This is a frequently asked Question- from the side of the family man who tries Sadhanas. Sadhana is not merely a process of mechanically repeating a Mantra. For success in a ritual one should be aware of the very important and secret facts related to this science. All this knowledge cannot be put on paper. For gaining it one has to seek the company of the Guru. A Sadhak by himself cannot get close to the Guru. So he should at least try to be in constant touch with the Guru. He should seek proper guidance related to the Sadhana that he is trying. Besides the Sadhak should have full faith, devotion and determination.

After Sadhana the related articles are offered to the concerned deity with the prayer that the wishes of the Sadhak might be fulfilled by the concerned deity. In the holy texts water, fire, air, moon and sun are considered to be deities that have manifest forms. These are deities which can be seen with ordinary vision. Hence with their help we try to convey our wishes and prayers to the concerned deity. Hence after Sadhana, the Sadhana articles are dropped in the river or pond.

If you wish to lead an ordinary life then nothing is necessary. But if you want to rise in the field of Sadhanas, if you want to get rid of an animal existence and become divine then one needs someone capable who could guide one’s steps. This is the task of the Guru i.e. to guide the disciple. And Guru Diksha is a way of linking oneself to the divine powers possessed by the Guru.

Every Sadhana is complete in itself. All one needs is full faith and devotion. It is a must for every Sadhak. Success cannot be won in this field through doubts and disbelief. Thousands and millions of Sadhaks have tried Sadhanas and they have attained success in them. It is certain that if one has a capable Guru to guide one in this field then success becomes absolutely certain.

Even a bit of carelessness in Sadhana can spoil the chances of success. Though it would certainly cause no harm but the desired result won’t be obtained. Hence from time to time the Sadhak should get guidance from the Guru. This shall ensure success.

The chanting of the Guru Mantra should be done early in the morning after having a bath. If you are travelling or are unable to do the chanting in the morning then you can choose any convenient time that suits you. Concentrate your mind fully while chanting the Mantra. Don’t let the mind wonder. Hold the rosary in the right hand. Let it hang over the secondfinger (large finger) and turn the beads with the thumb. One can also use the middle finger in between. One should avoid touching the rosary with the forefinger.

You can chant the Guru Mantra with Guru rosary. This special rosary is instilled with the divine powers and energy of the Guru. It can hence also be worn around the neck as a protective shield. By wearing it you can feel divine and blissful throughout the day, being in constant contact with the Guru’s power.

The periods of birth and death lead to Sootak and Paatak (inauspicious moments) and it is better not to do Sadhana then. If you are going to a house where a birth or death has taken place then leave the Yantra or rosary that you are wearing at home. When you return wear it after having a bath. Start some Sadhana after 11 days of a birth and 13 days of a death.

Through Diksha the Guru prepares the Sadhak for the Sadhana. In other words the Guru makes the success very easy. It is like laying the table for the dinner. Then all one has to do is eat the food. If a Sadhak obtains a Diksha prior to the performance of Sadhana then the only thing left for him is to chant the Mantra related to it. Hence it is better for a Sadhak to get the Diksha related to the ritual that he wants to try.

This can never happen that a Sadhana might go waste. A Sadhak surely obtains the fruit of the Sadhana that he performs.

Many times it happens that even though a Sadhak performs Sadhana the energy generated by the Mantra chanting is used up in neutralising the negative effects of the past lives’ sins and bad Karmas. This might give one a feeling that one has failed in the Sadhana. In such a situation the Sadhak should continue with the Mantra chanting daily without a break. This would speed up his progress and bring success closer.

The most easy way of obtaining success in Sadhanas is by obtaining the related Dikshas.

For success in Sadhanas the Sadhak must be instilled with the energy of Tapa or spiritual attainment. It is only through it that success which might otherwise take a long time is possible in a short time. When a Guru feels that a disciple of His is not able to gain success in some Sadhana, He transfers into him a part of His own Sadhana power and makes him capable of making quick progress. The Guru performs Shaktipaat or transfer of Tapa energy when He is pleased with the service rendered by the disciple or when the disciple prays to Him and He feels that he is eligible for the same.

The relation of the Guru and the disciple is at the level of the soul. I have always said that my house, my heart is ever open to receive you. What is needed is a determination, a desire in you. You should have a yearning to accept me as your Guru. Just as a river rushes and gushes and reaches the ocean similarly you should rush into my arms. The river never asks the ocean if it is welcome. It just rushes on. The Guru ever stands with His arms open in invitation like an ocean. It is then upto the disciple to run into His arms. Hence the best time to do so is when the feeling rises in your heart. It is through constant trying that one can become a disciple.

Life is nothing but a constant struggle. Many a times one is faced by very severe problems to which there seems to be no solutions. In such moments one needs the guidance of a person who can peer into the past and future and help one take the right decision. Guru is one who can guide one not only in the material world but also the spiritual. Only He can help one attain totality in life. Hence one needs a Guru to have a smooth sailing in life.

Deity means a divine personality which is Supreme and fusing into which is the sole aim of one’s life. It entirely depends upon the feelings of the Sadhak whom he considers as his deity. In fact if he worships the Guru as his deity then he can fulfil all his wishes faster. Gods and Goddesses cannot be seen with the naked eyes but the Guru is in manifest form and He can give solutions to all one’s problems directly.

No! On the spiritual plane all are souls and there is no difference between a man and a woman. On the spiritual plane there is no physical identification. A Guru is but a Supreme Soul and He instills His power into the soul and not into the body. Hence a married couple who has had Diksha from the same Guru can continue living as husband and wife.

Yes! One can again have a Diksha. Diksha is just a medium of gaining the Sadhana power from the Guru. Hence one can have a Diksha as many times as one feels like. There can be no problem in it. It is in fact receiving the Guru’s grace and very few are lucky enough to get it. Hence the more the better.

It is the duty of a Sadhak that he should be fully devoted to his deity. He should lead a disciplined life. And most importantly he should have full faith and devotion for the Guru. There should be no ill feeling or doubts in his mind regarding the Guru or the deity. Even a bit of disbelief can spoil the chance of attaining to totality.

As I said earlier there is no difference between a man and a woman in the field of Sadhanas. Hence the rules for them are the same. But as the physical tendencies are different there can be some special rules. For example a woman must not do Sadhana when her periods are going on. If the periods occur during the course of Sadhana she should stop the ritual. When the periods stop after two, three or more days she can have a bath and resume the Sadhana and complete it.

Nothing is necessary or compulsory. But if one keeps meeting the Guru frequently after having Diksha then it proves more favourable and beneficial for the disciple. Guru is a source of divinity and spiritual bliss and when the disciple meets a Guru he gains much from Him spiritually. If a disciple wishes for something in the Guru’s presence it becomes the Guru’s duty to fulfil that wish. Hence one should try and be near to the Guru even if one is very busy.

It is but natural for the body to get heated up specially if a Yantra is powerful and Mantra energised. It is instilled with divine powers and hence you can feel its heat. But this heat is not harmful rather it is a proof that the Yantra is authentic.

No! A rosary once used in a Sadhana must never be used in some other Sadhana. A rosary is prepared for a particular Sadhana and is consecrated and energised with particular Mantras. If it is used in some other Sadhanas then the desired result shall not be obtained. The Sadhana articles are a medium of getting in touch with the concerned deity and through a particular rosary you cannot contact some other deity. If for example you buy a ticket to Kanpur then you cannot travel to Jodhpur on it.

Yes! The spiritual life started the moment you appeared for the first time on this earth. Changing bodies does not mean a change of soul. The soul remains the same and the effects of the past Karmas are carried on in future lives along with it. Change of a body does not affect one’s spiritual level. The Karmas of the past lives sure are carried forward. The sins and good deeds of past lives do affect the present existence.

Mantras are confluence of special words and they produce a special resonance when chanted. The words of Mantras are arranged in a particular way so that they produce the desired effect when chanted properly.

Whatever one wishes must be fulfilled. But for that the Mantras must be pronounced properly. Through use of a Mantra, a Sadhak is able to reach his goal in a definite time span. If a Mantra is chanted or pronounced improperly then the desired result is not produced. Hence one should be very careful how one pronounces a Mantra.