On 23rd December 2022, Sri Swamiji’s birthday was celebrated for the first time on this date. During Satyam Poornima, his lunar birthday was celebrated on the full moon night of Margashirsha which was on 8th December, and 23rd December corresponds to his solar birthday. Swami Niranjan conducted a havan in front of Chhaya Samadhi and later sannyasins spoke about their experiences with Sri Swamiji.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati: Sri Swamiji many times said, ‘I am a heart surgeon.’ He used to open blocked hearts and do heart surgery. He used to say, ‘I do that.’ After his mahasamadhi, the last surgery he did was to open the hearts of people, and he sat in their hearts by becoming the experience of love. That was the last surgery which he did.
Most of us feel it, because we know the history, we know the background, we have been associated with him. For that, there is no word to express any gratitude or thanks, because you can be grateful or thankful to somebody who is different to you. How can you be grateful and thankful to somebody who is in you, and that too in such a beautiful manner? He established himself in the form of love within our hearts, and it has made our life meaningful and whole.
Swami Kaivalyananda Saraswati: The most inspiring person in the world for me is Paramahamsaji. He was kind, he was compassionate, he was generous, he was affectionate, he was lovable and inspiring. It does not matter how you meet him, even if you do not meet him. If you think about him, you will be inspired. Why? I want to tell you one point.
I never saw him criticizing anybody – even the bad persons, thieves or robbers. He used to find a good quality in each and used to guide that person, and that person used to grow. There are examples of many persons who were thieves and robbers in Munger and in other parts. They are totally transformed.
This was something very important for me. We should also try not to criticize anybody. He said that you have no right to criticize anybody until you are self realized. And once you are self realized, why are you going to criticize? Then you see God everywhere. This is one quality which inspired me a lot.
Swami Yogakanti Saraswati: I first met Swamiji in 1976 when he came to Australia. He was talking about how yoga was the way to uplift the consciousness of mankind, and we had to do that. That was a wonderful message for me, because I had been wondering what to do with my life, because so many things seemed to be out of kilt. Things were not good environmentally, and I was thinking about where to devote my life. What would be a useful thing to do with my life? When he said ‘Yoga is the way to uplift the consciousness of mankind,’ I thought ‘That’s It! Of course! Uplift the consciousness of mankind and everything will be much better.’
He was doing the great World Yoga Convention in Sydney.
It was in a huge hall and everybody was enthralled by him. Everybody was totally silent, totally inspired, just soaking up his wisdom, his enthusiasm and his sureness. There was this sort of vibration of love.
Many people’s lives were changed that day. There was no need to think about it. That was what we had to do and he knew how to do it. So, we just had to do what this man was teaching. Find out what he was teaching and do that. So, that sureness, love and world understanding is what impressed me first.
Swami Anandananda Saraswati, Italy: When in January 1980, I was leaving the old ashram, I went to Paramahamsaji’s room to give my pranams, and I said, ‘I am going to Italy.’ At that time, I asked him, ‘Swamiji, I would like to take sannyasa from you.’ He said, ‘You are a sannyasin.’ I said, ‘No, but I want to be your sannyasin.’
This was revolving in my mind today. I found that it has very much to do with a sense of belonging. I wanted to belong to his mission, to his tradition, as I had accepted him in my life. Swami Satyananda has given a direction to my life. This I know for sure. He had given me a clear, good, positive and useful direction for life. If I think about what I would be, if it was not for Swami Satyananda, I don’t know. All I know was that I wanted to be part of his mission, his work, to help and support. I was in Italy and Swamiji was in India, but I kept the feeling, the connection, I kept thinking of him, I kept working for him, whatever I did for yoga was all for Swamiji’s mission, to support, help and contribute.
There have been instances of something that he would say, and it would have a direct meaning, touch the core of my being and give me some direction in life, hope, strength, encouragement and inspiration. He was living inspiration. Whatever he did, whenever I could see him, translate for him, he was perfect. I saw perfection in every single act he did. He has shaped the direction of my life. The essence of the connection, I cannot rationalize. It is a mystery to me, but I know that Paramahamsaji, Sri Swami Satyananda, is present, he touches my soul. I do not know what has happened somewhere down there, but that only he could do.
Sannyasi Sivadhara: I realized over a period of time that Sri Swamiji knew the keys to the locks which we possibly didn’t even know existed within us. He knew how to oil those locks because they were, and still are, quite rusty. He has also taught Swamiji the skill of oiling the lock and turning the key very well!
This morning when Swamiji said that today, ninety-nine years ago, Swami Satyananda’s physical body manifested, I felt that somewhere our destinies were also born. Whether we were physically born or not is not relevant. Time really is not ‘past, present, future’, it is everything all the time. When a great soul like Sri Swamiji incarnates, it ignites a tiny spark in each and every being and it is up to us to take it and protect it and to nurture it, so that maybe somebody else will see some light at some point in something we do, and then it passes on. I think that the best way that we can begin to thank Love is by sharing it.
Swami Bhaktananda, Hungary: When I think of Sri Swamiji, the first thing that comes to mind is that he gave me the most precious thing in my life, which is my guru. I didn’t know anything about gurus. I didn’t know anything about yoga. I did not have any experience. I came here and one day I just saw Swamiji and that was it. It is like the strike of lightning, when the mind is empty, you cannot think. What develops in the silence is love.
I met Sri Swamiji a few months later in Rikhia in 2002 during the Sat Chandi Mahayajna. I had never seen anything like it in my life. The yajna is beautiful and something very ancient. I felt an attraction to it immediately, but the daan, the giving aspect, was really mind blowing. I didn’t understand how this could happen? Thousands of people were coming every day and received prasad that they could not carry – it was so big and so much. I asked one of the swamis, ‘Who is doing this and why?’ He said, ‘It is Swami Satyananda. This is what he took on to help people. He just wants to help people.’ My jaw dropped, ‘What a beautiful aim. I want to do that.’ It was such a beautiful inspiration and still is.
What else is it but love, and he radiated love all the time.
Since I met Sri Swamiji and I met my guru, Swamiji, I have not had a day without love. It is a big thing, because there are billions of people in the world who have never experienced love, positivity or happiness. We have the good fortune because someone shows us the way, and sometimes someone tells us, ‘You have to do it better.’