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Guidance from A Guru
Tapovan Maharaj
February 12, 2012
PREFACESatguru Swami Tapovanam, known to the mahatmas as the vibhooti of the
Himalayas spent half of his life amidst these ancient mountains. A number of sadhusand other aspirants had sat at his feet and received his grace and guidance in spiritual
knowledge. Well informed as he was in our scriptures, his teaching was consideredthe most authentic. As a master renunciate, his guidance in solving problems faced
by the spiritual seekers was always sought after.It is the good fortune of the seekers that his spiritual guidance to a devotee couple inthe 50s in the form of letters is now available in this book. Written by Sri Satguru’sown hand in Malayalam, the letters help one gain spiritual strength and devotion to
the Lord.We are sure that this book will be welcomed by aspirants all the world over.
We are grateful to H. H. Swami Mahadevavanam for bringing these letters into lightby publishing the originals in a book form. On his request Sri T. N. Keshava Pillai has
translated these letters into English, at once lucid and close to the original. We aregrateful for his services. We also acknowledge our gratefulness to the couple Mr. and
Mrs. Chandrasekhara Menon who were the happy recipients of the grace and thegraceful letters of Satguru Sri Swami Tapovanam, who not only permitted us topublish them but also parted with the original letters for being preserved in our
ashrama at Powai, Bombay.Bombay 400 072
28!2!1976
1 Letter One
Swami Tapovan MaharajOm Narayana Smriti
1
Brahmanandashram Rishikesh 26!3!1951Your letter arrived here in time. As I went through it, I felt immensely pleased
because it was so full of faith and devotion. Here, at the very outset, I may observethat a love of spiritual life is the mature result of generations of meritorious actions.To worship a chosen deity is not only more easy, it is also more suited to the times. A
householder’s life is mainly one of action and those in that state of life ought to dotheir best to keep their actions pure. Take a vow not to do anything impure or
forbidden by the scriptures even to save your life; use your wisdom to perform everyaction as an act of divine worship without caring for its fruit, thus making all actionspure, uncontaminated by the desire for reward. This should be the first sadhana for
every aspirant. To achieve this, control over the senses and mind is absolutelyessential. Purity of action is the very foundation of all spiritual exercises. If one can’t
perform good deeds how can he aspire for the far loftier steps of devotion to Godand realization of Brahman?
One can worship one’s chosen deity with good deeds and moral conduct. Repeat themantras of the deity worship His image, meditate upon Him. By such acts of
devotion and by the performance of good deeds "of course without desiring theirfruits#, one ought to purify one’s mind and concentrate. Only a mind shorn of all
impurities, of likes and dislikes becomes entitled to follow the path of jnana whosenature is self!enquiry. The sole means of liberation is the immediate knowledge of
the Self, arising out of the enquiry of the Self. That is the goal. There it is we have toreach step by step.
The practice of pranayama is not indispensable. To a mind that naturally findspleasure in japa and dhyana, it is practically of little use. It is when an aspirant’s mindproves to be not amenable to control, remains wavering and unsteady, prone to rushoutward at the least provocation, that pranayama and similar practices of hatha yoga
are prescribed to control the mind. Therefore give up the thoughts of that kind.Practice one steady asana "posture# and sitting in that asana, engage yourself in
devotional practices.Remember God at all times. It is no spiritual life to spend a few minutes in the
morning and evening thinking of God and devote all the other hours to the thoughtof sensuous pleasures. Think of the Lord in the midst of work, never for a moment
forget Him.Received the parcel of eatables. After the first of medom I shall be returning to
Uttarkashi.With a$ectionate regards and good wishes,
Swami Tapovanam
2
2 Letter Two
It is several days since your letter arrived at Uttarkashi and was duly received. Mycustom is to spend the chaturmasya period at Gangotri. Perhaps you know Gangotriis the source of the Ganga, quite close to the Tibetan border. It is some days since I
arrived at Gangotri from Uttarkashi. The remoteness of the region from thehumdrum plains, my natural indi$erence to external activities such as writing letters,if for such and similar reasons, letters from here are delayed, don’t get worried; don’t
feel surprised. Be assured it is not for lack of love.The liking for spiritual practices and exercises therein should show steady progress.The ways of the mind should be watched and tested from time to time. One must
check up and see every year, every month, every day how far one’s exercises arefructifying, how far passions like love and hate and vain thoughts are subsiding andhow much the mind delights in the thought of God. The main use of japa, dhyanaand other modes of worship is to win God’s grace and the resulting purity of mind,purity of mind means the cleanness and peace of the mind on the cessation of its
mischievous activities arising out of the attachment to the sensuous life. The morethe mind gets purified, the more it delights in japa, dhyana etc. the more one’s
spiritual exercises progress the more purified one’s mind gets. So, spiritual e$ort andmental purity should advance steadily hand in hand.
When, as a result of long periods of sadhana, mind becomes clean, be sure realizationof Self is not far.
I am not writing at length. In my previous letter I have already dealt with thespiritual exercises to be attempted.
Never forget God, that is, even in the giddy whirl of daily duties remember Himwithout a break.
Writing to Smt. And Sri with a$ectionate good wishes,Swami Tapovanam
3 Letter Three
The letter was received at Gangotri in due course. At the end of chaturmasya, usually,cold winter sets in the Himalayas and so I descended to Uttarkasi some days ago.
In every one of your letters your love and respect for spiritual life and devotion forsadhus shine out and so I rejoice and honor you. It is a spiritual life every wise mandesires, not a worldly one. The dog and the pig lead a sensuous life. Is it a sign ofwisdom to run after a life of the senses? Certainly not. The ignorant ones, whopursue sensuous pleasures, alas, know not, because of their ignorance, what a
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miserable life they are leading. Discrimination is the result of common sense. Whyhave common sense if one is to be led away by the whims? Viewed with
discrimination who can find pleasure in the senses? The ignorant alone hanker afterthem hoping to find lasting pleasure. On the fulfilment of a desire there is a sense ofsatisfaction. But the momentary pleasure is so mixed up with pain and sorrow thatour ancient rishis consider it poisoned, though dainty food. Which wise man will
spend his life to obtain fleeting pleasure mixed up with hundreds of sorrows? If thesensuous life is really happy what need is there for God who is the embodiment of
bliss or a life that is divine?For a worldly man, wealth and other sense objects produce recurring grief, yet his
mind clings to them % that is the great maya! This indiscretion should be overcomeby discriminating thought. When the unwisdom is destroyed, pursuit after sense
objects will cease. This is the vairagya recommended to men in the scriptures.Vairagya "dispassion# is the first step in the endeavour to realize God. A mind devoid
of vairagya will not get concentrated upon godly sadhanas. At the root of all evil ispassion. It is what makes the mind unsteady. Destroy passion with wisdom and get
established in dispassion. Contract no attachment to anything. Welcome whatcomes, willingly give up what goes. There is no need to worry about either. Live, live
in the living present. Think not of the past or future. If one attains this state ofdispassion one’s mind will get fixed upon God. He will find joy in the worship of
God. The blissful Lord is no longer far. Soon it will be possible to realize Him andsecure liberation.
With a$ectionate regards,Swami Tapovanam
4 Letter Four
It is several days since the letter was received. The food parcel arrived even earlier.Incidentally Swami Chinmayanandaji happened to tell me of the dispassion, fastingand other religious observances of the couple "to whom the letters were addressed#
imbued with their firm devotion to the godly way of life. It is a matter of regret thatin sending replies and directions to even such deserving people there is so much
delay owing to my habitual indi$erence. Hope the old warning not to get worried orvexed over the delay will be remembered.
Concentrate your mind upon japa and meditation. As a rule in the early morning"brahma muhurta# and night, sit in a firm posture as long as possible and go on
repeating the names of God. Also meditate upon His form. In the early stages the
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mind will be prone to stray but don’t give up practices. If one has sincere faith in Godand love for Him the exercise can give him only joy; in no way can it disgust him.
Moderation in conversation is a great sadhana. As far as possible talk of God. Don’tpollute your mind with petty talk of love and hate. Avoid criticism of other people.
Spend not much time listening to news and newspapers. Keep away from badcompany, for it will upset the mind. Now and then observe a day of silence. Eat only
pure and satvik food. Never eat too much. Impure or excessive food will putaspirants into di&culties. On some days it is good to eat fruits alone or fast
completely. Along with it, it would be better to keep silence and devote entire timeto the worship of God.
Reading books of devotion and self knowledge and consideration of their purport foran hour or two daily will help to lift the mind above worldly a$airs and strengthen
the spirit of dispassion. Association with mahatmas is still more beneficial. No book,no scriptures, can confer the same degree of benefit. But real sadhus are, of course,
rare and chances to associate with them are rarer still in these days. In thecircumstances a study of the works of ancient sadhus will be something of a
substitute for personal contact. What else can be done?Try to raise the mind above such pairs as pleasure and pain, friend and foe, honour
and dishonour. Maintain equanimity. But all this will be possible % the mind will riseabove all these ! only if the goal is Godhead and nothing else. If the mind plunges
into the thought of God and immerses in it, when will it have the time and theopportunity to think of honour and dishonour, etc.?
Balance of mind is moksha. It is God realisation. It is all transcending peace, alltranscending bliss. It is the Supreme object of human life. All spiritual sadhanas start
aiming at it. Perpetual delight of the mind in God principle is its real balance.A$ectionately,
Swami Tapovanam
5 Letter Five
Wish both of you very well.Received your kind letter several days ago. Here it is now intensely cold winter. I
hope you will not be worried or saddened by the delay in getting a reply as it is quiteusual for my letters to be late.
One must perform one’s duties not for the sake of sensuous pleasure but out ofdevotion to God. The scriptures as well as experience show us convincingly thatdesire is at the root of all action. No desire, no action. If one has absolutely no
desires why should he stir out of his seat? One desires physical cleanliness, so he
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bathes. One desires to satisfy hunger, so he eats. So a devotee performs his actionout of love for God, as an act of service to Him. God fills the world. The world is Hisform. So whatever is done in the world, for the world, is an act of service to God. The
devotee, sitting in the world performs his duties out of love for the world which isHis form and thus worships Him. He does nothing to enjoy the world of senses or toglorify himself. It is a worldly man who labours night and day to enjoy sense objects.Until the mind becomes perfectly tranquil, until it transcends all doubt, it will not befree from desire. Desires will sprout up till then, either for good or for evil. Worship
of God is a good action, done out of a good desire. As one worships God withflowers and nama japa, another who follows the path of karma worships Him with
good actions. His aim is to win the grace of God and reach His presence. These arehis ultimate gains. In his eyes, therefore, there is no distinction between a great
action and a little one. With whatever God has bidden him to perform, whether it isbig or small, he worships Him. This is an important truth grhastas* ought to know.
What makes an action good or bad is the absence or presence of selfishness.Selfishness makes an action sinful and impure. If one has no selfish consideration ormotive for his action why should he be a$ected by its success or failure? Why shouldhe be anxious about its outcome? Leave o$ all selfish thought that defiles the mind;make the mind still and fix it upon the feet of God; sit in a steady posture as far andas long as possible and worship Him regularly; be like children living in the present
worrying little about the past or the future; convince yourself by proper thought it ispeace of mind that is the highest pleasure, not even the status of Indra. A life of thatkind is the true spiritual life; blessed and blissful it is coveted even by Indra. Thereare steps still higher than these. Daily unbroken, steady, intense practice enables an
aspirant to ascend to them.With a$ection,
Swami Tapovanam
6 Letter Six
Writing with good wishes.Om. “A householder should not conduct himself like a vanaprastha or sannyasin; nor
should a vanaprastha or sannyasin behave like a householder”. This is one of theimportant injunctions of the scriptures. A householder should perform all the duties
pertaining to his station in life; it is not for him to live like a sannyasin "nor is itdesirable to do so#. A householder, wise and dispassionate, discharges his duties not
out of any desire to enjoy sense objects, but out of conviction that it is his duty to doso. He accommodates sense objects so far as they serve him to fulfil his duties; not
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for selfish enjoyment. To all outward appearances there may be no di$erencesbetween him and a purely worldly man. Both perform their duties, but really in their
attitudes there is an ocean of di$erence.Sri Yajnavalkya and Vasishta were householders. Full as they were of jnana andvairagya, they continued to perform householder’s duties without relaxation.
Confronted with agitation Yajnavalkya used to say, “To how many persons I havetaught Brahma Vidya, how many of them have I converted to jnanis! How many of
my disciples are immersed in bliss deep in brahma samadhi as sannyasins, avadhutas,stark!naked vairagis! Yet, my prarabdham is to be subjected to agitation as a
householder!” Were there ever greater jnanis like Vasishta who was the author of YogaVasishta or Yajnavalkya, seer of Sukla Yajur Veda? Oceans of wisdom and vairagya as
they were, Vasishta lived with Arundhati performing the duties of a householder;Yajnavalkya lived with Maithreyi and Katyayani. To them it was all a lila or sport.
Without vairagya there can be no Brahma!jnana. Great jnanis were also greatvairagis. But dispassion and renunciation are entirely di$erent. A householder mayhave firm dispassion; he may have no desire at all for sense enjoyment; yet, he will
have to accept sense objects as a householder. A sannyasin may succeed in doing hisduty "uninterrupted contemplation of Brahman# without touching a coin, but a
householder cannot do so. Vairagya means having no raga "desire# within; rejectingthings externally also out of dispassion is called renunciation. A householder may
lead the life of a great vairagi and great jnani ; but he cannot become a great tyagi ashe cannot renounce all objects because he has yet to attend to his duties as a
householder. Yet he may live with self control and happiness.What I mean to impress through these examples is this: A householder ought to
perform his household duties as duty, as service to God. For him it is indispensableto receive sense objects and deal variously with them. That agitation should result attimes from this is inevitable. By nature agitation is sorrow and sorrow is the result ofprarabdha. Yet, for them who recognise agitation and sorrow as a form of Brahman it
will be possible to find happiness even in the midst of su$ering. On a sultry day aman stands hip deep in cold water. From head to the hips he experiences heat; below
the hips he feels cold % in the same way.With a$ectionate regards,
Swami Tapovanam
7 Letter Seven
If a householder becomes a jnani and yet, on account of prarabdha, is unable to giveup all actions which cause agitation "only a sannyasin can give up actions enjoined by
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the scriptures# he must lead his life like Vasishta and others like him % this was thepurport of my previous letter.
If a householder becomes a jnani , he should continue to perform all actionsprescribed by the scriptures whether with or without desire for their fruit. The
spiritual aspirant does his duty without desire for its fruit; thereby he purifies hismind and becomes fit for spiritual contemplation and knowledge of Self.
One’s knowledge and dispassion might be perfect, yet he need not necessarilyrenounce everything. Renunciation should not be taken to mean the renunciation ofactions prescribed to each ashrama, but the renunciation of the enjoyment of senses.
To say that the dispassionate man, compelled by the senses, will enjoy sensuousobjects; that it is not necessary he should reject them % is not only paradoxical but
also ridiculous. Unrestrained enjoyment of the senses is for the utterly ignorantalone. The true aspirant has rejected it long ago. It had ceased to interest him evenin the stage of nishkama karma. If so, how can it approach him now in the stage ofdispassion and spiritual contemplation? So I repeat here again that the statement,
“Even where there is dispassion there is no renunciation” means only that scripturallyenjoined actions are not renounced % that is all.
Vasishta who was a jnani full of dispassion had renounced the enjoyment of thesenses, but had not given up the actions prescribed by the scriptures. He had
Arundhati as helpmate to the performance of actions. He had taken the vow ofnon!possession, yet he maintained Arundhati and the children.
I hope from what I have written so far my ideas of dispassion and renunciationsought to be conveyed in my previous letter have become still more clear. That long
letter you have sent over here reveals a clean mind that loves no sensuous objects andhas absolutely no liking for actions that produce agitation % a mind that longs after
unbroken, Divine Peace. Truly, such a mind is the mature result of meritorious deedsaccumulated through generations. One may maintain his life on leaves or water, sleep
on bare ground, and lead a life of hard penance with absolutely no sensuousenjoyments % that is all good. But what the scriptures advise is that a householdershould not abandon his household duties. Renunciation of sensuous objects is one
thing; renunciation of action is another. For fear of scriptures the ignorant mancontinues to perform his duties; the jnanis do so induced by the tendencies inheritedfrom the past. Rise above all thought that I am the body % accept sannyasa % till then
action does not leave you.What are the duties essential to a householder? That is another subject.
The gist of this stanza is this: The attachment to sensuous objects "rasa# arises out ofthe ignorance of the blissful Self: from attachment comes desire and sensuousenjoyment. If desire must be destroyed along with its root cause "attachment#
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ignorance must be annihilated through the knowledge of Truth % says the Gita.Right. But it is the dispassion of those who have attained the goal. Aspirants also
may attain dispassion. They protect their dispassion by finding evil in sense!objects.Their attachment and ignorance, its cause, might not have been eliminated. But bythe discovery of evil they escape from attachment and become dispassionate. Theevils referred to here are the transitoriness and painfulness etc. of worldly objects.Attachment % the root cause % and ignorance survive and are not eradicated, but
through steady discrimination in the form of perception of evil they allow no chancefor desire to arise. If the poisonous snake or scorpion in the hole is thrashed to death
everything becomes safe and secure. But one may not have the daring or skill toattack it and kill it. Even he will not love it or touch it because of the perception thatit is poisonous, that it will be a source of pain and su$ering. Similarly, aspirants maystill have at heart desire for sense enjoyment, being victims of ignorance. Yet they
may safeguard their dispassion through the perception of evil. Realisation ofBrahman through the contemplation of Brahman is adjudged only to those aspirantswho have dispassion. The dispassion of aspirants results from the perception of evil.
Without dispassion how can an aspirant’s mind engage itself in the worship ofBrahman? That, however, does not mean that knowers of Truth alone would possess
dispassion. Those who find evil in sense enjoyments too will have it. It is thisdispassion that is designated by Vedantins as sadhana chatushtaya, the four fold
means helpful to the contemplation of Brahman: Viveka "discrimination#, vairagya"dispassion#, samadi shatkam "control of the mind, body etc.# and mumukshutvam
"Desire for final liberation#.It is not possible to discuss such scriptural topics at length in an ordinary letter.
So I may repeat here that the more one practises renunciation of sense objects themore laudable the e$ort is; and that nothing has been said in the previous letter to
the e$ect that it is impossible for a householder to renounce sense enjoyments. A lifeof penance is good both for the householder and the sannyasin . Keep away from thehurly burly of worldly life, exert yourself to the utmost in practising penance and in
the worship of God % these are good for anyone in any ashrama.As usual the next three or four months I shall be spending in Gangotri.
With love,Swami Tapovanam
8 Letter Eight
Writing with a$ectionate regards.
9
The letter was received long ago. The parcel arrived a few days back. Usually theparcels are stored up below and are sent up once in a month or even once in two
months. Hence parcel delivery is very much delayed.The sandalwood paste that reminds one of Sri Guruvayurappan filled me with joy.
Even as satisfaction of hunger is the perceptible result of eating, cheerfulness of themind and sense of peace are the tangible results of devout worship. With regular
uninterrupted practice of worship and godly life, cleanliness of mind and feeling ofpeace will grow from more to more. That miserable state in which common, paltry
things upset the mind will cease. The bright cheerfulness of mind is covetable in lifeas beatitude is after death
As a result of the unbroken contemplation of Self, sparks of Self!realization begin toflit about in the mind like flashes of lightning. Along with it a great feeling of joy
pervades the mind. Objects of the senses and sensuous persons can no longer temptor attract the mind now. In the early stages of sadhana however, aspirants must becareful about sensuous objects and those who are after them since they agitate the
mind.“Grace of Self, grace of God, grace of the guru, and grace of the scriptures % thosewho have gained these four realise truth and rejoice beyond the shadow of fear” %this is a common saying of old mahatmas. Of these, grace of self means self e$ort.God helps those who help themselves. By the grace of God an aspirant comes intocontact with a guru who is established in Brahman. And through the grace of the
guru he learns the secrets and puts them in practice.Thus he reaches the state of God realisation. So at the root of all gain is self e$ort.Devote your days and nights to spiritual exercises. You will be, in the end, crowned
with success.I do not propose to write much. There is no need to. Writing and reading are not
very helpful towards Self!realisation. They are merely diversions of the mind. Brieflyknow what you ought to know. Then put into practice what you have come to know,
all with devout attention. That is what spiritual aspirants ought to do. Meditatemore than you read. Follow up resolution with action. Those who meditate more
upon a subject get more courage and strength in carrying out their intention.With good wishes,Swami Tapovanam
9 Letter Nine
Received the second letter too. Rejoice at your burning desire to know. If letters arenot received regularly from here, don’t get worried % so I have already advised you.
10
Know that my good wishes, far more powerful than any letter, are ever present andtherein there is no indi$erence at all.
I had written from here since the receipt of the sandalwood paste. Let your mindfind delight immersing in the thought of God. That is the goal. That is the neverwaning happy state. That is the ultimate object of birth in human form. All good
deeds, reading and listening to holy lives, contact with saintly people etc. all serve toachieve the end. Once it is gained there is nothing more to be gained. Sitting in
solitude sannyasin mahatmas find supreme joy in the Lord. Living in the midst ofsocial life householder mahatmas find joy in the supreme Self. To them transactions
of daily life bring no happiness. Yet they engage themselves in them as in a jobcarrying no reward or as in the sports of a child.
With love to both,Swami Tapovanam
10 Letter Ten, 25!10!1952
Writing with good wishes.In the Himalayas winter has set in. It is some days since I returned to Uttarkasi. The
letter has reached here redirected from Gangotri.All is well. Everything that reminds me of God deserves praise: everything that tends
to make one forget Him deserves blame. No doubt, reading and hearing of sacredscriptures will enhance the faith of a devotee; of a jnani it augments the jnana . Thefar sighted rishis of the past have devised various helps and initiated certain rites toattain the highest state of jivanmukti in which one naturally and without artificial
aids like reading, hearing etc.., engages oneself in perpetual, unbroken contemplationof God. However these and other group activities, though godly at the start, get
polluted on account of association with rajoguna, especially in these days andtherefore, such acts should be performed with utmost care and attention to avoidcontamination. Only then can one gain the full benefit to be derived therefrom.
According to your predilection and qualification worship God and meditate uponHim either in groups or in solitude. After all, what is most significant is the
contemplation of God; everything else is only contributive to it.I take it that your love of divine worship and activities in that direction are daily onthe increase bringing you nearer and nearer to God. I advise you again and again to
exert yourself with ever increasing vigour to reach Him.With love,
Swami TapovanamGuidance from the Guru
11
11 Letter Eleven, 3!12!1952
Writing with Narayana smriti and a$ection.Your letter. The great pleasure evident on receiving good advice from mahatmas
reveals deep and intense faith and desire to learn.Good. But such pleasure is after all relative by nature and temporary. What is
absolute and lasting is the pleasure that one experiences when the advice is actedupon successfully.
Don’t give way to despair or grief because of failures during the training period. Don’tget depressed. Believe failure is only a gate keeper to success. But for failure, ‘success’
will lose its meaning. Without losing heart at failure, if you take it as incentive tofurther e$ort, you will enter the citadel of victory sooner or later, today or tomorrow.
One must overcome the attraction to the outer world as well as the temptation tosense enjoyments by means of wise discretion and strong dispassion. Even if such
discretion and dispassion are lacking, spiritual aspirants who believe in God cannotbe utterly ignorant and therefore their desire and covetousness will remain within
bounds without getting unrestrained and sinful. They will flow along only desirableand virtuous courses. That cannot be very dangerous. Yet, it impedes quick growthin spiritual sadhanas. It is therefore better for spiritual aspirants to avoid external
activity as far as possible, even if it is not against virtue, even if it not sinful.It is the despair of a mind that longs for relief from all external activities and yet iscompelled involuntarily to indulge in them that is suggested by your letter. You are
now in grhastashrama. Those in that ashrama may find certain worldly activitiesunavoidable. What is more, there will be relations and friends clinging to them.
Considering these circumstances householders must acquire the ability and skill toattend to worldly duties as far as possible, with patience, mental poise and
cheerfulness. Do them as duties without any desire for reward. If that is the casewith sannyasins who consider themselves as completely detached, what need be said
of common householders? He who works on the field less or more must patientlybear the heat of the sun in proportion. It is not enough if we shake o$ actions;actions must leave us o$. Till then worldly activities will not leave us altogether.
All else well. Wish you well.Swami Tapovanam
12 Letter Twelve, 22!1!1953
With good wishes.
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Your letters make it clear that you are the devotees of Sri Krishna. Devotion toKrishna is indeed great. It can be the result of only great merit. By repeated acts of
devotion, strengthen your devotion. Repeat Krishnamantra, listen to Bhagavata, etc.,that recount His glory, repeat His names. See the whole world as the manifestation ofthe Lord % in these ways you can intensify your devotion. Then fondness for worldlymatters and attachment to them will vanish. Thereby the mind will become perfectly
clean and capable of concentrating itself unintermittently on God Principle.In the scriptures it is bhakti itself that is indicated by the word upasana. Upasana is
performed at a time in relation to one deity. To the devotee at the time of theupasana one deity is more important than all others. That is why the deity is
designated as Ishta Devata "Chosen Deity#. If Krishna is your chosen deity alwaysmeditate upon Him, repeat chiefly Krishna mantra and thus specially devote yourself
to the sadhanas directed to Krishna.There is nothing that cannot be achieved by devotion. It brings liberation that onceand for all eliminates birth and death. Of course, the means to liberation is jnana :
but that jnana too is obtained by whole!hearted devotion, dadami buddhiyogam tamsays Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Krishna blesses His devotees giving him the light of jnana
which destroys the darkness of ignorance all together. Thus, with none of theHerculean labours required to attain the Brahmajnana, a devotee secures it through
grace of his chosen deity. In this way the devotee becomes a Brahmajnani andjivanmukta. May Lord Krishna bless us, inspiring us with supreme devotion.
A$ectionately,Swami Tapovanam
13 Letter Thirteen, 4!4!1953
Writing with good wishes.Again and again I may say ‘carry on the worship of God uninterruptedly with faith
and devotion’. The same is the substance of all previous letters. “Worship of God” isa general phrase. The four sadhanas % bhakti, jnana, yoga, karma % may be indicatedby the general term. Once a particular sadhana is chosen, persevere in it with more
and more zest and devote to it more and more time. Of Bhakti, Jnana etc. make yourchoice; choose one and follow it. Pilgrimages, fasts, reading or listening to the
reading of Puranas etc. should be common to all sadhakas. These are beneficial to all.Besides attending to them every one must by one particular sadhana, endeavour to
lead the mind to the presence of Truth.There are two types of sadhanas : general and particular. Even the common, daily
rites such as bathing and eating are reckoned among sadhanas . They are all helps to
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reach the presence of God, step by step. Purification of mind is absolutely necessaryto sadhanas like Bhakti and Jnana. Those who are not qualified to practise any
particular sadhana are advised by the scriptures to follow only the general sadhanas .On the contrary, those who are qualified must adopt some particular sadhana and
practise it along with the general, so as to rouse, develop and strengthen eitherbhakti or jnana.
Hope everything is OK. This reply has been very much delayed owing to the peculiarcircumstances here.
Be calm in every situation. Be cheerful. Let not worry or sorrow touch you. This isthe ultimate and supreme goal of spiritual life.
A$ectionately,Swami Tapovanam
14 Letter Thirteen, 16!7!1953
A$ectionate Narayana smaranam.The first step in spiritual life is to believe firmly that God alone is true,
indestructible and blissful. Those who have such firm belief will have no attachmentto sense objects and no desire to enjoy them. If not for sense enjoyments, at least forself!glorification, people busy themselves with work. “I am a very rich man”, “I am agreat leader”, “I am a great scholar”, “I am a great devotee, “I am a great jnani ” % sopeople pride themselves and find a fleeting pleasure in the proud fancy. Even greatmen who have given up all sorts of sense enjoyments sometimes forget their truegoal, being misled by such fancy. The pleasure of utilisation and the pleasure of
self!glorification both soon end in overwhelming sorrow. The godly pleasureoriginating in the contemplation of God alone is free from sorrow, because God
alone is eternal. Divine joy is eternal; it is untouched by sorrow. The wise who knowthis find lasting, unbroken joy in the contemplation of God; they find no joy inanything else. By the contemplation of God, not only man but the whole world
becomes pure and holy. A believer can render no greater service to the world thanthat rendered by contemplation of God. That means every other service is inferior
by comparison. Therefore, without wasting a precious moment, without a singlemoment’s break, perform sadhanas to gain remembrance of God.
With good wishes,Swami Tapovanam
Here there is not even a clean scrap of paper to write a letter on.Guidance from the Guru
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15 Letter Fifteen, 17!11!1953
With good wishes.It is several days since I received your letter here, redirected from Gangotri. So farwe have been exchanging letters dealing only in generalities without entering into
particulars and so I felt there was no hurry to send a reply. That was one of thecauses of the delay.
To get a general idea of mental and physical control, of dispassion, nishkama karmaand bhakti, the study of Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Vasishta and other books of the kind
will be found very useful. That is why aspirants read them every day. It may bepossible to get a general knowledge of the goal by such reading. But it is when men
try to put those ideas into practice, that experiences varying from individual toindividual, obstacles, oppositions, fears and doubts crop up. A consideration of these
phenomena is spoken of as the criticism of particular elements. No detaileddiscussion is called for with reference to general common aspects. Nobody doubts
whether nishkama karma, bhakti and jnana are essential. It is when we come toconsider individual cases that di&culties arise. What is the sadhana suited to a
particular individual? Even if one of karma, jnana or bhakti is singled out for him,di&culties do not end. Doubts arise for individuals according to their qualifications.
To discuss such doubts and resolve individual problems aspirants usually seek thehelp of Mahatmas.
In these days, especially when there are plenty of opportunities to read this and that,who finds it impossible "if he so desires# to acquire knowledge; general knowledge on
temporal and spiritual subjects? It is only when one tries in earnest to translate hisideas into action; he finds mountain!like obstacles standing directly in his way. Theseobstacles are not uniform nor are they of the same magnitude. Aspirants have to face
them and overcome them. Mahatmas who very well know the nature of theaspirants, their peculiarities, their doubts, their defects etc. suggest devices to
overcome their di&culties. Aspirants accordingly, perform sadhanas and graduallyrise upward thrusting aside their obstructions. Only then there is victory in the
realm of spiritual life.With loving regards,Swami Tapovanam
16 Letter Sixteen, 26!1!1954
With loving Narayana smaranam.
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Practising Sri Krishna bhakti % in the course of practice common evils such as desireand anger are found to be obstacles”. These are the two points to be gathered from
the letter.The practice of Krishna bhakti is good, very good. At the beginning of spiritual lifeone should prefer practice of bhakti to the practice of jnana , because it is simpler,
easier. Even for those whose discrimination and dispassion are not well established itwill not be di&cult to follow bhakti. Therefore repeat Krishna mantra always,
meditate upon His form, listen to the stories of His great qualities and powers %following these acts of bhakti regularly people must try to develop divine love.
Samsara "worldliness# is none other than the evils of the mind such as desire andanger. Once these are destroyed there is no samsara at all. He who has freed himself
from samsara is said to be “liberated”. He is now of the form of Brahman. It is tocombat those evils that people resort to spiritual practices. So as the beginning ofpractice there is not meaning in complaining about them. If one is able to bringundesirable and unrestrained desire, anger, etc, under control it is itself a great
success. For householders, desire, anger etc. within limits is no sin. But for aspirantsengaged in spiritual sadhanas the more these are restrained the better it will be fortheir spiritual exercises and experiences. Indeed these are terrible obstacles in theirway. If through association with good men, prayers, hearing of holy stories, etc. oneis able to find delight in the thought of God, opportunities for the recrudescence of
desire, anger, etc. will be minimised.These matters are, of course, well known. All people know. So there is no need to
expatiate upon the topic. Only, there is no intense desire to perform those sadhanassuggested above to curb mental evils. Proportionately the benefit will be less.
All else well. Wish you well.Swami Tapovanam
17 Letter Seventeen
Swami Tapovan MaharajOm Narayana Smriti
With a$ection.Ordinarily, in mouna "silence# only the word is not uttered. But in mental japa theword is not only not uttered, the mind does not even go outward to sense objects %that is the specific feature. So if one can perform mental japa it is a noble sadhana
indeed. As for these two sadhanas mental japa and mouna, the more e$ectively theyare practised the better it is for the aspirants.
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The restraint of all the senses is a great duty enjoined upon people of all ashramas.Control of the senses is a blessing to any man in any of the ashramas; their free playis a curse. All the sense objects % sound, touch, form etc. should be totally discardedwhen they exceed the requirements of bodily existence. It is not necessary for anyhouseholder to wander in the maze of sense objects when they are not essential topreserve life or perform one’s duty. He had better keep all the senses under control
whether in eating, playing etc.How do new environments "adversely# a$ect a spiritual aspirant? But, why tack on to
new environments? The spiritual aspirant’s duty is to keep away from any subject,any circumstance that stands in the way of his search for Truth. “Why did you desert
your very dear wife and child?” somebody asked the Buddha.“Because they were obstacles in the way of my search for Truth,” was his reply. Can
new environments and new civilization approach "a$ect# an aspirant of intensediscrimination?
With good wishes,Swami Tapovanam
18 Letter Eighteen, 14!10!1955
Swami Tapovan MaharajOm Narayana Smriti
Uttarkasi,With loving Narayana smaranam.
The letter had been received. The old indi$erence to external activities such aswriting letters has been growing of late. Hence the delay.
Repetition of Omkara is of di$erent kinds. Sometimes it is uttered as part of somemantras, sometimes independently. Om Namah Sivaya and similar Vedic mantras, aswell as many hymns begin with Omkara. So do sacrifices, acts of penance etc. Thus
“all” people pronounce it as part of mantras and scared rites. Hence there is noprohibition. Whether all people can pursue Pranavopasana has been
controversial.Pranavopasana means the repetition of Pranava " OM# by itself "not aspart of, or in conjunction with mantras and rites# and the meditation upon its
significance % the Supreme Brahman. According to Sri Sankara and certain otherreligious teachers this is reserved for sannyasins only. The reason given is % only
those who have enough purity of mind and power of concentration can perform theupasana in the proper way. The gist of this argument is % householders and people
like them lacking mental purity and concentration should not performPranavopasana. In other contexts there is no taboo because there is no need for such
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purity and concentration as are essential for the contemplation of nirguna Brahman"Brahman without attributes#. The independent pronunciation of Pranava alone isthus objected to. Whoever cares for controls imposed by whomsoever these days?
There is one more di&culty. In the previous paragraph “all” has been put in invertedcommas, why? It may be explained here. “All” in the context means those who, like
the Brahmins, have the right to study the Vedas. The Orthodox section of theHindus still holds that sudras and women who have no upanayana have no right topronounce Pranava. The Moderns, however, take a contrary view demolishing theconservative one. In these circumstances is there anything that is improper in the
holding that all people including house!holders can conduct Pranavopasana?How can all these be expatiated upon here? Pay not much attention to such
controversies. If you are already engaged in Pranavopasana either according tosomebody’s advice or by your own choice, why doubt its propriety? Do it with firm
resolve. If you listen to each and every advisor, the result will be doubt andconfusions leading to the slackening of your performance. It is your mind that theinner Being tests: it is your sincere love that pleases Him. Whether you repeat theholiest of Vedic mantras Om or the meaningless mara the result will be the same
provided you have full faith in what you do. What pleases God is sincere devotion. Ifyou have real love in your mind all these rules, injunctions and prohibitions, will lose
their relevance. With the mantra you love best, worship Him and develop yourdevotion % this is the advice of the broad minded mahatmas, most learned and most
experienced.With best wishes,Swami Tapovanam
OM OM OM
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