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path of devotion implies adherence to one's spiritual master. For example, in a letter addressed to Muni Lallujī, śrīmad urges him to adore the jñānī master as follows:
Practise ceaselessly detachment (of wordly matters); be absorbed in devotion to the satpuruşas. Reflect upon the biographies of the satpuruṣas. Ponder over the characteristics of the satpuruşas. Concentrate on the faces of the satpuruşas and perceive them through your inward eye. Brood upon their each and every mental, verbal and physical act repeatedly and accept whatever they hold. This supreme secret is to be believed in, to be repeatedly meditated upon and to be absorbed at every moment. This is an actual way of comprehending the purport of all scriptures, the core of the heart of all saints and the pathway to the abode of god.
Thus, śrīmad interprets jñāna mārga and bhakti mārga in unique manner in terms of following the orders of and being devoted to a jñānī master or satpuruşa or sadguru. In our opinion, Śrīmad's emphasis on the sadguru's role for self-realization was certainly the consequence of the impact of non-Jain philosophies and religions on him, such as Vedānta, Vaişnavism etc.; but in his opinion, it was also due to his memory of previous births in which he was guided by a sadguru in his own spiritual evolution (though he claimed to be almost self-awakened himself).
(3) In addition to the main qualities such as obeying the commands of the master and developing devotion to him, an aspirant must possess such characteristics as straightforwardness, indifference to worldly attachments or absence of desire (vairāgya), the desire of reaching the supreme reality, love for the company of righteous and upright persons (satsanga), studying scriptures including biographies of venerable individuals, purity of mind, freedom of doubt, fearlessness, modesty etc. The main defects to be avoided are self-willedness or wantonness (svacchanda), desire for worldly
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