Published 12:56 IST, February 3rd 2025
A Lifelong Quest Fulfilled: My Spiritual Awakening Through Prem Ras Siddhant
The milestone of becoming a senior citizen is just a couple of decades away, and who knows when life’s journey might come to an abrupt end anyway.

A few days ago, I stumbled upon a book that rekindled the dormant questions buried deep within me for decades. It took me back to my childhood, to a time when I was a young, curious first grader bombarding my father with endless questions: How was the world created? Why are humans born? Who is God, and why do people worship Him? What happens after death?
My father must have found it tricky — how do you explain such profound questions to a 6-year-old? To be fair, perhaps even he didn’t have the answers. And so, many of these existential puzzles lingered, unanswered, as I grew older. Life, as it does, swept me up in its tide — school, college, a career, marriage, raising children. The unrelenting demands of daily life relegated those philosophical musings to the background, buried under the struggle for survival: food, shelter, and security.
Now, at 40, something shifted. With access to fascinating books, thought-provoking conversations with like-minded friends, and the vast repository of Google, I decided to revisit those unresolved questions. This time, the search felt urgent. At this stage of life, I felt better equipped to seek answers. And, honestly, I felt the need to understand more than ever before — because, well, I’m already 40. The milestone of becoming a senior citizen is just a couple of decades away, and who knows when life’s journey might come to an abrupt end anyway.
Introduction to Vivekananda and Tagore
In my quest, I immersed myself in the works of great philosophers and thinkers — from Swami Vivekananda and Jiddu Krishnamurti to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Chanakya; from Ved Vyasa and Ramanuja to Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. The knowledge was immense, the intellectual growth rewarding. Yet, my core curiosity remained unsatisfied.
In fact, the deeper I ventured into the cavern of knowledge, the darker and more confused I became. Contradictions emerged at every turn. One book declared one thing to be true, while another offered a counter-perspective that seemed equally logical. Rationally, both ideas held merit, but how could two opposing truths coexist? The dissonance was overwhelming.
Discovering Prem Ras Siddhant
Amid this turmoil, I stumbled upon Prem Ras Siddhant. The title intrigued me, and the cover caught my attention. The author’s name, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, seemed believable, so I purchased the book and brought it home.
A quick scan of the index immediately piqued my interest. Chapters like The Ultimate Goal of Life, The Nature of God, The Nature of the World, and Practical Methods of Karma Yoga felt like a mirror to my inner questions — as if someone had peered into my mind, compiled all my unanswered queries, and written a book about them. Yet, I curbed my excitement. Past experiences had taught me to temper my expectations; I’d encountered books on similar subjects that failed to quench my thirst for clarity.
The Journey from Curiosity to Devotion
That Sunday morning, I began reading Prem Ras Siddhant with cautious optimism. A line from the opening chapter — "Even the most foolish person does not perform any action without an aim." — instantly drew me in.
This book, written by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, employs a remarkable approach. It begins by posing a question — often the very one swirling in the reader’s mind. Then, step by step, it dissects the question, analyzing it through the lenses of logic, philosophy, and the scriptures of Sanatan Dharm. What’s extraordinary is the precision and clarity with which the author validates every truth, using relatable examples and deep insights. By the end of each chapter, the fog of doubt lifts, leaving your mind clear and your soul calm.
The beauty of Prem Ras Siddhant lies in its simplicity. It masterfully explains complex philosophical concepts in everyday language. Unlike many philosophical texts that intimidate readers with their heavy jargon, this book feels accessible yet profound. Simplicity, however, does not mean superficiality. The book is richly layered, drawing upon references from the Vedas, Shastras, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, Ramayana, and other scriptures — all seamlessly interwoven into a narrative that resonates deeply.
When I closed the book after completing its nearly 300 pages, I felt a deep sense of peace. It was as if I had finally unearthed the answers I’d been seeking for decades. The curious child I once was had grown into a 40-year-old adult, and now, at long last, his relentless questions had found their answers at the threshold of devotion.
Updated 21:40 IST, February 6th 2025