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The article was published in Orrisabarta.

The word 'tatva' translates as element, something which is created and not the creator. Everything that is created is composed of 16 tatvas. The first five–prithvi (earth), jal (water), agni (fire), vayu (air) and akash (ether)—pertain to the Bhuloka or earth. The sixth element is the Shiv tatva, which corresponds to the agya chakra, located at the centre of the forehead. Between the visshudhhi and agya, there are 11 more tatvas and yet the Shiv tatva is called the sixth tatva because Shiv is adi, anadi, anant, akhand... which is beyond the comprehension of buddhi. A normal human brain functions on 7-8 per cent efficiency, which is enough for experiences of physical world, but to experience Shiv tatva, activation of higher senses is required. There are three knots in the body—Brahm Granthi, Vishnu Granthi and Rudra Ganthi. It is easiest to open the Brahma Granthi; Vishnu Granthi also opens up relatively easily, but opening the Rudra Granthi is extremely difficult. Till it ope...

When you see a great work of art, you marvel at its beauty. When you hear a beautiful piece of music, you want to listen to it again and again. When you read an interesting book, it stimulates your mental faculties. But these are the creations of that artist, that composer and that author. Isn’t it ironical that we engage day in and day out in taking pleasure in things that are someone else’s thought and creation, someone who, at times, we do not even know? How many of us care to access the source which triggered that thought process in that person to create something that we all admire? In the last 20 years of teaching yog, I have met many spiritual aspirants, the most learned and well read. I have attended countless spiritual meets where the discussions and concepts usually stem from the intellectual understanding of great works by masters. Adi Shankarcharya, based on his revelations, gave us the Saundarya Lahiri. Patanjali gave the yogsutras . Krishna summarised his gyan in the...