MANASSU

What Is the Mind?

What is the mind? Why does it move and waver? How can it be made still? These are the fundamental questions this chapter addresses.

Mana eva jnanam manute manohi jyoti manohi brahma.

(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad)

“Mind itself is Jnanam (pure Knowledge). It is Jyoti (Light). It is Brahman (the Supreme Reality).”

The mind in its deepest, truest nature is Knowledge itself — it is Light, it is Brahman. But the mind we use in everyday life carries a different meaning from this highest definition.

Shrunushva vidvan mana eva jivo manohi Vishnuh mana eva Sheshah,

Manohi maya mana eva bandhah manolayam muktiraya yathartha.

(Mahavakya Darpana)

“Listen, O wise one: Mind itself is the Jiva. Mind itself is Vishnu. Mind itself is Maya. Mind itself is bondage. Dissolution of the mind (Manolaya) alone is the true liberation.”

Mind is the Jiva. Mind is Maya. Mind is bondage. Mind is Vishnu. Mind is the world. Manolaya — dissolution of the mind into its source — alone is true liberation. In this verse the mind is described at its functional level — as the very source of duality, illusion, and bondage.

Manomatra midam dvaitam advaitam paramartha.

(Manu Smriti)

“Duality arises from the mind alone. In ultimate reality, only non-duality (Advaitam) exists.”

When the mind is still, it is Brahman — pure Light and Knowledge. When the mind moves, it becomes the Jiva, Maya, the world, and bondage. Thoughts arise from the mind, but thoughts are not the mind. Waves arise from water, but waves are not water. If you look only at the waves, the water beneath cannot be perceived. Similarly, the Brahman-mind — when mixed with thought-waves — appears only as a collection of thoughts, and its true nature as the root-foundation does not become visible.

Thoughts are coming from the mind, but thoughts are not the mind. Waves come from water, but waves are not water. When you look only at the waves, the water beneath cannot be seen.

This moving mind (Chala Manassu) has many synonyms: Chitta, Chetasa, Hridayam, Svantam, Manasa, Manah. When still, the mind is like a vast unmovable mountain. When it moves, it becomes like a waterfall flowing from that mountain. What everyone experiences is the waterfall of the moving mind — not the mountain of the still mind.

Why Does the Mind Move? — Prana Is the Cause

Chale Vate chalo bindu nishchale nishchalo bhavet,

Yogi sthanutva mapnoti tato vayu nirundhayeth.

(Yoga Chudamani Upanishad 20)

“When Vayu (Prana) moves, the Bindu (mind-point) moves. When Vayu is still, the Bindu becomes still. The Yogi attains unshakeable stillness. Therefore, one must restrain the Vayu.”

The cause of the mind’s movement is Vayu — Prana. When Prana moves, the mind moves. When Prana is made still, the mind too becomes still. In that state of complete stillness, the Yogi stands like a motionless pillar.

Yatha dipo nivatastho nengate sopamasmrita,

Yogino yatachittasya yunjato yogamatmanah.

(Bhagavad Gita 6:19)

“Just as a lamp in a windless place does not flicker — this is the analogy for the Yogi whose mind is controlled, absorbed in the Yoga of the Self.”

Yat prana pavana spanda chitta spanda sa eva hi,

Prana spanda kshaye yatno kartavyo dhimatochake.

(Yoga Vasistha)

“The movement of Prana-Vayu and the movement of the mind are one and the same. One who is wise must make the effort to extinguish the movement of Prana.”

Both the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Vasistha confirm that the movement of Prana and the movement of the mind are one and the same process — not two separate events. The flickering lamp is precisely the analogy: the lamp is the mind, the wind is the Prana. The Yogi’s work is to create inner windlessness — the arrest of Prana movement through Pranayama.

Mind Is Bound to Prana

Pranabandhanam hi saumya manah.

(Yoga Vasistha)

“O gentle one! The mind is indeed bound to Prana.”

Manasah spandam pranah pranasya spandam manah,

Ete viharato nityam anyonyam ratha sarathi.

(Yoga Vasistha)

“The movement of the mind is Prana, and the movement of Prana is the mind. These two always travel together — alternating as charioteer and chariot to each other.”

Prana and the mind are permanently bonded — like a chariot and its charioteer. During external worship (Japa, Puja, Yajna), the mind acts as the charioteer, directing Prana toward an external object. During Pranayama, Prana acts as the charioteer, directing the mind inward and upward.

The world believes external worship is the path to controlling the mind. But here lies the great Brahma Rahasya — the hidden secret of the scriptures: external worship alone cannot take the mind to the Brahmarandhra (the crown — the seat of liberation). Only Prana — when made the charioteer through Pranayama — can carry the mind inward and upward to the Brahmarandhra.

External worship moves the mind outward using Prana as the vehicle. Pranayama reverses this: it makes Prana the charioteer, taking the mind inward and upward to the Brahmarandhra — the only path to liberation.

This is why — despite sincere Puja and ritual practice — most people continue to experience mental agitation. Without Pranayama, the root cause of mind-movement (Prana movement) is never directly addressed. External worship occupies the mind but does not still the Prana. Only Pranayama directly attacks the root cause.

The Mind’s Functions — From Desire to Fear

Kamasankalpa vichikitsa shraddha-ashraddha,

Dhritir adhritih hridhri bhih ityadhi mana eva.

(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3:5:3)

“Desire (Kama), intention (Sankalpa), doubt (Vichikitsa), faith (Shraddha), lack of faith, steadiness (Dhriti), unsteadiness, modesty (Hri), intelligence (Dhi), fear (Bhih) — all these too arise from the mind alone.”

The entire spectrum of human psychological states — from desire to fear, from faith to doubt, from courage to shame — all arise within and from the mind. The mind is therefore not just the seat of thought: it is the source of every emotional and volitional state in human experience.

The Mind as the Cause of Both Bondage and Liberation

Mana eva manushyanam karanam bandha mokshayoh,

Bandhaya vishayasaktam muktirnir vishayam smritam.

(Amritabindu Upanishad 2)

“The mind alone is the cause of both bondage and liberation. When the mind is attached to sense-objects, it is in bondage. When free of sense-objects, that is liberation.”

The mind turned outward (Bahirmukha) clings to sense-objects and creates bondage. The mind turned inward (Antarmukha) becomes free of sense-objects and attains liberation. Liberation is not a place one travels to — it is the state of the mind when freed from the compulsive pull of sense-objects.

Yogena antarmukhih buddhis tastoh nashayate tamah.

(Katha Upanishad — Sri Shankaracharya’s commentary)

“Through Yoga, the Buddhi becomes Antarmukhi (inward-facing), and then the darkness of Tamas (ignorance) is destroyed.”

Only through Yoga does the Buddhi truly turn inward. Once it does, the darkness of Tamas and Ajnana is burned away. The sequence is: Yoga → Antarmukhi Buddhi → Destruction of Tamas → Jnanam.

Prana-Victory Is the Only Means to Mind-Victory

Nana vidhaira vicharaistur na badhyam jayate manah,

Tasmat tasya jayopayah prana eva hi nanyadha,

Tarkairjalpaih shastrajalaih yukti bhir mantra bheshajair,

Na vasho jayate pranah siddhyupayam vina vidhe,

Upayam tam vijeyam yogamargehi pravartate.

(Yoga Shikhopanishad 1:11)

“However one examines and reflects, the mind cannot be won by any means other than Prana. That Prana-victory is not achievable by arguments, verbose discussion, scriptural learning, reasoning, mantras, or medicines — without the established method. That method proceeds only on the path of Yoga as taught by the Siddhas.”

This is the most direct declaration of this chapter: the mind cannot be conquered by any means other than Pranayama (Prana-victory). Not by arguments. Not by scriptural knowledge. Not by mantras. Not by medicines. Only by the direct restraint of Prana through Yoga practice as taught by the Siddha lineage.

The mind cannot be won by arguments, scriptures, logic, mantras, or medicines. Only by Prana-victory through Yoga — as taught by the Siddhas — is mind-victory possible. (Yoga Shikhopanishad 1:11)

The moving mind — that is, the Jiva — returning again to become Brahman: the path for this is Yoga alone. There is no other path to liberation.

What Is Concentration of Mind?

The Stone-in-Lake Analogy

When a stone is thrown into a lake, waves arise. The force of the stone reaches the shore, and waves continue until then. At that moment, whatever object lies at the bottom cannot be seen. Similarly, due to Prana Vayu movement, many Mano Vikalpa (mental waves) arise continuously. Until Prana Vayu movement is arrested, the waves of Sankalpa-Vikalpa will not stop. Until they stop, the still luminous Brahman at the Bhrumadhya cannot be perceived.

Moreover, just as the light of a flame diminishes when the flame flickers — the light of Jnanam within dims as the luminous mind (Kantimayam Manassu) moves. This is the root cause of Ajnanam: moving mind → dimming of Jnanam-light → Brahman misperceived as the world of duality. A rope seen in dim light appears to be a snake. Brahman seen through the flickering mind appears to be the world.

Attempting to purify the mind through meditation without first controlling Prana is like trying to still muddy water without removing the agitating force — futile.

Drishyate tvagryaya buddhya sukashmaya sukshmadarshbhih.

(Katha Upanishad 1:3:12)

“The Atman is seen only by one-pointed (Ekagra) and pure (Nirmala) intellect — by those of subtle, refined vision.”

Only to the one-pointed, pure, and subtle mind does the Atman reveal itself. Making the mind pure — that is Yoga. Making it still — that is Dhyana. First purify through Yoga (Pranayama), then stabilise in Dhyana.

Yoga, Dhyana, and the Two Firesticks

The same truth is expressed through the metaphor of the two Arani sticks — the fire-kindling sticks used in Vedic Yajna:

Svadehamara nimkritva pranavam chottararanim,

Dhyana nirmathanabhyasad devam pashyen nigudhavet.

(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 1:14)

“Making one’s own body the lower Arani (fire-stick) and the Pranava (Om/Prana generated through Pranayama) the upper Arani — through the practice of Dhyana-friction (Nirmathanam) — one sees the God hidden deep within, the inner divine Tejas (light).”

The body is the lower fire-stick. The Pranava — the living Om generated within through Pranayama — is the upper fire-stick. When they are rubbed together through Dhyana practice, the inner fire is kindled and the divine light at the Brahmarandhra becomes visible.

The Om Pranayama and the Concentrated Mind

Om ity ekaksharam brahma vyaharan mam anusmaran,

Yah prayati tyajan deham sa yati paramam gatim.

(Bhagavad Gita 8:13)

“Uttering the single syllable Om — which is Brahman — while meditating on Me, one who departs leaving the body reaches the Supreme Goal.”

Omkar means Pranava — Prana itself. ‘Vyaharan’ means uttering it at length — accomplished through Pranayama. ‘Anusmaran’ (meditating/remembering) means: after Yoga practice, through Dhyana, the mind becomes pure (Nirmalam) and then still (Nishchalam). This is the meaning of concentrating the mind — Ekagrata.

The complete sequence: Pranayama (Pranava extended internally) → purification (Nirmalam) → Dhyana (stabilisation) → stillness (Nishchalam) → one-pointedness (Ekagrata) → direct vision of the Atman. This is the entire path of the concentrated mind.

[ Photograph ]

‘Jagadguru’ Adi Shankaracharya

CHAPTER SUMMARY — ENGLISH

Manassu (The Mind) — Key Teachings

• The mind in its deepest nature is Jnanam, Jyoti, and Brahman (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad). In its still (Nishchala) state it IS Brahman. In its moving (Chala) state it becomes the Jiva, Maya, bondage, and the perceived world.
• ‘Manomatra midam dvaitam’ — Duality arises from the mind alone. In ultimate reality, only Advaita (non-duality) exists. The moving mind creates the illusion of duality; the still mind is Brahman.
• Thoughts arise from the mind but are not the mind — just as waves arise from water but are not water. Seeing only the thought-waves, one cannot perceive the Brahman-mind beneath. The practice implication: address the root cause (Prana), not the individual thoughts.
• The cause of mind-movement is Prana Vayu. When Prana moves, the mind moves. When Prana is stilled through Pranayama, the mind too becomes still — like a lamp in a windless place (Bhagavad Gita 6:19, Yoga Vasistha).
• Prana and mind are permanently bonded (Yoga Vasistha: ‘Pranabandhanam hi saumya manah’). They alternate as charioteer and chariot. In external worship: mind drives Prana. In Pranayama: Prana drives the mind — this reversal is essential for liberation.
• Brahma Rahasya: External worship alone cannot carry the mind to the Brahmarandhra. Only Prana as charioteer — through Pranayama — can carry the mind inward and upward to the Brahmarandhra (seat of liberation).
• The mind is the cause of both bondage and liberation (Amritabindu Upanishad 2). Bahirmukha (outward) mind = bondage. Antarmukha (inward) mind = liberation. Yoga makes the Buddhi Antarmukhi, destroying Tamas (Katha Upanishad commentary by Shankaracharya).
• Yoga Shikhopanishad (1:11) is unequivocal: the mind cannot be won by any means other than Prana-victory. Not by arguments, logic, scriptural study, mantras, or medicines. Only by Yoga as taught by the Siddhas.
• Mind-movement dims the inner Jnanam-light like a flickering flame. In this dim state, Brahman is misperceived as the world of duality — just as a rope appears to be a snake in poor light. Stilling Prana steadies the flame, restoring full inner light.
• True Dhyana is only possible after Yoga (Pranayama) first purifies the mind. The sequence — Nirmalam (purification) through Yoga, then Nishchalam (stillness) through Dhyana — cannot be reversed.
• The Shvetashvatara Upanishad (1:14) metaphor: body = lower Arani, Pranava = upper Arani. Dhyana-friction kindles the hidden inner divine Tejas at the Brahmarandhra. The direct vision of God is the result.
• The complete path (Bhagavad Gita 8:13): Pranava (Om) extended through Pranayama + Dhyana = Nirmalam → Nishchalam = Ekagrata (one-pointed concentration) = Supreme Goal.

Key Concepts Glossary — English

Manassu / Manah: The mind; faculty of thought, volition, doubt, and feeling. In its still state it is Brahman; in its moving state it is the source of duality, Maya, and bondage.

Manolaya: Dissolution of the mind; the mind’s movement ceases and it merges back into Brahman. This is defined as true liberation (Mukti).

Nishchala: Completely still; the natural state of the mind when Prana is arrested. In Nishchala state, the mind is Brahman itself.

Jyoti: Inner light; the luminous nature of the still mind. ‘Manohi Jyoti’ — the mind itself is light.

Dvaitam / Advaitam: Duality / Non-duality. Duality arises from the moving mind alone. Advaita (non-duality) is the ultimate reality perceived by the still mind.

Chitta / Chetasa / Hridayam / Svantam / Manasa: Synonyms for the moving mind, each emphasising a different quality: accumulated impressions, conscious awareness, heart-mind, inner self, faculty of thought.

Bindu: Point or drop; the concentrated point of mind-consciousness that moves with Prana and stills with Prana.

Chala Manas: The moving/wavering mind; the functional mind of ordinary experience, the source of duality, Maya, and suffering.

Prana Vayu: The life-force/vital air; the direct cause of mind-movement. Prana-control is the only direct means to mind-control.

Pranabandhanam: The binding of mind to Prana; Yoga Vasistha’s teaching that Prana and mind are permanently and inseparably bonded.

Ratha-Sarathi: Chariot and charioteer; the alternating relationship between Prana and mind. External worship: mind is charioteer. Pranayama: Prana is charioteer.

Bahyarchana: External worship (Puja, Japa, Yajna). Valuable preparation, but cannot directly carry the mind to the Brahmarandhra without Pranayama.

Brahma Rahasya: The great scriptural secret: only Prana as charioteer can take the mind to the Brahmarandhra — not external worship alone.

Brahmarandhra: The crown of the head; the seat of liberation where Prana carrying the mind arrives in deep Yoga. The highest point of Sushumna Nadi.

Bahirmukha / Antarmukha: Outward-facing / Inward-facing mind. Bahirmukha = bondage (sense-attachment). Antarmukha = liberation (sense-freedom). Yoga makes the mind Antarmukha.

Mano Vikalpa: Mental modifications/waves; thought-fluctuations arising from Prana movement. They cease only when Prana is arrested.

Kantimayam Manassu: The luminous mind; its inherent quality of light dims when the mind moves (flickering flame) and shines fully when still.

Manaschalana: Movement of the mind; the root cause of Ajnanam. Through Manaschalana, Brahman is misperceived as the world of duality.

Ekagrata: One-pointed concentration on Brahman. The goal. Achieved only through: Yoga (Pranayama) → Nirmalam → Dhyana → Nishchalam → Ekagrata.

Nirmalam: Purified; the state of the mind after Yoga/Pranayama removes accumulated impurities. The prerequisite for Dhyana.

Dhyana: Meditation; stabilisation of the already-purified mind into stillness (Nishchalam). Cannot be properly practised without prior Yoga/Pranayama.

Arani: The two Vedic fire-kindling sticks. Body = lower Arani. Pranava (generated by Pranayama) = upper Arani. Their Dhyana-friction kindles the inner divine light.

Pranava: Om; the primal sound identified with the living Prana extended through Pranayama.

Manojaya / Pranajaya: Victory over the mind / Victory over Prana. Pranajaya (through Pranayama) is the only means to Manojaya. The reverse is not possible.

Siddhas: Perfected masters; the lineage of Yogis whose Yoga-teaching alone reliably produces Pranajaya and Manojaya.

Reflective Questions & Answers — English

Q1. The text says the mind is both Brahman and the source of bondage. How can both be true simultaneously?

A: This apparent paradox is resolved by the two states of the mind. In its still (Nishchala) state — when Prana is completely arrested — the mind is Brahman, pure Jyoti, pure Jnanam. In its moving (Chala) state — when Prana moves — the same mind becomes the Jiva, Maya, and the world of duality. The substance is identical in both states; only the state differs. Gold remains gold whether molten or formed into an ornament — but its pure nature is only clearly visible in the molten state. Similarly, Nishchala mind IS Brahman; Chala mind APPEARS as everything else.

Q2. What is the difference between thoughts and the mind, and why does this matter for practice?

A: Thoughts arise from the mind but are not the mind — just as waves arise from water but are not water. The mind is the substratum; thoughts are its temporary surface activity. This distinction matters profoundly because many practitioners try to stop individual thoughts one by one — as futile as trying to calm ocean waves individually. The real work is addressing the cause of thought-waves: Prana movement. When Prana is stilled through Pranayama, all thought-waves cease simultaneously — not because each thought was suppressed, but because their root cause was removed.

Q3. Why can’t external worship alone lead to liberation?

A: External worship (Bahyarchana) engages the mind as the charioteer of Prana, directing Prana toward an external object of devotion. This moves Prana outward and downward — it cannot take Prana to the Brahmarandhra. The Brahma Rahasya revealed here is: only Prana as charioteer through Pranayama can take the mind inward and upward to the Brahmarandhra. External worship is a preparation; Pranayama is the vehicle of liberation itself.

Q4. The Yoga Shikhopanishad says the mind cannot be won by logic or mantras. What does this mean for daily practice?

A: This verse addresses a common mistake: using intellectual means — study, debate, mantra repetition — as the primary method for mental stillness. All of these engage the mind with more activity rather than addressing the movement of Prana. They are like trying to steady a flickering lamp by rearranging what it illuminates rather than blocking the wind. Only Pranayama directly arrests the Prana movement that causes mental unrest. Scriptural knowledge inspires and orients; but only Yoga practice actually traverses the path.

Q5. What is the practical significance of the chariot-charioteer analogy?

A: In daily worship, the mind takes the lead — it chooses the object, generates the devotion, and drives Prana toward that object. This is a valid beginning. But for deeper progress, the relationship must be reversed: through Pranayama, Prana becomes the charioteer and takes the mind where it cannot willingly go — inward, upward, to the Brahmarandhra. This is why Pranayama feels qualitatively different from Puja — in Pranayama, the deeper intelligence of Prana begins to guide the process, not the choosing mind.

Q6. How does the flickering lamp explain spiritual ignorance?

A: The lamp of Jnanam burns within each person — but when the mind moves (due to Prana movement), the flame flickers, giving less light. In this reduced light, perception becomes distorted: a rope appears to be a snake in dim light. Similarly, Brahman — which is always present — viewed through the flickering mind appears as the world of multiplicity. Stilling Prana steadies the lamp-flame of Jnanam — and in its full steady light, Brahman is clearly perceived.

Q7. What is Manolaya, and how is it different from sleep?

A: Manolaya is the dissolution of the mind achieved through Yoga — the deliberate and conscious arrest of Prana upward through Sushumna, causing the mind to merge into Brahman at the Brahmarandhra. Sleep is the mind becoming temporarily inactive due to fatigue, with Prana withdrawing downward (Adhomukha/Tamasic). Sleep gives temporary rest without Jnanam. Manolaya gives permanent liberation with full Jnanam. The direction of Prana is the distinguishing factor: downward in sleep, upward in Manolaya.

Q8. What does ‘mind is cause of both bondage and liberation’ mean in practice?

A: It means liberation is not something external to be attained — it is a change in the orientation of the same mind that currently creates bondage. The Bahirmukha mind, pulled by sense-objects, creates the experience of a limited individual in a threatening world — this is bondage. The Antarmukha mind, freed from compulsive sense-attachment through Yoga, experiences the boundless reality of the Atman — this is liberation. The same mind; different direction. The entire effort of spiritual practice is this systematic turning of the mind inward — fully accomplished through turning Prana inward via Pranayama.

Q9. What is the meaning of the two Arani sticks in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad?

A: In Vedic Yajna, fire is kindled by rubbing two Arani sticks together — friction generates heat which ignites fire. In this metaphor: the body is the lower Arani (stable base), the Pranava Om — the living sound of Prana extended through Pranayama — is the upper Arani. The Dhyana practice (meditation following Pranayama) is the friction. The sustained, patient rubbing of the upper Pranava-Arani against the lower body-Arani kindles the hidden inner divine fire — the Tejas at the Brahmarandhra — the direct vision of God within.

Q10. What is the complete path from moving mind to liberation as outlined in this chapter?

A: (1) Understand: the mind’s true nature is Brahman — still, luminous, and free. (2) Recognise: the cause of mind-movement is Prana movement. (3) Practise Pranayama under Guru guidance to arrest Prana movement. (4) As Prana is arrested, thought-waves subside and the mind becomes Nirmalam (purified). (5) In the purified mind, practise Dhyana to achieve Nishchalam (stillness). (6) In Nishchalam, Ekagrata (one-pointed concentration on Brahman) naturally arises. (7) In Ekagrata, the Jnanam-light is no longer dimmed — Brahman is directly perceived. (8) Prana reaches the Brahmarandhra through Sushumna; the mind dissolves into Brahman — Manolaya = Moksha. Every step follows necessarily from the previous. There are no shortcuts.