Sanskrit Translations

A Giant’s Dilemma

A long time ago, in the dense forest of Vindhyas, there lived giant who was gifted with a special power to assume any form at his will. As fancy as it may sound, the giant was apparently disgusted with his life. He desired to put an end to it. However, there was a problem.

UPCOMING WEBINAR: How Relevant is The Vedic Approach to Management for Sustainable Leadership?

The pandemic is far from over. Great many uncertainties continue to loom large while causing severe economic down impacting profits and incurring job losses. Organizations, be they big, medium, or small, continue to struggle. This is making a great many people to wonder if Capitalism is even the...

Yoga Practitioners as Counsellors for Emotional Wellbeing

By embracing deeper yet much needed Vedic knowledge disciplines, Yoga practitioners can, not just create a whole new avenue for sustainable revenue but also enable greater value creation. And since the Vedic counselling approach is about the balancing the mind through understanding and...

Kootaneeti: The Forgotten Art and Science of Covert Politics

Shakti or Power is the essence of Rajyam or Leadership. There are those who consider themselves to be either “unlucky” or “undeserving” of power as they cannot comprehend the dynamics of attaining or retaining it. Those who consider themselves to be “deserving” of power are often the...

LATEST BOOK: The VEDIC approach to MANAGEMENT for sustainable LEADERSHIP

Management is crucial - not just for individuals in leadership positions, but for anyone with responsibilities. Managing is about utilizing limited available resources to create value, generate wealth and achieve viable prosperity. While there is no shortage of appealing and entertaining...

The Wisdom of Kootaneeti for a Polarized World

Education is supposed to help us to define and understand the difference between the good and the bad. But what is good? And what is bad? Is that which is good - today, good - tomorrow? Is that which was bad yesterday, bad today as well? Such intellectually daunting questions are not even...

RECORDING: Being Calm amid the Storm

An interactive webinar by U. Mahesh Prabhu presenting the forgotten but practical teachings of the Vedic Rishis and Rishikas like Aditi, Gautami, Yami, Anamika, Avadhoota Dattatreya, Ashtavakra, Bhartrihari, Bharadwaja, and Parashara to understand the dynamics of mind and resulting stress, anxiety,...

Mana: The Mind

As per Ayurveda – which has its essence and inspiration from Vedic knowledge and wisdom –  says “Healthy mind leads to a healthy body”. Amrita Bindu Upanishad suggests “Mind is the cause for both; problems as well as solution.” The mind is the tool which enables us to understand and...

How to Calm a Disturbed Mind?

Mind that is driven by scientific temper seeks analysis and planning whereas the mind without the scientific temper seeks higher powers. Both type of minds often suffers – for there is no way to predict the future with precision. Expectation and desires of the mind are the reason for our pain....

Bhakti versus Bhranti: Understanding the crucial difference between Devotion and Delusion

Bhakti seeks unconditional acceptance of everyone, without any conditions. Bhranti seeks conditional submission. Bhakti gives love; Bhranti often confuses one’s lust for love. Bhakti helps in sustenance – within and without; Bhranti destroys within. Bhakti stems from within in the absence of...

Why Meditating is not the same as Praying?

Dhyana or Meditation and Prarthana or Prayer are never the same. Prarthana is a concept in which you declare yourself to be weak as well as helpless and, therefore, you seek help from someone else - earthlings or God(s). Dhyana or Meditation is where you accept that for all the pains in life you...

RECORDING: The Tale of Two Sanskrit

 Sanskrit is the language of the Vedic texts; the ancient and timeless works on knowledge and wisdom. Even though written millennia ago these Vedic texts continue to benefit humanity to this day. Zero, a Vedic invention, is the foundation of modern digital technology. Ayurveda pioneered...

Hitashatru: That mortal enemy we mistake for a dear friend

Jealousy of people is among the many things that come along with success and wealth. And it is by far the most potent threat as it could turn even a dear friend into a deadly enemy. And when that enemy continues to pose as a friend, enjoying proximity to you, (s)he becomes a Hitashatru.

Vedic Leadership Lectures

The Vedic Perspective on Criticism

Vedic Sanskrit word for criticism was निन्दा (Ninda.) The criticizer is निन्दक (Nindaka.) Whereas विनिन्दा (Vininda) & विनिन्दक (Vinindaka) stand for Unjust Criticism & Unjust Criticizer. Interestingly, in the languages that followed Vedic...

Lakshmi: The Vedic Science of Wealth   

Vedic philosophy has a unique understanding of “wealth” which it refers to as Lakshmi. Lakshmi is not simply the “Goddess” depicted in temples across the country. Although this science certainly inspired the image of the Goddess, Lakshmi in the real sense is the Vedic science of wealth...

Ahimsa: A Vedic Perspective

Dharma is not doing to others what you don't like being done by someone else to you. Dharma is that which sustains the order in self (mind), family, society, nation and the world at large. Dharma is sustained by doing things where the strong don’t thrive by suppressing the weak and the weak are...

Effective Decision Making: Why understanding Mana and Aatmana is crucial

Decision making is a crucial element at individual as well as institutional level. What we are today is owing to our decisions of the past and what we are to be tomorrow will be determined by the decisions we take today. Our decisions are based on situation(s) and suggestion(s) – all which is...

Sannyasa: The True Meaning

Brahmacharya, or abstention from sex is a very important part of Sannyasa. Most “modern thinkers” look down upon celibacy. Because they cannot live without sex – they assume no one can! Many modern gurus have come to downplay or ridicule celibacy, calling it “optional”. They usually...

Ekaanth: The Power of Solitude

Since time immemorial people have often feared isolation. Nobody likes to live isolated and, therefore, seeks the constant company of people. Solitude is synonymous to loneliness – a lack of feeling that something is missing, a pain, a depression, a need, an incompleteness, an absence. They...

The Kautilya's Perspective on Wealth: Artha, Vyartha and Anartha

Kautilya advises, “Wealth has only three ends – it’s either spent on deserving people or things, misspent on undeserving people and things or just rots away and falls into the hands of others (deserving or undeserving).” Stagnant wealth is of no utility.

Atman: The Ultimate Power Within  

Vedic teachings emphasize understanding and realizing the Atman also called Purusha.  While “Soul” could also be a translation of this word, as it is “the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal,” a much better word to understand Atman is...

Yogi, Bhogi & Rogi

Exclusive to Vedic Management Centre by U. Mahesh Prabhu As per Yogic teachings, there are mostly three types of people: Yogi (One who’s involved in a persistent effort to better oneself to better the world), Bhogi (One who’s hugely involved in satisfying his/her carnal pleasure) and Rogi (One...

Sukham & Duhkham: The Vedic Philosophy on Happiness and Sorrow

We are all born into this body without possessing anything. All that we gain is after the birth of this body. We are also sure to die, after which all that we have accumulated and achieved must be left behind. So, we are neither born nor do we die possessing anything. More like a computer game....

Essential leadership wisdom from Shukracharya

Niti Shastra, a collection of quotes from various rishis, is believed to have been compiled in an abridged form, originally, by Shukracharya - a great Rishi (sage). It is an ancient India classic on leadership, teaching primary ethics and principles of right behavior which remains relevant even...

Kautilya's Perspective on Justice & Revenge

In the absence of justice, error and evil thrive. Truly, evil only gets worse when those who are righteous resort to revenge and do not insist upon justice. The Ahimsa of Kautilya was based on the idea of Dharma. Ahimsa doesn’t mean you will never hurt anyone – it means you won’t hurt anyone...

The Abuse of Yoga

Bhogi is the antithesis of Yogi. While Yogi maintains detachment (not to be confused as being bereft of love) and is at eternal peace with a perpetually happy mind; Bhogi is one who is addicted to worldly pleasures and in every way manifests the Arishadvargas. Bhogi thinks about the loss of his...

Arishadvargas: The Six Detriments for Success

अरिशड्वर्ग (Arishadvargas) are six these six-detrimental-qualities a person must overcome to gain and retain material power and influence. Even one of the Arishadvargas is enough to cause a person's destruction. Similarly, the person who has overcome all Arishadvargas has the...

Purusharthas: Giving life a meaning

आहार Ahaara (food), निद्रा Nidra (sleep), भयं Bhaya (fear) and मैथुनं Maithuna (sex) are the four significant cravings of मन: Mana – mind – which transcends species, space and time. To sustain one’s body a living being needs food, to heal and...

Stress and Crisis management: The Vedic Approach

Hope and fear are nothing but figments of human imagination. When we fear, we affect our mind in a negative way; when we hope, we seek for viable alternatives. The Vedic thought, however, professes a golden middle path – a state of perfect equilibrium where you are neither worried nor fearful....