Holistic Well-being Through Bharatiya Ancient Wisdom

We should ensure that India's civilizational thought systems are not dismissed as mythical or anecdotal but studied as shastra—systematized knowledge.

- SANTISHREE DHULIPUDI PANDIT

RECLAIMING BHARATIYA KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

The time has come to acknowledge that mainstream mental health models, derived mostly from Euro-American paradigms, are not universally applicable. Their focus is often reductionist—diagnosis-oriented, symptom-centric, and limited to individual psychodynamics. In contrast, Bharatiya thought offers a holistic and integrated view of health—where manas (mind), sharira (body), buddhi (intellect), and atma (soul) are interconnected.

This is not about revivalism but about epistemic justice—ensuring India's civilizational thought systems are not dismissed as mythical or anecdotal but studied as shastra (systematized knowledge). There is a global rethinking underway for Alternatives—from mindfulness apps to yoga-based healing—but India risks becoming a consumer, not the author, of its own traditions unless universities and mental health professionals take the lead.

COUNSELLING ROOTED IN DHARMA, GUNA, AND SELF-INQUIRY

Indian philosophy never treated mental health as separate from ethical living. The concept of dharma—acting in accordance with one's duties, nature, and time—provides a profound anchor for psychological wellbeing. Gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—offer a dynamic personality theory that recognizes inner flux and aims for equilibrium, not binary normal-abnormal labels. Atma-vichara (self-inquiry), central to Vedanta and Yoga traditions, empowers individuals to engage in lifelong inner dialogue. It fosters viveka (discernment) and vairagya (detachment), which are therapeutic tools par excellence. Indian texts don't separate the individual from the cosmos. They provide frameworks like pan-cha kosha (five sheaths of existence), kleshas (afflictions), and karma theory to understand human distress in deeply contextual ways.