Today, for the first time, we are chanting Satyam Chalisa. These forty lines on our guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, indicate his aspirations, his commitment, his dedication and what he strived for all his life. Satyam Chalisa is now the trademark of Rikhiapeeth and Ganga Darshan Yoga Ashram. It will be sung regularly to inspire each one of us and to make us realize that our guru, Sri Swamiji, loves and blesses us all.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, Rikhiapeeth, 6 December 2010
Sumirau shree guru pada kamala,
mahimaa aparampaar.
Baranau satyam bimala jasa,
jau taaraka bhava bhaar.
Maata-pitaa guru bandhu saba,
tumhee hamaare naath.
Kisa mukha se vinatee karau,
charana kamala me maath.
Jai jai satyam loka maheshwara
Bala dhana aishvarya vidu sarveshwara.
Tero aashrita yaha jaga maayaa
Yoga yajna jana hetu rachaayaa.
Sarvaadhaara satya tuma ekaa
Bhinna bhinna yuga naama anekaa.
Aadi kaala kaha yaha itihaasaa
Yuga yuga prakatahi eesha prakaashaa.
Satayuga maahi mahesha kahaaye
Tretaa ramachandra bani aae.
Dvaapara krishnachandra avataaraa
Bhaktana bharana harana mahi bhaaraa.
Tuma gita arjunahi sunaae
Brahmayoga vidhi sahita sikhaae.
Kaliyuga satyam yoga pranetaa
Gurudeva tuma kripaa niketaa.
Rishikesha me deekshaa paaye
Shivaananda sama guru apanaaye.
Sanskriti gagana kaa eka sitaaraa
Guru pahichaanahi ekahi baaraa.
Seva bhaava ugaa mana maahim
Sabhee raama-siya dusara naahi.
Chalee saadhanaa satata kathoraa
Beetahi yuga taba hoee ahi bhoraa.
Guru sandesha hridaya-sira dhaare
Chale prabhanjana dvaare-dvaare.
Jaga-jeevana dukha klesha apaaraa
Kehi vidhi milahi sabahi chhutakaaraa.
Chanchala mana chetana gati heenaa
Karahu kripaa guruvara mai deenaa.
Vishayaasakti moha mada maanaa
Shata vikaara visha tattwa samaanaa.
Kaaha kahoom nahi hatata hataaye
Bairee bure buddhi bauraaye.
Shaktimaan mai khuda se haaraa
Basa satyam tava naama aadhaaraa.
Mama dukha se nahi tuma anajaanaa
Paramahamsa-vibhu brahma samaanaa.
Charana kamala bhava taarana haare
Mantra moola hai shabda tumhaare.
Tumharo sharana sadaa sukha-kaaraka
Taapa-paapa-bhava-vyaadhi vidaaraka.
Mangala naayaka tava abhinandana
Doora karo jana maanasa krandana.
Satyam seekha eka apanaao
Hara haalata me mastee laao.
Prabhu prasaadamaya jeevana saaraa
Iseeliye saba kuchha hai pyaaraa.
Yogi hokara jaga me jeenaa
Jagadeeshwara bana saba rasa peenaa.
Bhaava adhaara karma phala aavaa
Binu karanee kahoo kehi kaa paavaa.
Kahee nahee phira koee baadhaa
Dekha liyaa yaha jisane saadhaa.
Atmaswaroopahi deva chinhaaee
Mahaananda umage taba aaee.
Bahu bidhi karahi yoga prachaaraa
Jana-jana deta mantra nistaaraa.
Aaja vishwa maha asa kaha konaa
Jahaa na satyam yoga salonaa.
Akhila vishwa akhileshwara swami
Do varadaana banoo satakaamee.
Svarnima vadana nayana chamakeele
Gita sama tava vachana raseele.
Panchatattwa jimi pancha agana jalee
Tyaagee nivritti nivritti kara sajee.
Bhasma vibhooshita shiva sama angaa
Bholenaatha sarvadaa sangaa.
Avirala rama nama aaraadhana
Pratidina rama charita avagaahana.
Shivananda gurudeva Magana mana
Seva prema daana sansthaapana.
Raajasooya sankalpita swami
Mahaaraajana ke raaja namaamee.
Chitrakoota jimi rama nivaasaa
Timi guruvara tava rikhiyaa vaasaa.
Sataguru charana sadaa chita laaoo
Haradama guruvara satyam dhyaaoo.
Satyananda mahaa avataaraa
Aae kali harana mahi bhaaraa.
Dharma sthaapana hetu jaga,
aae guru mahaan.
Akhila rasaamrita sindhu tuma,
lo shatakoti pranaam.
Remembering the lotus feet
Of Sri Gurudev
Whose greatness is infinite and boundless.
The glory of Satyam we narrate
He who is redeemer of the burdens of existence.
You are mother, father, friend and guru.
You are the sole saviour.
Finding no words to pray to you,
I place my head at your feet, my liberator.
Glory to you, O Satyam, lord of the universe,
Of indestructible strength, wealth, wisdom and power.
Upon you the created world verily rests,
You gave yoga and yajna to heal the human state.
You are the one foundation, the only one reality,
Yet in different ages you have assumed many a personality.
History tells the tales of every age
When the light of God manifested amidst the human race.
In Satya yuga you were the Great Mahesha.
In Treta yuga you descended as Ramachandra.
In Dwapara yuga you were avatara Krishnachandra,
Protector of the pious, destroyer of every wrongdoer.
You gave the teachings of Gita to Arjuna,
And taught the path of Brahma yoga.
In Kali-yuga you have come as Satyam, the lodestar of yoga.
You are the abode of mercy and grace, O Gurudeva!
In Rishikesh did you receive diksha
At the feet of your guru, Sivananda.
Who at first sight did recognize
That a star had descended from the sky.
The spirit of seva awakened, your heart felt one reality,
The whole world appeared as Sita-Rama, you had transcended duality.
The practice of sadhana, incessant and intense,
Finally brought the dawn, luminous and radiant.
Holding guru's mandate in your innermost core
You set off like a gale, passing from door to door.
O Gurudev! By which method can I be free
From life's untold sufferings and misery?
My mind is restless, my intellect dull.
Shower your mercy on this hapless soul.
Passion, delusion, ego and the like,
The six afflictions are poison for the mind.
No matter how hard I try to banish these foes,
They delude my intellect and multiply my woes.
O fountain of strength, my own self defeats me.
Now the name of Satyam alone can redeem me.
You cannot but know my sorrow, anguish and pain,
For you are all-pervading, you are the Brahman, O Supreme Swan.
In your words I can find the source of every divine mantra,
Your lotus feet will carry me across this ocean of samsara.
In your shelter there is eternal bliss,
Removing every sin, suffering and disease.
I salute thee, O bestower of auspiciousness.
Pray remove humanity's cries of distress.
Satyam says, follow this simple instruction of mine
Be cheerful and happy, in every condition and clime.
This life is a gift from the Supreme Lord,
Thus all is precious, sacred and loved.
Live as a yogi in this illusory world,
Drink its pleasure and pain, being master of all.
Intention is the ground for fruit of action,
Action is the path of attainment and fruition.
No more obstacles on the way
For one who has learnt this simple precept.
Beholding divinity in his own spirit,
He experiences great bliss welling from within.
In very many ways did you spread the essence of yoga,
Gave to multitudes their liberating mantra.
In which corner of the world today,
Does not the melody of Satyam Yoga echo and play?
Supreme master, lord of the vast wide world,
Grant me the boon that I may become righteous in deed and thought.
Shining like gold with eyes that gleam
Your words stir like the gospel of Gita, ever inspiring and uplifting.
The five elements were burnt as the five fires blazed.
The supreme renouncer renounced renunciation itself.
Body adorned with holy bhasma, you were the image of Shiva.
Ever with you remained your faithful companion, Bholenath the Bhairava.
Unbroken repetition was your way to worship Rama's name.
Daily chanting of the Ramacharitamanas for the very same.
With mind absorbed in your guru, Sivananda,
You established the ideals of serve, love and give in Rikhia.
I bow to thee, O emperor of emperors!
Who accomplished the sankalpa of Rajasooya Yajna.
Just as Rama resided in Chitrakoot,
You have made Rikhia your blessed abode.
Gurudeva, may at your feet my mind ever remain.
May I think of you, Satyam, with every breath.
Satyananda is verily the great avatara,
Who appeared in Kali yuga to relieve the burdens of samsara.
For the establishment of dharma on earth
descended the great guru.
O endless ocean of nectar,
Accept our infinite pranaams.