One's faith in the sastras forms the basis of spiritual sadana. Sadana is primarily a disciplined practice. It can be seen as tapas, or penance, that is, leading an austere way of life. This is possible when one cultivates viveka or the sense of discrimination about the permanent values which really matter, and vairagya, renunciation towards all that is worldly and material. Without the spirit of renunciation there can be no spiritual attainment, say the sastras.

Brahma reiterates this to Narada in the Devi Bhagavata Purana when the latter is keen to dispel his own false perceptions, mithya jnana, and wishes to gain true jnana, pointed out Sri K.Srinivasan in a discourse. Narada wishes to have a clear perception of the role of Shakti in creation. Brahma explains that the Supreme Formless Self is able to manifest the quality of Absolute Supremacy only when engaged in creation of the Jagat with the help of Maya Shakti. Creation of jagat along with the jivas of varying types is to enable each of them to undergo the effects of their papa and punya. Ishwara can exercise and establish His Supremacy only when there is jagat srishti. Ishwara along with the subtle power of Shakti confers the karma phala to every jiva without any mistake.

The role of Shakti being far subtler, it cannot be explained in words and has to be realised when one engages in meditation. Meditation is a mental process and is significant in spiritual sadana. Sastras explain that many esoteric truths are not to be explained verbally. The Brighu Valli in the Taittiriya Upanishad illustrates how the guru insists that the disciple repeat the effort of meditation until he finally understands what he has been seeking. Meditation alone helps the spiritual aspirant to reach the state of realisation. Brahman has to be realised by each one in the inner self and cannot be explained.

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Meditation, the highest sadana - The Hindu