Religion often relies on beliefs without evidence, creating divisions and control through fear and greed.
In contrast, Vedanta, the pinnacle of spiritual understanding from the Indian subcontinent, promotes unity and true knowledge, urging individuals to rise above dualistic beliefs and introspect for deeper understanding. READ ON SUBSTACK
Understanding the three Gunas explained in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita offers profound insights into human behaviour and consciousness. These three fundamental qualities—Sattva (goodness), Rajas (passion), and Tamas (ignorance)—shape our thoughts, actions, and overall life experience. Among these, the Tamasa Guna, which embodies indolence, laziness, lethargy, negativity, and pessimism, often acts as a significant impediment to personal growth and productivity. I refer to this as ‘Negative Karmic Inertia.’
Much like maintaining a good hormonal balance is crucial for physical health, achieving a harmonious balance of the three Gunas is essential for a fulfilling and enriching life. By understanding and managing our Guna levels, we can enhance our self-awareness and work towards self-improvement. The real transformation happens within, even if the knowledge and inspiration come from external sources.
Excessive Tamas is like a heavy weight that chains a person to the ground, preventing any positive change and perpetuating a state of lethargy and inertia. It not only affects one’s behaviour but also distorts one’s ability to rationalise and make sound decisions. A person overwhelmed by Tamas might find themselves stuck in a cycle of inaction and negativity, unable to break free and achieve their true potential.
The Srimad Bhagavad Gita provides a detailed explanation of the three Gunas and their effects on individuals:
SBG 14:5 – “The three Gunas or qualities are Sattva, which is the quality of goodness; Rajas, which is the quality of passion; and Tamas, which is the quality of ignorance; O mighty-armed one. They are born of Prakriti which is Nature. These qualities bind very fast the immutable embodied Self in the body.”
SBG 14:6 – “Of these, Sattva, which, due to its purity, is luminous and healthy, frees a person of all Karmic reactions. Those of this Guna are attached to knowledge and to happiness, O sinless one.”
SBG 14:7 – “You should know Rajas to be the Guna or nature of passion, which is the source of desire and attachment. O Arjuna, it binds fast to the embodied Self by attachment to action.”
SBG 14:8 – “Tamas is born of ignorance and deludes all embodied beings. O Arjuna, this results in the binding of the embodied soul by negligence, sleep and laziness!”
SBG 14:9 – “O Arjuna, Sattva binds one to happiness, Rajas to action, while Tamas shrouds knowledge and binds one to idiocy.”
SBG 14:10 – “O descendant of Bharata (Arjuna), Sattva prevails over Rajas and Tamas, while Rajas manifests itself by overpowering Sattva and Tamas; and Tamas manifests itself by subduing Sattva and Rajas.”
SBG 14:11 – “When the light of wisdom shines through every sense in this body, it may be known that Sattva is predominant.”
SBG 14:12 – “When greed, endeavour for material gains, restlessness and longing arise; Rajas is predominant, O Arjuna.”
SBG 14:13 – “The presence of illusion, darkness, recklessness and delusion in a person indicate the predominance of Tamas in them, O Arjuna.”
Many people struggle with feelings of demotivation and an inability to achieve their goals. This internal blockage often stems from an excess of the Tamasa Guna. Conversely, those driven by an excessive Rajas Guna might find themselves aggressive and even harmful in their pursuit of desires.
SBG 3:36-37: Arjuna asks Krishna: What prompts a man to perform sinful deeds, O descendant of Vrshni? Why does he commit such acts even without desiring to do them, as if he were forced?
Shri Bhagavan Krishna replies: Lust and anger are born out of the material nature called Rajoguna, which is insatiable and prompts man to commit sin. You must know that this is the greatest enemy in a man’s spiritual life.
Understanding one’s Guna ratio is akin to a doctor diagnosing a patient: it allows for targeted self-improvement. By identifying and addressing the predominant Guna that is out of balance, individuals can work on the specific areas needed to overcome unwanted situations in life.
The path to self-improvement begins with self-study and introspection. Rather than casting blame on external factors, it is crucial to look within and understand the internal dynamics that drive our behaviour. By doing so, we can achieve a harmonious balance of the Gunas, leading to a more pleasant, enriching, and fulfilling life.
Finally, the knowledge of the three Gunas offers a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth. By recognising the influence of Tamas and working to balance it with Sattva and Rajas, we can overcome negative karmic inertia and realise our true potential. The journey to self-improvement is an inward one, and the key to success lies in understanding and managing the forces within us.
Reflect on your own Guna ratio, identify the areas that need attention, and take the necessary steps to bring balance and harmony into your life. Embrace the power of self-awareness and let it guide you towards a brighter, more fulfilling future.
If you truly want to change your life, it is you who must change, for the world will not bend to your will.
What if everything you perceive as reality is just an illusion shaped by your mind? In the ancient teachings of Advaita Vedanta, the analogy of the rope and snake is a powerful tool used to illustrate this profound truth. Imagine seeing a rope in dim light and mistaking it for a snake. Your fear and reactions are real, but the snake is not. The rope never ceases to be a rope, just as the ultimate reality never changes, despite our misconceptions. READ MORE
In the timeless wisdom of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna reveals a profound truth in Shloka SBG 7:03
मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये |
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः
manush-yaaNaam sahasreshu kash-chi-dyatati siddhaye
yatataa-mapi siddhaa-naam kash-chinmaam vetti tattvataha (SBG 7:03)”
“Out of thousands of men, hardly one tries to achieve perfection in Self-realisation and among those trying so hard to do so, there is hardly one who achieves perfection in Self-realisation and among those who do achieve Self-realisation, there is hardly one who truly knows Me.”
This revelation highlights a stark reality: the path to true SELF-realisation is trodden by only a few, and among those few, even fewer truly comprehend the essence of the Divine.
Reflecting on this, it’s remarkable to consider the efforts of Shri Adi Shankaracharya, my prime human spiritual guru. In the timeless ‘NirvaaNa Shatakam,’ he encapsulated profound truths in merely six Shlokas. Yet, he journeyed across Bharata Varsha (India) by foot, enlightening kings and commoners alike with the supreme knowledge of Vedanta. Why such an arduous endeavour? The answer lies in the pervasive ignorance that clouds human intellect.
One who has not achieved mental clarity—being confused, scared, worried, stuck in a belief system, or a mental slave to someone—usually flashes the victim card at the drop of a hat. In contrast, one who is sincerely seeking treats all experiences as learning opportunities. Simply put, I am extremely thankful to all those who cheated, hurt, insulted, or tried to harm me in the past. Without them, I might not have had sufficient fuel to propel my ship to the heights of bliss I have managed to create for myself in any given situation.
For ten years, yes, TEN YEARS, I have dedicated myself to this blog, sharing the rational philosophy of Vedanta. Many have visited, gained some insights, made minor life changes, and moved on. Some, however, have exhibited a shocking lack of courtesy and decency, demanding answers without a trace of respect. Here’s a recent example on my contact page from an Indian person living in the USA: “Can you break your fast completely second day of Navratri if you can’t do it or don’t have proper items is it a sin. Can I break my fast for Navratri or did I already break it before 8 by eating fruits and ate food after 9 pm doing aarti.” No greeting, no politeness—just a blunt demand for an answer, coupled with a disregard for the language they’re using, which is the main language of the country they are living in! This is the impression these people create of Indians. And what am I supposed to say to such a query? Is this a typical ‘Indian’ way of interacting with people? I can’t even discern what this person wants from me!
Well, on October 11th, 2024, two of this blog’s sincere and senior-most followers (senior not in terms of age but in years of association with this blog and my mission), along with my oldest and most trusted friend, and I had an online meeting to discuss Atma, Anatma, and the Mahavakya ‘Pragnyaanam Brahma’. The joy of engaging with such true seekers is simply indescribable, contrasting sharply with the frustration of dealing with blind believers who spread nonsense without understanding even the basics of Vedanta.
If the idea of discussing Vedanta resonates with you, if you wish to free yourself from the shackles of intellect-numbing belief systems, if you desire to live a life that is peaceful and blissful, and if you feel a genuine pull towards Vedanta, you may write to me and express your interest in joining our next online discussion. You can always go through the posts on this blog and watch videos on the Tavamithram YouTube channel. For the rest, feel free to continue on your current path—no pressure, no problem.
Seekers, let’s continue seeking Truth together.
Welcome to this new segment, where engaging discussions delve into the insightful and thought-provoking posts on this blog by Tavamithram. These conversations explore the teachings of Vedanta, highlighting how Tavamithram’s unique interpretations challenge mainstream beliefs and offer profound wisdom validated by ancient scriptures.
This interactive dialogue aims to make complex philosophical concepts accessible and engaging, encouraging you to delve deeper into the transformative knowledge shared on this blog. Clicking on the titles of each podcast takes you to the relevant post on this blog.
I was appalled and, at the same time, amused by the news of animal fat being found in the laddus sold in Tirupati!
Animal fats can be categorised as milk fats, rendered fats, and fish oils (marine oils). The main representative of milk fats is the fat from cow’s milk (milk fat, butter fat, butter oil). All other milks are of almost no importance as far as their fats are concerned.
As a pure vegan, I can say that this is another case of typical Indian hypocrisy. Many people, blinded by traditions, complain about animal fat but consume ghee. Where do they think that fat comes from? From plants? Ghee comes from the secretion, often containing pus, of bovine animals, which secrete it for their own young ones and not for fully grown adults of a different species!
Is there any other species that drinks mammary secretions in adulthood? Not even bulls do. And more so from another species! Indians are accustomed to a lot of nonsense in the name of ridiculous traditions. This stems from a lack of knowledge.
People don’t have time to spend three hours reading a copy of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and reflecting on the supreme knowledge it offers, but when it comes to following family traditions blindly, they do so without asking a single question!
In Chapter 1, Arjuna talks about family traditions being lost, and Krishna does not even consider it something worth discussing. In Chapter 4, Krishna tells Arjuna in so many words to ask questions and get answers. He never advocated blindly following meaningless traditions.
Krishna, in Shloka SBG 9:26 says:
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः || ९ २६ ||
patram pushpam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktyaa prayacchati
tadaham bhaktyu-pahritam-
ashnaami praya-taat-manaha (SBG 9:26)
“I accept whatever is offered to Me with devotion and a pure heart. It could be a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water.” HE DID NOT SAY: STEAL A CALF’S BABY FOOD AND POUR IT ON ME!
Have you ever considered the plight of the poor cows kept in horrifying conditions, their milk taken from them? When they deliver male calves, the poor little chaps are sent straight to the slaughterhouse to be killed and their tender meat used for something else, all because they will not give milk! And these vegetarians think they are absolved of all the brutal murders done to these animals just because their meaningless traditions tell them they should consume animal milk?
IF YOU STAY SILENT ABOUT A CRIME BEING COMMITTED, YOU ARE COMPLICIT IN IT.
Watch the videos below that I published some time ago, and help your conscience come out after being shrouded for so long under ignorance. That’s called evolution.
All confused or pseudo-devotees of Krishna, please remember that YOU ARE THAT, and so is everything and every being!
No! No creature was created for you to steal its baby food or kill and eat it!
SBG 13:27 (or 28 in some editions)
समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् |
विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति || १३ २७ ||
samam sarveshu bhooteshu
tisht-hantam parameshvaram
vinashyatsva-vinashyantam
yah pashyati sa pashyati
(SBG 13:27)
The person who truly sees is the one who sees the Paramatma or Supreme Self, existing equally in all beings – the unperishing within the perishing.
There was a man called ‘Agyani’, who ‘lost himself’ and set out to ‘find himself’!
Don’t waste your time looking for yourself outside your subjective awareness! That is impossible! Contemplate yourself! Because that is the path towards Atmagnyaana – the Highest Achievement possible!
Krishna Jayanti, or Janmashtami, marks the celebrated ‘birth’ of Bhagavan Shri Krishna, an event cherished across the globe. But how does this celebration reconcile with Krishna’s own words in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, where he declares that He was never born, nor will He ever die?
Consider this profound Shloka:
नत्वेवाहं जातु नासं
न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः |
न चैव न भविष्यामः
सर्वे वयमतः परम् || २ १२ ||
na tvevaaham jaatu naasam
na tvam neme janaadhi-paaha
na chaiva na bhavishyaa-maha
sarve vayam-ataha param
SBG 2:12
“There never was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings. We will also never cease to exist.”
In this Shloka, Krishna emphasises the eternal nature of the Atman. The physical birth and death that we observe are but mere transitions in the infinite existence of the SELF. Krishna, as the Supreme Being, transcends these limitations of time and space.
Arjuna, puzzled by this concept, continues with his questions and, in Chapter 4, asks Krishna as follows:
अर्जुन उवाच |
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वतः |
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति || ४ ४ ||
arjuna uvaacha
aparam bhavatho janma
param janma vivasvathaha
katham-etha-dhvijaa-niiyaam
tva-maadhau proktavaa-nithi
SBG 4:04
Arjuna said: “Your birth was after the birth of Vivasvaan. How should I understand when You say that You taught this Yoga to him?”
To this, Krishna responds, illuminating the mystery of His divine nature:
श्रीभगवानुवाच |
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन |
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परंतप || ४ ५ ||
sri bhagavan uvaacha
bahuuni me vyatii-taani
janmaani tava-chaarjuna
taan-yaham veda sarvaaNi
na tvam vettha parantapa
SBG 4:05
Sri Krishna said: “Many births of mine as well as yours have passed. I know all of them, but you don’t, O Parantapa (Arjuna – destroyer of enemies).”
Here, Krishna acknowledges the cyclical nature of birth and rebirth, highlighting that while He is aware of all His incarnations, Arjuna remains unaware.
Krishna then reveals the ultimate truth of His existence:
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा
भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् |
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय
संभवाम्यात्ममायया || ४ ६ ||
ajo ‘pi san-navya-yaathma
bhuuthaanaa-miishvaro ‘pi san
prakrthim svaa-madhisht-haaya
sambhavaa-myaathma-maayayaa
SBG 4:06
“Though I am unborn and imperishable, and although I am the Bhagavan of all beings, I do incarnate by my own Maya or My Divine Energy.”
Krishna’s ‘birth’ is not conventional; it is a divine descent, an incarnation born of His own will and energy, symbolising the emergence of pure intellect after dispelling layers and layers of ignorance. Krishna Jayanti, while celebrating His appearance, also invites us to reflect on the deeper spiritual truths He embodies.
In this short video I’ve created, I delve into the essence of Krishna Janmashtami and how embracing these teachings can transform your life and lead to enduring bliss:
At the end of the short video, I have translated Shloka SBG 2:12 into six Indian languages apart from English.
It is crucial to remember that taking scriptural texts literally can lead one astray from the true path of Self-Realisation, potentially fostering rigid belief systems or cult-like thinking. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita offers profound wisdom—absorb its philosophy, and use it to cultivate a life of fulfilment and spiritual growth.
A ‘disclaimer’ from Srimad Bhagavatam (not Srimad Bhagavad Gita)
Canto 12, Chapter 3, Shloka 14
Shloka 12:3:14 Srimad Bhagavatam
कथा इमास्ते कथिता महीयसां
विताय लोकेषु यशः परेयुषाम् ।
विज्ञानवैराग्यविवक्षया विभो
वचोविभूतीर्न तु पारमार्थ्यम् ॥ १२.३.१४॥
kathaa imaaste kathita mahiiyasaam
vitaaya lokeshu yashah pareyushaam
vignyaana-vairaagya-vivakshayaa vibho
vachovibhootiirna tu paaramaartham
“Shukadeva Gosvami spoke: O mighty King Parikshith, I have shared with you the accounts of these illustrious kings, whose fame and great deeds echoed worldwide before their departure. However, my fundamental intention has always been to impart the wisdom of the transcendental and the path of renunciation. Although the stories of kings embellish these narratives with grandeur and opulence, they, in and of themselves, do not represent the ultimate essence of knowledge.“
Feel free to explore the resources I offer to sincere seekers on this journey.
Srimad Bhagavad Gita Resources
Jai Shri Krishna
In this enlightening video, we delve into the profound teachings of Krishna as presented in Shloka 13.4 or 13.5 of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita. Krishna emphasises that the truth is articulated through Vedic hymns and the Brahmasutras with reason and logic, leaving no room for blind belief or unquestioned acceptance.
Explore why genuine understanding and research are vital for spiritual growth. Watch this video titled “No Blind Belief but Reason and Logic” (Video 93 of the Hundred Logos Calls series) to gain insights into the importance of questioning and seeking knowledge.
Religious divisions often stem from differing beliefs, yet the Srimad Bhagavad Gita transcends such systems by not enforcing or even recommending blind belief. Krishna encourages reflective thinking and personal choice, urging us to seek deeper wisdom and live with a sense of duty, free from attachment.
Explore how spiritual evolution is about acquiring true knowledge, not performing meaningless rituals. Learn to apply the teachings of Vedanta to your life for genuine transformation.
Embrace the wisdom of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and start your journey towards spiritual evolution.
Stay blessed.
Jai Shri Krishna.
I am happy to share with you, six insightful and transformative downloadable PDFs, each addressing a crucial aspect of personal growth and spiritual development. These resources are designed to help you navigate life’s challenges with wisdom and grace:
Download these PDFs now to embark on a journey of self-improvement and spiritual enlightenment.
Quiz Chapter 2/18 on The Ever-Relevant Gita: A Present-Day Rendering by Tavamithram Sarvada
Have you acquired for yourself a copy of the above-mentioned publication? It is available in paperback, audiobook, and e-book formats.
Please take the following Quiz on Chapter 2/18 You will need to sign using your Gmail ID.
Tavamithram Sarvada 