Shows
Life, Universe and Everything!”Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."In this episode inspired by ancient buddhist wisdom, we talk about the fruitless activity of dwelling on the past and dreaming of the future while ignoring the present.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment” is a reminder that the present moment is the only time that truly exists. By focusing on the present moment, we can reduce stress and anxiety, improve our mental health and overall well-being, and experience true happiness and fulfillment. The ancient wisdom of mindfulness, supported by modern scientific research and psyc...2023-09-0102 min
Life, Universe and Everything!“Let us rise up and be thankful"In this episode inspired y ancient buddhist wisdom, we talk about gratitude.
These words of the Buddha remind us to appreciate what we have and find reasons to be thankful even in challenging situations. Gratitude is a deeply rooted concept and has been emphasized by many successful people in modern times as well as ancient. By practicing gratitude, we can shift our focus from what we lack to what we have, and positively impact those around us, thus not only do we make the world a better place for ourselves but for others as well.2023-08-2502 min
Life, Universe and Everything!How to be more Productive: Lessons from Behavioural Science, Psychology & Neuroscience.Welcome back to Life, Universe and Everything! I'm thrilled to be back after a break. In this episode we're diving deep into a topic that holds the potential to transform how you approach tasks and goals. We're exploring the art of doing anything, any task you take up, more efficiently and effectively. We won’t talk much about the problems as we are mostly aware about them, rather we shall be focusing on some solutions, Drawing insights from fields and subjects as varied as behavioral sciences, psychology and neuroscience. We'll uncover the secrets to maximising your productivity. So, let's ge...2023-08-2017 min
Life, Universe and Everything!“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."In this episode on ancient buddhist wisdom, we talk about truth and how by embracing honesty and living truthfully, we can build trust and respect, live authentically, and make decisions that are in line with our values and beliefs. We can also take responsibility for our actions and build stronger relationships with those around us. This quote serves as a powerful reminder that the truth will always come to light, and that living truthfully is the only sustainable way to live our lives.2023-08-1802 min
Life, Universe and Everything!How to manage stress and anxiety.In this episode, we'll be diving into an important topic that affects many of us, we will discuss stress and anxiety, we’ll talk about the reasons we feel stressed or anxious, how it is helpful at times, what are the symptoms of chronic stress or anxiety disorder, how can we self-diagnose them and finally what do we need to do.2023-07-1427 min
Life, Universe and Everything!What Young India Wants- Part 1: The Future of Indian Education.In this episode I discuss in detail, the issues that plague our education system, how we can leverage technology to solve them, what all we need to include and add in the current curriculum and why soft skills and extra-curriculars are very crucial for all round development of students. 2023-07-0235 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Health and Fitness: A Personal Journey.In this episode I talk abut my fitness journey, which began in my college third year and it has been almost a decade and the journey has seen its ups and downs, and it has made me not just a fitter and healthier version of myself but a better person. Fitness is not just about going to the gym, it is a lifestyle and you need to embrace all aspects of it to truly enjoy your fitness journey. It is a lot of fun if done right and it contributes to all aspects of your life, enriching every single...2023-06-0737 min
Life, Universe and Everything!"Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule"“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule,” is a powerful statement that reminds us of the importance of responding to hatred and anger with love and understanding. It is not just for world leaders and politicians but for everyone, for every single human it is important to let hate go. Keeping hate and anger inside kills us first.2023-06-0602 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Feminism and Its Enemies- Part 3: Men's Rights Activism & Glorification of Traditional Gender Roles.This is the 3rd and final part in the series on Feminism and Its Enemies. In this part I talk about two major issues, first, Men's Rights Activism and Second, Glorification of Traditional Gender Roles. In both these issues, I discuss how they are trying to take away from Feminism any momentum n the fight towards an equal world. Men's rights activism is mostly about weakening laws and regulations meant to advance the cause of women and the glorification of traditional ender roles as motherhood is weaponised against feminism and feminist ideals to tell women what an ideal woman...2023-06-0324 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Feminism and its Enemies-Part 2: Femininity and the cult of Pseudo EmpowermentFemininity is a social and cultural construct that encompasses the qualities, behaviors, and characteristics traditionally associated with women. It refers to the set of societal expectations, norms, and ideals surrounding womanhood and feminine expression. These traits which are associated with femininity are not bad or not something which a woman should not have or aspire to, the problem though starts when a woman is supposed to have them by the virtue of them being a woman and men are supposed to must not have them and they have a separate list of traits meant for just them. In this...2023-06-0213 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Feminism and Its Enemies- Part 1: "Fake-Feminism"Fake-feminism is a term which is reportedly used to describe the distortion or misinterpretation of feminist ideals by women activists and their misuse of feminism to suppress men’s rights, subject men to undue harassment and at the same time, use the feminist ideology to coat anything and everything in order to get undue advantages. But, this is how it is defined as if it is something real, the story is in fact something else. In this series of 3 episodes, I dissect this narrative of fake feminism as a tool to discredit feminism as a movement and an ideology. Jo...2023-06-0118 min
Life, Universe and Everything!“The only way to do great work is to love what you do"Loving what you do is essential for achieving success and fulfillment in life. It allows for creativity, motivation, and a sense of purpose. Whether in work, hobbies, or relationships, finding something that you love and are passionate about can lead to a more meaningful and satisfying life. Remember, "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."2023-05-3002 min
Life, Universe and Everything!“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.""Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace" is a powerful reminder of the importance of speaking with intention and mindfulness. This quote has been attributed to the Buddha, and it reflects a central teaching of many spiritual traditions.
Ancient works such as the Tao Te Ching contain similar teachings about the importance of mindful and purposeful speech. In the Tao Te Ching, for example, Lao Tzu writes, "The wise speak because they have something to say; fools speak because they have to say something." This is a reminder of the importance of s...2023-05-2302 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Time Travel: A Brief HistoryIn this episode I talk about the very fascinating and exciting topic of time travel. I discuss how it has come to become a very important part of our popular culture, I trace its evolution in our books, movies and tv and I also discuss in brief the hard science behind it, the objections raised against it and much more.
Time Travel has grown from a supernatural and magical idea to an idea based on hard science and physics, it has grown as a topic which was only entertained by sci-fi and fiction writers to becoming a...2023-05-2017 minLife, Universe and Everything!“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.""Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without" has been attributed to the Buddha, and it reflects a central teaching of many spiritual traditions and has been embraced by all great teachers who followed after him in all traditions all over the world.
"Peace comes from within," means that true peace and contentment cannot be found in external circumstances or material possessions. Instead, they must come from within us. This is a common theme in many spiritual traditions, which emphasize the importance of inner cultivation and spiritual practices such as meditation and mindfulness. While, “Do not see...2023-05-1602 min
Life, Universe and Everything!7 Must-dos before UPSC CSE Prelims: To release stress and manage anxiety.UPSC CSE Prelims is around the corner and lakhs of students are now ready to face the day they have prepared so hard for. But, many of them, even after giving their best for such a long period start to feel a little too stressed and anxious as the exam day approaches. They get all kinds of negative thoughts and second thoughts about their preparation when in fact they have done all that was needed. In this episode of my podcast, I try and talk about 7 simple thins which you can do to release some of that stress and...2023-05-1516 minLife, Universe and Everything!"The mind is everything. What you think you become."You are raped as a kid, you are humiliated, you live in the most extreme poverty, for the rest of the world, you are not even allowed to dream or have any hope. This is exactly what happened to Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is a media mogul who has achieved great success in her career, so much so that every US Presidential elections, there are rumours of her running and every time there are predictions of her winning the race if she decides to run. She has often spoken about the power of positive thinking and visualization in her life...2023-05-0902 min
Life, Universe and Everything!"Every Second Counts!"Time is not one of the things, it is the only thing. Time is not money, it is more valuable than all tangible and intangible resources or things put together. Time is the only one true equalizer, in that we all have the same amount of time, it is upto us on how we use it. In this episode, I discuss why time is important, how we are fooled by various biases and fallacies in misunderstanding and misusing time and how we can avoid them. I also discuss the best way to manage one's time.
Happy Listening!2023-05-0619 minLife, Universe and Everything!"Pain is inevitable, Suffering is Optional"Imagine you are thrown in jail in the prime of your youth, you are restless, you have huge plans, you wish to bring a huge change and inspire your fellow countrymen to overthrow a regime which has been characterised by death, destruction and discrimination of your people. But, now that you are in jail and there is no way for you to come out anytime soon, it seems like all your plans will die with you in the jail itself. This is exactly what happened with Nelson Mandela. He spent 27 years in prison as a political prisoner in South...2023-05-0202 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Life of a Young IAS officer in the Field.In this episode I talk about my journey as a young IAS officer posted in the field. I talk about the journey, the challenges, the opportunities and the life. I try to talk about all aspects and give a balanced and fair view of how it is for us. Now, one thing that I’d like everyone to appreciate is, even though all those who are selected through this exam come through a very rigorous selection process, with over a million applicants, lakhs appearing and just a few hundred finally making the list, almost all of them are still ve...2023-04-3016 min
Life, Universe and Everything!India Without its Colonial Past: An Alternative HistoryHave you ever wondered what could've been if India didn't have its colonial past? What could've been India's present without the horrible and horrifying colonial legacy? What India could've achieved without having to see all its resources and wealth drained out? Where it could've reached without being subjected to regular famines? What could've been of a nation which on the eve of British entry into its soil commanded 24% of global GDP?
In this episode of my podcast, "Life, Universe & Everything!", I present an alternate version of history of India and how it could've developed into a super...2023-04-2215 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Physics of Our ExistenceIn this episode, we're going to explore the fascinating topic of the “physics of our existence”. We would be drawing upon references from mythology, philosophy more so eastern philosophy, quantum physics, and the works of many famous scientists and contemporary thinkers who have delved into the intersection of physics and philosophy.
We will try to explore the fascinating topic of how physics meets consciousness and spirituality. 2023-04-1518 min
Life, Universe and Everything!Fear of FailureThe fear of failure is a common feeling that can be a significant barrier to achieving one's goals and aspirations. It is the fear or anxiety associated with the possibility of not succeeding in a particular task or endeavor. This fear can be deeply ingrained and may lead individuals to avoid taking risks or pursuing opportunities that could lead to growth or success.
To overcome the fear of failure, it is important to change one's perspective on failure. Rather than seeing failure as a negative outcome, it can be helpful to view it as a learning experience...2023-04-0818 min
The Net PaperHow Steve Bannon used Indian TV channels to shape anti-China rhetoric even before LadakhSteve Bannon, the former American investment banker who was editor-in-chief of the right-wing US website Breitbart before he became a key architect of Donald Trump‘s 2016 victory, has been arrested, masked and charged with swindling nearly $1 million (approximately Rs 7.5 crore) in the name of building the wall on the US-Mexico border.If convicted he could spend the next 20 years in jail.But less than a week ago, Steve Bannon, seen to be the unseen hand guiding right-wing demagogues across the world, was grandstanding on WION, the ‘World Is ONe” news channel launched by Subhash Chandra, the...2020-08-2102 min
The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit VarmaThe 100th Episode RambleThe Seen and the Unseen reaches 100 episodes! Yea! Economist Shruti Rajagopalan, the most frequent guest on the show, joins host Amit Varma as they shoot the breeze about the 99 episodes before this, the horrors of 2018, and the further horrors of 2019. Also check out: These past episodes with Gunvant Patil, Vikram Doctor, Harsha Bhogle, Gideon Haigh+Prem Panicker, Rajesh Jain, Vishwanath S, Parth Shah, Amit Chandra, Alex Tabarrok, Naveen Noronha, Kumar Anand, Vivek Kaul, Ashok Malik, Nikita+Supriya (on #MeToo), Devika+Nidhi+Hamsini and Matt Ridley. And also with Shruti on the Right to Property, DeMon...2018-12-241h 41