Meeting Swami Paramārthānandaji - July 14th, 2025, 5 PM at Swamiji’s Abhirāmapuram Dwelling, Chennai.

 

After the initial introduction and remembering/thanking Sangeetha (my undergraduate friend and student of Swamiji), who sought an appointment for me to meet Swamiji, and profusely acknowledging Swamiji’s grace in granting us the time, I proceeded to begin speaking along the following lines, seeking Swamiji’s guidance.

 

1. On Deepening Nididhyāsanam in Gṛhastha Āśrama

I started off saying that if śravaṇam is “advitīya vastu tātparya avadhāraṇam”, mananam is “advitīya vastu anāvarta anucintanam”, and nididhyāsanam is “advitīya svasvarūpa vastu anāvarta anusandhānam”. How can one go deeper into nididhyāsanam, especially while living in the gṛhastha āśrama, where constant svasvarūpa-anusandhānam is the goal, but vikṣepas keep showing up in the form of vikalpas?

Swamiji smilingly acknowledged my framing and said mananam is reflecting upon the tattvam based on the yuktis learnt from the teacher. Then nididhyāsanam is mananam that happens continuously, even when one gets the slightest opportunity during the day - in between chores and activities. It can become automatic over time and does not necessarily require separate time commitment and allotment.

Regarding the vikṣepas and vikalpas, Swamiji mentioned that once nididhyāsanam becomes the underlying constant, with everything else experienced as overlay - even vikṣepas and vikalpas don’t intrude into nididhyāsanam. Even while walking, talking, or acting, the undercurrent of mananam can continue. He cited the Gītā - the jñānī sees guṇas operating among guṇas and knows oneself as the akartā.

In other words, this kind of attitude (which emerges from a deeply rooted habit of mananam) is what allows mananam to ripen into nididhyāsanam and spill over into the whole of our life.

To summarize Swamiji: mananam is when we allot time to reflect; nididhyāsanam is when that reflection has matured enough to carry through amid action or stillness.

 

 

2. Dhanush’s Question: On How to Be in College

Dhanush asked how to stay anchored while away from home, especially entering the new environment of college.

Swamiji told him to persist with his Sandhyāvandhanam routine and to modulate its length based on time and number of japa repetitions, but ensure not to skip it altogether.

He emphasized living by the values found in Bhagavad Gītā Chapters 12, 13, 16, and 17. Swamiji said to study, reflect, and try to live out those teachings.

Swamiji quoted:

Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam
Ācāryopāsanam śaucaṁ sthairyam ātmavinigrahaḥ
(Humility, unpretentiousness, non-violence, forgiveness, uprightness, service to the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control)

And pointed me to show Dhanush the ślokas from 13.8–12. He also mentioned there are ślokas in Chapter 12, which are key guidelines:

• Adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānām (12.13), Santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī (12.14)
• Yasmān nodvijate loko (12.15), Anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣaḥ (12.16)
• Yo na hṛṣyati na (12.17), Samaḥ śatrau ca mitre (12.18)
• Tulya-nindā-stutir maunī (12.19), Ye tu dharmyāmṛtam idaṁ (12.20)

Swamiji also pointed to Chapter 16, where daivī sampat is outlined, and advised Dhanush to use it as a set of key markers to self-evaluate. He stressed the importance of impulse control, especially when interacting with others - not just in speech, but in tone and subtle tendencies. "We must not say whatever comes to mind, we must pause and reflect before speaking"

Swamiji particularly emphasized Chapters 16 and 17, especially:

Chapter 16: Daivī Sampat (verses 1–3)

• Abhayaṁ (fearlessness), Sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ (purity of heart), Jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ (steadfastness in knowledge), Dānam (charity), Damaḥ (sense control), Yajñaḥ (sacrifice), Svādhyāyaḥ (study of scriptures)
• Tapaḥ (austerity), Ārjavam (straightforwardness), Ahiṁsā (non-violence), Satyaṁ (truthfulness), Akrodhaḥ (absence of anger), Tyāgaḥ (renunciation), Śāntiḥ (peace), Apaiśunam (absence of gossip), Dayā bhūteṣu (compassion)
• Aloluptvam (non-covetousness), Mārdavam (gentleness), Hrīḥ (modesty), Acāpalam (steadiness), Tejaḥ (vitality), Kṣamā (forgiveness), Dhṛtiḥ (fortitude), Śaucam (purity), Adrohaḥ (non-hatred), Anatimānitā (absence of pride)

 

Chapter 17: Tapas of Body, Speech, and Mind (verses 14–16)

• Deva-dvija-guru-prājña-pūjanam, śaucam, ārjavam, brahmacaryam, ahiṁsā - are called śārīraṁ tapaḥ (austerity of the body)
• Anudvegakaraṁ vākyam, satyam, priyam, hitam, svādhyāya-abhyāsanam - are called vāṅmayaṁ tapaḥ (austerity of speech)
• Manaḥ-prasādaḥ, saumyatvam, maunam, ātma-vinigrahaḥ, bhāva-saṁśuddhiḥ - are called mānasaṁ tapaḥ (austerity of the mind)

Swamiji recommended Swami Sarvapriyānanda’s Q&A videos, calling them accessible and deep. I mentioned that Dhanush had once taken the Dṛg Dṛśya Viveka class with Swami Sarvapriyānandaji.

Swamiji replied – “That is good but its philosophical, what he needs is values and guidelines, especially when away from home.”

He reiterated the need to study, reflect, and evaluate one’s actions using the ślokas from Chapters 12, 13, 16, and 17, and emphasized the importance of noble company:

“Keep good company,” he said, “especially when the surroundings don’t automatically offer it.”

 

3. Meenakshi’s Question: On Focus and Attention Span

Meenakshi asked about how to improve focus?

Swamiji immediately pointed to the mobile phone as the key culprit. He said we are living in a time when attention span is constantly being chipped away. So, he advised having dedicated, non-negotiable “distraction-free” time zones each day even starting with just 10 minutes and gradually expanding to 30 minutes or more.

He said this time window should be used to give our full attention to just one thing. It could be reading, chanting, or anything sāttvic but without any multitasking or interruptions.

“This is essential,” he said.

 

 

4. Madhuri’s Question: Bliss During Pravachanams But Not After

Madhuri shared that she often feels uplifted during pravachanams, sometimes even transported into a joyful or blissful state but once life returns to routine, that bliss gradually fades. She asked how to hold on to that feeling or extend it into daily life.

Swamiji was very clear he said the purpose of śravaṇam is not to generate bliss, but to transform oneself.

He said unless we go from śravaṇam → mananam → nididhyāsanam, we’re only using pravachanams for emotional upliftment, not transformation.

"Bliss is fine if it happens, but that’s not the measure of growth"

He again pointed to the Gītā and said, when it comes to Karma Yoga, divine qualities, or austerity of speech — all those ślokas are pointers to measure our progress. It is by putting things into practice that long-lasting impact is gained.

Swamiji again pointed me to tell Madhuri and Dhanush the ślokas in Chapters 12, 13, 16, and 17.

 

 5. Amma’s interactions with Swamiji

Amma echoed Madhuri’s sentiment, she too resonates with śravaṇānanda but acknowledged that Swamiji’s advice applies to her as well.

She added that she wants to cultivate detachment, especially from difficult or emotionally challenging situations, and asked Swamiji to bless her with vairāgyam, so she can remain peaceful under all conditions.

Swamiji smiled and blessed her saying:

“The blessings are always there.”

In the next moment, he added:

“Nityaṁ ca samacittatvaṁ iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu” — this verse (Bhagavad Gītā 13.10) speaks of cultivating equanimity in the face of pleasant and unpleasant outcomes. Such verses are meant to be practiced in stage, gradually deepening one’s capacity for samatvam through daily living.

He shared something he often quotes in his lectures (and looked at me expectantly, almost inviting recognition):

Īśvara is worshipped in three progressive forms —

1. Īśvara in temples, as mūrti or deity.
2. Īśvara as the Viśvarūpa, the cosmic form, the eternal avatāra manifest as the entire universe.
3. Īśvara as the very Self, the ātman.

He said: First comes Īśvara ārādhana, worshipping a chosen form of God. Then comes Viśvarūpa ārādhana, seeing this entire universe as nothing but the form of Īśvara. Finally, with deep inquiry, comes the recognition of Īśvara as the Self, the ātman.

He noted that unlike other avatāras that come and go, the Viśvarūpa is an eternal avatāra, ever-present and available to us. Swamiji said “This avatāra is there since start of creation and will be there till its end”

To recognize it, we don’t need rituals, miracles, pilgrimages, or to put our body through tough austerities. What is needed is only śraddhā in śāstra and guru-vākyam.

This was poignant advice to my mother, since she had just returned from a pilgrimage that challenged her physically and mentally, due to her health issues.

Even as he spoke about seeing the viśvam as Nārāyaṇa, my mind leapt to both the Viśvarūpa Darśana in the Gītā and the opening of the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, where Bhagavān Vyāsa declares:

"Viśvam Viṣṇuḥ..."  the Universe itself is Viṣṇu.

Thus, Swamiji offered my mother an alternative path to immersion in bhakti — one that doesn’t tax the body but strengthens emotional resilience, by constantly holding on to the truth that:

Īśvara is all this. Be satisfied with this. 

 

6. My Question on the Four Categories of Āstikas and Vedānta as Pramāṇa

I then asked Swamiji a question that’s been brewing in my mind for a while. I described how, within the āstika sampradāya, I often see different kinds of positions taken with respect to Vedānta as pramāṇa:

1. The first group holds that Vedānta is both necessary and sufficient — through śravaṇa, manana, and nididhyāsanam, mokṣa is attainable. This aligns with Śaṅkara’s position.
2. The second group says Vedānta is necessary, but not sufficient — that some experiential confirmation, like yogic samādhi, is still needed to complete the journey.
3. The third group says Vedānta may be good but there are other easy paths.
4. And the fourth group either dismisses śāstra altogether as a pramāṇa or make light of it.

 Swamiji responded with a brief masterclass.

He said we must first separate sincere seekers from less mature ones. Among the sincere, there are two types:

• Those who follow the Śaṅkara view: Vedānta, taken as pramāṇa, is necessary and sufficient.
• And those who feel that samādhi is needed as a final confirmation — this is not Śaṅkara’s view, he clarified.

Regarding those within the āstika sampradāya who don’t even bother with the question “Is Vedānta a pramāṇa or not?”, Swamiji said they fall under the less mature or less sincere category. We can leave them aside for the moment so that we can focus on the primary two types.

He said some of them could also be bliss-hunters or those who yearn for feel-good spirituality. They will resort to a variety of activities and bide their time. They may not be insincere, but they haven’t yet arrived at the critical crossroad: “Is Vedānta a pramāṇa or not?”

He did say that “it’s okay that they will come to that junction eventually”

Swamiji reiterated: “Viewing Vedānta as the pramāṇa — necessary and sufficient for mokṣa — is Śaṅkara’s view. There is no second thought about this. The Yogic view, which some Vedāntins occasionally espouse (i.e., seeking yogic confirmation in the form of samādhi), is not Śaṅkara’s view”

Swamiji also referenced Swami Vivekānanda, and Anantanand Rambachan’s book on Śaṅkara and Vivekānanda — which I had read.

The discussion turned towards the various Yogas (as characterized by Swami Vivekānandaji), and I mentioned the inclusive stance of the Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa Maṭha, which welcomes a diversity of temperaments and views. I shared an anecdote from my conversations with Swamijis of the Rāmakṛṣṇa Order (including my teacher), about the role nirvikalpa samādhi plays in spiritual liberation.

< I’m not including the finer details here>

 I also shared that my own teacher from Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa Maṭh taught me to view Vedānta as a pramāṇa both necessary and sufficient, however strongly adviced me to hold onto japam. 

Swamiji acknowledged that and said, “Yes Sri Rāmakṛṣṇa Maṭha Swamijis do have a broad-hearted, inclusive approach, and that’s valuable in its own right.”

He then shared something striking:

Pujya Swami Dayānandaji himself nearly walked away from Vedānta — twice — in his early days. It was only when an Andhra Śāstri pointed out to him that Vedānta is a pramāṇa (not just a philosophy) that everything clicked. That moment became a turning point, from which his entire teaching legacy emerged.

 

7. Future Direction for Our SLC (Study and Learning Circle)

I explained to Swamiji how SLC was formed and what we have done thus far. I described the role each of the pravaktās has taken — starting with Shiva gāru, Venkat, myself, Shrinivas gāru, and recently Nagesh. I also gave examples of the kind of topics each of us has covered. 

When I mentioned the uniqueness each of us brings to the presentation, it brought a smile to Swamiji's face. Swamiji seemed to love it. He blessed us all for this effort.

When I asked Swamiji for his impression and guidance on how to further continue this SLC yajña, Swamiji said

“This goes back to our earlier discussion. As devotees of Śaṅkara, we (i.e. Swamiji is talking about us in SLC) must focus on cultivating pramāṇika buddhi. It’s wonderful to carry strong Dvaita saṁskāras of bhakti, but not at the expense of losing sight of the goal of life mokṣa through ātma jñāna.”

He warned that if we don’t cultivate pramāṇika buddhi toward Vedānta, we risk turning even śravaṇa into a temporary uplifting experience, rather than a transformative one. What we need is śraddhā (read śraddhā as āstikya buddhi or pramāṇika buddhi).

Since I had mentioned about Bhagavatam (earlier while describing SLC topics), Swamiji then mentioned how Bhāgavatam is an Advaita śāstram laced with Īśvara-bhakti. This itself shows that Bhagavān Vyāsa teaches us that Īśvara-bhakti must culminate in Advaita Brahmātma-jñāna śravaṇam. Slowly but steadily, our śraddhā must be in Advaita.

To this, I echoed my learnings from Śrīmad Lalitā Sahasranāma and mentioned the key verses and names of Ammavāru in it, which point to Advaita Siddhānta. Swamiji was visibly happy, acknowledged this 

and 

blessed us all, SLC included.

 

 

Epilogue

I apologized to Swamiji for taking more time than perhaps allotted (I was there for nearly 50+ minutes). Swamiji smiled and said —

"Paravala" (It’s okay).

We all bowed down to Swamiji and took his leave.

A beautiful day indeed.

The key message is:

Satsaṅgam ought to lead to nissaṅgatvam (detachment).

What is the test of detachment?

It is nirmohatvam — freedom from delusion.

The test of true detachment lies in clear discernment:

• Not mistaking anitya (the impermanent) for nitya (the eternal),
• Not mistaking likes/dislikes (manodharmam) for right/wrong (śāstra-pramāṇam),
• Not mistaking what merely appears to be (i.e., mithyā) as that which truly exists — in past, present, and future — the satya (the real).

This nirmohatvam leads to niścalatattvam — unwavering clarity and abidance.
That is called jīvanmuktiḥ.

At the core of all this is developing pramāṇika buddhi, vide Vedānta śravaṇam.

Else, we risk reducing satsaṅgam to a “feel-good fest” and human birth to a “bliss-hunting expedition.”

This attitude, besides derailing our spiritual life, can potentially make our normal gṛhasthāśrama life ridden with misgivings. Spiritual life, instead of enabling us to experience abhyudayam, a holistic, fulfilling, and peaceful lifestyle,  can fall short.

Truly speaking, Śrī Śaṅkara lives and breathes in the form of those who embody His thoughts, His vision, and His words, Guru Swarupam like Swami Paramārthānandaji.

Sambhoḥ carati bhuvane Śaṅkarācārya-rūpaḥ !

Jaya Jaya Śaṅkara, Hara Hara Śaṅkara!