At Chittam our mission is to take Indian culture to today’s children in exciting, innovative, and meaningful ways. We design and manufacture board games and card games that draw from the deep well of Indian culture, philosophy and spirituality, to leave children – and their parents – with a more direct appreciation of multiple aspects of our diverse lived culture.
Chittam Private Limited was founded with the belief that to be successful – as individuals and as a country – we need not just the skills and knowledge that come from conventional schooling, but also the stillness and clarity within, the strength to take on everything that world throws at us, and the rootedness to our civilizational heritage.
Many of today’s parents agree that cultural education and rootedness are not merely nice-to-have elements for their children, but in fact foundational to their success and happiness in these noisy, tech-heavy, competitive times. There is much in ancient Indian wisdom that is eternally applicable to our lives, and we would be doing our children a major disservice if we do not present them with these ideas in ways they will understand and appreciate. This is exactly what Chittam sets out to do.
Chittam is here to enable and empower children with the mental strength to live wholesome, contented and successful lives. We seek your support in this journey.
What does the word ‘Chittam’ Mean?
In Sanskrit, ‘Chittam’ means the psyche or the ‘mind’ – the subtle body comprising our thoughts, emotions, memories, and understanding. Most Indian spiritual systems lay focus on controlling the mind as a fundamental prerequisite to deeper spiritual growth. It is only if the mind – chittam – is crystal clear and steady that any deeper understanding of ourselves and the world can shine through.
In the increasingly fast-paced and homogenized world of today, with fancy gadgets and digital content scattering childrens’ focus into pieces, we believe the need is more than ever for each one of us to gain back control of our mind – to strengthen it, calm it, bring it into focus. This, we believe, will enable kids to lead wholesome and successful lives, regardless of the disciplines they choose.
There are three verses from our scriptures that have, in particular, been the inspiration to name our venture “Chittam”.
yatroparamate chittam niruddham yogasevayaa |
yatra chaivaatmanaatmaanam pashyannaatmani tushyati ||
-Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6, Verse 20.
When the mind, absolutely restrained by the practice of concentration (yoga), attains quietude, and when seeing the Self by the self, one is satisfied in the Self.
By withdrawing the mind from external things, we are not going into some state of emptiness or dullness. Rather, we go inward to realize our own infinite nature. With this divine perspective, when we then look back out at the world, we find that we have clarity and fearlessness.
yathā chittaṃ tathā vācho yathā vāchas_tathā kriyā |
chitté vāchi kriyāyāṃ cha sādhūnām_ékarūpatā ||
-Sanskrit Verse, author unknown
‘As the mind so the speech, as the speech so the action. Noble people have unity of thoughts, speech and action.’
All our actions have their beginnings in the mind. Positivity and strength in the mind will indeed lead to positive and impactful actions in the world. The mind is where it all begins.
yogashchittavrittinirodhaH ||
-Yoga Sutra 1.2, by Patanjali Muni
‘Yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind.’ By identifying with the fluctuations of the mind, life can feel like a roller coaster ride of madness. When we identify so deeply with our mind-states, we can end up acting out these thoughts through our behaviors. When we do yoga, and when we practice meditation, we become the witness to these fluctuations, rather than identifying ourselves with them.