________________
".
of becoming blissful. While describing his own experience in letter no. 491 on p.393 70A Śrimad says that it is one's own self-realization that one should treat as important and all other means of spiritual practices as subordinate and should worship wholeheartedly only satsanga as the chief cause of liberation, which makes all other practices easy. If one does not accomplish supreme happiness even after getting satsanga, which is a very rare coincidence, it is certain that the problem lies with the aspirant himself, because it is possible that he has not given up the evil and obstructive causes.
He also tells us how to recognize a satpurusa. His preachings are always devoid of anger and pride, he will preach only spirituality, which is extra-ordinary, his teachings are always much superior to those of any other ignorant person pretending to be a guru. So long as one has not heard a satpurușa, one cannot appreciate scriptures. A sadguru can destroy one's karmas. In his 'Upadeṣa-chāyā', Śrīmad states that soul and sadguru are one and the same, because it is his soul and its nature which he has realized and hence his soul is sadguru and therefore both are one and the same. Hence, he has, many times, said that one who wants to realize his soul for getting totally free from sufferings, must
198