Tapah

Tapah and Tapasya are synonyms.

Tapah is of 2 kinds:

1. To suffer pain providing Ananda (happiness) to the people
2. To suffer pain in order to give Ananda to Parama Purusa

Suppose somebody is suffering because of his economic or mental circumstances, and is unable to have any pleasure in the world. If you eschew your happiness to provide him the same, it will be called Tapah. Those who practise Tapah are said as Ta’pas or Tapasvii. You must remember one thing, that Tapah does not mean carrying coal to New Castle. If one has got luxurious food at his home, and you feed him after borrowing money, this is not Tapah, since the man whom you fed has received no happiness. As such this is not Tapah. You suffered hardships, but the other man was already enjoying all these things, and he has received no happiness. Feed the poor, the beggar, help some poor student after curtailing your family expenses, help the Children’s Homes, then it is Tapah. It shall not be Tapah if you are feeding a rich friend. Suppose you have spent Rs 5000/‑ in feeding your rich friends. Though you have suffered economic hardship, it is not tapah. The social service programme of A’nanda Ma’rga comes under Tapah.

The 2nd item is to face suffering to give happiness to Parama Purus’a. There is no dearth of A’nandam in Parama Purus’a, still you are trying to give Him happiness. In the first item Tapah meant giving happiness to those who do not have it. Here you are giving happiness to Him Who has it. Hence this is a second item.

To give happiness to those who have it, is not Tapah, but in reference to Parama Purus’a it is Tapah. Many people suffer physical hardship, say standing on the head, to give happiness to Parama Purus’a. The Vrtti dominating, in their mind thinks that they shall give happiness to Parama Purus’a by suffering pain.

In the second item the dominating feeling is to give happiness or A’nandam to Parama Purus’a. This is known as Gopii‑ Bha’va by Vaes’n’ava Sa’dhakas and those who do so are called Gopa. Parama Purus’a is also known as Gopeshvara, Gopesha, Gopii Ballabha, Gopa Bandhu. The underlying motive behind this Tapah, is to come under His especial notice. Whether Parama Purus’a desires it or not, is only known to Him, but Bhaktas perform Tapah with this very idea.

Bhaktas visualize things as a Bhakta. But only such actions can be called Tapah which are desired by Parama Purus’a. If to this end, man performs Tapah, it is all right. But if you suffer just to provide satisfaction to Parama Purus’a, if you suffer, Parama Purus’a does not desire so. If you are doing something which He desires, and in doing so, you are suffering pains and hardships, then it is all right. But to suffer pain just to give A’nanda to Parama Purus’a is not a correct thing. For example if one has kept burning fire all around himself, and doing penance, this is not going to give any A’nandam to Parama Purus’a.

Just to catch His eye, if one is doing all these things then this is not proper.

He is always looking at you. Rather Parama Purus’a will also feel pain, by seeing the man in such a state of pain. It has not given Him A’nandam. But Bhaktas at times do it and they cannot be compelled to change. Still I have said that just suffering pain for Tapasya’ won’t provide one with liberation.