INDICA announces a two day, in person Master Class on Bhāratīya Mānasa Śāstra with Prof. Mala Kapadia in New Delhi, offered as part of its academic collaboration with Central Sanskrit University.

Earlier this year, this partnership opened with an intensive four day Master Class on the Mahābhārata with Prof. Vishwa Adluri, which explored the epic as a civilisational text grounded in Vedic thought. This is now followed by the upcoming Master Class on Tantrayukti with Prof. M. Jayaraman, introducing participants to the classical Indian method of thesis construction.

The present Master Class turns toward the Indian understanding of the mind.

Bhāratīya Mānasa Śāstra appears today as an emerging and fundamental field of inquiry. Yet the wisdom of Positive Psychology and flourishing has always been intrinsic to Indian Knowledge Systems for millennia. This wisdom is not confined to a single śāstra or organised within a linear disciplinary lineage, as in Western psychology. Rather, it is articulated across multiple knowledge traditions, each illuminating different dimensions of the human mind and its relationship to life and cosmos.

Prof. Mala Kapadia brings these ancient streams of knowledge into meaningful dialogue with contemporary concerns. Drawing from Ayurveda, Yoga, and Nāṭya Śāstra, she addresses modern mental health challenges while restoring the Bhāratīya vision of flourishing as an integrated state of being. Where Western psychology has often grappled with arriving at a foundational understanding of the psyche, Indian Knowledge Systems offer a deeper and more holistic framework for understanding life, the human being, and our place within the larger cosmic order.

This Master Class explores the shift from brain-centered living toward a heart-centered (Hridaya) orientation to individual and planetary flourishing. It points toward a civilisational transition, where heartful living becomes essential to addressing the deeper crisis of human evolution and restoring balance in our collective journey.

Mandatory Text

All selected participants are required to procure a copy of Bhāratīya Mānas Śāstra by Prof Mala Kapadia. The Master Class will be anchored in this text, and participants are expected to bring their copy to the sessions.

Gratitude-Based Participation

At INDICA, learning is guided by gratitude rather than transactions. This Master Class is offered in a spirit of reverence for the wisdom we have inherited and for those who choose to engage with it sincerely. There is no fixed fee.

Participants are invited to express their gratitude through Guru Dakṣiṇā and by supporting INDICA’s work in an amount that reflects the value of the learning and their appreciation for the space being created. Such contributions enable us to continue offering these learning experiences and to sustain the broader mission of preserving and transmitting Indian Knowledge Systems. To express gratitude in monetary form, please click here.

Gratitude may also be expressed through time and action, by carrying forward what is received through mentoring, writing, conversations, or other forms of service. This approach allows each participant to engage from intention, not obligation.

Schedule

Day 01: Foundations & Textual Frameworks

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM | Session 1: Introduction & Decolonization
History of psychology and the need for decolonization
Defining Bhāratīya Mānasa Śāstra within the broader IKS framework

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM | Tea Break

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | Session 2: The Human Being & The Cosmos
Understanding Swarūpa and Swasthya as identity and balance
Constructs from Yoga and Ayurveda beyond traits and temperament

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch Break

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM | Session 3: Foundational Concepts
Understanding Manas and the human being in relation to the cosmos

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Tea Break

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Session 4: Integrative Systems & Chitta
Integrating Yoga and Ayurveda
Understanding Chitta, Chitta Vritti, Chitta Prasada, and overcoming Chitta Vikshobha

Day 02: Emotions, Hridaya, and Practical Application

10:00 AM – 11:15 AM | Session 5: The Role of Hridaya
Shifting from brain-centered to heart-centered living
Becoming Sahridaya and dissolving Hridaya Granthi

11:15 AM – 11:30 AM | Tea Break

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | Session 6: Nava Rasa & Neuroscience
Understanding Sthayi Bhava and Nava Rasa from Nāṭya Śāstra
Exploring their relationship with contemporary neurological insights

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch Break

2:00 PM – 3:15 PM | Session 7: Clinical Application I
Application of Bhāratīya Mānasa Śāstra in psychotherapy and counselling

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Tea Break

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Session 8: Clinical Application II & Flourishing
Sattvavajaya Chikitsa in Ayurveda
Flourishing as a central aim of Bhāratīya Mānasa Śāstra

Faculty

Prof Mala Kapadia

Prof. Mala Kapadia is a distinguished scholar, educator, and practitioner whose work focuses on integrating Indian Knowledge Systems with contemporary approaches to wellbeing, leadership, and human development. She is currently Director of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge Systems at Anaadi Foundation and Principal Investigator of a Ministry of Education Indian Knowledge Systems Research Project on Wellbeing and Happiness based on Ayurveda. Her areas of teaching and research include Indigenous Psychology, wellbeing, sustainability, and individual and planetary flourishing. Her recent publications include Sukha Sutra: An Indic Wellbeing and Happiness Guide for Flourishing (2025) and Bharteeya Manas Sastra (2026), published by INDICA. Prof. Kapadia has previously served as Professor and Director at Rashtram School of Public Leadership, Rishihood University, and as Adjunct Professor at S. P. Jain School of Global Management across multiple international campuses. She has contributed extensively to teaching, research, and institutional development in leadership, psychology, and organisational behaviour. She was recognised under INDICA’s Grateful to Gurus initiative in 2023 for her contribution to transmitting Indic wisdom.

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