Significance of Tapas (Austerities) in Hinduism
Tapas literally means heat. It is common knowledge that
metals like gold become pure on heating them. Again, pure metal is extracted
from ores by heating them in a blast furnace. Even so, it is said that the
practice of tapas heats up our system, the mind in particular, and purifies it
in the process.
Sri Shankaracharya makes the idea of tapas clear in his
commentary on the
Taittiriya Upanishad (3.1.1) – Tapas is the best discipline,
for it is known in the world that of all the means that are causally related
with definite ends, tapas is the best.
Tapas consists in the control of external and internal
organs.
In other words, anything that can be accomplished with some
means is accomplished better with tapas. This is true of worldly prosperity as
well as spiritual progress.
Tapas means concentration of the mind by choice – mine, not
the mind’s. The mind needs to be trained in concentration. Who is the trainer?
The buddhi. When a person is convinced of the need of mind control and sets
about training it, buddhi enters the picture.
Source – Prabuddha Bharata Magazine editorial – August 2002