Who Am I? — Puran Thinks Puran Thinks · Philosophy & Science Who am I, really? Asking Shankara's question with a scientist's eye. June 2026  ·  A long read  ·  No answers promised Sometime in the 8th century, a man sat down and wrote six verses. He wasn't writing a poem, exactly. He was answering a question — the oldest question a human being can ask: Who am I? His name was Adi Shankaracharya. And his answer was not the kind you put on a form. He didn't say: I am a brahmin, I am a scholar, I am from Kerala, I am the son of so-and-so. He said something far stranger. He said: I am none of those things. I am not even the thing behind those things. I am Chidananda roopa, Shivoham, Shivoham — the form of pure consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva. Now, I am not asking you to believe that. I am not asking you to believe anything today. What I want to do is something a little strange: I want to take each verse of this poem — this ...

  Do I Need to Be Something to Be Loved? My father named me Purna. In Sanskrit, it means complete. Whole. Flawless. But somewhere along the way, friends found it easier to call me Puran. Just like that — one letter slipped, and the name changed. Nobody planned it. Nobody decided. It just happened the way most things happen in life — quietly, without permission, without announcement. And I think about that sometimes. The name that was supposed to mean complete — got altered. Became something slightly different. Something a little less perfect than what was intended. Maybe that is the most honest thing my life has ever told me. The Weight of Having to Be Something There is a quiet exhaustion I carry. Not the kind that comes from working too hard or sleeping too little. It is a different kind. The kind that comes from constantly arranging yourself. Adjusting. Performing. I have to be smart enough. I have to look good enough. I have to say the right thing at the right t...

                 Welcome to PURAN THINKS. Hello and welcome. This is a small corner of the internet where I write about the things I think, feel, observe, and learn through life and experience. PURAN THINKS. is not just a blog for information — it is a space for reflection, curiosity, ideas, and honest thoughts. Here, I will share my personal perspectives on life, growth, education, society, ambition, human behavior, dreams, and many other topics that make us think more deeply about ourselves and the world around us. Some posts may come from personal experiences. Some may come from quiet observations. Others may simply begin with a question that stays in my mind. These writings are subjective reflections — not absolute truths. I do not expect everyone to agree with my views, and that is completely okay. In fact, I genuinely appreciate different perspectives. Sometimes the most meaningful conversations begin when people see the same thing dif...

Hello, I am Puran Adhikari. Or at least… that’s what I’ve been told to call myself. Sometimes I wonder—am I actually “Puran Adhikari,” or just a name I learned to respond to after years of repetition? A label assigned by language, society, family, documents, and a few bored teachers taking attendance? Funny thing is, I didn’t choose it. It was given, installed, updated over time—like software I never agreed to download but now run every day. So then the question becomes: who am I really? Am I the name? Am I the habits that quietly run in the background? Am I the thoughts that appear and disappear without permission? Or am I something underneath all of that—the observer who is slightly confused but still curious? Maybe identity is not a solid thing at all. Maybe it’s more like a shared project—built by evolution, shaped by society, edited by family, and occasionally hacked by our own choices when we’re brave enough. Anyway, I go by Puran Adhikari for now. It’s convenient. People reco...