ESSAYS

Viparita-bhavana is the persistence of old contrary habits even after Self-knowledge — the feeling of smallness despite knowing one is limitless awareness.

Viparyaya is maya's power of reversal — mistaking the finite body for the Self and the dependent world for reality. Self-knowledge corrects this inversion.

Vairagya is dispassion — the freedom that comes from knowing impermanent things cannot give lasting joy. It is not hatred or apathy, but clarity: engaging with the world without clinging or fear.

Uparati is the effortless withdrawal of the mind and senses from external preoccupation, leading to resting in one’s true nature.

Titiksha is the capacity to endure life’s inevitable opposites with cheerful acceptance. It steadies the mind for inquiry and prepares the seeker for Self-knowledge.

Tamas is the guna of inertia, veiling, and heaviness. It obscures knowledge, breeds lethargy and confusion, yet also provides stability and rest. In Vedanta, tamas must be transformed into sattva to prepare the mind for Self-knowledge.