“Swami, please instruct me. Who is a Swami?”.

“Your answer is in the question itself. The answer is in the ‘is’ ”.

“I did not understand”.

“One who is Swayam is a Swami. The one who is with oneself. This is the ‘is’ ”.

“How do I understand?”.

“You are Swayam in sleep. In sleep, you are one with yourself”.

“Does this mean I am also a Swami in sleep?”

“Yes, you are a Swami in sleep. When you are awake, you are just the opposite. In waking, you are only interested in the world”.

“How do I be the Swami in waking too?”.

“You should know to keep quiet.”

“Does it mean that I should maintain silence, Mouna Vratham?”.

“Silence is not Mouna Vratham. Silence is not about keeping quiet”.

“Then, what is it?”.

“Silence means that you are neither the doer nor the enjoyer. This is the state of a Swami. The Swami may speak, laugh, eat, rejoice and transact with the world. But the Swami is neither the doer nor the enjoyer. The Swami is one with himself”.

“The world disappears during sleep, and the Swami is one with himself in sleep. The world is alive during waking, and the swami is one with himself in waking. This is silence, Mouna Vratham. This is keeping quiet”.

“Now that I understand the nature of a Swami, how about a Swamini?”

 “Yes, halfwit. It does not matter whether it is a Swami or a Swamini. Both are one with oneself”.