________________
near and corroborative to the six tenets inunciated by him in the 'Atmasiddhi'.
Śrīmad has laid great stress on the association with a poious teacher (sadguru) for quick and effective progress on the path of self-realization. Such a pious teacher ought to be one who has acquired knowledge of the self (atma- jñāna) and realized that soul is different from body, mind and intelligence and who is also free form passions, like anger, pride, greed, lust of sex and is beyond happiness and misery, pride and insult, success and failure, pain and pleasure etc.. Such a teacher's association (satsanga) is very useful for an aspirant in realizing and attaining Godhood, as such teacher himself has reached that stage. According to Śrîmad an aspirant in the absence of such teacher, can take resort to scriptures, though understanding the real and hidden meaning of scriptures is very difficult without the guidance of a pious teacher. However, one should take the help of scriputres and try to follow the commands (ājñā) of the conquerors (Jinas) in a righteous way, which can help an aspirant progress on the path.
Śrimad has advised the aspirants studying scriptures to note that the preachings in the scriptures
264