We chat with Mahesh Panchagnula, a professor at IIT Madras and host of the Professor Mahesh Podcast. Mahesh and Shankar first met in academia, and their friendship has grown into something much more. When Shankar wrote "The Seven Steps to Bliss," he invited Mahesh to be an early reader.

We talk about the aspects of the book that resonated most with Mahesh, like the name Jiva for the book's main character, and why it carries so much significance. We discuss some of the core questions around spiritual development (Who am I? Why am I here?) and Mahesh highlights the tantric aspect of Jiva’s path in the book. We also discuss how the book may serve as an entry point to Hindu philosophy for non-Hindus.

You can find more about Mahesh on his podcast, where he interviews guests to help parents and students make informed career decisions: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfMaheshPodcast

Music is universal, but in South Asian culture, it's tied to something specific: the movies. That link means songs carry entire stories with them, and they become a soundtrack to our own memories and moments too. We share our experience at the Ilaiyaraja 50 concert, celebrating fifty years of work from one of Tamil music's most legendary composers, caught one night apart in Seattle and Los Angeles.

We talk through what made the concert so interesting, with Ilaiyaraja's passion still visible after five decades and at the age of 83. We also discuss why the music you grow up with, especially in your teens and twenties, hits differently. We compare notes across two generations and two very different audiences, including the differences in social etiquette at the LA show that left us scratching our heads.

Have we really gotten better at talking about mental health in the South Asian community, or just better at using the language? Abhijith Ravinutala joins us again to pick up where we left off in Episode 35, when he first shared his journey with mental health and the loss that led him to create MannMukti.

We get honest about what doesn't help, like being told "have you tried this?" or the toxic positivity that keeps people from being vulnerable. Mental health isn't a math problem to solve in the moment. Therapy can help, not just to manage it, but to see blind spots someone may be too close to notice on their own.

We also talk about Abhijith's own journey, leaving corporate America to write full time, and the ease that comes when your work finally matches what you love. We share what it took to find the right therapist and to finally open up, including the value of working with one who understood our culture.

Come for the honest conversation, and stay for the ideas that might change how you think about yourself.