Faith Column | April 20, 2026

Adi Sankara, rated as one of the top philosophers, who propounded the Advaita philosophy (Paramatma and Jivatma are one and the material world is nothing but maya or illusion), is unparalleled and continues to remain relevant. Devotees may attribute various forms to Paramatma, but He is One. An ordinary devotee can gain true insight of the above philosophy only through jnana, said B. Damodhara Deekshithar. This in itself is complete only when the devotee gets the blessings of a guru.

One may think that one can gain jnana from perusing books or through experiences; however, unless one gains the grace of a guru, such jnana is incomplete. One can gain the guru’s grace in any of the three ways: through touch, through guru’s eyes falling on one and remaining for a few minutes on one, and through the mind of a guru focusing on a devotee’s mind from afar. A bird always sits on its egg (touch), nourishing it. When the mother fish turns and looks at its new hatchlings, it is enough to satiate their hunger.