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My answer is emphatically “No”. There is, in fact, an inter-relationship between these
two, the one supplementing the other. Bhakti is not at all antagonistic to Jnana. There is
undoubtedly a mutual dependence between the two. Both lead to the same destination.
You cannot entirely separate Bhakti from Jnana. When Bhakti matures, it becomes
transmuted into Jnana. A real Jnani is a devotee of Lord Hari, Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord
Siva, Durga, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Lord Jesus and Buddha. He is a Samar

Does this statement not advocate a false sense of self-satisfaction and defeatist
mentality? Please reconcile the discrepancy and oblige.
“If a thing is refused to him (the Sadhak), he should not aspire for it again.”
Read this statement again and again till it suffuses your entire being, till the proper
substance of it is totally realized by yourself. Then only you will appreciate the grand truth to
imbibe its true spirit. “Neither ask nor reject” should be the motto of an ideal Sadhak. He
should no

Mere hearing of eloquent valuable spiritual lectures will not do in the spiritual path. You
will have to act according to them. You will have to give your whole heart, mind and soul to
practice. Then only you will have progress in the path.
Follow the instructions of your master and the teachings of the scriptures to the very letter.
Give no leniency to the mind. Exact, implicit, strict obedience to the instructions is expected of you.
Do not fight for rights. Think more about your duties and less a

Bhakti is devotion. It is a means to the end which is attainment of Jnana. People of
emotional temperament are fit for this path. It demands self-surrender or Atma-nivedan. It is the
cat-Yoga. The kitten cries aloud and the mother cat runs at once to catch it by the mouth. So
also, the devotee cries aloud like Draupadi and Gajendra and the Lord Krishna runs immediately
to rescue him and shower His grace. The Bhakti Marga demands only sincere, intense devotion,
blind faith and strong conviction as Pr

The Yogic method excels all other methods. It is the best and the cheapest of all
prevalent systems of treatment. Take to intense Pranayam and Asans. Both these help a lot in
preserving Veerya (semen) and converting the vital energy into Ojas. Practice Sirshasan,
Sarvangasan, Matsyasan, Halasan, Paschimottanasan, Padahastasan and Yoga Mudra coupled
with Bhastrik Pranayam. Practice Pranayam till the stage of Kevala Kumbhak is reached. When
there is no necessity either to breathe in or to breathe out,

Understand fully the aim and purpose of life. Yield not to temptations. Develop virtuous
qualities like humility, forgiveness, tolerance, etc. Wish eagerly and fervently to attain
God-consciousness. Have faith, interest and attention. You are bound to succeed.
Conserve all energy and utilise it for higher spiritual achievements in life. Purify. Be just.
Be true. Be sincere in your attempts. Respect all prophets and saints. You will shine as a dynamic
Yogi.
Keep the mind fully occupied. Sing the name

Do Japa. Do selfless service. Pray to God from the bottom of your heart (Antarika).
Have Satsang. Meditate. Read the Gita and the Upanishads. Live alone. Live in seclusion for
six months. Take Sattvic food. Give up meat, fish, eggs, liquors, chillies, oil, black sugar,
onions and garlic.
From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda

A righteous man is he who is pure in thought, word and deed and who observes Yama
and Niyama to the very letter. He ever moves astray for the sake of paltry gains and selfish ends.
He is ever pious, God-fearing, Self-centered and selfless. He has cosmic vision and a broad
outlook. He is equanimous and tolerant towards all. He is a mine of all virtues like charity,
nobility, sincerity, humility, renunciation, serenity, simplicity and so on. No egoism, no lust, no
greed, no crooked-mindedness, no vani

Destroy the Sankalpas or imagination of the mind. Discipline the mind in a perfect manner
through discrimination, enquiry, dispassion and regular meditation on Atman.
Have a wide outlook on life. See God in everything, in every face. Give up all that is false
and untrue. Pray fervently. Lead a life of virtue and happiness.
Renounce all your sorrows, fears and anxieties, and walk in the path laid down by the
scriptures. You will attain supreme peace and eternal bliss.
From "Light, Power and Wisdom" by

They are Mala or impurities such as lust, anger and greed, Vikshepa or tossing of the
mind or mental oscillation, and Avarana or the veil of ignorance.
There is a muddy lake covered with moss. The wind is blowing hard. Now, the lake is
the mind. The muddy condition represents Mala. The agitation of the waters that is set up by the
wind corresponds to the Vikshepa in the mind set up by the vibration of Prana. The moss that
covers the surface of the water represents the veil of ignorance.

From "May I a

Let not your heart give way to trials. Be ever intent on your spiritual Sadhana. Learn to
discriminate. Develop true lasting Vairagya by association with wise people.
Make the mind understand about the unreal nature of objects and the defects of a sensual
life. Talk to your mind. Coax the mind. It will hear your words. Gradually the mind-wandering will
cease. Then the mind will abide firmly in the centre of the source.
Become a Yogi. Yoga will put an end to all sorts of pain. Yoga will destroy all K

The true greatness of man is to be measured not by the amount of wealth nor by the
number of bungalows which are had or by the exercise of personal influence, but by the degree of
selflessness, all-embracive outlook, generosity, liberal views, cosmic benefaction, self-sacrifice,
egoless, self-effacing nature, grade of perception of unity in diversity, humanitarian services, etc.
A truly great man is pious, spiritually elevated, magnanimous and noble-hearted. He can never
have a thought for himself a

Kundalini can be awakened by the practice of Asan, Pranayam, Mudras, Japa and by the
grace of a Guru. Refer to my book “Kundalini Yoga”.
Yes. Japa alone is quite sufficient to awaken the Kundalini. There is no doubt of this.
Sri Samarth Ramdas awakened the Kundalini by doing Japa of the Mantra Om Sri Ram Jaya
Ram, Jaya Jaya Ram thirteen crores of times by standing in the river Godavari, in Takli Village,
near Nasik.
From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami S

Though the cow grazes on the pastures having been separated from the calf, her mind is
always fixed on the calf only. Similarly you should fix the mind on God when you do Japa, and give
your hand to work.
Renounce all attachment. Be balanced in success or failure, gain or loss, victory or defeat,
pleasure or pain. Discipline your mind cautiously. This is your master-key to open the doors of the
realm of Bliss. This is the secret of success in Yoga.
Feel and think that you breathe, live and work for G

Every man has not sprung up all on a sudden as a man. The Jiva, right from the very first
ushering into the world, continues to undergo the cycle of births and deaths not in tens, hundreds
or thousands, but in lakhs. It actually carries with it the Samskaras right from its very first birth
up to the birth current, i.e., under enjoyment. The unenjoyed or residual Samskaras continue till
they are completely fried in toto by Atma Jnana. The very forgetfulness of death by man, though
he sees countless d

After attaining a certain stage of development, they begin to dissipate their energies in
preaching, in making disciples, in publishing books. They become the slaves of name and fame.
That is the reason why they fail to reach the highest goal of life, viz., Brahma Sakshatkar.
From "May I answer that" by Swami Sivananda (1987-1963). More Informations on Swami Sivananda: on the Website of Divine Life Society, Photographs of Swami Sivananda, German Pages on Swami Sivananda

Look out for an unchangeable, infinite and Supreme happiness which must come from a
Being in whom there is no change. Search and find out such Being, and if you could only succeed in
your quest, then you can get that unalterable happiness from Him.
Sensual enjoyment is attended with various defects. It is attended with various sorts of sins,
pains, weaknesses, attachments, slave mentality, weak will, severe exertion and struggle, bad
habits, cravings, aggravation of desires and mental restlessness.

The industrial revolution does not compel anyone to lower the moral standard. No doubt,
it might have facilitated this fall to some extent. The real mischief was done by the misleaders of
mankind who deliberately exalted material values over spiritual values. It is never too late to
mend. Even now, if the heart of man be cleansed of the dross of selfishness and selfaggrandizement,
and righteousness enthroned in it, the moral standard can be kept high in spite
of the most spectacular industrial devel