Tribute

Swami Suryaprakash Saraswati

On the occasion of Sri Swami Satyananda’s Mahasamadhi, 22 and 30 December 2009

Hari Om

Our Param Gurudev, Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati, attained Mahasamadhi at the ajeya muhurta of 5th December in Rikhiapeeth. On the evening of 6th December, he was given bhu samadhi. Thereafter, in his tapobhoomi Rikhiapeeth, as per the sannyasa tradition, the sixteen-day Shodashi Anushthana was completed. And from 24th to 30th December, a Shraddhanjali Saptah was organized at Ganga Darshan to offer our respects to Sri Swamiji.

To fulfil the instructions to propagate yoga given by his guru, Bhumandaleshwar Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati, Sri Swamiji established Bihar School of Yoga in 1963 at Munger, on the banks of the northwards-flowing Ganga, thereby earning for Munger the accolade of ‘city of yoga’. Munger was Sri Swamiji’s karmabhoomi.

To give a practical form to the essential teachings of ‘serve, love and give’ of his guru, Sri Swamiji established Rikhiapeeth in Rikhia village. Rikhiapeeth is Sri Swamiji’s tapobhoomi and now it is also his samadhi sthal.

As we all offer our tribute to Sri Swamiji, I would like to read out a poem written by him:

My wishes have all matured
And I have written the whole song.
Today my songs rise
From all directions of the world
And in the limelight
Of the moon and stars
Flows the light of your prana.
All the Vedas have been sung
And all the shastras have been written.
Today I have given the prana
Of my jnana to all.
And I have already given you everything
In the form of two beautiful flowers.

Although Sri Swamiji has left his physical body, he will remain alive in the hearts of each one of us, for all times to come, as long as we can remain simple and innocent. It is this thought, this feeling that I share with you so that together we may maintain alive the inspiration which Sri Swamiji ignited in us.

At present it is my responsibility and commitment, given to me by Sri Swamiji, to work for yoga and propagate yoga through Bihar School of Yoga.

I have the rare opportunity and privilege of receiving the blessings of Sri Swamiji for three generations – consisting of my grandparents, my parents and myself. It is my honour-bound commitment to uplift and maintain the standards of the Satyananda Yoga tradition, as founded by Sri Swamiji, and as maintained by Swami Niranjanananda.

To fulfil this responsibility, I submit myself wholeheartedly to our Sadgurudev, Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati, to our Paramgurudev, Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Peethadhishwari Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati, and my guru, Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati.

I convey my honour-bound commitment, and I look forward to your unfailing and unflinching support, friendship and generosity. I seek the blessings of the luminaries of our tradition, to grant me the wisdom, the courage, the faith, the determination and the conviction, to tread the path as inherent in their teachings and the shastras.

I pray that I may be guided at every step of the way, to act and live as per the examples and teachings of the masters. Although the journey may be long and I have only just begun, I trust that with their blessings, as well as with your support and good wishes, Sri Swamiji’s mission will continue moving forward with dignity. And on the way, we may share some precious moments together.

Hari Om