About Page

ॐ श्रीगुरुचरणकमलेभ्यो नमः (Shri Guru CharanaKamalebhyo Namah)

Before I begin writing about myself and this site, I would like to express my gratitude to all my teachers past, present, and future. I am thankful to those teachers whom I may never meet in person, but from whom I have learned through their books, papers, and lectures. I am especially grateful to my Guruji. I can never repay his kindness. He is the one who truly showed me the path that leads closer to the Divine. Thank you from my heart, Guruji.

I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me on this journey, directly or indirectly, because I truly believe that a journey like this can never be walked alone.

Who Am I

My name is Ayan Mishra. Formally speaking, I am currently a student. But if I speak from my heart, I would say that I am a sadhaka, someone who is following his heart. I see myself as a person who is constantly learning - always learning. I learn, I understand, I feel, I question, and then I unlearn what no longer feels true to me.

My journey toward creating this site is an interesting one, so let me start from the beginning.

I come from a religious family, so from childhood I performed rituals simply because I was supposed to. As I grew older, these rituals began to feel more like chores than something meaningful. A ritual without understanding loses its depth, its gravity, and its truth. Instead of walking away from it all, I decided to go deeper. I wanted to understand our traditions and why we do what we do. It may sound funny, but as a child, I genuinely disliked these rituals. When I began searching for their meaning, I decided to start from the roots.

I began studying the Vedas(वेदाः), Upanishads(उपनिषदः), Puranas(पुराण), Itihasas(इतिहास), and multiple schools of thought within the Darshanas. I never limited myself to one lineage or a single interpretation. I consciously explored many perspectives and interpretations. During this time, I almost forgot that my original intention was to understand rituals. Instead, my questions transformed into deeper ones: Why do we exist? Why is there suffering? How can one live a peaceful life? This shift happened largely because of my first exposure to Advaita, which completely changed the direction of my inquiry.

As my studies progressed, I realized that I often forgot what I had learned or reflected upon. So, I decided to create a personal space for myself. During this phase, The Atmodiya was born. This space exists to document my understanding, reflections, and the resources I encounter during my ongoing study.

One thing I must clearly say: please do not consider this website as any spiritual authority, nor assume that my understanding represents a final conclusion. I am fully aware that I have no final answers. There are always multiple interpretations, and there always will be.

This journey is a progressive one. I will continue learning, and I will revise or even change my past understandings when I feel it is necessary, as deeper study brings deeper clarity.

However, one thing I can promise is this: I will always strive to uphold truth. I will try to refer to primary texts as much as possible. I will formally share resources related to Hinduism, different schools of thought, philosophies, frameworks, and perspectives.

Before I end, I must say this:

The journey of the Atman is deeply personal, but the study of Dharma is always communal.

I invite you to read, question, and engage with what is shared here. Let us learn together - slowly moving from ignorance toward understanding, and from darkness toward light.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for engaging with The Atmodya.

— Ayan Mishra