The Mandukya Upanishad is the shortest Upanishad consisting of just 12 verses. This Upanishad is associated with the Atharva Veda and is also considered fifth among the canon of the 108 principle Upanishads. The Mandukya Upanishad focuses on elucidating the topic OM (or AUM) and the three states of, waking, dreaming and deep sleep, as […]
The Beautiful World of Sanskrit
When you study Sanskrit, you engage two subjects at the same time: The scholarly and the mystical. In my classes, I often share that Sanskrit is a meeting place of high grammar, which includes mental gymnastics of the intellectual world, and it’s also a doorway to the world of mysticism. Learning Sanskrit shows the practitioner […]
On The Subject of Baba Bhagavan Das
Baba Bhagavan Das was the Sad Guru of my teacher, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati. When I travelled with my guru in the 1980’s and 90’s, whenever he spoke of his own teacher, his eyes would well up, and he would be filled with emotion, as he attempted to say something about the man he knew. It […]
THE MYSTERY OF DURGA MATA & THE SACRED LINK BETWEEN GURU & SHISHYA
When I first met Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, I remember being amazed at how beautiful his teachings were. At the time, I couldn’t believe anyone had a clue the way he did. During those initial months of learning from him, it was as if he read my mind and was teaching everything that I had been […]
How to Work with Karma
Contrary to popular understanding, karma is not a cosmic retribution scale. Karma is not you messed up and now (whatever bad there is) is comin’ for you. Karma is a field of energy. An energetic field of balance. Most people move about in life taking actions unconsciously and justifying the need for them. Yet every […]
The Importance of Satya
The Sanskrit word for truth is Satya. In our current climate, individually, politically, socially and spiritually, it feels more than ever that satya is to be studied. But how do we do this without asserting that our views, our perception, is better than the other guy? How can we be sure that we are on the side […]
The Gift of the Kena Upanishad
The Kena Upanishad is called a mukhya, which means a Principle Upanishad. It centralizes around the first word in its title, ‘Kena,’ which, in Sanskrit, means ‘By Whom?’ The focus of the Upanishad asks the reader to ponder what is the force that is up underneath everything? ‘By Whom’ is everything moving, growing and decaying? […]
Three Kinds of Yogic Vision in the Upanishads
The Upanishads form some of the oldest Yogic teachings. Within their verses and stories, the reader will discover the vision of the Rishis. It is this vision, a kind of Supra-Understanding, that the student wants access to. When you read the Upanishads and work to align with the vision of the rishis, you begin to […]
Five Key Sanskrit Terms Used in the Atmabodha
Luminous Soul Definitions 1. Ātmā Ātmā the Self, the Absolute Reality. Manorama’s Commentary: Atma is your highest Self. In the Atmabodha text, Shankaracharya lays out non-dualistic, Advaita Vedanta philosophy for coming into union with your highest Self or Atma. 2. Sākshī Sakshī means the witness, the observer, Eternal. Manorama’s Commentary: In yogic dialog, the Sakshi […]
Is Sanskrit the Oldest Language in the World?
The often mis-quoted idea in Yoga is that Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world. When I ask students, “What is their understanding of Sanskrit?” Someone will often say confidently, “Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world.” Though Sanskrit is very old. It is not the oldest language. One of the oldest forms […]
