Swami Sivananda-The Gurus of India

Chapter 3

The conjuction of the individual soul

and the Supreme Soul is called Yoga.-Swami Sivananda.

I had heard a great deal about this famous yogi and founder of the Divine Life Society,and who had set up his ashram at Rishikesh in the foothills of the Himalayas.I took some leave from the Army and went to stay with him,and was pleased to find all the activities of the ashram which is located on the banks of the Ganges,were well and neatly organised.From the outer platform, one gets a magnificent view of the river,as it starts its way into the plains after its Himalayan journey.Rishikesh as a place of pilgrimage is the holy of holies,and the spiritual vibrations of thousands of devotees constantly bathing and praying cannot but have some effect on anyone fortunate enough to be there.

Iwas given a clean room and a wooden bunk to sleep on,both of which had liberally sprinkled with disinfectant,showing the interest Sivananda, a qualified and practising physician,took in hygiene.There were a number of European men and women disciples in the ashram.Activities in the beautiful temple above the road started early in the morning,and continued throughout the day and late evening.There was a hall where yoga exercises,as prescribed for each,were practiced by disciples and devotional chanting was frequently heard.An Ayurvedic pharmacy and an eye clinic for post operative eye patients,were available for all in need of such assistance.Swami Sivananada himself supervised everything very carefully.The food was wholesome and free though you left your contribution voluntarily with the Secretary at the end of your stay.

When I visited the ashram there was a large congregation inside the hall where Swamiji was sitting on a wooden bedstead. Everyone else,including several European men and women,were squatting on the floor,though there was a vacant cushioned chair close to the Swami. I went and touched the feet of Swami Sivananada with my forehead and was just trying to squat down with the others when Sivananada asked me to occupy the vacant chair. I pleaded that I could not occupy the chair in his presence and said that I preferred to squat at his feet. But he, in his magnanimity,insisted on my taking the chair,which in the end,I did. Sweets were distributed amongst the gathering, which then dispersed. The interview with the Swami which I had asked for was granted and I found myself alone with him except for his Secretary,who stayed.

I explained the purpose of my visit and told him that yoga had attracted me from my childhood .He said that Hatha Yoga was not the appropriate answer for spiritual evolvement in Kaliyuga,because it was just not possible for everyone to undergo successfully,the disciplines prescribed.He advocated Raj Yoga, a mixture of bhakti and simple pranayam, or breathing exercises. He also laid stress on devotional music and the chanting of ‘nam’.He told me”Yoga is not your line.You will get absorbed in bhakti.You will meet Guru Nanak, face to face,and will talk to him. Then you will realise that what I am saying is true”.He explained a simple breathing exercise which he said would help to keep the body clean and healthy. Meeting this great saint was heart-warming, as he was so full of cheer and limitless love for all who came in contact with him.

Having enjoyed Swami Sivananda’s company for four days,I left for home. The hauntingly sweet memories of him always attracted me to Rishikesh whenever I was in that area.The last time I saw him, he was lying ill with pain in his back.Devotional singing was going on,and men and women were prostrating themselves before him and, as usual, leaving with the experience of having met a great saint.

Then one day I was stunned to hear of his death.My informant was one of his philosopher disciples, who told me the news as if it were an insignificant event.I was angry with him for treating this great tragedy so lightly;one which brought tears to my eyes when I thought that I would never see his smiling face again.Mother Ganges had lost a great son, and Rishikesh, its main attraction.His spirit, however, still prevades his beautiful ashram. He prepared and left behind great souls who are in a position to show the light to a number of disciples.Swami Chidananda adorns the chair now and when I saw him show great reverence to Baba Sita Ram Das Onkarnath,it was clear Swami Sivananada had left in him an eminent guru to help suffering mankind.

Swami Sivananada laid great stress on the singing of Ram Nam.He used to tell how Lord Shiva said to Parvati:”Beloved one, I delight in Rama by uttering the Nama Rama Rama Rama.The name of Rama is equal to one thousand names of Vishnu”.Swami Sivananada said,”A mighty power is latent in the singing of Ram Nama…scientists have now discovered that sound vibrations can have such tremendous force,that with them, silk can be cleaned more thoroughly than by a laundryman. But they have yet to realise that vibrations produced by the singing of the name of God will cleanse their hearts, will purify their souls, and will remove all the invisible dross accumulated in themselves through many births”.He called this singing ‘Sankirtan Yoga’ or ‘ union by singing the lord’s name’.

He talked of how Narda had gone to Lord Brahma and said,’Oh Lord,the people of Kaliyuga will not be able to practise austerities, nor perform yajnas, or pursue the path of Vedanta.Kindly have mercy on them and tell me some easy way by which they can attain God’.And Lord Brahma in his compassion, had given Narda the Maha Mantra.By repeating this, people of Kaliyuga could attain an awareness of their Inner Being. This Maha Mantra is:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

This shows the importance Swami Sivananada attached to the love of God,although he was also one of the greatest exponents of physical Yoga.

He said:”People cannot practise Hatha Yoga nowadays since they cannot maintain life-long brahmacharya or abstinence.Similarly, neither Raj Yoga nor Jnana Yoga nor Vedantic sadhana lie within their reach. Sankirtan Yoga is the easiest, surest, quickest, safest and best way of attaining an awareness and love of God”.

In Kaliyug Nam Sankirtan is the only support-Guru Nanak.

Baba Sita Ram Das Onkarnath says the same thing and lays great stress on singing of the Maha Mantra at all times of the day and night.

SWAMI SIVANANDA’S EMINENT SUCCESSOR

I had the good fortune to meet Swami Chidananda under the most auspicious circumstances.The Divine Life Society,under his presidentship,held their annual All India Yoga Vedanta Conference at delhi on the 29th and 30th of December 1973.They invited Baba Sita Ram Das Onkarnath to inauguate the function, in the Convention Hall of the Ashoka Hotel. They also asked him to lead the procession,mounted on a silver chariot through the streets of Delhi. With some persuasion,Baba agreed to join the procession immediately behind the vehicle carrying the deity, though, in turn he made them to agree to his leaving the processioon after about an hour, so that he could attend to his middday prayers. The silver chariot with Baba Sita Ram Das Onkarnath andSwami Chidanandaji sitting together,was an impressive sight.It showed the veneration in which Baba is held by Swami Chidananadji and His Divine Life Society.Later, when Baba made an appearance in the Convention Hall, sitting beside the Swami, he uttered the word ‘AUM” with such depth and resonance that the whole atomsphere was electrified. Baba declined to make a speech and asked one of his disciples to say a few words about his method of achieving awareness by “ahar shudhi”, pure satwik vegetarian diet,and by nam smaran or the constant remembrance of God, which was accepted by the Swami as the essence of all Vedic philosophy and on which he later laid great emphasis.

An excellent souvenir booklet entitled Life Spiritual was published on that occassion by the Divine Life Society for free distribution.It contains the photograph of Shri Baba Sita Ram Das Onkarnath, with the foloowing note by Swami Chidananda:

SHRI SITA RAM DAS ONKARNATH

After long periods of undergoing tapasya,the Lord Jagannath appeared to Baba Sita Ram Das Onkarnath and asked him to give Nam to all people.He has lived in akhand nam for over forty years and has proved by his divine life that by constantly repeating nam, and thus almost living in a state of nam,all other thoughts disappear.Then a stage comes when even nam stops, and then comes the great void which every yogi strives to reach.The soul takes the great leap forward from the state of relativity or dwait,to the state of absolute or adwait.Baba Sita Ram is now in this state where everything external has fallen away from him, and is entering into the state when he see “VASUDEVANG SARVANGMITI’.

This is a fine example of the spirtitual insight of the Swami,since only a scientist can truly assess another scientist.

I have had yet another rare opportunity of enjoying ther enlightening company of Swami Chidananadaji Maharaj. A delegation of ‘ World Fellowship of Religons’ under the Chairmanship of Muni Sushil Kumaraji, the founding President of this organisation,undertook a world tour in June 1975 to promote love and peace among all people. I accompanied the delegation, being the Secretary General of the organisation.Muniji was also able to persuade Swami Chidanandji to accompany us as Co-Chairman.

Swami Chidanand’s presence lent great charm to our proceedings everywhere.His innumerable devotees flocked the airports to greet us and filled the halls to listen to listen to his eloquent exposition of the theme of God Orientation and LOVE and PEACE for ALL.

However,inconspicuous he tried to keep his presence,his devotees and admirers left no doubt in anyone’s mind about the esteem in which he was held. The safforn robed smiling Swami carrying small cloth and paper bags,filled with odds and ends needed for the journey, would attract immediate attention and soon there would be a rush of people,all trying to touch his feet. His humility is such that on occasions he even manages to embarras his admirers. When they were attempting to touch his feet he would touch their feet a little ahead of them.He has often played this trick on me and has endeared himself to me.Through his kindness,we stayed in Sivananada Yoga Vedanta Centres at several places in America. He took special pains to ensure that everyone was well looked after. One morning I found Swami Chidanandaji bringing me tea in my bedroom,saying that someone had delayed bringing it in time,so he thought it was his duty as a host to bring it himself.I have known no greater kindness or nobility.The mantle of Swami Sivananda has rightly fallen on the shoulders of Swami Chidananada.

Tags: Ahoka Hotel-Delhi, All India Yoga Vedanta Conference, Divine Life Society, Foothills of Himalays, Muni Sushil Kumaraji, Rishikesh, Shri Sita Ram Das Onkarnath, Swami Chidananda, Swami Sivananada, World Fellowship of Religions