A Very Brief Intro to the Core Philosophy of Hinduism
"Tat Tvam Asi" – That Thou Art. (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7)
To a naïve person who is vaguely familiar with the ideologies of Hinduism, most ideas will correspond mainly to the three gods: Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. But the essence of Hinduism doesn't really lie in believing in these gods. These gods, more or less, on further reading, extend to the thought that they serve as accessible symbols to help the common person, who may not yet grasp life's deeper purpose and often gets lost in the whims of the mind.
I will focus primarily on the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, as it is the one I am most familiar with, though it is important to remember that different schools interpret the same foundational texts in various ways. A central line of inquiry for the ancient rishis begins with the nature of the mind. If the mind can generate its own world in a dream—complete with people, places, and physical sensations that feel entirely real at the time—then what is the true nature of waking reality?
A person without a sense of purpose finds life much more difficult. Feeling they don't fit in, they begin to question the world around them and, most painfully, themselves.
Therefore, it comes to the idea that the sages presented the idea of gods as a foundation. By having faith and engaging with the divine stories, a person becomes more grounded. These narratives are the vehicle through which the morals and ethics of a good life are transferred.
The philosophical core of Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma, is found in the final sections of the four Vedas, divided and compiled by the Great Sage Krishna Dwaipayan Veda Vyasa. These concluding portions, known as the Upanishads, form the basis of Vedanta (the "end of the Vedas"). While there are over 100 Upanishads, the principal ones attached to the Vedas provide the foundational insights. The word 'Upanishad' itself translates to "sit near," reflecting the tradition of a student sitting by a rishi to receive sacred teachings. The diverse philosophies of Hinduism are largely interpretations of three foundational texts: the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita, in particular, is revered as a perfect summary of Vedanta's essence, making its profound wisdom accessible to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of life.
As one delves deeper into this philosophy, the concept of a trinity of gods begins to dissolve, replaced by the profound emergence of the One. In its philosophical abstraction, Hinduism reveals itself not as polytheistic, but as a deeply monistic idea: there is a single, ultimate reality that is the substance of everything. We are not separate from this reality; we are its very essence. The distinction between the individual and the divine fades, leading to the understanding that "we are That, and That is us." Another mahavakya echoes this: "Aham Brahmasmi" – I am Brahman (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10). The ultimate purpose of life, therefore, is to realize this unity and liberate the self from the cycle of rebirth—a state of release known as moksha.
According to the sages, the world is in a constant, repeating cycle. Everything, from the universe's creation to its ultimate destruction, is cyclical. This process is often represented by the Trimurti: Brahma (creation), Vishnu (preservation), and Shiva (destruction). The abodes of these deities, such as Vishnu's Vaikuntha and Shiva's Kailash, are described as planes of existence where earthly sufferings like hunger and thirst are entirely transcended.
While the cosmos unfolds in eternal cycles, humans possess a unique gift: the intellect to question existence and uncover their true nature. This pursuit of self-realization lies at the heart of Hinduism's philosophical traditions, culminating in the discovery of the inner Self, often described through the concept of Turiya. It's important to note that this realization transcends the apparent limitations of the jiva (individual soul), which seems bound by illusion, awakening it to its identity with the unchanging atman (Self).
In Advaita Vedanta, the jiva is not the ultimate, independent "knower." The jiva appears as a limited entity due to ignorance (avidya) or illusion (maya), experiencing the world through the three states of consciousness (waking, dreaming, deep sleep). However, the true knower is the atman, realized in Turiya—the fourth state of pure, non-dual consciousness. Turiya isn't something the jiva "knows" separately; realization (jnana) awakens the jiva to its identity with Turiya/atman/Brahman, where all separation dissolves. It's not about elevating the jiva as knower but transcending its apparent limitations to recognize oneness.
To clarify how this connects to everyday experiences like knowing you slept well or identifying the "knower of the mind," let's break it down step by step through the lens of the Mandukya Upanishad's analysis of consciousness states (avastatraya):
Waking State (Jagrat): Here, the jiva identifies with the body and mind, perceiving the external world through senses. The mind is active, processing thoughts, emotions, and sensations.
Dreaming State (Svapna): The jiva shifts inward; the mind creates an entire illusory world from memories and desires, complete with its own "reality." No external input is needed, yet it feels real—highlighting the mind's creative power.
Deep Sleep State (Sushupti): The mind and senses cease activity. There's no perception of inner or outer worlds, no dreams, just undifferentiated bliss and ignorance. The jiva seems temporarily "dissolved," with no sense of time or self.
It is in this deep sleep we realize and ask something profound i.e upon waking from deep sleep, how do we intuitively know "I slept well" or "I experienced nothing." Who or what "knows" this absence? The body was inactive, the mind was dormant, and the jiva appeared merged into non-awareness where you had no awareness. This implies a continuous, unchanging witness that observes even the lack of experience—without being affected by it. This witness is Turiya, the fourth state, ever-present and underlying the other three like a screen on which movies (states) play.
Similarly, for the "knower of the mind": The mind fluctuates between happy, sad, dreaming, or blank but something observes these changes without changing itself. If the mind were the knower, it couldn't know its own absences (like in deep sleep). Through logical inquiry (vichara), the rishis deduced that this transcendent knower must be beyond body, mind, and intellect. It's not the limited jiva doing the knowing; rather, Turiya is the pure awareness that the jiva mistakenly claims as "I." Realization peels away the illusion, revealing the jiva's essence as Turiya itself—non-dual, eternal, and the true Self.
A famous anecdote illustrates this veiling: In the darkness of night, a rope tied to a hook may appear as a snake, causing fear. Similarly, our mind and jiva are veiled by ignorance (avidya), influenced by prakriti—the composition of nature through the three gunas (sattva, rajas, and tamas). Realization lifts this veil, allowing us to see beyond illusion and understand the true, unchanging reality.
In Turiya, the illusory ego dissolves entirely, revealing the non-dual Self as Brahman, beyond all states and modifications, as echoed in the realization 'Aham Brahmasmi'
ब्रह्म वा इदमग्र आसीत्, तदात्मानमेवावेत्, अहम् ब्रह्मास्मीति । तस्मात्तत्सर्वमभवत्; तद्यो यो देवानाम् प्रत्यबुभ्यत स एव तदभवत्, तथार्षीणाम्, तथा मनुष्याणाम्; तद्धैतत्पश्यन्नृषिर्वामदेवः प्रतिपेदे, अहम् मनुरभवं सूर्यश्चेति । तदिदमप्येतर्हि य एवं वेद, अहम् ब्रह्मास्मीति, स इदं सर्वम् भवति, तस्य ह न देवाश्चनाभूत्या ईशते, आत्मा ह्येषां स भवति; अथ योऽन्यां देवतामुपास्ते, अन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति, न स वेद, यथा पशुरेवम् स देवानाम् । यथा ह वै बहवः पशवो मनुष्यम् भुञ्ज्युः, एवमेकैकः पुरुषो देवान् भुनक्ति; एकस्मिन्नेव पशावादीयमानेऽप्रियम् भवति, किंउ बहुषु? तस्मादेषाम् तन्न प्रियम् यदेतन्मनुष्याविद्युः ॥ १० ॥
Brahman indeed was this in the beginning. It knew itself only as 'I am Brahman.' Therefore, it became all. And whoever among the gods became awakened to this, he indeed became that. It is the same in the case of seers, the same in the case of men. Seeing this, indeed, the seer Vamadeva knew, 'I have become Manu and Surya too.' Even now, whoever knows thus, 'I am Brahman,' becomes this all. Even the gods cannot prevent his becoming thus, for he becomes their self.
Much of the meaning in these texts is heavily paradoxical, implying deep, complex layers in remarkably short forms. For instance, the Upanishads often use "neti neti" (not this, not that) to describe the indescribable, forcing the mind to confront contradictions that point beyond logic to direct experience.
This question of reality's nature is fiercely debated. The Advaitic belief is that our perceived reality is maya, an illusion or veiling power. In this view, the universe is a grand superimposition on the one cosmic being, Brahman, of which we are all an inseparable part. In contrast, the Vishishtadvaita school posits that this world is real, not an illusion, but that it exists as the body of Lord Vishnu. The Vishnu Purana illustrates this cosmic scale with a breathtaking vision: Lord Vishnu sleeps in the cosmic ocean, and from his navel, a Brahma emerges to create a single universe. The lifetime of one such Brahma is equivalent to one kalpa of Vishnu, and countless such Brahmas can emerge, each creating their own universe. The idea that we exist within the cosmic expanse of Lord Vishnu is an awe-inspiring concept that captures the sheer scale of this philosophy and anticipates modern ideas of the multiverse.
The sages not only described this but developed techniques to control the mind and focus it. To this end, the texts by Maharshi Patanjali—the Yoga Sutras—discuss understanding the mind's composition and methods for controlling it, including meditation and dietary practices to maintain mental clarity.
So, controlling the mind is the first step to reaching moksha, and the Gita outlines different routes, drawn straight from Vedanta. If you really want to understand the destination—that state of Turiya—there's the Mandukya Upanishad. It's tiny, just 12 verses, but it's probably the most beautiful and direct explanation there is.
नान्तःप्रज्ञं न बहिष्प्रज्ञं नोभयतःप्रज्ञं न प्रज्ञानघनं न प्रज्ञं नाप्रज्ञम्। अदृष्टमव्यवहार्यमग्राह्यमलक्षणमचिन्त्यमव्यपदेश्यमेकात्मप्रत्ययसारं प्रपञ्चोपशमं शान्तं शिवमद्वैतं चतुर्थं मन्यन्ते स आत्मा स विज्ञेयः ॥
He who is neither inward wise, nor outward wise, nor both inward and outward wise, nor wisdom self gathered, nor possessed of wisdom, nor unpossessed of wisdom, He Who is unseen and incommunicable, unseizable, featureless, unthinkable, and unnameable, Whose essentiality is awareness of the Self in its single existence, in Whom all phenomena dissolve, Who is Calm, Who is Good, Who is the One than Whom there is no other, Him they deem the fourth; He is the Self, He is the object of Knowledge.
The whole essence of this path is to gain control of the mind. You have to realize that its instincts make life difficult, but your intellect has the power to take charge—if it remembers. The sages explained this with a perfect analogy: think of your body as a chariot.
The horses are your senses, always trying to run wild. The reins are your mind trying to manage them. The driver holding those reins is your intellect. And the passenger just sitting in the back? That’s the real you. The Self, the silent witness, the Turiya.
So, the core idea is that the body is just temporary. Nothing in this world truly belongs to the soul, and realizing that soul—as one with Brahman—is the only way to end all suffering. The ultimate goal of human life is to understand that super-conscious state, the state of Brahman, and the ancient texts show us there are many paths to get there.
This has been a brief introduction to one of the most deep and complex philosophies of Sanatana Dharma. What's really interesting is how the openness of Hinduism, with its many paths and perspectives, is what ultimately leads back to the single, powerful idea of realizing your own true self.
I know the essay states these conclusions very directly, but the philosophical reasoning required to reach them is absolutely astounding.