In 1932, after serving Bhagavan personally day and night for twelve years, Kunju Swami wanted to intensify his practice of Self Enquiry by keeping himself aloof from the ashram. He trained a young man called Madhava Swami to attend on Bhagavan. Kunju Swami waited for the day to tell Bhagavan that he was retiring from service and that he would be staying in Palaakothu in the next compound. He was hesitant as he did not know how to break the news to his master. While still in this dilemma, one day as he entered the hall he heard Bhagavan explaining to others that real service to him did not mean attending to his physical needs but practicing his teachings. Once before he had said, “It is no use in saying, ‘I have been doing personal service to the guru.’ One should abide by the teaching of the guru every day.” A few days later on another occasion, he heard Bhagavan say, “The best service to the guru is engaging in Self Enquiry, meditation and other spiritual practices with purity of body, speech and mind.” He kept chancing upon Bhagavan saying this morning and evening for several days. He had been hesitating to tell Bhagavan of his plans, but Bhagavan himself had taken the cue and given him an answer. Another day when he entered Bhagavan’s hall, Bhagavan was quoting from the Kaivalya Navaneetam wherein the disciple asks the guru how he can repay him for the grace he has received from him. The guru replies, “The highest return the disciple can render to the guru is to remain fixed in the Self without being disturbed by obstacles and outward distractions.”
This finally emboldened Kunju Swami. He prostrated before Bhagavan and said, “Bhagavan, I want to go and live in Palaakothu and pursue Self Enquiry.” Bhagavan was delighted and exclaimed, “Oh good! It is enough if the mind is kept one pointed in vichara, dhyana, japa and parayana.” (Vichara is enquiry, dhyana is meditation, japa is chanting a mantra and parayana is repeatedly singing the works of the master without aspiring for anything else.) Kunju Swami again prostrated before Bhagavan and pleaded, “Bhagavan, please bless me. I am going to be alone, away from you. Guide me.” Bhagavan looked at him graciously and then said the most beautiful thing: “Make Self Enquiry your final aim, but also practice meditation, japa and parayana. Practice them relentlessly. If you tire of meditation, take to japa, if you tire of japa, take to Self Enquiry, if you tire of that, do the chanting of verses. Do not have a gap between them. Do not allow the mind to…