Grace Knows No Caste: My Life in the Path of Sri Ganapati Muni

A Personal Reflection by Tapasvi Nalamothu Abhilash

At the Feet of My Guru

In offering these words, I open my heart in gratitude and surrender — for what follows is not merely my story, but a reflection of the infinite compassion of my Guru, Śrī Surya Phani Madhava Sharma Garu.

My life, once lost in confusion and restlessness, was transformed by His divine grace. From a childhood untouched by prayer or ritual to walking the sacred Ṛṣi Mārga of Śrī Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni, every step has been guided by His generosity, His wisdom, and His silent, luminous presence.

This humble account is my anjali, my offering at His lotus feet — in reverence, devotion, and eternal gratitude.

Meeting My Gurudev for the First time (Representative Image)

The Dawn of My Path

Jai Gurudev.

I am Abhilash Nalamothu, born in a small village named Chekurapadu, near Ongole in Prakasam District. I was born into a Dalit family — a simple household where daily prayers or rituals were unknown. Even during festivals, our celebrations were marked not by puja, but by meals of non-vegetarian food.

My childhood passed quietly, far from temples, far from the fragrance of incense or the sound of mantra. I had no faith, no devotion. At times, I accompanied my grandmother to church, yet my heart remained untouched by the spirit of worship.

And yet, the mysterious hand of destiny had already planted a seed.

One day, my grandfather’s younger brother — a man said to know sarpa mantras — showed me a tattered old book of mantras. Out of curiosity, I opened it and read a strange line:

“If this mantra is chanted at midnight in a cremation ground, a tree will rise and move.”

When I asked if it were true, he said softly, “Yes.”

That single word awakened something within me — a fascination with the power of sound, with the hidden world of mantras and the unseen realms of truth.

The First Stir of Devotion

Years passed. I completed my engineering, still untouched by spirituality. I had only made occasional visits to Tirumala, more as a visitor than a devotee.

But around 2015, something inexplicable stirred within. A quiet flame of longing began to glow. I felt the urge to pray, though I did not know where to begin or how.

Without any external guidance, I turned instinctively toward Lord Śiva. I placed His picture upon my wall, bowed before it, and began offering simple salutations each day. Soon, I started visiting temples and listening to Chaganti Garu’s discourses.

The rhythm of Vedic mantras began to enchant me. Their vibration awakened something ancient and sacred deep inside. Slowly, devotion began to bloom.

Lost and Searching

But the journey of the soul is not without its trials.

A few years later, I was struck by personal pain — the betrayal of love. My heart, once tender, grew bitter and restless. In my confusion, I sought solace not in prayer, but in the world of tantric and occult practices.

That search led me to the Dasa Mahavidyas — the Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses. I came across a person on Facebook who claimed mastery of such mantras. Out of desperation, I asked him for a vaśikaraṇa (attraction) mantra.

He said, “Before that, you must do a tantric japa for your birth star.” When I asked if he would perform it, he agreed — for a fee. I borrowed money from my mother, telling her it was for a puja.

But destiny, in her mercy, had other plans.

Taking Correct Path is the Turning Point in Life

The Turning Point

Around that same time, while browsing YouTube, I stumbled upon a video of my revered Guru — Śrī Surya Phani Madhava Sharma Garu — speaking on the Dasa Mahavidyas. Something in His voice, His calm authority, drew me in.

I noted down His number and called to ask about the ritual. Guruji’s reply was simple yet filled with truth:

“Nanna, such vaśikaraṇa mantras should never be followed. They will harm you more than help you in the long run.”

Those words pierced through my ignorance. A few days later, I received a message about an online session on the Dasa Mahavidyas. Without knowing why, I joined. That one decision changed the course of my life forever.

Until then, I had never even heard the name Sri Ganapati Muni.

Drawn by the Invisible Hand

As I listened to Guruji speak, I felt a deep stirring within me — as though some forgotten connection was awakening. I called Him one day and asked, “Guruji, why do I feel so drawn to this path?”

He replied gently,

“Abhilash, the very thought of walking this path arises only by the grace of the Divine Mother. You have Her grace.”

Those words entered me like fire. I felt seen, known, and blessed. My wandering thoughts found purpose; my life found meaning.

That same day, another question long buried in my heart rose to my lips:

“So many people attack our country, Guruji. We possess such vast spiritual power — why don’t we use it to protect our land?”

He smiled and answered with luminous simplicity:

“When you become a realized soul, your very being becomes a force that uplifts the nation. If you are not yet elevated, how can you employ spiritual power for the nation’s protection? Śrī Gaṇapati Muni’s path calls for those willing to perform deep tapasya — for the true power of a nation arises from the tapas of its seekers.”

In that moment, I understood — it was Sri Ganapati Muni himself who had drawn me to this sacred way.

The Fire of Tapasya

Soon after, in 2022, I joined the 90-day Dīkṣā Program, with initiation held at Śrī Pakalapati Gurudev Āśram in Kitumala, Lammasingi.

There, under Guruji’s compassionate gaze, my life as a tapasvi began. He gave us the Guru Mantra and Prāṇāyāma, explaining that these would prepare our body and mind to receive the Dasa Mahavidya Dīkṣā.

Before the initiation, He instructed me firmly:

“If you wish to walk this path sincerely, you must give up non-vegetarian food.”

That day marked a new discipline. Though the change was not easy, from that moment onward — for over three years now — I have not touched meat.

Later, in June 2022, at Ghutika Siddeswaram, Guruji initiated me into the Prachanda Chandi Sādhanā. From then on, my tapas has continued unbroken.

Saved from the Path of Darkness

At times, I reflect on the words Guruji once spoke — about the “golden and iron chains” that bind. Whether through desires or illusions, bondage remains the same.

Had I chosen the path of vaśikaraṇa and black magic, I would have fallen into darkness. But by the unseen mercy of past saṁskāras and Guruji’s divine intervention, I was brought instead to Sri Ganapati Muni’s pure Vedic path — which Guruji calls “true Vedic personality development.”

Performing Indra Yajna with Guruji in Tapovanam (Representative Image)

Walking the Path of Sri Ganapati Muni

Guruji lives and teaches the principle of Kula Mātha Abhedha — the vision of oneness beyond caste, creed, or religion. He never once asked my caste.

In 2023, I stayed with Him at Vasiṣṭha Vedic Tapovanam near Sitaramapuram in Nellore district, along with a few fellow disciples. Guruji was in Indra Yajña Dīkṣā, and we had the sacred privilege of assisting in preparations and participating in the yajñas.

One evening, after the completion of a yajña, emotion overwhelmed me. I said to Guruji:

“No Brāhmin would ever have allowed someone like me — born in a so-called backward caste — to even come near. What you have given me is something beyond imagination. I never dreamed that I would one day perform a yajña.”

Guruji looked at me with serene compassion and said:

“Your caste is of no consequence, Nanna. It is your saṁskāra that matters. Śrī Gaṇapati Muni condemned caste-based rejection. All of you have equal right to study and practice the Vedas. But remember,” he added softly, “you must always remain steadfast in the purity and discipline of the path.”

Those words became etched in my soul.

Under His guidance, I learned the chanting of Vedic mantras — in Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, and Jagatī chandas, with proper swaras. Guruji allowed me to take part in more than twenty Indra Yajñas in a single year.

He patiently taught us the rituals, corrected our mistakes, and encouraged us to chant the mantras ourselves. Sometimes gently, sometimes firmly — but always with love.

Among us were seekers from many caste backgrounds. Under His gaze, all differences dissolved. We were simply sādhakas on the same divine path.

Lessons from a True Master

Among the many teachings of Guruji, one video series touched me deeply — “Tapassulō nēnu chēsina tappulu mīru chēyavaddhu” (Don’t repeat the mistakes I made in my Tapasya).

This series left a profound impact on me because in it, Guruji openly shared the errors He Himself had committed during His early years of sadhana. It was not merely a teaching; it was an act of rare humility and divine transparency. Through those heartfelt confessions, He helped all of us understand the subtle pitfalls that can arise in spiritual practice and guided us to take necessary precautions in our own journey.

What moved me the most was His courage and sincerity. I have read about many saints and heard from many teachers, yet I have never known a Guru who so honestly admitted His own shortcomings before His disciples. This, I realized, is a mark of true divinity — the ability to reveal one’s human journey with utter purity and truthfulness.

Guruji said to us with great simplicity,

“I was not perfect when I began my journey. I was made and prepared for tapasya by the grace of my Masters. So remember — even the most fallen person, even a sinner or a criminal, can receive the hand of Gurudev’s grace if he or she truly wishes for it. The spiritual path is nothing but the process of true reformation — the realization of the indwelling Divine.”

Those words became etched in my heart forever.

Guruji remains ever humble — never presenting Himself as special or superior. It is this very humility, this pure simplicity that shines like light through His being. And it is precisely this quality that made me surrender to Him completely — with love, trust, and unwavering attention.

Grace Within My Family

Even as I walked this path — unmarried, jobless, and immersed in sādhanā — my mother never opposed me. Many parents would have feared that their son might never marry or settle. But she, with unshakable love, supported me fully.

Her faith gave me strength. And by Guruji’s grace, I was later blessed with a wife who understands and supports my spiritual journey wholeheartedly.

In our family’s history, no one had ever walked the way of tapas. To be blessed with such acceptance now — I know — is nothing short of divine grace manifest.

Transformation Beyond Spirituality

Since meeting my Guru, every aspect of my life has changed — not only spiritually, but socially, mentally, and emotionally.

He taught me how to live with harmony and gratitude, to serve others, and to see life itself as yajña.

Under His guidance, I began to see life itself as a form of worship!

All Because of His Grace

As I look back, I see that every step — from ignorance to awareness, from pain to peace, from ego to surrender — was guided by His unseen hand.

His compassion opened the gates of ancient wisdom to one who once knew nothing of mantra or ritual.

Every word of truth I have spoken, every moment of stillness I have known, every glimpse of light I have received — all are His grace alone.

With folded hands and tears in my eyes, I bow at His lotus feet.

With Humble Prostrations

Tapasvi Nalamothu Abhilash

Author’s Prayer

May every sincere seeker find such a Guru — one whose compassion transcends barriers of birth and belief, and who awakens the sleeping divinity within.

May His light guide us all — from ignorance to wisdom, from division to unity, from ordinary life to divine fulfillment.

🌸 Jai Gurudev! 🌸