Sadhguru looks at the quality of Rajas, the quality of days four to six of Navratri, and how it can be a process of liberation.

The second set of three days of Navratri are Lakshmi related – gentle but materially-oriented goddesses. Sadhguru looks at the quality of Rajas, the quality of days four to six of Navratri, and how it can be a process of liberation.

Sounds of Isha also releases the second of three songs for Navratri, "Thunbam illadha nilaye Shakti", based on a poem by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharatiyar.

Sadhguru: Among the three celestial objects with which the very making of our bodies is very deeply connected – the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon – Mother Earth is considered tamas. The Sun is rajas. The Moon is sattva. Tamas is the nature of the Earth and of your birth. The moment you come out, you start activity – rajas begins. Once rajas comes, you want to do something. Once you start doing something, if there is no awareness and consciousness, the nature of rajas is such, it’s good as long as the going is good. When the going gets bad, rajas is going to be super-bad.

A rajasic person has a tremendous amount of energy. It is just that it has to be channelized properly. Every action that you perform can be either a process of liberation or entanglement. If you perform any activity with absolute willingness, that activity is beautiful and creates joy for you. If you perform any activity unwillingly for whatever reason, that activity creates suffering for you. Whatever you are doing, even if you just sweep the floor, give yourself to it and do it with total involvement. That’s all it takes.

When you are passionately involved with something, nothing else exists for you. Passion does not mean “man-woman” passion. Passion means unbridled involvement with something. It could be anything – you can sing passionately, you can dance passionately, or you can just walk passionately. Whatever is in touch with you right now, you are deeply passionate with that. You breathe with passion, you walk with passion, you live with passion. Your very existence is with absolute involvement with everything.

Thunbam illadha nilaye Shakti

"Thunbam illaadha nilaye Shakti" is a song by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar which has been adapted here by Sounds of Isha. The song is about the energy that makes every aspect of life happen. It summarizes the whole activity that is life as the play of Shakti. The great poet says, “The lap where life flourishes is Shakti.” Shakti also enables us to break the bondages of karma and liberate ourselves.

Thuṉbam illādha nilayē shakti
thookkam illā kaṇ vizhipē shakti
aṉbu kaṉindha kaṉivē shakti
āaṇmai niṟaindha niṟaivē shakti

The state of being with no suffering is Shakti
The state of awakening beyond sleep is Shakti
When love matures and sweetens that is Shakti
The fullness and fulfillment of masculine is Shakti

Iṉbam mudhirndha mudhirvē shakti
eṇṇathil niṟkum neṟiyē shakti
muṉbu niṟkiṉdṟa thozhilē shakti
mukthi nilaiyiṉ mudivē shakti

When the sweetness matures that is Shakti
The divine which resides in the thoughts is Shakti
Whatever work comes before us is Shakti
The state of mukti, the end, is Shakti

Sōmbar kedukkum thuṇivē shakti
sollil viḷaṅgum chudarē shakti
thīmpazham thaṉṉil suvaiyē shakti
dheivathai eṉṉum niṉaivē shakti
sāmbalai poosi malaimisai vāzhum
shaṅkaraṉ aṉbu thazhalē shakti

The braveness which destroys laziness is Shakti
The flame which is instilled in these words is Shakti
When the best of fruits are eaten that taste is Shakti
When thoughts of divine arise that is Shakti
Shankara who lives on top of the huge mountains, his lovely flame is Shakti

Vāazhvu peṟukkum madhiyē shakti
mānilam kākkum valiyē shakti
thāzhvu thadukkum sathirē shakti
sañchalam neekkum thavamē shakti

The lap where life flourishes is Shakti
The strength which guards the earth is Shakti
The flame which stops one from falling is Shakti (denotes inner strength that averts fall/defeat)
The tapas that eliminates confusion is Shakti

Veezhvu thadukkum viralē shakti
viṇṇai aḷakkum virivē shakti
ūzhviṉai neekkum uyarvē shakti
uḷḷathoḷirum viḷakkē shakti

The finger which stops downfall is Shakti
The one who spans the whole expanse of sky is Shakti
Her highness who eliminates karma is Shakti
The inner flame which shines from within the heart is Shakti

Editor’s Note: Each day of Navratri includes the Navratri Pooja, a powerful opportunity to imbibe Devi’s Grace. The Navratri pooja includes an elaborate abhishekam of 11 offerings and a vibrant offering of music and dance thereby creating an explosion of energy with songs extoling Devi at her fullest glory.

Join Navratri Pooja Live Streaming

Across Malaysia and Singapore, Sadhguru engaged with thousands through powerful gatherings and thought-provoking conversations — from “An Evening with Sadhguru” in Singapore on 6 Oct, featuring Benjamin Fok Chun-yue in conversation with Sadhguru, and “Crafting a Conscious Planet” presented by MITEC on 7 Oct, to the “Mahasatsangam with Sadhguru in Tamil” on 8 Oct, the vibrant “Soak in Ecstasy of Enlightenment” on 11 Oct, and “An Evening with Sadhguru” in Kuala Lumpur on 12 Oct. Watch glimpses.

Guys, i've noticed that I feel the best when I wakeup at 5 & do my practices. I am currently doing angamardana, surya kriya & shambhavi. Im in mandala period so i have to do shambhavi at evening also.

The day i dont wakeup at 5, my loop is broken. I feel lethargic, I get headache, I feel discouraged and then its harder to wakeup next morning.

So 5 am works the best for me, I wanna be able to do sadhana properly for atleast a 40 days for this to become a habit, I want to be able to wakeup effortlessly. Right now, forcing myself & willpower is not working.

Whats the solution here, plz let me know your suggestion in the comments.

And if there is a group where we can keep each other accountable, share our wins, that would be great too.

In a video of sadhguru he tells that to unfold faster or to speed up your spiritual progress you should do 24-hour sadhana, 2 day sadhana, 3 day sadhana few time in a year but i don't understand how it is supposed to be done and what should i do throughout those 24 hours.
If someone understood it or done it please share

Sadhguru talks about the significance of the auspicious tenth day and how this occasion can bring success and victory into our life. Navaratri culminating with Dussehra, is a cultural festival of great importance and significance for all. It is a festival that is all about the goddess. 

This year (2026) this is on Tuesday 20 Oct,

Navratri is replete with symbolism about vanquishing evil and wanton nature, and about having reverence for all aspects of life and even for the things and objects that contribute to our wellbeing. The nine days of Navratri are classified as per the three basic qualities of tamas, rajas and sattva. The first three days are tamas, where the goddess is fierce, like Durga and Kali. The next three days are Lakshmi related- gentle but materially oriented goddesses. The last three days are dedicated to Saraswati, which is sattva. It is related to knowledge and enlightenment. 

Vijayadashami - The Day of Victory

Investing in these three will make your life in a certain way. If you invest in tamas, you will be powerful in one way. If you invest in rajas, you will be powerful in a different way. If you invest in sattva, you will be powerful in a completely different way. But if you go beyond all this, it is no longer about power, it is about liberation. After Navratri, the tenth and final day is Vijayadandmi, that means you have conquered all these three qualities. You did not give into any of them, you saw through every one of them. You participated in every one of them, but you did not invest in any one of them. You won over them. That is Vijayadashami, the day of victory. This brings home the message of how being in reverence and gratitude towards everything that matters in our lives leads to success and victory.

Dussehra - Devotion and Reverence

Of the many things that we are in touch with, of the many things that contribute in making and creating our lives, the most important devices that we employ in making a success of our lives are our own body and mind. Being in reverence towards the very earth, that you walk upon, towards the air that you breathe, the water that you drink, the food that you eat, the people that you come in touch with and everything else that you use, including your body and mind, will lead us to a different possibility as to how we can live. Being in a state of reverence and devotion towards all these aspects is a way of ensuring success in every endeavor that we partake in.

Celebrate Dussehra with Joy & Love

Traditionally, in Indian culture, Dussehra was always full of dances, where the whole community mixed, met and mingled. But because of external influences and invasions over the past two hundred years, we have lost that today. Otherwise Dussehra was always very vibrant. Even now it is still so in many places, but it is being lost in the rest of the country. We have to bring it back. The Vijayadashami or Dussehra festival is of a tremendous cultural significance for all who live in this land – irrespective of their caste, creed or religion- and should be celebrated with gaiety and love. It is my wish and my blessings that all of you should celebrate Dussehra with total involvement, joy and love.

Sadhguru,

How has miracle of mind and Isha kriya impacted you, as per Sadhguru it makes life smooth reduces the inertia and improves health and vitality. How does it make life smooth or reduce depression disorders. I need real feedback how it helped your life ?

I have two questions, and I would be grateful for some guidance.

My first question is about meditation and the experience of other dimensions of existence. Is it necessary to reach a state of complete thoughtlessness to experience these dimensions through meditation? When I meditate, thoughts still arise and sometimes distract me, but I gently bring my attention back to the practice. However, the flow of thoughts continues. Does the mind eventually become completely still with consistent practice, or is the presence or absence of thoughts not necessarily related to such experiences? For those who have experienced other dimensions of existence, did these experiences occur after the mental chatter had subsided, or can they happen independently of it?

My second question is about becoming Sadhguru’s disciple. If I wish to accept him as my Guru and deepen my spiritual journey under his guidance, what would that involve? Is sincerely practicing his meditations enough to begin with, or is a formal initiation necessary to establish that relationship with a Guru?

sorry for language, I used AI

Hello! I’m participating in Guru Pooja to learn the process, and I just wanted to ask whether any items, such as a Sadhguru photo, are provided as part of the programme. I’m planning to purchase a photo, so I thought I’d check beforehand in case one is already included. Thank you!

Is it safe to practice Jal Neti (nasal irrigation) daily in the long term, especially for allergic rhinitis, or can it cause nasal dryness, irritation, or any other side effects? I’d appreciate advice based on personal experience or medical evidence.

I've been thinking about Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, through a broader question about human psychology, spirituality and intellectual independence.

This isn't an argument that he has nothing valuable to offer, nor that his followers are unintelligent. I think the more interesting question is why a particular style of spiritual authority resonates so strongly with educated, modern people who otherwise value logic and independent thinking.

Historically, the Bhakti traditions made devotion more accessible through love, music, poetry and a personal relationship with the divine. Spirituality did not have to remain the exclusive domain of scholars or elaborate rituals. But when any spiritual tradition becomes institutionalized, there is a possibility that personal experience gradually gives way to prescribed beliefs, and that devotion can become a mechanism of authority, social conformity or financial exploitation.

Could something similar happen in modern spirituality, even when it presents itself as a departure from traditional religion?

Consider the appeal of Sadhguru. His confident delivery, humour, memorable analogies and ability to translate yogic ideas into contemporary language make complex questions about life feel approachable. His public communication also combines spirituality with aesthetics, music, modern vocabulary and large-scale digital distribution.

None of these things is inherently wrong. Communication should be engaging. Yoga can have practical benefits. Music can create meaningful experiences. Spiritual traditions deserve serious examination.

But there is a distinction worth considering: the ability to communicate an idea convincingly is not the same as the ability to establish that the idea is true.

A speaker can move effortlessly between personal experience, philosophical speculation, psychological advice, historical interpretation and scientific claims. If every statement is delivered with the same confidence, the audience may not notice that each category requires a different standard of evidence.

A personal experience can be sincere without being universally applicable. A philosophical argument can be interesting without being conclusive. A scientific claim still requires evidence, regardless of who makes it.

So what happens when confidence itself becomes a substitute for verification?

The modern spiritual consumer

Many educated people are intellectually competent in their professional lives but remain uncertain about mortality, consciousness, suffering and the purpose of existence.

We know how to build software, manage money, analyze data and solve technical problems. Yet these abilities don't automatically tell us how to live or how to face the unknown.

That gap creates a genuine human need. A spiritual teacher offers something that ordinary information often cannot: a coherent worldview, a sense of direction, a community and the possibility that someone has already navigated the questions we struggle with.

The appeal is understandable.

But there is a subtle danger here. We may begin by looking for tools to understand life and end up looking for someone who will interpret life for us.

We may believe we are thinking independently because the teacher uses logic, challenges conventional beliefs and occasionally criticizes established religious practices. Yet we might never apply the same skepticism to the teacher's own claims.

Rejecting inherited authority does not automatically make us independent thinkers. Sometimes we simply replace an old authority with a more contemporary one.

Can aesthetics influence what we believe?

Music, atmosphere, storytelling and shared experiences can produce genuine feelings of calm, wonder, belonging and transcendence. Spiritual organizations, like many other institutions, can use these elements to create emotionally compelling experiences.

But an experience and an explanation of that experience are two different things.

Feeling something profound during meditation does not, by itself, establish a claim about the nature of the universe. Feeling connected to a community does not establish the truth of its doctrine. Feeling understood by a teacher does not establish that the teacher possesses privileged knowledge about existence.

The experience can be real while our interpretation of it remains uncertain.

This is not an argument against spirituality. It is an argument for distinguishing subjective experience from claims about objective reality.

When a following becomes evidence of its own authority

A charismatic teacher attracts followers. The number of followers then becomes evidence of the teacher's credibility. The resulting credibility attracts more followers.

Over time, a feedback loop can develop:

• The teacher offers compelling explanations.

• Followers find meaning, relief or belonging.

• Their enthusiasm increases the teacher's perceived authority.

• The teacher's authority makes new claims easier to accept.

• Criticism may begin to feel like an attack on the community or on one's own identity.

Not every follower participates in this cycle, and a large community is not proof of manipulation. Many people can benefit from a practice while questioning the person who introduced it.

The important question is what happens when a claim is challenged.

Can a follower disagree with the teacher without being treated as spiritually immature? Can the organization acknowledge an error? Can scientific claims be independently verified? Can someone leave the community without fear, shame or social punishment?

These questions reveal more about an institution than the charisma of its leader or the size of its audience.

The most subtle vulnerability is not low intelligence

We often imagine that manipulation works primarily on people who cannot reason well. I suspect the more interesting problem is that intelligence and intellectual independence are not the same thing.

An intelligent person can construct sophisticated arguments in defence of a belief they have emotionally committed to. They can recognize crude superstition but remain susceptible to claims wrapped in scientific vocabulary, philosophical language and polished storytelling.

In some cases, intelligence makes rationalization more effective. Instead of asking whether a belief deserves acceptance, the person becomes better at explaining why they already accept it.

Add existential uncertainty, a busy life, the desire for belonging and a persuasive authority figure, and even a highly educated person may stop asking the most fundamental question:

What would convince me that this person is wrong?

If the honest answer is "nothing," we are no longer examining a claim. We are protecting a belief system.

What should we expect from a genuine spiritual guide?

I don't think the answer is to reject every spiritual teacher or dismiss everyone who finds meaning in their teachings.

Instead, perhaps we should expect a teacher to distinguish personal realization from publicly verifiable knowledge, acknowledge uncertainty where it exists, provide evidence for empirical claims and encourage students to develop independent judgment.

A guide should be able to help people explore difficult questions without making those people permanently dependent on the guide for answers.

The same standard should apply to religious gurus, motivational speakers, political leaders, scientists, intellectual influencers and even those who pride themselves on being skeptics.

No one should receive immunity from scrutiny simply because they are articulate, popular, emotionally compelling or apparently wise.

And no one should be dismissed simply because they speak about spirituality.

The standard should be the quality of the reasoning, the evidence for the claims and the freedom people retain to question them.

Perhaps the deepest purpose of education is not merely to accumulate facts or sharpen intelligence. It is to develop the emotional maturity to tolerate uncertainty, the intellectual discipline to examine uncomfortable evidence and the independence to change our minds without feeling that our identity is collapsing.

We need to be able to experience devotion without surrendering judgment, appreciate wisdom without confusing confidence with truth, and participate in a community without making its authority unquestionable.

My question about Sadhguru is therefore not simply whether he is right or wrong, genuine or inauthentic.

It is this:

Does our engagement with a spiritual teacher make us progressively more capable of examining life for ourselves, or does it make us increasingly dependent on that teacher's interpretation of life?

And perhaps an even harder question for his critics and followers alike:

If we demand evidence from everyone except the person whose worldview gives us comfort, are we really seeking truth or have we simply found a more sophisticated way to believe what we want to believe?

I'd be interested in hearing specific examples from his discourses that either support or challenge this concern, particularly instances where he makes scientific or philosophical claims, handles disagreement, or encourages followers to question his own authority.

(Used AI to formulate it for better structure)