Sivananda Day-to-Day

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About this Book:

There have been many chroniclers who faithfully recorded whatever Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj had said or spoken either in Satsangas, or while holding audiences, or while attending to the official work, or while even walking with devotees or disciples-irrespective of what the venue was. Any situation was perfect for the flow of wisdom from his holy lips.

Usually, the devotees who came for his Darshan asked questions about their mundane as well as spiritual life and got satisfactory answers replete with words of wisdom. But, at times, Gurudev himself would pose a question when no questions were forthcoming and there followed an enlightening and soul-stirring talk elevating the hearts of the listeners.

Volumes have been filled with such conversations and they all go by the title "Sivananda: Day-to-Day." Subsequently, some of them have appeared under the title "The Gospel of Swami Sivananda."

This book is one such attempt by the late Swami Santanandaji Maharaj who happened to be in the Ashram's administration for some time besides being in personal service of Gurudev.

Sri Swami Sivananda:

Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Sage Appayya Dikshitar and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this was an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind.

His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a health journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.

It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1924, practised intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and Jivanmukta.

In 1932 Swami Sivananda started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organized. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 Swamiji undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 Swamiji convened a 'World Parliament of Religious'. Swamiji is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read Swamiji's works is to drink at the Fountain of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 Swamiji entered Mahasamadhi.

Publisher's Note:

It is admitted that Saint Sivananda is the channel for the Lord's Grace to flow into the heart of man. By his sight or Sankalpa, he can confer blessings-material and spiritual-on the devotee. He has toured all over the land and delivered numerous lectures. He has written over three hundred books which guide the lives of people all over the world.

But that is not all, Sri Swamiji excels all other saints, in the human element that is predominant in him. He loves to mix with all; and to show how every man in his every day life leads the life divine. He show us how our prosaic actions can be sublimated into Yoga.

All this he does by his own example. To spiritual aspirants, therefore, his thoughts, words and deeds are of the greatest import.

A close and devout disciple of Sri Gurudev and an earnest spiritual aspirant, Sri Swami Santananda has, in this volume, brought together the wonderful lessons that all can learn from the daily actions of Sri Gurudev. He has gathered the pearls of wisdom, inspired words of Truth, as they fell from his lips, and presented them in a charming way, that would inspire all.