YOGALife I Summer 2010 - Sivananda Yoga

The Divine Grace of Mother Ganga
The Divine Grace
of Mother Ganga
Swami Vishnudevananda had a special reverence and devotion for Mother
Ganga. As a young Swami, he spent 10 years with Swami Sivananda near the
River Ganga in Rishikesh, and in his later years he made many pilgrimages
to her banks for Sadhana and meditation.
God Pervades Everything
Swami Vishnudevananda often used to recount one
of his earliest experiences with Swami Sivananda.
In 1946, when he was still a young man fresh from
being discharged from the army, he was visiting
Master’s ashram in Rishikesh and attended the
evening Arati (waving of lights). All the devotees and
inmates of the Ashram assembled by the banks of the
Ganga to watch Master perform the evening worship
of the river. The young visitor was sceptical. After all,
he had a scientific temperament and knew that a river
is only water, H2 O – imagine worshipping H2 O !
But as he stood and watched, the Master turned and
smiled knowingly at Swamiji who saw the river transform
into a mass of flowing light. In that instant, the river
assumed a divine flow, a manifestation of the Grace
of the Lord. It whispered this message to him “God
pervades everything – this too is His Special Form.”
This experience entirely changed his outlook on life.
Swami Sivananda then told the young man to remain
at the Ashram. Swami Vishnudevananda spontaneously
replied “Yes”.
Waves of Energy
In 1986, Swami Vishnudevananda decided to stay at
Sivananda Guha, a small cave in Gangotri, for the winter
months. A small kutir was built into the cave and stocked
with firewood and food for the winter. Swamiji remained
in the cave to practice meditation and mouna (silence).
During December, temperatures dropped and the cave
was completely isolated by waist deep snow. All roads
had been closed. Swamiji wrote of his experiences
in a letter to the staff of the Sivananda Yoga
Vedanta Centres:
“I am very happy to be near the Mother Ganges, the
vibration of Her is far beyond description. Waves of
energy are moving towards humanity to soothe with her
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YOGALife I Summer 2010
cool nectar-like energy. I am praying for all your spiritual
growth. Do not neglect your Sadhana. Time is short. You
can all reach the very goal which all Rishis and sages
attained in this very birth. Stick to discipline. Repeat
God’s name and do lots of pranayama to keep the mind
peaceful. If you neglect your Sadhana then the mind will
be filled with weeds. Keep up your duties. Pray with all
your hearts that Maya will not overpower you. Only by
God’s grace you will be able to overcome these forces.”
Time is Fleeting
The following month Swami Vishnudevananda wrote
another letter:
“By the Grace of God, Ganga Ma and Gurudev my health
is alright and I am enjoying the peace and solitude. I am
regularly praying for all of your health and spiritual
progress. Time is fleeting. Life is being burnt like an oil
flame and many of my childhood friends are gone. So
also this body is waiting to finish its karma. Do not waste
time. Use every minute in Japa, pranayama and other
spiritual activities.
Maya is waiting to push you from the spiritual path.
Before you know it you are in the old rut. Only the Grace
of God and Guru will help you. Your own effort is
successful only when God’s Grace comes.
So pray, pray and pray. For me day and night are all
same. Sixty years of my life are gone just like a dream.
Born, grown up and now in old age. Many things only
exist in past memory. There is difference between the
time I spent as a young Swami in the Himalayas and
now at 60 an old Swami. In those days the body was
under control. Walking, hiking, etc. were easy, but the
mind was turbulent. Now the body is weak but, by the
Grace of God, the mind is calm and strong. In younger
days the mind used to plan too many things. Now the
mind wants solitude. In those days physical discipline
was easy. Now the physical body can do very little.