Sanskrit Studies

AUTHENTIC TRAINING TO STRENGTHEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SANSKRIT, YOGA & LUMINOUS SOUL TEACHINGS

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Wisdom & Strength

The Mandukya Upanishad

by manorama

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

by manorama

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 […]

How to Work with Karma

by manorama

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 Gift of the Kena Upanishad

by manorama

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

by manorama

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 […]

Is Sanskrit the Oldest Language in the World?

by manorama

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 […]

The Upanishads: Oral & Written Tradition

by manorama

The word Upanishad means to sit in proximity to. Upanishad is a Sanskrit word that derives from the elements upa + ni + sad. Upa + ni = proximity or nearness and sad = to sit. Sanskrit was an oral language for a long time and even today it is impossible to learn Sanskrit without […]

How to Relate with a Crazy Parent

by manorama

What is a healthy parent? I define it as a protective force, a guide, a support, a place of profound unconditional love and nurturance. Not all people have experienced this with their parents. What is a crazy parent? In this sense, a crazy parent doesn’t mean a clinically or mentally ill person. Nor is this […]

The Unifying Nature of Sanskrit

by manorama

There is a term that gets used when you learn Sanskrit it is called ‘The Sanskrit Tradition.’ When I first heard it, it caught me and I thought “Hmmm ‘The Sanskrit Tradition,’ what does that mean?” What is this emphasis on the word ‘tradition’? Those immersed in The Sanskrit Tradition will call it that. The […]

Seva: Healing Through Giving (Part III)

by manorama

Connection with love leads to seva. Seva is the seventh Pillar in the Luminous Soul Method. It is the pillar that follows after Bhakti, devotion. To engage Seva after Bhakti is a natural progression. The more you connect with your sense of love and devotion the more you will see those around you as part of your very […]

Seva: Healing Through Giving (Part II)

by manorama

In part 1 of the Luminous Soul Seva Series, I spoke about how you can engage seva in a variety of short ways. I shared how you can work with this Luminous Soul Pillar of seva in your daily life through quick connects or medium connects. But what about when you feel called to perform seva in a more substantial […]

Seva: Healing Through Giving (Part I)

by manorama

In the Luminous Soul Method, Seva is the seventh pillar and is a Sanskrit word which means selfless service. As a practice, seva nourishes and supports both the receiver, as well as the one making the offering. Seva creates a healing channel of energy. Here’s how to use your Luminous Soul Practice to make these connections every day: […]

The Dance of Shiva & Shakti: The Play between the Point & the Zero

by manorama

My teacher, Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati spoke often in his yogic lectures about what he called ‘the play between the point and the zero.’ He would draw a circle on the large chalk board to represent the zero and then he’d place in the very center of the circle, a point. In those early years, I […]

Quick & Sacred Sanskrit: Shabda Tanmatra

by manorama

What is Śabda? Śabda means sound, word or vibration. Śabda is a tanmātra, a subtle element. Tanmātras are themselves the essence of potential. Śabda is the essential vibration that exists underneath manifested sound as well as the manifested sound itself. Śabda is said to be eternal. The eternal aspect of Śabda is called sphotam, which […]

What is the difference between an Invocation and a Mantra?

by manorama

Question: Dear Manorama, Recently, a student asked me the difference between an Invocation to Lord Patanjali and a mantra like the Gayatri Mantra. Can you explain this to me? Love, Śivā Manorama: What a lovely question. Ok let’s start with understanding a few pieces first: What is an invocation verse? An invocation verse is a […]

Quick & Sacred Sanskrit: Tanmatra

by manorama

So, what is a tanmātra? A tanmātra is a subtle element, which is itself the essence of potential. There exist five sense perceptions. For example, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. There are five tanmātras (śabda, rasa, gandha, rūpa, sparśa), which connect with these five sense perceptions and sense organs. The tanmātras blend together to […]

Re-Mystifying Rishi: The Seer of Light

by manorama

The word “Rishi” means seer or sage. Rishis are those beings who have perfected their understanding and vision of all things spiritual through intense tapas, or yogic practice. Rishis are considered to be channels for the intelligent spiritual light to pass through them from the Gods. When the Rishi focuses on a particular deity, that […]

Sanskrit: Elite Language or Language of the Heart?

by manorama

The Largess Over the past 20 years of teaching Sanskrit, I have discovered two distinct ways that people engage the language. Either people study Sanskrit and become more arrogant as a result or they connect more with their heart. The etymology of the word Sanskrit itself hints at its largess and these two ways of […]

Manorama: Knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita

by manorama

Yoganonymous chatted with Manorama about what it means to be a “knower of the field,” a phrase that appears in Chapter 8 of Bhagavad Gita. Q: It is mentioned in Chapter 8 of the Bhagavad Gita that one wants to become a knower of the field. Firstly, what is the field in the Bhagavad Gita? […]

Manorama: The Universe Beyond the Mind

by manorama

In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 69, Shri Krishna instructs Arjuna by telling him: What is the night for ordinary beings, the yogi is awake to and conversely what the yogi is awake to, the worldly minded beings experience that as the night.  So what is the night, in yoga? The night signifies ignorance […]

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    Find solace in these soulful 1 & ½ hour Zoom Satsang sessions where you will chant, meditate and listen to a wisdom discussion. Ask a life and or philosophy question or just sit back and listen to others’ questions and
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    Luminous Soul Satsang with Manorama

    Luminous Soul Satsang Sessions with Manorama are designed to support you in growing
    your meditation and yoga practice.

    Find solace in these soulful 1 & ½ hour Zoom Satsang sessions where you will chant, meditate and listen to a wisdom discussion. Ask a life and or philosophy question or just sit back and listen to others’ questions and
    be enriched by Manorama’s responses.

    Come away energized, easeful and inspired in your practice and in your life.

    LEARN MORE
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Thank you so much for the wonderful Sanskrit workshop! You are an incredibly inspiring and gifted teacher.

— David Life
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