He is the proper Guru to whom your mind is attuned. If you ask, how to decide who is the Guru and what is his swarupa, he should be endowed with tranquility, patience, forgiveness and other virtues capable of attracting others even with the bare eye, like the magnetic stone, and with a feeling of equality towards all - he that has these virtues is the true Guru.

If one wants to know the true Guru swarupa, one must know one's own swarupa first. How can one know the true Guru swarupa if one does not know one's own swarupa first? If you want to perceive the true Guru swarupa, you must first learn to look upon the whole universe as Guru rupa [the form of the Guru].

One must have the Gurubhavam towards all living beings [that is, seeing everything as the Guru]. It is the same with God. You must look upon all objects as God's rupa. How can he who does not know his own Self perceive Iswara rupa or Guru rupa? How can he determine them? Therefore, first of all know your own real swarupa.

In the Saiva Siddhanta tradition there are three impurities -anava (ego), karma and mala (illusion) -that prevent devotees from attaining the ultimate goal, oneness with the consciousness of Siva. Those who have all three impurities (malas) need a human Guru to realize Sadasivam, consciousness of Siva.

Those devotees who are only afflicted by anava and karma can reach Sadasivam by having Siva appear before them in a physical form. Many of the devotees from the Periyapuranam would come into this category.

Those in the third category, whose only mala is anava, can get enlightenment through the power of the Self within, without needing either a human Guru or the darshan of an external God. Jnana is given neither from outside nor from another person. It can be realized by each and everyone in his own Heart.

The jnana Guru of everyone is only the Supreme Self that is always revealing its own truth in every Heart through the existence-consciousness 'I am, I am'. The granting of being-consciousness by him is initiation into jnana.

The grace of the Guru is only this Self-awareness that is one's own true nature. It is the being-consciousness by which he is unceasingly revealing his existence. This divine upadesa [teaching] is always going on naturally in everyone.

As this upadesa alone is what reveals the natural attainment of the Self through one's own experience, the mature ones need at no time seek the help of external beings for jnana upadesa. The upadesa obtained from outsider in forms such as sounds, gestures and thoughts are all only mental concepts.

Since the meaning of the word upadesa (upa + desa) is only 'abiding in the Self' or 'abiding as the Self', and since this is one's own real nature, so long as one is seeking the Self from outside, Self-realization cannot be attained.

Since you are yourself the reality that is shining in the Heart as being-consciousness, abide always as a sthita prajna [one who is established in wisdom] having thus realized your own true nature.

This firm abidance in the experience of the Self is described in the Upanishads by such terms as 'the import of the mahavakyas', 'Supreme silence', 'Being still', 'Quiescence of mind', and 'Realization of one's true nature'.

Only the Supreme Self, which is ever shining in your Heart as the reality, is the Sadguru. The pure awareness, which is shining as the inward illumination '1', is his gracious feet.

The con- tact with these [inner holy feet] alone can give you true redemption. Joining the eye of reflected consciousness [chidabhasa], which is your sense of individuality [jiva bodha], to those holy feet, which are the real consciousness, is the union of the feet and the head that is the real significance of the word' asi'.4 As these inner holy feet can be held naturally and unceasingly, hereafter, with an inward-turned mind, cling to that inner awareness that is your own real nature.

This alone is the proper way for the removal of bondage and the attainment of the supreme truth. Silence is never-ending speech. Vocal speech obstructs the other speech of silence. In silence one is in intimate contact with the surroundings.

The silence of Dakshinamurti removed the doubts of the four sages. Mauna vyaakhya prakatita para brahma tattvam ['Who expounds the knowledge of supreme Brahman through silence']. Silence is said to be exposition. Silence is so potent.