Every January, the spiritual world develops a sudden case of renewed enthusiasm.
Suddenly, everyone wants transformation; big transformation.
Two hours of daily meditation. Complex pujas. Strict vows. A complete overhaul of life, mind, and karma… preferably by February.
And then, quietly, by mid-January, most of it collapses under its own weight.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth we don’t say often enough: Building a relationship with a Devata takes time. Real time.
Lived time. The kind that grows slowly, like trust between two people.
Most of those who write to me are beginners. Some are in their twenties, starting their first sadhana with excitement and confusion in equal measure. Some have migrated abroad and are trying to find their way back to their roots. Others have spent decades chasing wealth, status, and success and now, in their fifties, feel a quiet nudge toward something deeper.
If I told them what many traditional lineages tell sadhakas: Minimum two hours of daily sadhana.
Most would either run away politely or burn out spectacularly within weeks.
So, my advice is different. Always has been.
Set a minimum daily spiritual standard and keep it realistic.
Start with Ganapati and the Pitrus. Give this foundation at least six months to a year. Let it settle into your life like a habit, not a heroic act.
For Pitrus, if you’re doing nothing yet, begin simply. Chant the Pitru Stotram and Swadha Stotram on every Amavasya. That’s it. No drama.
Already doing that? Add a simple Tarpanam on Amavasya.
Doing that too? Extend Tarpanam to the twelve Sankrantis of the year and during eclipses. See how things naturally build, layer by layer.
The same applies to your Ishta Devata. If you do a daily Panchopachara Puja, add something small this year; perhaps a couple of Stotras or an Ashtakam recited daily.
Follow the Vrata of your Devata.
For Ganapati, Sankashti (Sankatahara) Chaturthi is a powerful place to begin. If that’s already part of your rhythm, take up a 40-day Anushtana of the Ganesh Sahasranama, and complete it with Brahmana Bhojanam.
Only after walking this path steadily does Mantra Sadhana truly open and at that stage, seeking a Guru becomes natural, not forced.
Even if your spirituality currently lives only in books: Yoga Vasistha, Ashtavakra Gita. Make a quieter resolution.
Read more than one Bhashya. Listen to different discourses. Take notes. Contemplate. Let understanding deepen, not just expand.
Keep adding. Gently. Consistently.
After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a relationship with the Divine.
And if this way of walking: slow, sincere, and rooted resonates with you, you’re welcome to step into our Tantra circle: https://shorturl.at/6gxgH where practice unfolds naturally, devotion matures with time, and guidance is offered without pressure. Sometimes, the journey becomes easier when walked together.
Om Mahaganapataye Namah
Karuppar Thunai.
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