: what do I want from this? It is: what does this situation actually ask of me? Do that. Stop carrying it around after it is done.

Over months of this — not perfectly, but honestly — the mind does become quieter. Not through any dramatic change. Because you have stopped feeding the restlessness new reasons to keep going.
—

The tradition says that behind all the action and conflict and effort, the witness is already there — sakshi, aware and unmoved. Karma-yoga does not produce that. Nothing produces it. But a mind that has practised acting without immediately claiming everything that passes through it is a mind that can, in time, become still enough to notice what was always there.
Om Tat Sat.

Tripura Rahasya, the mystery beyond the trinity. The name itself denotes the core matter of this book: the fourth state of mind, the Supreme consciousness. It is a treasure chest of knowledge from the personal experiences of Lord Dattatreya. It consists of a roadmap for a seeker that needs the essence of Yoga, Tantra and Vedanta, all in one compact and beautifully woven text. A word of warning; at times it may feel like climbing a tree with you feet facing upward, but the view from up there is so beautiful and induces the reader into a meditative mood. And that is even if you only understand 1% of the text.
From the beginning, Lord Dattatreya starts off with stories of people that started stepping onto the path of Self-discovery. The story of Hemachuda and Hemalekha is a perfect illustration of a relationship of a man and a woman that challenge each other, but for the good of the other; Hemalekha being an enlightened daughter of a heavenly damsel, brought up by a sage, and Hemachuda being a prince of a wealthy kingdom. With the tactful and elegant way of teaching a puffed up prince, Hemalekha, through her skillful behavior and questioning, leads her beloved husband to self-inquiry, dispassion towards physical intimacy and sensual pleasures and eventually through the sequential stages of enlightenment. It is clear from here at what point one should start practicing worshiping of the Supreme Reality. Its vivid descriptions make the reader experience the meaning behind the text thus clearing doubts and gently pushing one to the next phase of development.

Another story illustrates how the mind traps itself by associating itself with ignorance and how that projects onto its habits and emotions. Here the role of the Cosmic Intelligence and meditation is emphasized and how one can slowly free oneself from greed, anger and attachment.

A story of a king being taken into an astral world by a young yogi illustrates the secrets of time and space and explains the mechanics behind relieving oneself from sadness.

In this part of the book, a highlight for me is the emphasis of how prayer and karma works. It says that our actions that are done in the world will reap their fruit. But the longing of a person who is asking to receive whatever is the best and what one truly needs and constantly abides in this intimate prayer with the Supreme Being, is bound to be fulfilled instantaneously.
Abstract explanations of the Cosmic Intelligence, elaborate description of what samadhi is and what it is not, the four states of consciousness including a crisp explanation of the difference between deep sleep and turiya, and how we are constantly slipping in and out of samadhi, unknowingly, are included.

In a recent satsang, Sri M elaborated upon the importance of keeping ones mind pure through the practices of Yoga. It doesn’t matter which philosophy you are inclined to, dvaita, vashihthadvaita or advaita, to understand any one of it, ones mind must remain pure. A consequent question about Tripura Rahasya came up. The book describes three different types of sages, saying: “Sages with subtle and clear intellect have not considered it worthwhile to eradicate their desire, etc., by forcing other thoughts to take their place, because desires do not obstruct realization”. Sri M explains: “what they meant was that it is ok to have desires, as long as the desire for jnana remains to be the most important one” and added “I like to enjoy tasting the sugar, but I don’t become the sugar”. A key to understanding this is: “sages with suble and clear intellect” – purification with yogic techniques makes one capable of experienceing this statement.

Once one touches jnana, the two latent seeds of karma burn, but the prarabdha, or the blossoming karma, still has to be reaped, though it is known how to be handled by jivanamuktas, the ones freed while alive. The chief characteristic of a jnani is, that one is never tired of talking about and explaining the matters of Self-realisation and that he has limitless love for all beings.

A story of warning about the futility of theory and the resulting pride of knowledge, which is actually empty without experience, is illustrated on an example of a cursed brahmin, who was rescued by a jivanamukta through inquiry. An elaboration on different types of aspirants and their karma is included.

A beautiful thing about the dialogue between Lord Dattatreya and Parasurama is, that is constantly repeats itself and summarizes itself in different ways, so it accommodates many angles of understanding and reaffirms its message.
All in all this is a text that, if understood properly, clears the hurdles of the mind and helps one progress spiritually. From my own experience, focusing and understanding the message is itself an experience of light and blessing. Always after reading, my mind came to be in a meditative and quiet state. I started with reading half a chapter a day, because I just could not get further; the chapter was digested over night, the next day starting where I left off. The third day, when I was completely confused about what I just read, was a day where I read the chapter all in one go, this time making more sense of what it was about. Don’t worry, there is an extra appendix chapter for the purely philosophical portions of the book, shining light on its meaning. Meditating for 5 minutes after each read help a lot, and asking Lord Dattatreya to guide you in its understanding as well! I was fortunate to be able to study this text at such a studious and solitary place, the Sacred Grove, in Chowdepalle, which deepened my focus. In the first chapter, there is a disclaimer that “One who can not apprehend the Truth even after hearing this, must be dismissed as a silly fool to be ranked among the insentient and accursed of God; Siva himself cannot make such a one gain wisdom.” This is a great challenge to the intellectual and the courageous. But even if one is a fool, that is great! because there is hope of understanding! Do not walk into this text with an attitude that you know what you are reading. The statement may help for one to have the proper frame of mind to actually absorb its teaching.

The most wonderful and hope-giving message is to be found in the Vidya Gita, where the Absolute Intelligence is summoned by the great gods and sages, where there is a discussion of ‘what the superior way to attain Jnana is’. The Supreme Intelligence answers: “The chief requisite is one-pointed devotion to God.”, “No other requisite is needed if the longing for emancipation is intense and unwavering… That is the sole requisite and nothing else.” So be it!

The crisis of duty faced by Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita highlights the profound inner conflict between attachment and righteous action. Arjuna struggles with his duty as a warrior to fight in the battle versus his emotional attachments to his family and friends on the opposing side. This dilemma reflects the universal human conflict between personal desires and ethical responsibilities.

Karma-yoga, or the yoga of selfless action, teaches performing one’s duty without attachment to the results or egoistic desires. By focusing on skillful, detached action, karma-yoga purifies the mind, reduces inner turmoil, and prepares the practitioner for jñāna (spiritual knowledge or wisdom). This purified state enables clear insight and realization of the self beyond dualities.
Below is a focused yoga guide to support this journey, incorporating a pranayama and an asana that cultivate mental clarity, balance, and detachment.

Yoga Guide for Duty, Action, and Inner Conflict

Pranayama: Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Purpose:
Nadi Shodhana balances the nervous system, calms the mind, and harmonizes the flow of prana (vital energy). This pranayama helps reduce mental agitation caused by inner conflict and fosters clarity needed for detached, righteous action.

How to Practice:

• Sit comfortably with a straight spine, in a meditative posture (e.g., Sukhasana or Padmasana).
• Use the right thumb to close the right nostril. Inhale slowly and deeply through the left nostril.
• Close the left nostril with the ring finger, release the right nostril, and exhale slowly through the right nostril.
• Inhale through the right nostril, then close it with the thumb, release the left nostril, and exhale through the left nostril.
• This completes one round. Practice 8-10 rounds, maintaining a slow, smooth breath.
• Focus on the breath flow and cultivate a sense of inner balance and detachment.

Asana: Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose)

Purpose:
Virabhadrasana II embodies the spirit of righteous action and courage, symbolizing Arjuna’s warrior stance. It strengthens the legs and core, improves focus, and cultivates groundedness and determination without attachment to outcome.

How to Practice:

• Stand with feet wide apart, about 3-4 feet. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and left foot slightly in.
• Bend the right knee directly over the ankle, keeping the left leg straight and strong.
• Extend your arms parallel to the floor, right arm forward and left arm back, palms down.
• Gaze over the right hand, keeping shoulders relaxed and chest open.
• Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, breathing steadily with awareness of strength and calm resolve.
• Repeat on the other side.

By regularly practicing Nadi Shodhana pranayama and Virabhadrasana II, one cultivates a balanced mind and steady body, essential for skillful, detached action. This prepares the practitioner to face inner conflicts with clarity and perform their duties without ego or attachment, embodying the essence of karma-yoga. Over time, this purification of mind leads to readiness for jñāna, the profound realization of self and truth beyond dualities.

This integrated approach supports the transformation from inner turmoil to enlightened action, just as Arjuna’s journey in the Bhagavad Gita illustrates.

The Yoga Upanishads comprise 20 specific texts within the Muktika canon that elaborate on yogic anatomy and practical meditation. Their commentaries bridge the gap between ancient metaphysical philosophy and detailed physical or energetic practice.

Commentaries by Different Gurus
Interpretations vary based on the guru’s philosophical school, particularly within Advaita (Non-dualism) and modern practical yoga.

• Upanishad Brahmayogin (18th Century): He remains the only scholar to have written comprehensive commentaries on all 108 Upanishads. His work is essential for the Yoga Upanishads, as he systematically relates physical yoga techniques to the eventual realization of the non-dual Brahman.
• Adi Shankara (Traditional Influence): While he primarily commented on the 11 Principal Upanishads, his broader philosophy influenced how later commentators view yoga as a tool for mental purification (Chitta Shuddhi) necessary for self-knowledge.
• Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga): His modern commentaries, such as those found through the Bihar School of Yoga, treat these texts as practical handbooks for energy management and psychological transformation.
• Swami Chinmayananda (Chinmaya Mission): Modern Vedantic teachers like those from the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust provide commentaries that simplify these complex texts for contemporary seekers, focusing on the mind’s role in liberation.

Spotlight: Amritabindu and Hamsa Upanishads

1. Amritabindu Upanishad (“The Drop of Immortality”)
This text is one of the most famous Yoga Upanishads and focuses on the mastery of the mind as the primary means of liberation.

• Key Concept: It famously declares that the mind is the sole cause of both bondage and liberation. An “impure” mind is one attached to sensory objects, while a “pure” mind is free of desire.
• Six-fold Yoga: Unlike Patanjali’s eight limbs, it proposes six limbs: Pratyahara (withdrawal), Dhyanam (meditation), Pranayama (breath control), Dharana (concentration), Tarka (reasoning/logic), and Samadhi (absorption).
• Metaphor: It compares the Vedas to “husk” that should be discarded once the “grain” of knowledge is obtained.

Summary of the Distinction

2. Hamsa Upanishad (“The Swan”)

This Upanishad, part of the Shukla Yajurveda, describes the Hamsa Vidya, a mystical path focused on the internal sound and the “Swan” of the breath.

• Anatomical Focus: It details the 12-petalled lotus in the heart and the specific effects of meditating on each petal, such as achieving virtues like passion, sleep, or spiritual knowledge.
• Internal Sound (Nada): It lists 10 progressive sounds heard during meditation, starting from a soft “Chini” sound and culminating in the 10th sound like “thunder” (the sound of Brahman).
• The “Swan” Mantra: It teaches that every breath contains the mantra Ham-Sa (I am He), which through practice becomes So-Ham.
  Key Differences at a Glance

Through the Ajapa Gayatri, the Hamsa Upanishad teaches that every living being is already a yogi; the practice simply lies in becoming aware of the mantra that the life force (Prana) is already chanting.

Concept of Mind
The Amritabindu Upanishad and the Hamsa Upanishad provide deep insights into the nature of the mind and its role in spiritual liberation. Both texts emphasize that the mind is the central factor determining whether a person remains in bondage or attains freedom.

Meaning: The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation.

According to the Amritabindu Upanishad, the mind alone is the cause of both bondage and liberation. When the mind is attached to desires, sense objects, and external experiences, it becomes restless and leads to suffering. However, when the same mind is detached, controlled, and steady, it becomes the means to liberation.

Meaning: When the mind is completely controlled, liberation is certain.

A disciplined mind leads to clarity and realization of the Self (Ātman), whereas an uncontrolled mind creates illusion and confusion. The Upanishad teaches that through meditation, detachment (vairāgya), and control of mental modifications (vṛttis), the mind can attain complete stillness. In this still state, it merges into pure consciousness, leading to self-realization.

The Amritabindu Upanishad gives a precise and powerful teaching on the nature of the mind by distinguishing between the pure mind (śuddha manas) and the impure mind (aśuddha manas). It teaches that liberation or bondage depends entirely on the condition of the mind.

Pure Mind (शुद्ध मनस्)

Meaning: The pure mind is free from desires.

A pure mind is: Free from craving , Calm and steady , Detached from external objects This mind reflects the Ātman (true Self) clearly.

Impure Mind (अशुद्ध मनस्)

Meaning: The impure mind is filled with desires and thoughts.
An impure mind is driven by: Desires (kāma) , Imaginations and projections (saṅkalpa) .Attachments to sense objects Such a mind is: Restless , Distracted , Bound to pleasure and pain This leads to ignorance and suffering.

Meaning: When the mind is controlled, liberation is certain. When mental fluctuations (vṛttis) stop: No distraction remains , No duality is experienced ,The Self is realized This is mokṣa (liberation).

The Hamsa Upanishad complements this teaching by linking the mind with breath (prāṇa). It explains that the natural sound of breathing—So’ham (“I am That”)—serves as a powerful tool for controlling the mind. By becoming aware of this subtle mantra and synchronizing it with breathing, the mind gradually becomes calm and focused.

The Upanishad symbolically describes the individual self as a “hamsa” (swan), which moves between the physical and spiritual realms. When the mind is restless, it remains attached to the external world. When it is controlled through breath awareness and meditation, it realizes its unity with the Supreme Self (Paramātman).

The Hamsa Upanishad presents the concept of Ajapa Japa, a natural and effortless form of mantra repetition that occurs with the breath. Unlike traditional japa, which requires conscious repetition, Ajapa Japa happens automatically with every inhalation and exhalation.

According to the Upanishad, every living being unconsciously repeats the mantra “So’ham” (I am That) with each breath. During inhalation, the sound “So” is produced, and during exhalation, the sound “Ham” is produced. This continuous process is known as Ajapa Japa.

Ajapa Japa is closely connected with control of the mind and breath (prana). When attention is focused on the breath and the subtle sound of “So’ham,” the mind becomes calm, steady, and inwardly directed The Hamsa Upanishad teaches that Ajapa Japa is the most natural form of meditation. By simply becoming aware of the breath and its subtle mantra, the mind becomes purified and steady.

When the mind becomes still: Duality disappears ,The Self is realized ,Liberation (मोक्ष) is attained .Ajapa Japa is therefore not merely a technique but a realization — that one’s true nature is already divine.

Step-by-Step Practice

1. Sit in a comfortable posture with spine erect.
2. Close the eyes gently and relax the body.
3. Bring awareness to natural breathing.
4. Observe inhalation → mentally hear “सो”
5. Observe exhalation → mentally hear “हम्”
6. Do not control the breath — just observe.
7. If the mind wanders, gently return to the breath.
8. Continue this awareness effortlessly.
9. Over time, the mantra becomes automatic and continuous.

Thus, both Upanishads teach that purification, discipline, and inner awareness are essential. Whether through control of thoughts or awareness of breath, the ultimate goal is to transcend mental fluctuations and realize one’s true nature.

Hello, in Part 2 of Journey of a Satsangis I spoke about how I learned about the Peepal Grove School (PGS) from Sri M’s book Apprenticed To A Himalayan Master and decided to contact them for potential volunteering opportunities. For those who haven’t read it yet, links to Part 1 and Part 2 of the journey can be found at the end of this article.

After learning about PGS, I was able to find their contact details from their website and nervously called the number provided. It was answered by a graceful female voice who turned out to be Sunanda, Sri M’s wife, who was at the time the principal of the school. I introduced myself briefly and I explained to her that I was hoping to volunteer at her school.

Sunanda: Well, what can you do?
Sam: Well, I’m very open to do anything, I have an education in computer engineering so I could tutor students in math or science or even run chess lessons as I played competitively while I was in high school
Sunanda: Actually, we have been wanting to start chess lessons at our school and haven’t been able to find a teacher. Why don’t you come visit our school and if we like you and you like the school maybe we can work something out.

I was thrilled at the positive reception! I agreed to visit the school and Sunanda connected me with Viraj, who was the school coordinator at the time (he is now the principal at the school and I remain close to him and his family) to work out the details. Viraj let me know that the school was currently closed for winter break so asked me to visit around Christmas time when he and some other teachers and students would be back at the school. I agreed to visit PGS from December 20 – 23.

It was early December so I had a few weeks to fill before heading to PGS. I spoke to Raghul (who had, by then, become my de facto guide in India) about the good news and he let me know that a very famous temple, the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple was in Tirupati just 75 km away from PGS. I also learned that the Satsang Vidyalaya campus (which is where Sri M’s lives) was in Madanapalle and not too far from PGS as well. I decided to visit both the temple and the Satsang ashram before heading to PGS

Raghul convinced me to get the full India experience and take a train to Tirupati to visit the Tirumala temple. He even agreed to take a couple days off school and make the trek to Tirupati with me. Raghul helped me book a couple of sleeper seats for the train ride from Coimbatore to Tirupati and got his cousin to drop us off at the train station. The train ride from Coimbatore to Tirupati was ~10hrs, and being India, the train itself was 6 hrs late. Rather than get frustrated, I remembered my promise to accept all parts of the journey and spent some time speaking with my fellow commuters and learning about their journeys.

Most of the people I met were workers who spent their days in the city, often returning to their villages only occasionally to be with their families. I was deeply moved to learn that many of them took on demanding labour jobs to support loved ones they might only see a few times a year. It was a humbling and eye-opening experience—one that gave me a much deeper appreciation for the life I had known in Canada.

The train carried us gently across the rolling landscape of India, and somewhere along the way, I found myself completely taken in by the beauty of the hills and countryside. I remember thanking Raghul for convincing me to take the train—it turned out to be one of those simple decisions that opens your eyes to something unforgettable.

We made frequent stops at small villages, where vendors would come right up to the windows of the train, offering freshly prepared food and local treats. There was something wonderfully alive about it all. Raghul and I happily shared a delicious chicken biryani, enjoying not just the meal, but the moment itself as the journey unfolded around us.

We finally arrived in Tirupati at ~2 a.m., a little later than planned due to the earlier delay. I was especially grateful to have Raghul with me—he was not only a great companion but he was also able to find an auto rickshaw for us to get to the hotel. I’m not sure how I would have managed without him!

After just a couple of hours of sleep, we were back up again, hoping to get an early start on securing tickets for the temple. By 5 a.m., we were already in line. After nearly four hours waiting in line, just as we were approaching the ticket booth, the tickets sold out.

Strangely, I didn’t feel too disappointed about missing out on the tickets. I learned that we could still visit the temple grounds, and at the time, I was more interested in meeting the people and hearing their stories than in seeing the inside of a temple.

By then, though, I had become somewhat of an expert at waiting in lines in India. I passed the time chatting with the people around me learning about their journeys. Some pilgrims had walked nearly 250 km (barefoot!) from Bangalore to reach Tirupati—and were planning to walk the final 20 km up the hill to the temple.

Unlike many of the pilgrims, I hired a car to drive Raghul and I up the hill to the Tirumala temple–I think hiking the 20 km uphill trek would have been the end of me. The drive up the hill was beautiful and as we wound our way up, we were treated to a sweeping panorama of Tirupati stretching out below us.

Raghul and I spent the day walking around the temple grounds and enjoying the festivities. I guess it was very apparent that I was a foreigner since people would stop by and ask me to take “selfies” with them. It was a great way for me to meet fellow travellers and hear their wonderful stories.

People travelled to the temple to make offerings (with many people shaving their hair as an offering) to Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Vishnu. I knew very little about the Indian gods at the time so it was more of a treat to interact with the devotees.

After spending a couple of days in Tirupati enjoying the energy of the temple, Raghul had to get back to Coimbatore for his studies and I wanted to visit the Satsang Vidyalaya campus before heading to PGS. I went to the bus station with Raghul to see him off and then booked a car to take me to Madanapalle to visit the Satsang campus for the first time.

To be continued…

Satsang is a Sanskrit term derived from sat (meaning truth) and sangha (meaning company/community) and refers to gathering with like-minded individuals, often with a guru, to listen to spiritual teachings aimed at elevating consciousness and fostering spiritual growth

Links to previous episodes:

Part 1: His name is M?

Part 2: 1st Impressions of India

The Amritabindu Upanishad (part of the Krishna Yajurveda) explains that the mind alone is the cause of both bondage and liberation. It defines two states: the impure mind, attached to sensory desires, and the pure mind, free from desire. Its name means “drop of immortality,” hinting at a concentrated essence of spiritual truth. The text focuses primarily on the role of the mind in bondage and liberation, meditation on Om, and the realization of the Self (Atman) as the ultimate reality. It offers concise but profound guidance on attaining spiritual freedom through inner discipline rather than external ritual. Liberation occurs when the mind, controlled within the heart, is detached from sensory objects and realizes its essence

What is the central teaching of the Upanishad?
A: The Upanishad teaches that the mind is the primary factor in both bondage and liberation. A mind that is attached to sense objects and selfish desires becomes bound in suffering, while a mind detached from sense objects and disciplined through meditation and detachment leads to spiritual freedom and self-realization. The real liberation comes not from external religious acts but from mastering and purifying the mind.

How does the Upanishad define bondage and liberation?
A: Bondage arises when the mind is attracted to sense objects and worldly desires, leading to identification with the body and emotions. Liberation begins when the mind is freed from attachments and consistently turned inward toward the Self. When the mind rests in its natural, desire-free state, one is liberated from suffering, ignorance, and the false sense of separateness from the eternal Self.

Why is the mind so central to spiritual life?
A: The text states that the mind alone is the cause of both bondage and liberation for human beings. When the mind is full of desire and distraction, it binds the seeker to repeated cycles of pleasure and pain. When the mind is detached from sense objects and directed inward toward the Self, it becomes the instrument of liberation. Mastery of the mind is therefore the core task of spiritual practice.

What role does meditation play according to this text?
A: Meditation is the key spiritual practice in this Upanishad. It teaches that true meditation is not mere intellectual reflection, but steady, disciplined meditation that turns the mind inward. When the mind is free from attachment to sensory objects, it dissolves in the heart and realizes the Self. Meditation on Om (AUM) is specifically recommended as a tool to calm the mind and transcend thought, leading to the direct experience of the unchanging Self.

What is the significance of Om in this Upanishad?
A: Om (AUM) is presented as the sound symbol of the supreme reality. Meditation on Om leads the seeker to transcend mental activity and realize the unmanifest, imperishable Self that lies beyond words and thoughts. Om embodies the essential nature of Brahman and serves as a focal point for deep meditation that dissolves the illusion of separation.

How does the Upanishad view desires and attachment?
A: It categorizes the mind into pure and impure states — the impure mind being attached to desires and sense objects, while the pure mind is free of such cravings. Desires lead to restlessness, ego, and suffering. Freedom (moksha) comes when the mind becomes detached and no longer clings to sensory objects, enabling inner stillness and realization of the Self.

What is the role of ignorance in this teaching?
A: Ignorance (avidya) is described as the veil that prevents one from seeing the underlying reality of the Self. It is this ignorance that leads to identification with the body and mind, causing suffering. When ignorance is dispelled through meditation and self-knowledge, one sees the Self as eternal and unchanging.

How does the Upanishad guide handling the restless mind?
A: It teaches that the restless mind should be controlled with steadfast meditation and detachment from sense pleasures. When the mind is stilled, it naturally turns inward and dissolves into the awareness of the Self, the source of true peace.

What does the Upanishad say about knowledge vs. meditation?
A: It suggests that true knowledge is not merely conceptual but arises from deep meditation on the Self, which leads to self-realization. This experiential knowledge is superior to mere intellectual or ritualistic approaches.

What is the ultimate goal according to this Upanishad?
A: The ultimate goal is self-realization — knowing one’s Self as Brahman, pure consciousness that is eternal, infinite, and undivided. Upon realizing this, all limitations of duality dissolve and the seeker attains lasting peace and liberation.

What practical guidance does this text provide for everyday seekers?
A: It encourages seekers to detach from worldly desires, discipline the mind through meditation, focus on the Self, and cultivate inner calm. Instead of pursuing external accomplishments alone, one learns to look within for true peace and freedom. This practical approach to life helps reduce fear, craving, and mental agitation, leading to clarity and deeper joy.

Name of the participant – Vishal Verma

I got motivated to start yoga around 7 years ago when Sri M Sir visited IIT Delhi. He spoke about how yoga can support our spiritual journey, and that really stayed with me. From that moment, I felt deeply called to start practicing yoga every day, and BYK classes really helped me become regular in my practice.

Before joining the classes and now — there is a huge difference. Initially, my practice was on and off. I lacked consistency and direction. But now, I feel much more connected to my practice. I feel emotionally stronger, more stable, and more focused in all aspects.

Talking about changes in my body, energy, and mood — my body feels lighter and more energetic, and I experience less stress. My mood is calm, and I have become more patient. Like Sri M Sir says, in the beginning, when we churn, first the poison comes out, but eventually it brings nectar. I have truly experienced that after continuing yoga regularly with the help of these classes and teachers.

There were particular moments that made my practice more meaningful. One such moment was when a teacher explained how specific practices are linked to the chakras of the human body. That deeper understanding made my yoga journey much more meaningful.
BYK beginner classes — at first, they felt difficult and even a bit tough because my body wasn’t used to it. But slowly, the way BYK teachers guide us makes it very approachable. Over time, I started enjoying the flow of the asanas and could clearly see real progress.

I would recommend this beginners’ course to everyone, especially “un logon ko jo apne liye thoda time nikalna chahte hain”. These classes help you become a better version of yourself. You’ll find a perfect balance of asana and pranayama, and most importantly, you’ll find teachers who genuinely care.

My heartfelt gratitude to BYK and the teachers.

Thank you for reading