Gurudev’s Satsanga

Divine Life Society Publication: Sivananda’s Integral Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda

Gurudev’s satsanga was itself unique in many ways. It was very beautiful and wonderful, and combined songs in praise of the Lord, chanting his names, music, study of scriptures, discourses etc. It catered and appealed to the needs and temperaments of all; it satisfied everyone’s hunger. In the early days, there were only about ten or fifteen of us and perhaps ten visitors. We all sat in two rows and there was a little altar with a wick lamp on it. There was also a hurricane lantern on a small stool, which had to be passed around to help some of us read from the scriptures. The satsanga started with:

om om om
jaya ganesha jaya ganesha jaya ganesha pahimam
sri ganesha sri ganesha sri ganesha raksha mam
jaya guru siva guru hari guru ram
jagadguru paramguru sadguru shyam
adi guru advaita guru ananda guru om
chidguru chidghana guru chinmaya guru om
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
(later this was greatly expanded)

Then the lamp was passed to the first person sitting on the Master’s left, who would read a chapter of the Gita, with or without translation. As soon as that was finished, that person would lead in chanting a kirtan and then the lantern would be pushed to the next person, who read from some other scripture. This person would also lead the next kirtan. And so it would go round.

Sometimes the Master used to ask somebody or other to read an article which he had written that day. This was very interesting. Someone might have gone to him to complain that someone else rebuked him in anger. The Master did not rebuke the person who rebuked because it might hurt him. Instead he would write a nice article, “The danger of anger”. (Sometimes he would give it to the person concerned to type.) He would bring it to the satsanga to be read by the one who lost his temper. It hits home! It is meant for him.

From there on, everyone had to lead in singing a kirtan. It was not enough to sing in chorus. The Master would not accept any excuse or explanation. He pointed out that shyness was an obstacle to spiritual progress. When everyone had finished, the Master would conclude with the mahamantra kirtan and the mahamrityunjaya mantra. The satsang concluded with arati and the most sublime peace chants, beautifully expressive of his innermost feelings;

Om sarvesam svastir bhavatu,
sarvesam santir bhavatu,
sarvesam purnam bhavatu,
sarvesam mangalam bhavatu,
sarve bhavantu sukhinah,
sarve santu niramayah,
sarve bhadrani pasyantu,
ma kaschit duhkha-bhagbhavet.
asato ma sat gamaya,
tamaso ma jyotir gamaya,
mrityor ma amritam gamaya.
Om purnamadah purnamidam
purnat purnamudachyate
purnasya purnamadaya
purnameva vasistyate
Om santih santih santih

The spirit of the above chants is as follows: “May all be blessed with well-being, auspiciousness, peace and fullness. May all be happy and free from illness. May all see only good; and may no ill befall anyone. O Lord, lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light and from mortality to immortality. The Lord is full; the creation is also full. The latter has appeared in the Lord, and yet the Lord is everfull. Om. Peace. Peace. Peace.”

After this the Master would walk away very quietly so that the profound thoughts and ideas heard from the scriptures would still be fresh and ringing in our minds and heart as we went to bed.

This was the whole basic structure of the satsanga. Gurudev encouraged people to have satsanga in their own homes, perhaps with a few neighbours, choosing their own scriptures.

om tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pustivardhanam
urvarukamiva bandhanan mrtyor muksiya mamrtat.

(We worship the Lord who promotes health and strength. May he liberate us from death).

Excerpts from: Gurudev’s Satsanga - Sivananda’s Integral Yoga by Sri Swami Venkatesananda