Inspiring Talks of Gurudev Sivananda

Inspiring Talks of Gurudev Sivananda

30th December, 1949

NIRGUNA MEDITATION

Siva brought with him to the office, in the morning, a poem composed by him:

SATCHIDANANDA

Sat Chit Ananda

Existence Knowledge Bliss 

Truth Consciousness Bliss 

Asti Bhati Priya 

Life Light Love

Immortality Wisdom Happiness

All mean the same. 

Love melts into bliss.

Siva read out the poem to us all.

‘This will be very useful for writers on philosophical subjects, Swamiji.’

‘It is ideal for meditation purposes, Swamiji.’

Siva agreed: ‘This is Nurguna meditation. Think of Satchidananda. Think of Atman or Brahman. Then think of the equivalents of the attributes which nearly denote the nature of Brahman. Parallel attributes will suggest themselves to your mind. Then go on thinking of them. This is Nurguna meditation. You will have to go on thinking, and thinking. Suddenly It will flash within you.’ (This last sentence was said by Siva and I have recorded it. But something that he said without words at that moment, it is impossible to record. It was a thrill to watch him say ‘Suddenly It will flash within you.’ The way he said it made us forget ourselves for a moment. 

There were the clearest indications when he said it of the unmistakable fact that he had himself experienced that ‘flash’ and was certain of it.)

‘You should go on practising it. Do not expect the eye of intuition to be opened up in a few days. You have for thousands of lives been thinking ‘I am this body’, and it will take a long time to get yourself established in the realisation that you are the Atman.’

SADHUS ALL

The All World Sadhus Federation meeting concluded. The minutes book was passed round to the delegates attending the Sadhana Week. One Grihastha member felt that he could not sign it, as he was not a Sadhu.

‘Who said you are not a Sadhu?’ said Siva. ‘You are all potential Sadhus. Deep within you all there is the Sadhu-element. That is why you are devoted to God and to divine life. That is why you may become an external and internal Sadhu. You can certainly sign the register.’

31st December, 1949

TYPHOID THIRD WEEK DEVOTION

Today is the sixth anniversary of the Viswanath Mandir Pratishtapana. But, today happened to be Ekadashi also. The Puja had not commenced till about 10 a.m. and Siva had come to the temple. 

‘The temple is dull this time. Last year there were flags and festoons. All over the place there were flowers, and there were a number of banana-poles. This year I see only four banana-poles, and they have not yet been fixed.’ Siva added ‘This is ‘typhoid third week’ devotion!’

A visitor looked enquiringly at Siva.

‘Till the third week, the temperature of the typhoid patient will go on increasing. But during the third week it will begin to decline gradually. ‘Typhoid third week’ devotion is devotion that is intense in the beginning and wanes away a little later!’

UNIQUE THEATRE

And, the Nataka Sabha staged the drama, ‘Harischandra’ under the able direction of Rampremi. R. acted excellently and had trained others also very well. Many people in the audience were shedding profuse tears during the whole show.

Siva gave a short introduction: ‘Truth is God. Truth is Brahman. One who wishes to realise Brahman or God, must follow the path of truth, the path of Dharma. A man given to falsehood can never realise God. Our youngsters will now stage before you the life of one who never swerved from truth and realised God through the rigorous practice of truth. Kindly see the drama in perfect silence and attentively.’

It was not a drama as dramas are. The moment the curtain dropped and till it rose again there would be Sankirtan. Everyone repeated His names. On one such occasion Siva asked Sri Suryanarayan to recite the Isavasya Upanishad. On another, two Ashramites enacted a dialogue from ‘First Lessons in Vedanta’. On yet another occasion, Sri Kamla, daughter of Sri Vishnu Dutta Sastri, and Gargi, her sister, delivered beautiful lectures and sang Bhajans. At about 10.30 at night Siva got on to the platform and did Kirtan with harmonium. Then he repeated the shouting and awakening Dhwanis which stirred the audience. As he stood on the platform and roared the Garjan Dhawanis, no one could hardly feel that Siva was fasting without taking even a drop of water the whole day.

Later Siva explained: ‘Whatever be the state of my health, and the state of my body, I cannot repress the desire to make people repeat the Ram Nam. I must stand up on the platform, whatever be the time, to give the names of the Lord. I have also got the dramatic instinct, and I must give something of that also to the people. ‘In the Gita the Lord says: ‘Nigrahah Kim Karishyati’—what can restraint do? A man’s nature asserts itself repeatedly. My nature is to give the Ram Nam to people, at every opportunity. Even in the last moment of my life, I must give the Ram Nam. I must cheer up people. I must make one man do Bhajan and Kirtan. I cannot restrain this. I cannot bother if I have enough physical strength to stand up and do Kirtan or not.’

The Drama concluded at about 11.45 p.m. Shortly afterwards the Bhajan Hall clock struck midnight. Siva roared OM. Everyone turned to him. He then repeated the Peace Chants: ‘Sarve bhavantu sukhinah….’ and added: ‘It is now midnight. A New Year is born. May Lord bless you all with health, peace, happiness, and prosperity during the New Year. May you all shine as Jivanmuktas, dynamic Yogis even while living, in this very year.’

JANUARY, 1950

 

8th January, 1950

LONG LIVE SIVANANDA

The night Satsang was in progress. It was fairly dark inside the Bhajan Hall as, during the Kirtan, even the lantern which is used for reading of Gita, etc. is reduced and put aside. The two Deepas that stood on either side of the Akhanda Maha Mantra Kirtan altar shone as brightly as they could but were able to illumine only a third of the Hall, leaving the entrance to the Hall dark.

Through this dark entrance entered a dark force. Who could even think of dark force in the presence of Light?

Govindan approached Siva, axe in hand. He did not have to take much trouble to approach Siva who was sitting just next to the entrance. Does not Siva, the resplendent spiritual star, stand right at the entrance where the Sadhaka leaves behind darkness and approaches the divine light? This ocean of compassion does not mind the dangers that such a stand subjects him to: but insists on standing at this entrance, lest they who try to approach the light, should glide back into darkness.

The axe was raised: the Devas shuddered in the heaven: Vayu was restless and was whistling past outside the Bhajan Hall, crying OM. And, the axe fell. Indra, the presiding deity of Govindan’s hand trembled—the axe missed its mark. The door which received the blow (blessed art thou, O inert wooden door) cried aloud its warning.

Govindan became more nervous. He raised the axe again. This time a picture on the wall stood in front and received the blow. Has not Siva identified himself with the Infinite All-pervading Essence of Existence? Yes—the picture said, and offered its head in the place of Siva’s.

The two blows missed their mark. Only the wooden handle of the axe struck Siva’s head. 

Generally, as soon as Siva enters the Hall, he would remove the cloth turban he wears when he leaves his Kutir (during the winter months). But, today, he forgot. Forgot, yes, because the turban-cloth would not leave the sacred head. SO, the axe–handle could strike only the cloth-padding on Siva’s head.

Siva ‘woke up’ to the fact that someone was trying to assault him. He thought that it was a stick with which he was being beaten. He raised the hand and said: ‘Have you finished the job? Do you want to beat me more?’ The raised hand received the axe, and the axe made a mark on the skin. It was not more than a scratch. Perhaps, the axe took the opportunity of kissing the saint’s hand.

Vishnuswamiji who was sitting near Siva got up in one leap (he is an adept in Hatha Yoga) and hugged Govindan so tightly that the latter could not lift his hand again. V. drew Govindan out of the Hall. The crowd in the Bhajan Hall immediately realised what had happened. One or two people helped Govindan’s hands and feet to be tied. And, Govindan was being removed.

As is natural in the case of gatherings, one or two people fell on the assailant and started beating him. Padmanabhan who was in the Yajnashala room heard Siva shout at the top of his voice, which drowned the crowd’s noise, ‘Ohji, don’t beat him, don’t beat him.’ P. did not know what had happened. When he saw Govindan lying down and a few people beating him, and that Siva was shouting ‘Don’t beat him’, P. rescued Govindan and the latter was taken to a room nearby and locked in.

‘Continue the Kirtan,’ said Siva and the Kirtan, Arati and Shanti Patha were duly conducted and the Satsang came to a close.

Saswatswamiji came running to the Office Hall in the meantime and informed us of what had happened in broken words. We ran to the police station, got a couple of constables to follow us and ran up to the Bhajan Hall. As we approached the Yajnashala panting for breath, I heard….

   Sarve bhavantu sukhinah  

   sarve santu niramayah

   sarve bhadrani pasyantu

   maa kaschit duhkhabhaag bhavet

I heaved a sigh of relief. I was sure that Siva was all right. Otherwise, no one could have had the nerve to repeat this Shanti Mantra in such a situation. No one else can have his head on his shoulders in such a situation. No one else can have the tranquillity of mind to be able to repeat this Shanti Mantra in the midst of the chaos that would have prevailed in the Bhajan Hall. It needs a sage of Eternal Peace to brush aside such a tragic event and to repeat calmly, as usual, as though nothing had happened, the usual Shanti Mantras.

I ran to the Bhajan Hall. I saw Gurudev. The mist that covered my heart began to disappear. ‘Ah, after all, he is all right’ was the only thought. The utter gloom disappeared giving place to a curious mixture of light and gloom. That Siva could have escaped practically unhurt caused joy: that there could be someone in the world breathing as man who could even think of doing such a thing as Govindan had done, caused the gloom.

Siva has the protection of the Lord; surely. Today’s incidents have conclusively proved that. Govindan was lying in wait for Siva in the morning: he knew that Siva generally came alone all the way from his Kutir to the Bhajan Hall for the university class. Siva would then be entirely undefended. It would be an easy job for the assailant. But….Siva did not come. He had never missed the class. We were all surprised that he did not come. I was a little worried if Siva was all right in health. Siva did not come; he was all right. Govindan made a couple of circumambulations of the Bhajan Hall, impatiently waiting for Siva. G. never used to stir out of his room before 9 a.m. when he would stir in bed. For one day in his life he attended the morning Satsang and did Kirtan also in the early morning hours, though it was the devil that gave him this opportunity.

At night, too, Siva would have removed the turban: but Siva himself is not able to say why he did not remove the turban just today.

G. had calculated the distance between the door and Siva’s head and adjusted the axe aright in the first instance, but forgot to take count of the projection of the Bhajan Hall door. When the first blow missed its mark he became conscious of this factor, but when he went nearer his mark he forgot to re-adjust the axe and so missed the mark again.

All these most conclusively prove the protection of Siva by the Lord Himself.

From the Bhajan Hall after the Kirtan, we all went to the room in which G. had been kept. 

Quickly, the rope that bound his feet together was removed. He stood up, guarded on both sides by policemen. The crowd watched. Siva went straight to G.: bowed to him with folded palms. The police Inspector gazed at this scene in great wonderment. ‘Govindaswamiji, do you want to deal some more blows? Here I am. Kindly satisfy yourself.’ Govindan muttered: ‘No, I do not want to beat you any more. I am satisfied.’ Everyone’s face indicated that these words poured ghee into the fire of wrath that they were somehow managing to extinguish.

‘What harm did I do? Why did you get so angry with me?’ enquired Siva in a loving manner. For this there was no reply.

Then we all left the Bhajan Hall and wended our way down the hill towards Siva’s Kutir.

‘What shall I do, Swamiji? Shall I register a case against this man?’ asked the police Inspector.

‘No, no. Just send him away from Muni-ki-reti. That is enough,’ said Siva. How could one gauge the depth of his divine love? Here is one who came to kill him; and Siva would pardon him at that very moment. No one except Jesus could do this.

And, so Siva went back to his Kutir only to be greeted by an endless stream of visitors (at that hour of the night!)—many of the men and women of the locality were literally in tears (of joy and grief) when they saw Siva, but Siva coolly sat smiling radiantly.

Aged Achintyanandaji hung on his walking stick and ‘ran’ to Siva’s Kutir to dress the wounds.

9th January, 1950

SEE NO EVIL

It was decided last night that G. should be provided with two Ashramite-escorts and left on the Grand Trunk Express with a ticket to Salem, his native place.

Siva would not even countenance any suggestion that G. should be ‘booked’. ‘No. We should not punish him. He only worked out my Prarabdha. Do you mean to say that anything would happen without His Will behind it? No, no. It was the Lord’s will. The Lord only prompted G. to do what he did. Are ‘Dyutam Chhalyatam Asmi’ and ‘Taskaranam Pataye’ mere words? Does not the same Omnipresent Lord indwell the robber and the dacoit, the murdered and the burglar? No, no. I will not let the police charge G. We should thank him for working out my Prarabdha so easily.

‘The Lord has spared my life because there is some more service to be performed through this body. I must go on with that service. That is all that this incident indicates to me.’ 

Siva went to the police station at about 11 a.m. with fruits, books, clothes, new blanket and Japa Mala. With his own hands he applied Kumkum and Bhasma on G.’s forehead. Siva prostrated to G.   Vishnu Datta Sastriji and others were aghast at this sight. Siva then gave the books with his autographed blessings.

‘May Lord bless you with health, long life, peace, prosperity, devotion, wisdom and Kaivalya!’

He initiated G. into the Ashtakshari Mantra, gave him the Japa Mala and the book, and gave the following advice:

‘Kindly repeat the Lord’s name incessantly. Do regular and vigorous Japa. Forget all that happened. Only take care that the mind does not run into the old vicious grooves again, and that you are not impelled to commit the same mistakes over again. Please read good spiritual books. Do not mix with bad characters. The latent spirituality will become patent through Sadhana. Spirituality is latent in you now. If it was not at all there, you would not have come here. I have asked Saswat Swamiji and Purushottamji to accompany you till Agra and provide you with all comforts and conveniences during the journey. From Agra, you will get a ticket for Salem. Kindly write to me as soon as you reach Salem. Please write to me frequently about your welfare and your Sadhana. May God bless you.’

He then repeated OM Namo Narayanaya several times and made G. also repeat the sacred Mantra.

Special dishes, e.g., Rasam etc., were prepared and given to G. before his departure, along with Saswatji.

Siva then sent a note to the police Inspector that he did not want to proceed against G. in any manner and that the police might drop the incident out of their minds. 

In the evening there was a Thanksgiving Service and prayer for the long life of Siva, in the Bhajan Hall. It was arranged by Sri Gauri Prasadji (retired judge) of Swarg Ashram. The gathering chanted the Maha Mantra in chorus, and the Hall was filled with the vibrations of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra which was chanted aloud by the entire gathering. Siva then distributed Prasad with his own hands.

Sri G. did write as requested by Siva. On the 19th February 1950, Siva received a Tamil letter from G., which said:

I have reached Salem safely. I am grateful to you Gurudev for what you have done. I pray that any other pitfalls that may beset my path of life may also be removed by your holiness’s grace. I am your humble disciple.

When Siva had read the letter, he said to Muruganandaji: ‘Please put Govindan’s name on the Magazine Free List. Include his address in the Prasad Register also. All free literature should be sent to him. I will send him books also. I will write to him to come again.’

Siva’s supreme love had transformed Govindan, the murderer, into a good soul.

 

MARCH, 1950

6th March, 1950

ARE YOU INSPIRED?

Siva is nowadays writing ‘Ananda Gita’. Chinmayanandaji, the literary critic and journalist, was simply struck with amazement at the simplicity with which Siva had encompassed the entire teaching of the voluminous Yoga-Vasishta within a short article of three pages.

‘There have been very few people who can imitate Swamiji’s style. Now that Gandhiji is no more, Swamiji is the only one in the world. To put a wealth of thought in simple sentences composed of words of one syllable is to have the firmest grip of the subject matter dealt with and to reveal the core of the topic without mincing words.’ In this sentence he summed up his criticism of Siva’s style.

‘I admire your style of writing, and the style of many people here. Many of the words that many of you use are unknown to me. I sometimes simply gaze bewildered at the editorial-English that you all use,’ said Siva.

‘That is easy enough, Swamiji, if one applies himself to the task of learning the language. But what one cannot get is the simplicity of Swamiji’s language. It needs learning of a different sort altogether—learning or knowledge of the Truth. Swamiji, if I may ask, do you feel when you write that you are writing, or that someone else is writing? For one thing, the volume of your writing daily makes one feel that you are merely taking down what someone else is dictating from within—i.e., inspiration from within yourself? No one can write these simply direct prose-poems, each line precisely composed, each word weighed and placed in the correct place, unless he is inspired.’

‘I do not know.’

Sivapremji now came in.

‘Sivaprem Swamiji, there is one more chapter with you, I think.’

‘Yes, Swamiji, I shall type it at night.’

‘It is all right. You can even give it tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure. It is a treasure to me. And, I cannot write it again. If the manuscript note-book is lost, the matter is lost for ever.’

Here is the answer to Chinmayanandaji’s question! If Siva’s writings are the effect of intellection, then surely it is possible to express the same ideas once again. The thoughts are within the boundaries of the mind: and mind can remember them and reproduce them, if necessary.

But, Siva says ‘I cannot write it again.’ 

This reminds us of what Sri Krishna said when Arjuna, after the war, asked Him for a repetition of His Gitopadesa. Sri Krishna said: ‘Oh Arjuna, I cannot repeat now what I told you then. Then I was in a high state of Yoga.’

8th March, 1950

A GALA DAY OF CELEBRATION

None planned; no one expected, and the entire day proved to be one of continuous celebrations. 

Paramanandaji was busy early in the morning at about 4.20 waking up people in the Ashram. At 5 a.m. sharp everyone assembled on the verandah of the Mandir. Then there was a procession. At the Mela Office there was special Kirtan, Chidanandaji leading. C. sank into a profound meditation and trance, his face lit up with a special bliss-aura. As we were leaving the Mela Office Srimathi Karina remarked: ‘Do you know what was most beautiful in the Kirtan here? It was Chidanandaji’s face. It was radiant. He was all peace and bliss.’

At five a tom-tom was heard outside the Ashram. People began to crowd round the crier. And, to everybody’s surprise, he began to announce: ‘In Swami Sivanandaji’s Ashram there has come a Punjabi doctor, eye-specialist. Swami Sivanandaji has arranged that he will give free treatment for all eye diseases from the 10th March onwards. No fees will be collected. The treatment will be entirely free. All eye-patients might go to Sivananda Ashram between 1 and 3 p.m. from 10th March.’

The truth is this: the Government has opened a dispensary at Muni-ki-reti to serve the Kumbha Mela pilgrims. A doctor was also posted there. This doctor met Siva and told him that he was an eye specialist. At once Siva commandeered the doctor’s services: ‘Oh Doctor Saheb, this is the best opportunity for you to render some good service to the people of the locality here. You can perform some cataract operations while you are here. If necessary, we can admit ten people at a time in the Ashram, give them food and accommodation and arrange for their cataract operation here itself. Dhrishti Dana is the greatest form of charity. Therefore, I will call this Dhrishti Dana Yajna. You will earn great merit by this Yajna and will earn God’s blessings and Moksha also. I will have the news tom-tommed.’

Led by Siva we all got into the boat. Kirtan of the Lord’s name rent the air and people standing on the roads on both the banks wondered: ‘Is this Deva Loka? Is this Lord Siva Himself, with His Sankirtan Party?’

In the Gita Bhavan, we were told that Sri Jayadayalji was not there. Siva said: ‘It does not matter. 

Go to the Satsang Hall. We shall do Kirtan there.’

No invitation; no reception; no welcome; no introduction; no request. Siva with the seventy odd disciples walked into Hall as if it were his own and conducted Sankirtan.

There was a grand Ganga Puja at the Viswanath Ghat, which had been specially illumined for the purpose, and the celebrations came to a happy close.

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