In August 1980 I went to Munger Ashram to attend the one-month Yoga Teachers Training Course (TTC). At that time Ganga Darshan was not built and all the activities of the ashram were done at Sivananda Ashram. Gurudev Swami Satyanandaji was staying in a small room. I along with other participants were given a hall to stay in during the TTC. This was my first experience of an ashram. Taking dinner in the evening at 6.00 pm and foreigners singing Hindi bhajans in a melodious voice surprised me too much.
After attending satsang, I closed the door of the hall at 8.00 pm as per ashram rule and put off the main switch. The fan also stopped. Since we were habituated to fans, we felt angry and opened the door. I was surprised to see Swami Satyananda standing outside. Seeing him outside I went numb and bent down at his feet. After that, for one month of training, we slept without fan. During the TTC, a hard yoga training was imparted to us by Swami Gorakhnath and Swami Dayananda.
At the end of the course there was an initiation program. Out of sixty participants only sixteen persons opted for diksha and I was one of them. Pujya Sri Swamiji was sitting on a chowki in his room and was giving diksha one by one. When my turn came, I sat on a mat in front of him. Swamiji asked me if any pooja is performed in my house. He also asked if I was facing any problem.
I told Swamiji that my main issue was not having a place to stay in Jamshedpur. I was staying in a joint family and my aunt was not willing to give a share in the house which we were having in Jamshedpur. Therefore, I told Swamiji that I wanted to file a case against my aunt. Swamiji told me, “Do not fight, everything will be settled.”
After taking the blessing of Swamiji I returned to Jamshedpur. Within two years of my return one important incident took place. In Jamshedpur there is a Naturopathy Centre which is run by Tata Steel. There was a need for a yoga teacher and I was the only yoga teacher in Jamshedpur during that period. As such by the order of the Managing Director, Tata Steel, my services were transferred from Tata Robins Fraser Ltd. to Tata Steel on a higher post and I was also allotted living quarters. By the grace of God and blessings of Guruji my problem was solved.
In spite of that I was thinking that after my retirement the company would take back their quarters and so I should try for my own house. But I did not have money to build a house. I therefore borrowed money from my provident fund account and purchased some land. At that time the company was giving three lakhs of rupees as a house loan for which I applied. It was taking more than one year to receive the amount. One day I went to meet the concerned officer who was passing the loan. She told me, “Sir, you did not recognize me, I am your student and learned yoga from you four years ago. What can I do for you?” I told her about my house loan, and she replied that I would get the money within six months.
Then I requested the main architect of Tata Steel, Mr Jitendra Singh, to prepare a map for my house. He accepted my request and prepared the map but he did not take money from me. When I asked him the reason he replied that he could not take money from me as I was his wife’s and daughter’s yoga teacher.
I submitted the map to the Notified Area Committee for approval. The head clerk of NAC called and told me that he was suffering from asthma and he wanted some yoga tips to cure him. He did not take any money and my map was approved. After that my house was constructed.
Will you not say this is guru kripa? Yes, this is guru kripa. This is the reason why Swami Niranjanananda has given the name of the house ’Guru Kripa’. Today the head office of Satyananda Yoga Kendra, Jamshedpur, is my house from where all the yoga activities of the Kendra are executed.
Hari Om
Sannyasi Krishna Charan, Jamshedpur