MINDFULNESS AND MANACHE SHLOK: DEVELOPING AN INDIGENOUS FRAMEWORK FOR MENTAL AWARENESS, EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND RESILIENCE

Abstract

Mindfulness has become an influential construct in psychology, education and management because of its association with present-moment awareness, self-regulation and psychological well-being. Yet contemporary mindfulness discourse is often presented largely through modern psychological frameworks, while Indian knowledge traditions have long addressed the observation, discipline and transformation of the mind. This conceptual paper examines the relationship between contemporary mindfulness and Manache Shlok, the 205-verse work attributed to Samarth Ramdas that directly addresses the mind. The paper does not claim that Manache Shlok and modern mindfulness are identical; instead, it identifies process-level complementarities in awareness, observation of thoughts, emotional regulation, discernment and intentional action. Drawing on mindfulness theory, self-regulation, emotion-regulation and Indian philosophical perspectives, the paper proposes the Mindful Manas Model (MMM): Manache Shlok Engagement → Manas-Awareness → Vichar-Nirikshan → Bhava-Niyantran → Viveka → Sadacharan → Mental Steadiness. The model positions reflective engagement with the mind as a possible pathway from awareness to constructive action and psychological resilience. The paper contributes an Indian-context conceptual framework that can be empirically examined through mixed methods, scale development and PLS-SEM, while preserving the philosophical distinction between secular mindfulness and the spiritual-ethical orientation of Manache Shlok.