the echo you hear from your heart

A few days after my return to the Ashram, I told Sri Bhagavan of what had happened at Periayur. I said, "People from our Ashram are asked a number of questions on Vedanta when they visit mutts. It will be a reflection on the Ashram if we can't answer such questions. So I asked Krishnananda of Tirukoilur to teach me Vedanta. He said he would teach me as fast as possible in the traditional way if I went to Tirukoilur. I am planning to go to Tirukoilur".

Sri Bhagavan laughed and said, "Now you want to study Vedanta; later Siddhanta, Sanskrit, Disputations, etc., etc. If you learn how to be in your Self, that amounts to learning everything. What Vedanta did I study? If you are in the Self, the echo you hear from your heart will be in tune with everything. That is what is called the 'Divine Voice'."

Immediately I lost all interest in studying Vedanta. I have been able to answer questions by listening to the Voice within. This is due to Sri Bhagavan's Grace.

Sri Bhagavan has said in Atma Vidya:

When you haven't understood yourself,
What's the point of understanding other things?
When you have understood yourself,
What else is there to understand?

~ from Living with the Master, Reminiscences by Kunjuswami