Sivananda

Sivananda Day-to-day (596)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:39:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Your Highest Good! by Sri Swami ChidanandaLet not passing events merely happen and pass away without leaving something of value to you. All experiences occur to teach some lesson to human beings; they are meant to remind the human individual of something.Passing events, by the very fact that they are passing, may not have any intrinsic value, even though they can have a very great importance and value at the time. The 2nd of October, Gandhi Jayanti, has a great importance each year on that date. The rest of the year no one thinks of it. So it is with most occasions.People are born and people die. Those who are born have to die. This is a great truth. But we should ask what is born and what dies? And what is it that is unborn and therefore never dies? Our thoughts should go to both.What is born is subject to janma, mrityu, jara, vyadhi (birth, death, old age, disease). The human being is born, grows, becomes subject to change, afflicted with disease, gradually declines and then dissolves. All these changes are demonstrated in the body. But the very fact that we speak of change means that we speak of change with reference to something that is changeless. Otherwise, how do we know that it changes?It is with reference to something changeless that we speak of the changeful nature of other things that are not like it. A candle lightens a darkened room. An electric bulb lightens it still more. A battery of tube lights can make the room as bright as day. But all this is in reference to the original state of darkness. The differing degrees of brightness of light are with reference to the one condition that is always there which is darkness. It is with reference to the ever-prevailing darkness that light takes on a new and distinctive meaning.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/your-highest-good/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following article was recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/29.Majesty-and-Beauty.html">Majesty and Beauty</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISSeek The Beyond by Sri Swami ChidanandaFor over 50 years, Swami Chidananda, the spiritual successor of the legendary founder of The Divine Life Society, His Holiness Swami Sivananda, travelled throughout India and abroad urging his listeners to live the divine life and to seek the Beyond. That this is possible has been fully demonstrated in Swamiji’s own life. Swamiji at once expresses a deep stillness arising from a continuous abidance in the Beyond and at the same time demonstrates the divine life through his love and service of the Divine in all of creation.In this unique book, containing a selection of early morning mediation talks given in the sacred Samadhi Hall at Sivananda Ashram, Swami Chidananda, from his own deep realisation and understanding, guides us in our journey towards the Beyond. Swamiji teaches that liberation is here and now, but we must choose to live in the Divine and refuse to be lost in worldly desires and pursuits.Sanskrit language words have been put in italics. Normally their meaning can be understood by the context or their English equivalent which follows within commas or parenthesis. Otherwise, their meaning can be found in the comprehensive Glossary. Most of the photos included with the text were taken as Swamiji gave his early morning talks in the Samadhi Hall during the years 2003 and 2004.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/seek-the-beyond/">Seek The Beyond</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />BE MODERATE: S. was leaving for Calcutta. The Master gave him a “farewell party” in his cottage.“I like synthesis,” the Master said, “so I requested Purushottham Swamiji to prepare some vegetable curries. To this I added some fruit, biscuits and coffee. It is neither food nor light refreshment, but both. When all is said and done coffee and tea have their own merits. Without coffee where is the world? It is coffee, tea and other drinks that make the world appear very real.“For those who work, who do either physical or mental work, coffee or tea is a help. They may not have much nutritional value, but they do produce some stimulating effect and keep us active.“Why then do we say that they are not good for us? Because man easily falls a prey to the habit of drinking tea or coffee, and because the stimulating effect of these drinks makes him go to extremes.“You should guard yourself against these. Never say that you cannot do without coffee, and that you get sick or suffer from a headache without it. And never indulge too much in these habits.“Not only tea and coffee, but even certain dishes like chutney should not be indulged in too much. A little of salt, a little of chutney, a little of tamarind—all these are good. A good pungent chutney may be a very suitable appetiser and cure for dyspepsia if you take it occasionally in very small quantity. It requires a tremendous will to take them and yet take them moderately. It requires a strong will to be able to give them up instantly. You should develop this kind of will through abstaining occasionally from these articles and by taking them moderately.”<hr />“Trust in God and do the right. What else can I tell you? The right is that which leads to the Supreme Absolute, and you have to apply your conscience to decide what it is that contributes to the movement towards the Absolute. For that, you must have practically a cosmic vision of things. Every minute you must think like the universe; then only you can know what is right and what is wrong. If you think like an individual coming from one place or another place, then you cannot decide what is good and bad. If everything is connected to everything else, the judgment on the rightness or the wrongness of things is not easy to decide by an abrupt thinking from the individual point of view. What the individual isolatedly thinks cannot be right; what the universe thinks, that is right. So if your mind can coordinate itself with the universal thought, at that time what you think is right. Only the universe is right, and whoever is identified with that universe also is right. Any simple Tom, Dick and Harry should not say anything. It is better they keep quiet. ” – Sri Swami Krishnananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related sites:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0tASvDEBK/?igsh=cm9sejY0ZWNrb25j">The Divine Life Society Gen Next Instagram Page</a></li><li><a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></li></ul></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (595)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:04:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Spirit of Renunciation by Sri Swami Krishnananda(Taken from the Divine Life Magazine, 1958 issue)Thirty-four years have now been completed since Sri Gurudev Swami Sivananda entered the holy order of Sannyasa. This memorable event has been not only a landmark in his adventurous march in the quest of Truth, but has set a brilliant example and serves as a shining ideal to all aspiring souls. This is the reaffirmation of the age-old truth, the truth that has been proclaimed centuries ago by the ancient seers of the Upanishads, that the Eternal cannot be reached by the non-eternal. All human endeavour is of the nature of transiency. Impermanency is the character of individualistic effort. Life here is nothing but a scene enacted on the theatre of space and time.The world we live in is a spatio-temporal world. The objects that we experience are tarred with the nature of change. For, the world is of a 'presented' character. Anything that is given to the senses in the form of something external, is bound to be subjected to constant transformation. The Kathopanishad has emphasized this truth when it boldly asserted. Those that are transitory cannot obtain that which is Permanent. The world is 'Adhruva' and God is 'Dhruva'.DISPASSION It is the effort to put into practice this knowledge of the difference between the eternal and the non-eternal, that goes by the name of Vairagya. Thus renunciation should necessarily be preceded by Viveka, or a correct grasping of the nature of the Eternal as distinguished from the non-eternal. Vairagya is not the consequence of any kind of frustration in life. Abhava-Vairagya is not real dispassion. Non-obtainment of objects of sense does not constitute the real spirit that is at the back of the order of Sannyasa. Sannyasa is the formal acceptance of the life of complete non-attachment to the things of the world, as a result of the dawn of the knowledge that nothing in the world is of any real worth, the world being an effect and relative in the nature of its makeup.Hence, Vairagya which is the cause of Sannyasa is not any negative denial of the values of life, but the affirmation of the only value that is in life—the value of the world being rooted in a trans-empirical Reality, which is at the same time the reality behind the human individual. Sri Krishna refers to the world as impermanent and joyless, an abode of sorrow is this world! If, then, it is true that we are stationed in a realm of grief, why is it that we seem to be contented with our lot here, and do not put forth any appreciable effort to avert the pains we are subjected to?<a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_416.html">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />1st June is the 102nd Anniversary of the Sannyasa Diksha of H.H. Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj.<hr align="left" width="50%" />The following articles were recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/28.The-Impersonal-Law-of-Karma.html">The Impersonal Law of Karma</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/27.The-Words-Maya-and-Avidya.html">The Words Maya and Avidya</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISThe Mighty Godman of Our Age by Sri Swami KrishnanandaThis book is a compilation of eighteen discourses on Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj that Swami Krishnananda gave over the years. Swamiji discusses the circumstances that necessitated the incarnation of Sri Gurudev on Earth at that period in history and the spiritual renaissance that arose at the beginning of the twentieth century. Swamiji also talks about Gurudev’s early days in Rishikesh and his austere tapas, various aspects of Gurudev’s nature, his mission in the world, and the founding and purpose of The Divide Life Society.When Swami Krishnananda speaks about Sri Gurudev, it is from direct experience as a disciple who lived closely with the holy Master for decades, and along with this personal viewpoint Swamiji brings everything to Universality in a totality of vision.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/the-mighty-godman-of-our-age/">The Mighty Godman of Our Age</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />D. I. N.: The Master enquired of one of the disciples, “Has Sri S. B. sent the Rs. 1,000 she had promised?”“No, Swamiji.”“Then remind her again at once. When is she going to give it? The charity should be done before the mood changes. It is difficult for a householder to stick to a good resolve for a considerable period. One should never trust one’s mind. The mood of charity, the mood of meditation, the mood of service, might change in a few minutes. Watch for this mood. When it comes, make the best use of it.“If she gives the money, her heart will expand and the door of Moksha will be kept ajar for her to enter. It is not going to help us in any way. Press bills are pending. Her money will at once be converted into spiritual literature and distributed to thousands.”<hr />“Gurudev always used to emphasise again and again, and he was never tired of stressing and reiterating, 'You have to efface your ego.' Therefore, any occassion to bear, to endure, to tolerate, to be patient and not to retaliate is a God-sent opportunity for you to erase a little bit of this ego. So these two sentences of Gurudev's teachings: Bear insult, bear injury, it is the highest Sadhana,– have a very, very high significance and meaning. In his own life he demonstrated this by absolutely reducing himself to a cipher. He lived a veritable life of philosophy.” – Sri Swami Chidananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related sites:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0tASvDEBK/?igsh=cm9sejY0ZWNrb25j">The Divine Life Society Gen Next Instagram Page</a></li><li><a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></li></ul></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (594)

Sat, 23 May 2026 10:08:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Instructions on Meditation by Sri Swami SivanandaMokshapriya said:O Blessed Teacher, now instruct me on Meditation. My mind is ever wandering despite my effort in the early morning during Brahmamuhurta-4 a.m.Swami Sivananda replied:O Mokshapriya, hearken to me with rapt attention and one-pointed mind. Dhyanam nirvishayam manah: meditation is freeing the mind from thoughts of sense-objects. Mind dwells on God and God alone during meditation.All on a sudden you cannot jump to meditation and Samadhi. You will fall down and break your legs. Can a student of Third Form understand the “Theory of Relativity”, “Advanced Mathematics”, etc.?Purify your heart first through selfless service, recitation of Lord’s Names, Pranayama, etc. Get yourself established in Sadachara or right conduct. Have perfect ethical perfection. Then alone will you be established in deep meditation.Meditation follows concentration and Samadhi follows meditation.A gross mind, O friend, O Mokshapriya, wants a concrete object for meditation, in the beginning. Meditation on a concrete form such as the form of Lord Krishna with flute in hand, or the form of Lord Jesus or Lord Buddha is very necessary in the beginning. This is Saguna meditation or meditation on the form of the Lord with attributes.Think of His attributes such as Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence, purity and perfection, etc. when you meditate on His form.Gradually the mind will be prepared and disciplined to take up the higher Nirakara and Nirguna meditation, formless and attributeless meditation on the Pure Nirguna Brahman.Deep meditation cannot come in a day or a week or a month. You will have to struggle hard for a long time. Be patient. Be persevering. Be vigilant and diligent. Get rid of all Vasanas, cravings and ambitions. Cultivate burning dispassion, burning aspiration or longing for Self-realisation. Gradually you will enter into deep meditation.Struggle, O Mokshapriya, struggle again. Strive hard. Meditate. Meditate. Meditate. You will surely attain success in the end. Mark my word, O spiritual hero!<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/instructions-on-meditation/">Source</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following articles were recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/22.The-Power-of-Surya-Bhagavan.html">The Power of Surya Bhagavan</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/23.An-Exercise-in-Spiritual-Meditation.html">An Exercise in Spiritual Meditation</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/24.Everything-Should-Be-Spontaneous.html">Everything Should Be Spontaneous</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/25.The-Idea-of-the-Ideal.html">The Idea of the Ideal</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/26.The-Essence-of-the-Subject-Object-Relation.html">The Essence of the Subject-Object Relation</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />The following book was recently reprinted:<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/318-chhandogya-upanishad-ek6.html">EK6 Chhandogya Upanishad</a> by Sri Swami Krishnananda<hr />BOOK SYNOPSISDhyana Yoga by Sri Swami SivanandaMeditation is the key which unlocks the treasure-trove of the highest intelligence, of wisdom, of divinity, of genius. No man who wishes to make a success of his life can afford to neglect it.The genius among scientists, the successful businessman, the best among philosophers, the Yogi and the seeker after Truth, all of them meditate. Their achievements are the fruits of their meditation.The secrets of meditation have remained the close preserve of Yogis, till the Sage of the Himalayas, Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, in his supreme compassion and all-consuming love for all mankind, came forward to elucidate the philosophical foundation, the method, the experiences, the obstacles and the successful fulfilment of meditation.His writings on this vital subject are presented by him in this inspiring book.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/32-dhyana-yoga-es33.html">Dhyana Yoga</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />ADVICE TO WOMEN: Kumari V. and two other girls were in the Master’s cottage.The Master turned to the two girls and said, “Look at Kumari V., how bold she is! She does not feel shy at all to sing the Lord’s Names and lecture on His glories. You should cultivate this wonderful quality. Then only can you do real service to humanity and spread the message of divine life.”For a moment it looked as if the Master was idolizing Kumari V., but he said to her, “Be modest like the two girls. Reduce your ceaseless talking. Do not run about restlessly here and there. How quiet-going these girls are and how modest! These are the essential feminine virtues.”To all of them the Master said, “You must harmoniously blend in yourself the best masculine virtues as well as the best feminine qualities. Then only will you be successful in your spiritual life. Then only will you develop an integral personality full of compassion, modesty, humility and the spirit of active selfless service. Be both man and woman.”<hr />“Never miss a day in meditation. Be regular and systematic. Take Sattvic food. Fruits and milk will help mental focussing. Give up meat, fish, eggs, smoking, liquors, etc.” – Sri Swami Sivananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related sites:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0tASvDEBK/?igsh=cm9sejY0ZWNrb25j">The Divine Life Society Gen Next Instagram Page</a></li><li><a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></li></ul></blockquote>

104th Birthday Anniversary of Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj (2026)

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:33:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Homage to Swami Krishnananda by S. BhagyalakshmiBorn to parents highly orthodox and deeply religious, Swami Krishnananda inherits an illustrious lineage of Vedic and scholarship of exceptional calibre. On April 25, 1922, in the village of Keminje a child later named Subbaraya Putturaya was born. He now lives at the Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, as His Holiness Swami Krishnananda Sarasvati. The village Keminje is in South Kanara in the erstwhile Mysore State on the western coast of South India. His ancestors on both sides belonged to the high Brahman caste and enjoyed the respect and patronage of kings.Swami Krishnananda's maternal grandfather belonged to a line of priests who were the highest authorities in all Vedic rituals and the Shastras, particularly the Tantra Shastra, and also in the Vedantic philosophy. His paternal grandfather was a rare Bhakta of infinite faith, his devotion and dedication to God unsurpassed. In addition he was a truly magnanimous man by nature; he sold his own property to be able to help those in need. Thus, nobility, religion and piety run in the blood of Sri Swami Krishnananda who is a Jnanayogi single-mindedly devoted to the Brahman, the Supreme Being of the Advaita Vedanta School of Philosophy.In those (ancient) days, pilgrimages were undertaken on foot. Little toddlers or even the 5-7 year olds were carried on the shoulders of the elders. And Subbaraya Putturaya also was taken on pilgrimages in this fashion by his the members of his family. At the age of three, the child visited Talakkaveri, the source of the river Kaveri, held sacred in South India even as the river Ganga is held sacred all over India. On two more such pilgrimages during the fifth and seventh years of childhood, Subbaraya Putturaya was taken to the very sacred temple at Tirupati on the northernmost border of South India. The philosophical bent was very strong even in the earlier years and inspired his trekking to holy places in search of deeper knowledge and richer experience; Badrinath, Kedarnath and Gangotri were the last in his pilgrimages undertaken as “Swami Krishnananda”.True to the Brahminic tradition Subbaraya was initiated in the Vedas by his father and maternal grandfather. His grandfather had passed away when Subbaraya's father was hardly two or three years old. The grind that this required was strictly enforced on the young boy even from the age of seven or so. Thus did this Brahmin boy learn the Vedic lore at a very early age. But he played as many pranks in his school and with his playmates and borthers as any other boy did. Playing the story of Ramayana was one of his favourites. He asked a puckish question of the missionary visiting his school, “Why was Jesus born in Jerusalam, Sir” The priest taken by surprise replied, “Because, it is the centre of earth”. The boy accepted this statement sceptically.His college education lasted only for two years; Subbaraya was only an undergraduate when he took up a petty Government job which in the early twenties of this century was a big honour. A Brahmin by caste was allowed only certain professions, such as would not in any way impair the codes of the caste, as laid down in the scriptures.However, Subbaraya was not interested in a career; even though he was employed to do a Government job at the age of eighteen or so, he conducted discourses on the Bhagvatlgita in the evenings! His insatiable thirst for knowledge kept him absorbed in the libraryof an elderly lawyer in his hometown, during his student days. Today he is rated by all who hear him speak or read his books as one of the best scholars in English. He is also an authority on all schools of philosophy, particularly the Vedic Scriptures, Vedanta, Upanishads, Srutis and Smritis as also the Epics and Puranas besides books on History, Geography, Science and other branches of learning.<a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_homage.html">Read complete article</a><hr width="50%" />Today, 25th April 2026, marks the auspicious 104th birthday anniversary of Revered Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj. There are several new uploads to <a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/">Sri Swamiji's website</a>:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/22.The-Power-of-Surya-Bhagavan.html">The Power of Surya Bhagavan</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/23.An-Exercise-in-Spiritual-Meditation.html">An Exercise in Spiritual Meditation</a></li><li>The <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/aubio/My_Life.epub"> EPUB format</a> of <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/aubio/mylife_1.html"> My Life,</a> Autobiography of Swami Krishnananda, and the book cover has been added to the <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/aubio/My_Life.pdf"> PDF format</a></li><li>The <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_0/Brahma_Sutra.epub"> EPUB format</a> of <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_0.html">The Brahma Sutras by Swami Sivananda</a>, and the book cover has been added to the <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/bs_0/Brahma_Sutra.pdf"> PDF format</a></li><li class="noLink">The <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/Twenty-One_Important_Hints-Hindi.pdf"> Hindi translation</a> of <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_26.html"> Twenty-One Important Hints on Sadhana</a>, and the English version has been printed for free distribution.</li><li class="noLink">The <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/Thus_Spake_Swami_Krishnananda-Hindi.pdf"> Hindi translation</a> of <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_65.html"> Thus Spake Swami Krishnananda</a></li><li class="noLink">The <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/Sankaras_Philosophy_of_Life-Hindi.pdf"> Hindi translation</a> of <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_221.html"> Sankara's Philosophy of Life</a></li><li class="noLink">The <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/video.html">Videos</a> page has been simplified to load quickly, and Hindi subtitles have been added in addition to the English subtitles. The language of the subtitles can be changed in Settings—>Subtitles/Captions.</li><li class="noLink"><a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/chhand_0.html">The Chhandogya Upanishad</a> has been reprinted and will be available from The Divine Life Society <a class="link" href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/" target="_blank"> bookshop</a>.</li><li class="noLink">The booklet <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_257.html"> The Religion of Humanity</a> has been printed and is being released for free distribution.</li><li class="noLink">The booklet <a class="link" href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_349.html"> Waking Up from the Dream of This So-Called Waking World</a> has been printed and is being released for free distribution.</li></ul> Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISTotal Thinking by Sri Swami Krishnananda‘Total Thinking’ comprises of a series of discourses given by Worshipful Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj during Sadhana Week in 1980. In these illuminating lectures, Pujya Swamiji Maharaj imparts valuable techniques for spiritual practices for the spiritual aspirants and seekers to illumine their journey unto the Supreme.It is our sincere hope that the readers will find this book a treasure-trove of wisdom teachings and they will also be immensely benefited by implementing those eternal teachings in their lives."What do we see in this world, and what is the kind of experience that we are passing through every day? We do not see God here anywhere, and we also cannot see religion and spirituality. When we open our eyes, it is not religion that we are seeing. We are seeing something painful, something that takes us aback, that makes us shudder in our hearts and keeps us in a state of anxiety even about the next day itself. It is an obvious truth spoken to the hearts of everyone that our lives are not as secure as they are made to appear on the surface. No one sleeps with a confident heart regarding the conditions of tomorrow in one’s life. Man suspects man and intrigues against his own brother and, with a smile on his lips, secretly manoeuvres to cut the throat of his own neighbour. Man has turned out to be a shrewd politician and a ruthless, selfish individual. No matter how often he may frequent the church or the temple, whatever be the scriptures that he may read and the number of times he may roll the beads, he has not ceased to be what he is. He shows his true colours when the time for it comes." - Swami KrishnanandaFor more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/total-thinking/">Total Thinking</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />"Gurudev Swami Sivananda called him “Vedanta Kesari” and also “Dakshinamurti” on different occasions. On several occasions, Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj vindicates the Master's intuitive understanding of the true nature of his illustrious disciple. Krishnananda Swamiji's silence is as eloquent as his spoken word, and his spoken word is as wise and unfathomable as his silence. When he speaks, one is reminded of Lord Buddha's Simhanada (lion's roar) and one appreciates why Gurudev called him the Lion of Vedanta. When one is enveloped by Swamiji's silence which stirs one's own innermost depths, one understands Dakshinamurti's secret of stupendous silence." – Swami Venkatesananda<hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related sites:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0tASvDEBK/?igsh=cm9sejY0ZWNrb25j">The Divine Life Society Gen Next Instagram Page</a></li><li><a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></li></ul></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (593)

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:15:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Practical Aspect of Meditation by Sri Swami SivanandaThis world is full of miseries and sufferings. If you want to get rid of the pains and afflictions of this Samsara, you must practise meditation. Meditation leads to the knowledge of the Self, which brings about Eternal Peace and Supreme Bliss. Meditation prepares you for the integral experience or direct intuitive knowledge. Meditation is the flow of continuous thought of one thing or God or Atman. Meditation is the pathway to divinity. It is the royal road to the kingdom of Brahman. It is a mysterious ladder which reaches from earth to Heaven (Vaikuntha-Kailasa-Brahman), from error to Truth, from darkness to Light, from pain to Bliss, from restlessness to abiding Peace, from ignorance to Knowledge, from mortality to Immortality.Truth is Brahman. Truth is Atman. You cannot realise the Truth without reflection and meditation. The mode of meditation differs according to the path adopted by the aspirant. A Bhakta practises Saguna Dhyana on the form of his Ishta Devata. A Hatha Yogi meditates on the Chakras and the presiding deities. A Jnana Yogi meditates on his own Self. He practises Ahamgraha Upasana. A Raja Yogi meditates on the special Purusha who is not affected by afflictions and desires.The mind assumes the form of the object it cognises. Then only perception is possible. A Bhakta constantly meditates on the form of his tutelary deity or Ishta Devata. The mind always takes the form of the deity. When he is established in his meditation, when he attains the stage of Para Bhakti or supreme devotion, he sees his Ishta Devata only everywhere. The names and forms vanish. A devotee of Lord Krishna sees Lord Krishna only everywhere and experiences the state described in the Gita “Vasudevah Sarvam iti—Everything is Vasudeva only.” A Jnani or a Vedanti sees his own Self or Atman everywhere. The world of names and forms vanishes from his view. He experiences the utterances of the seers of the Upanishads: “Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma—All indeed is Brahman.”You must have a pure mind if you want to realise the Self. Unless the mind is set free and casts away all desires, cravings, worries, delusion, pride, lust, attachment, likes and dislikes, it cannot enter into the domain of Supreme Peace and unalloyed felicity—the Immortal Abode. A glutton or a sensualist, a dullard or a lazy man, cannot practise meditation. He who has controlled the tongue and other organs, who has an acute acumen, who eats, drinks and sleeps in moderation, who has destroyed selfishness, lust, greed and anger, can practise meditation and attain success in Samadhi.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/practical-aspect-of-meditation/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following article was recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/21.The-Metaphysical-Background-of-Mantras.html">The Metaphysical Background of Mantras</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISConcentration & Meditation by Sri Swami Sivananda"Concentration and Meditation" form the inner core of the practice of Yoga. It is the key to the door of Inner Illumination and constitutes the central pivot round which all Sadhana in the spiritual field revolves. Dharana and Dhyana are the Yoga proper, leading to the consummation, Samadhi and Sakshatkara or Realisation.Revered Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj gives in this compact and exhaustive treatise on the great subject a thorough-going exposition of the intricacies of "Concentration and Meditation," in a manner only a Master on the path would be able to do. Intensely practical, the work is an imperative to seekers and students on the Sadhana-Marga. Literature on this subject being very rare, we have endeavoured to bring out the present edition. We cannot see any better book on the subject to be placed in the hands of students of this phase of Yoga.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/26-concentration-and-meditation-es27.html">Concentration & Meditation</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />ART AND THE HEART: “Surgery is an art, something like carpentry,” the Master said to Dr M. of Delhi. “You may do useful work with your knowledge of surgery and medicine, but only the heart can spiritualise work and transform it into Karma Yoga. Here you feel that the patient is the Lord Himself, come to you to give you an opportunity of evolving through service. There is divine love in your heart for the patient. Your service acquires a divine character. Such service is then more fruitful to the patient as well as to the doctor. The operation or treatment is done by the Grace of the Lord and is therefore more effective. Your heart dwells on God and is purified.”<hr />“Every cell of our body is dominated by a devata. The sun is the controlling principle of the eyes. There are many other devatas – even for the hand. You cannot lift the hand unless a devata works. You cannot move the fingers unless the central government of the universe gives the order. But the human egoism is so hard that it thinks, “I shall do this, I shall do that. I go there, I come here. I have done so much.” These are all vain boastings of an individual. The order comes from the highest centre, and because of the egoistic isolation of personality from this universal whole, it appears as we are individually acting and doing things. There is an electric light here. Suppose the bulb asserts that it is shining. “See how I'm shining!” the bulb will say. The bulb is not shining. It is the electricity passing through it that is causing the light. So we cannot say that we are doing anything. Even our thinking is conditioned by the Central Thinking. The Central Thinking is the cosmic mind, of which our mind is a little, little, tiny tot.” – Sri Swami Krishnananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related sites:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0tASvDEBK/?igsh=cm9sejY0ZWNrb25j">The Divine Life Society Gen Next Instagram Page</a></li><li><a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></li></ul></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (592)

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:20:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Introspect Regulary by Sri Swami SivanandaPractise self-examination for ten minutes before you go to bed. Sit comfortably on a chair. Close your eyes. Think of all actions—good and bad—that you did during the course of the day. Think of all mistakes that you committed consciously or unconsciously.A man, who has no life of introspection, whose mind is of outgoing tendencies, cannot find out his own mistakes. The self-conceit acts as a veil and blurs the mental vision. If an aspirant wants to grow, he must admit his defects when they are pointed out by others. He must try his level best to eradicate them and must thank the man who has pointed out his defects. Then he can grow in spirituality.Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in future. Be cautious. Just think of the causes which led to your failures and try to remove them in future. Strengthen yourself with new vigour and virtues. Develop slowly your will-power.Every temptation that is resisted, every evil thought that is curbed, every desire that is subdued, every bitter word that is withheld, every noble aspiration that is encouraged, every sublime thought that is cultivated, adds to the development of will-force, good character and attainment of eternal bliss and immortality.Subconscious life is more powerful than your ordinary life of objective consciousness. Beneath your conscious life there is a very wide region of subconscious life. The subconscious life can modify and influence your conscious life. Through the practice of Yoga you can modify, control and influence the subconscious depths. All habits are imbedded in the subconscious.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/introspect-regularly/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following articles were recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/19.Being-and-Becoming.html">Being and Becoming</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/20.The-Troubling-Mind.html">The Troubling Mind</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />The following book was recently reprinted:<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/9-beauties-of-ramayana-es226.html">ES226 Beauties Of Ramayana</a> by Sri Swami Sivananda<hr />BOOK SYNOPSISDivine Nectar by Sri Swami SivanandaThese are the days when the world is very busy running after material achievements. For a worldly mind blinded by gross sensuality nothing beyond the ken of material sciences appears to have any value or charm. Progress is always conceived and measured by them in terms of worldly goods and chattel. The materialistic philosophy has many a camp-follower, and the prophets of the creed of “Eat, drink and be merry” are also increasing in number. As a result, the world has become a veritable battlefield, because fight is inevitable where innumerable individuals actuated by insatiable ambitions run after enjoyments and objects which are limited in number and conditioned by so many relative causes. This earthly plane is finite, limited and subject to change and destruction. Unless some saving power comes to the rescue of humanity to extricate it from the hopelessness of inadequate concepts and imperfect ideologies, the humanity would be irretrievably lost.This saving power should be necessarily the opposite of the materialistic forces, and should lead a man to the real goal and achievement of human life. Really they should be more powerful than the materialistic forces lest they lose the battle. The world has always been fortunate to have the support of such spiritual powers which remedied the ills of humanity, and bestowed a new lease of life, full of light and happiness, on its votaries. It is a pity only a few always sought for light! We place before the beloved aspirant-world another work of Master Sivananda, the Master of the New Age, containing a masterly exposition of the principles and methods of practice of the life-saving spiritual science.Aptly it has been named as “DIVINE NECTAR”, as the aspirant once tasting a drop of it will not rest content until he gulps the whole lot. Siva’s writings are not pedantic boredoms, but a sweet music of depth and beauty thrilling its hearers and readers, and transforming them top-to-bottom unawares. They are simple, directly addressed and unfailing in hitting the desired target.Dear Reader, dive deep into the nectarine writings of this work and be blessed.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/36-divine-nectar-es35.html"> Divine Nectar</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />RESORTING TO SECLUSION: A visitor complained to the Master that he had lost all his good spiritual impressions that he previously had.The Master said to him, “You must fortify yourself by resorting to seclusion. You should remain at Ananda Kutir. The world is full of distractions. By living in the world you only increase your attachment to your children and your bank balance. The world appears as real and Brahman as unreal. You should develop endurance. You should be able to sleep on the bare ground. You should do charity. You should develop the feeling of oneness. You should always practise Japa. You should study the Gita, Upanishads and Brahma Sutras daily.”<hr />“What is life? To evolve and to manifest the spiritual principles within you, and to seek and obtain vision and the experience of the Divinity concealed behind visible names and forms–this is life. To behold the external world as God, and to worship this revealed divinity through ceaseless act of selfless loving service–This is life. All this here is sacred. The Divine Presence sanctifies all places and all objects. Where-so-ever you are, you stand before the presence of the Most High. What ever thou doest, thou doest unto the Lord of the Universe, the hidden God, who pervades His own creation. Therefore spiritualise your life.” – Sri Swami Chidananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related sites:<ul><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0tASvDEBK/?igsh=cm9sejY0ZWNrb25j">The Divine Life Society Gen Next Instagram Page</a></li><li><a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></li></ul></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (591)

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:25:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Sri Hanumate Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!The Life and Glory of Hanuman by Sri Swami Krishnananda(Spoken on Hanuman Jayanti, April 15th, 1984)The life of Hanuman is the life of a superman, and unless we can understand what a superman is, we cannot appreciate the dignity and the exploits of this epic celebrity. The Ramayana of Valmiki is the main text which gives us the details of the life of this mastermind. The importance of this superhuman person can be assessed from half a verse in Valmiki's Ramayana where he says svayam nava vyakaranarthavetta brahma bhavatyapi te prasadat. Hanuman has been chosen as the next Brahma in the coming cycle of creation. It is surprising indeed that in the whole of creation God could not find a better person than Hanuman to be elected for this great post of the Creator for the next cycle. Master of the eight powers of yoga was Hanuman, and that is enough to explain the meaning of his exploits.Tradition tells us that Hanuman was born of a superhuman lady, Anjana, of celestial descent. Incidentally, it appears that when some messengers came to Anjana and told her of the terrific exploits of Hanuman and praised him saying, “Great indeed is your son, Mother,” she retorted, it seems, “Great indeed is my son? Look!” and she pressed her nipple, from which milk jetted forth with such strength that it dashed against a distant mountain and broke a cliff off of it. “Such milk this man has drunk, and you are telling me he's a great man?” This is what Hanuman's mother said when the messengers extolled the glories of this marvellous hero in the war of the Ramayana.We are told that as a child Hanuman rose to the skies to catch the sun. Thinking that the sun was a bright and delicious fruit, he wanted to eat it, and he rose up to the skies to grab it and swallow it. The story goes that Indra, the ruler of the heavens, was startled at this adventure of a mortal trying to ascend to the heavens and grab the solar orb, so it appears that, with his weapon called Vajra, he gave such a blow on the chin of this little boy that his chin lengthened a little bit, protruding forward, and he fell down unconscious. Chin is called hanu in Sanskrit, and one who has a pronounced and a projected chin is called Hanuman.<a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/disc/disc_220.html">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />2nd April is <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/religions/hanuman-jayanthi/">Sri Hanuman Jayanthi</a>.<hr align="left" width="50%" />The following article was recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/18.Renunciation-Is-an-Act-of-Consciousness.html">Renunciation Is an Act of Consciousness</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />The following books were recently reprinted and released during Sri Ramanavami on March 27th:<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/18-bliss-divine-es19.html">ES19 Bliss Divine</a> by Sri Swami Sivananda <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/11-the-bhagavad-gita-hardbound-es13hb.html">ES13 The Bhagavad Gita (Hardbound)</a> by Sri Swami Sivananda<hr />BOOK SYNOPSISHindu Gods and Goddesses by Sri Swami SivanandaGOD is one, but His aspects are many. The different aspects of God constitute the Hindu Pantheon. The naturally pious Hindu delights in his Deities. He delights in singing the Lord’s glories, in chanting His Mantras, in visiting His temples, in worshipping His Murtis. These devotional practices expand his heart, enlarge his vision, aid him powerfully in his Sadhana, and ultimately lead him to the highest goal of his spiritual endeavour, viz., God-realisation. The conception of the names and forms of various Deities in Hindu mythology is grand, sublime, unique. Every detail connected with every Hindu god and goddess has its inner meaning, its esoteric significance. Swami Sivananda writes for the readers. His style is simple. His approach is direct. He writes with intense devotion and Prem. We have great pleasure in releasing this beautiful book for the benefit of all those who want to understand Hinduism better. May God illumine the hearts of all and bring peace on earth.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/books/68-hindu-gods-and-goddesses-es86.html">Hindu Gods and Goddesses</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />PURIFYING THE TELEPHONE: A telephone was installed in the Ashram post office for public use. The postmaster desired that the Master should speak on the phone first before he allowed the public to do so.The Master thereupon went to the post office for the purpose. A call had already been booked to Sri Pannalalji, a great devotee of Amritsar. Due to certain obstructions, the Master could not hear Pannalalji. Instead of merely uttering ‘hallo, hallo’ and waiting silently for the response, the Master sang his Jaya Ganesha and other Kirtans, in the hope that he would get a response in the meantime.At the end of his Kirtan, the Master said, “Absolutely no response! I have only purified the telephone wires through the Kirtan!”Everyone burst into laughter!<hr />“Sri Rama Himself said to Hanuman, “I am greatly indebted to you, O mighty hero. You did marvellous, superhuman deeds. You do not want anything in return. Sugriva has his kingdom restored to him. Angada has been made the crown prince. Vibhishana has become king of Lanka. But you have not asked for anything at any time. You threw away the precious garland of pearls given to you by Sita. How can I repay My debt of gratitude to you? I will always remain deeply indebted to you. I give you the boon of everlasting life. All will honour and worship you like Myself. Your idol will be placed at the door of My temple and you will be worshipped and honoured first. Whenever My stories are recited or glories sung, your glory will be sung before Mine. You will be able to do anything, even that which I will not be able to!” – Sri Swami Sivananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related lists:<a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (590)

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:51:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Let Sri Rama Be Your Ideal by Sri Swami SivanandaTaken from Divine Life Magazine 1950Ideals are remembered and adored for the purpose of adopting them in our life. The Ramanavami celebration or the Vasanta Navaratri every year, is an opportune moment for us to saturate ourselves in the Spirit of Sri Rama. We love and adore the ideals, because we express thereby our yearning to unite with them. In our worship of God, it is implied that we should be virtuous, good and perfect, even as God is. Sri Rama said, “To anyone, who once takes shelter under Me and solicits ‘I am Thine’, I shall give fearlessness from all beings; this is My vow”. One cannot be a devout worshipper of Sri Rama if he is not a devout worshipper of the qualities of Sri Rama. Compassion, gentleness, justice and sagacity found their best abode in Rama. Worship of Rama means resorting to truthfulness, saintliness and divinity.Rama’s rule was one of the laws of unsurpassed rectitude, which does not pay heed to personal relationships of a brother or a wife. Truth has an iron hand. It establishes impartial oneness of vision. One, who approaches Rama with love, becomes wide in heart, pure in spirit, good in nature, dispassionate in thought, speech and action. A true devotee of Sri Rama is, His representative, His power and knowledge. Rama-Nama burns ignorance, passion and sin. With knowledge or without knowledge, correctly or incorrectly, when the word ‘Rama’ is pronounced, it showers a rain of good on the devotee. ‘Sri Rama Brahma Tarakam’—Sri Rama is Brahman who takes one across Samsara. Rama is one in whom Yogins sport (Ramante), i.e., the Self within. Ramanama is the essence of Sahasranama. Once you take refuge in Him, your welfare becomes His responsibility.To a devotee, Rama is not simply a good and great person, but God Himself. Rama is the son of Dasharatha the King of Ayodhya, as well as the Divine, omnipresent God, Self, Atma or Brahman. The destruction of the ten-headed Ravana by Rama is the annihilation of the mind with the ten senses. Worship of Rama is the worship of the Virat Purusha Himself. Read the prayers offered by Mandodari and Brahma in the Yuddhakanda of the Valmiki Ramayana. They refer to Rama as the one Creator of the universe, the God of all, the Ruler of all. ‘Tattvato Jnatva’—after knowing Him in truth, one enters into Him.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/religions/let-sri-rama-be-your-ideal/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />27th March is <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/religions/ramnavmi/">Sri Ramanavami</a>.<hr align="left" width="50%" />The following article was recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/17.The-Search-for-Self-Realisation.html">The Search for Self-Realisation</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISHindu Fasts and Festivals By Swami SivanandaThe Hindus are a profoundly religious people. Their goal of life is Self-realisation or the attainment of God-consciousness. A religion of some kind they must have—a religion which will stir the depths of the heart and give room for the exercise of faith, devotion and love. All Hindu festivals have a deep spiritual import or high religious significance. All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic elements in them. In every festival there is bathing in the morning before sunrise in the river or tank or well. Every individual will have to do some Japa, prayer, Kirtan, recitation of Sanskrit verses and meditation. Man gets tired on account of hard work or monotonous actions. He wants some change or variety. He wants relaxation. He wants something to cheer him up. These festivals make him cheerful and happy, and give him rest and peace. In this book Gurudev has explained the significance and the philosophy of many of our fasts and festivals. In two aspects of these observances, he has always allowed the greatest freedom: (1) in the determination of the dates of the festival, which, as he has explained on page 53, vary, and (2) in the traditional ways of celebrating them. For instance, in South India during the Durga Puja they have the Kolu when various idols and toys are arranged in colourful gallaries before which, every evening, girls sit and sing. Again, in some places there is fire-walking without the Kavadi (see page 109), held in honour of Draupadi Amman who was born of fire; or in Ceylon, according to Yogi Satchidananda of Ceylon, in honour of Kannaki Amman. Gurudev never disturbs anyone’s good beliefs and customs.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/hindu-fasts-and-festivals/">Hindu Fasts and Festivals</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />KIRTAN FOR DUMBNESS: A dumb boy was brought by his parents to the Ashram. The father informed the Master that the boy was dumb, except for producing a particular sound. The Master enquired of him whether a certain devotee of his was conducting regular Kirtan. When the man answered in the affirmative, the Master said to him, “Take your son there, where there is Kirtan. Or you may all join together and conduct Kirtan in your own home. By constantly hearing the Name of the Lord, the boy also will try to repeat it. Slowly the dumbness will disappear. Kirtan is the remedy for it.”<hr />“Gandhiji writes: You might ask me why I tell you to use the word Rama and not one of the many other Names of the Creator. True; His Names are as many as and more than the leaves on a tree, and I might, for instance, ask you to use the word God. But what meaning, what associations, would it have for you here? In order to enable you to feel anything when repeating the word God, I should have to teach you some English. I should have to explain to you foreign people’s thoughts and associations.But in telling you to repeat the Name of Rama, I am giving you a Name worshipped since countless generations by the people of this land, a Name familiar to the very animals and birds, the very trees and stones of Hindustan, through many thousand years. You will learn from Ramayana how a stone by the roadside sprang to life at the touch of Rama’s foot as He passed by. You must learn to repeat the blessed Name of Rama with sweetness and such devotion that the birds will pause in their singing to listen to you, that the very trees will bend their leaves towards you, stirred by the divine melody of that Name.” – Sri Swami Sivananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related lists:<a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a></blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (589)

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 07:55:00 GMT

<blockquote>Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!The Godless Man by Sri Swami SivanandaThe man who sees God in all beings is God-man; the man who denies the very existence of God is a Godless man! It is very difficult often to recognise the God-man because by nature he is extremely humble, simple and unostentatious. Nor is it always easy to detect, the Godless man for he will masquerade in many garbs. That is why the Lord has extensively quoted the very words that these people would often use in their conversations. Watch for these expressions of the diabolical nature. Whatever the man appears to be, if these expressions come out of him, he is a Godless man, shun him; for his company is more fatal than the poison of a cobra.“I have gained this today,”he would say, “I shall fulfil my other desire also.”What a deluded idea he has of the Power behind his senses, mind and the limbs! Yet, God is all-merciful and allows him to feel that he is powerful enough to fulfil his desires. “All this wealth is mine,”he says, “I shall get more in future.” It is not as though God, the Dispenser of the fruits of previous actions, has granted him material prosperity; he feels that he has acquired the wealth by his own striving! And, of course, he can acquire more by exerting a little more. “That enemy of mine has been slain by me; others, too, I shall destroy.” Such ideas will not rise in the mind of even an ordinary Sadhaka. Now comes the crowning feature. The diabolical, Godless man says: “I am the Lord (Isvara); I am the real enjoyer; I am perfect, powerful and happy.” It is well to mark these expressions and meditate over them. Is it not true that the individual soul is in fact the Lord of the Universe, perfect, powerful and blissful? Yes. Then, why does the Lord include these expressions, too, in the devil’s dictionary? There is great reason for it. The Sage might realise that he is one with the Lord, that he is perfect, omnipotent and blissful. But he will not advertise it. Because he will see that self-same Atman in all, he will not find in the world anything to which he is superior, anything less perfect, powerful and blissful, than himself. Therefore, he will not boast; he will be the very embodiment of natural humility. He who boasts has no justification to do so. Even though he might pose to be a Godless man, Asuric in nature. Of course this expression of the Lord also includes Asuras like Hiranyakasipu and men of Asuric nature. Equally interesting are the next few sentences quoted by the Lord. “I am rich and am born in a good family. Who is equal to me? I will perform sacrifices. I will give in charity. And, I will rejoice.” This is petty egoism and Tamasic Yajna and Daana. No one but the Asuric element in man is benefited by these.How compassionate is the Lord that he has given us in the clearest terms the very expression that the Asuric individual would use. Find out if you use them. You may even say that you are a staunch theist and devotee of the Lord. But if, at the same time, these expressions escape your lips, your devotion is hypocritical and useless. You may pose to be a great Yogi or saint; but if you share the feelings of the Asuric person which the Lord has described in Chapter XVI 13-15 which I have quoted above, you are cheating yourself and cheating the world.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/the-godless-man/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following article was recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/16.Only-One-Event-in-the-Universe.html">Only One Event in the Universe</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISEthics of the Bhagavad Gita by Sri Swami SivanandaSrimad Bhagavad Gita is the Gospel of Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna is regarded as the Purna-Avatara of God. He was perfect in every respect. God is All-pervading; Sri Krishna's life-on-earth, too, was all-comprehensive. Study Srimad Bhagavata and the Mahabharata. You will understand what a multi-faceted diamond Sri Krishna was. He was a wonderful child, divine boy, resplendent youth, dearest friend, mighty warrior, wise administrator, sweet comrade, master of diplomacy, protector of the meek, death of the wicked, preserver of Dharma, clever strategist, humble servant, obedient pupil, dutiful son, loving husband and Supreme Guru. These and countless others are but aspects of His Immanence as Krishna. Above all these, He is God Who, in His own transcendental nature, is the Lord of lords, the Father and Mother of all creation, the very Soul of all that exists. He is the Substratum of all existence. He is the Reality, immortal, eternal, infinite and absolute. He is not only immortal but Immortality Itself.It is, therefore, in the fitness of things that the Scripture that He propounded should partake of all these great virtues that characterised His Divine Manifestation and His transcendental Nature. The Bhagavad Gita is so comprehensive that everyone can draw inspiration and guidance from it, whatever his social status may be, whatever his profession and in whatever stage of spiritual evolution he may be. For, into the Bhagavad Gita the Lord has woven a beautiful and universal pattern of ethics that would appeal and apply to all. The grand edifice of the Ethics of the Bhagavad Gita has been built on the Eternal Corner-stones of (1) Immortality of the Soul; (2) Immanence of God; (3) Impermanence of the world; (4) Immediacy of Liberation. Because these truths are universal, the Ethics of the Bhagavad Gita also have universal application.Soon after Sri Swami Sivananda's dynamic All-India Tour in 1950, the idea occurred to him that a book must be written on the "Ethics of the Bhagavad Gita". This precious and highly inspiring volume is the fruit of that Sat-Sankalpa.These illuminating essays on the Gita were first published by the "Voice of Sivananda" the official organ of the Divine Life Society, Madurai Branch.A series of essays on "The Lessons of the Bhagavad Gita" which, too, were published serially in that Journal, are also included in the present volume.We are confident that this volume would prove to be of great benefit to seekers after Truth.For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/ethics-of-the-bhagavad-gita/">Ethics of the Bhagavad Gita</a><hr /> SPECIAL CONCESSION The discount on publications is as follows: 20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/- Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a> <hr /> CLOSENESS TO GOD: A visitor who asked the Master for spiritual instructions received the following advice: “Rely on the Lord, the indweller of your heart, who is closer to you than your purse!” He then added smilingly, “But the purse is dearer to you than the indweller! The indweller is nearer, but the purse is dearer!” The visitor appreciated the instructive humour! <hr /> “The mind needs to be in the top gear, and a steady, unhampered movement forward is indicative of top gear. See whether the mind is in this gear, or is the mechanism sometimes in reverse gear? If you find it in reverse gear, you can ask yourself, “How can I expect to move forward if I have put this propelling mechanism into reverse gear?” At this important juncture, let us move forward in a steadily upward ascent, a ladder to heaven. Let each day be a new rung towards the ultimate supreme pinnacle. Strive to make it an actuality that each day is an upward-ascending stairway.” – Sri Swami Chidananda <hr /> <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list. Other Sivananda related lists: <a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a> </blockquote>

Sivananda Day-to-day (588)

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:14:00 GMT

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!Yoga And Its Objects by Sri Swami SivanandaYoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which exist in India. Unlike so many other philosophies of the world, it is a philosophy that is wholly practical. Yoga is an exact science based on certain immutable Laws of Nature. It is well known to people of all countries of the world interested in the study of Eastern civilization and culture, and is held in awe and reverence as it contains in it the master-key to unlock the realms of Peace, Bliss, Mastery and Miracle. Even the philosophers of the West found solace and peace in this Divine Science. Jesus Christ himself was a Yogi of a superior order, a Raja-Yogi indeed. The founder of the Indian Yoga Philosophy was Patanjali Maharshi, who was not only a Philosopher and a Yogi, but a Physician as well. He is said to have lived about three hundred years before Jesus Christ.Patanjali defines Yoga as suspension of all the functions of the mind. As such any book on Yoga which does not deal with these three aspects of the subject, viz., mind, its functions, and the method of suspending them, can be safely laid aside as unreliable and incomplete.The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj” which means “to join”. Yoga is a science that teaches us the method of joining the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. It is the merging of the individual will with the Cosmic or Universal Will. Yoga is that inhibition of the functions of the mind which leads to the absolute abidance of the soul in his own real nature of Divine Glory and Divine Splendour. It is the process by which the identity of the individual Soul and the over-Soul is established by the Yogi. In other words, the human soul is brought into conscious communion with God. Yoga is the Science of sciences that disentangles the individual soul from the phenomenal world of sense-object and links him with the Absolute, whose inherent attributes are infinite Bliss, Supreme Peace, Infinite Knowledge and unbroken Joy.Yoga is that state of absolute Peace wherein is neither imagination nor thought. Yoga is control of mind and its modifications. Yoga teaches us how to control the modification of the mind and attain liberation. It teaches us how to transmute the unregenerate nature and attain the state of Divinity. It is the complete suppression of the tendency of the mind to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc. Yoga kills all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. It gives you freedom from the round of births and deaths with its concomitant evils of disease, old age, etc., and bestows upon the Yogi all the Divine Powers and final liberation through super-intuitional knowledge.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/yoga-and-its-objects/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following articles were recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/15.Simultaneous-Thinking.html">Simultaneous Thinking</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/14.Free-Will_Tantra-Yoga.html">Free Will, Tantra Yoga</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISA Boon To Diabetics by Sri Swami SivanandaIt is well-known that the uniqueness of Swami Sivananda lies in his faculty for synthesis. That explains in a measure how, though all the time rapt in the Divine, he is able to look after human interests and settle human problems; how, in short, he is able to blend beautifully modern realism with ancient idealism. His analytic brain, his synthetical heart, his serving hand and his variegated personality are fast becoming household words. His spiritual eminence, his intellectual acuteness and his untiring diligence in work call for admiration and, to the extent possible, for emulation.The myriad-minded Swamiji’s illuminating insight has penetrated and illumined every recess of human nature, of the triune man–body, mind and soul. The science of sweeping is as important and familiar to him as the Science of the Self. He rejects nothing; he accepts everything and views them in a higher light and gives an entirely new and yet old technique for the integration of the entire personality of man. Whenever one tries to seek in his encyclopaedic works for a solution of a problem or problems, one is never disappointed. In him we find a rare genius who touches every point of life with equal clarity and facility and who gives a touch of gracefulness to the commonest thing he does. It is no wonder, therefore, that such a versatile saint, who had already given us such well-known books as Family Doctor, Health and Long Life, Practical Household Remedies, Health and Happiness and Practice of Nature Cure, should now present to us a fresh boon of the kind that readers will find in this brochure on diabetes. There are a number of pamphlets and books on the subject. But what distinguishes this brochure from them all is its approach to the problem, which is as exhaustive and as many-sided as its author.In the first part of the book a detailed analysis is made about the nature of diabetes and its cure, in general. Then the various kinds of urine-tests are described, followed by a brief but adequate explanation of the allopathic, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, naturopathic and chromopathic treatments of diabetes. Then the Swami goes on to describe the Yogic panacea for diabetes and gives all the necessary dietetic hints for a diabetic. Thus concludes the first section of the book.The book has also a philosophical import. Swamiji describes how spiritual strength can conquer diabetes. An index to diabetic treatment is added at the end of the book. In the present edition a thorough revision of the material has been made in the light of recent developments in medical knowledge.We have great pleasure in presenting to readers this rare contribution of a spiritual luminary. It is hoped that sufferers from diabetes will derive immense benefit by following the instructions contained in this book. For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/a-boon-to-diabetics/">A Boon To Diabetics</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />LAWYER INSTRUCTED: A lawyer who was following the Master while he was returning to his cottage from the office, received the following instructions, “Take up honest cases only. Do not coach false witnesses. If you speak the truth you may initially suffer in your practice, but later on you will prosper. ‘Satyameva jayate, na anritam—truth alone triumphs, not falsehood’. You should plead for the poor free of charge. Then your liberation is assured.”<hr />“Why is Yoga so necessary for us? It tells us where we stand, and the answer to the 'why' of a thing comes from the system of Yoga. While science can tell you how things work it cannot tell you why things work in the way they work. The 'why' is a difficult thing for us to comprehend and answer, but Yoga has the answer. If we are thinking in a particular pattern say, in the three-dimensional pattern in thinking to which we are all shackled, unfortunately for us, it is because we are planted in a world of space, time and causal relationships. We are now placing our feet on an almost forbidden land, not accessible to science and not visible to the naked eye of the human individual. We think in the way we think merely because of the set-up which can be called spatio-temporal. This is a familiar term, but it is difficult to understand correctly the meaning behind it.” – Sri Swami Krishnananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related lists:<a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a>

Sivananda Day-to-day (587)

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 08:08:00 GMT

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!Namaste!The Key Stone in Sadhana by Sri Swami SivanandaHaving checked all other operations of the mind, bring it to bear upon a single point. This gathering together and bringing to bear upon of a force at a given point on any object, idea or act, forms the process of concentration. The concentrated application of a force makes for maximum results with minimum time and effort.This law is equally applicable to man in all branches of his life’s activities. With the utmost concentrated and careful attention the surgeon executes minute operations. The deepest absorption marks the mental state of the technician, the engineer, the architect or the expert painter, engaged in drawing the minute details of a plan, chart or sketch where accuracy is of paramount importance. A like concentration is displayed by the skilled Swiss workman that fashions the delicate parts of watches and other scientific instruments. Thus in every art and science.The tremendous power that any force develops when collected and directed through a given point is fully recognised. This is seen in the rush of the water at the sluices of dams, in the impelling power of steam from a railway boiler. As the sunlight when passed through a lens emerges as a single fiery ray of intense power, the whole mind attains a single-pointedness through Dharana. Now experience has shown that interest and attention of the mind is attracted by three distinct means viz., sound, vision (physical or mental) and imagination or idea. The Yogi enters into deep meditation by concentrating his mind upon the mystic inner sound of Pranava. This is the Anahata Nada which becomes audible when the inner sheaths are perfectly purified and harmony established; or again a Mantra is repeated in a harmonious tone and the mind is concentrated on the continuous unbroken sound. A concrete form of any aspect of the deity or the syllable OM is chosen for fixing the mind. The rational and Vedantic type fills the mind with some sublime idea or formula upon which the mind is made to dwell intensely and continuously.During concentration the mind becomes calm, serene and steady. The various rays of the mind are collected and focussed on the object of meditation. The mind is centred on the Lakshya. There will be no tossing of the mind. One idea occupies the mind. The whole energy of the mind is concentrated on that one idea. The senses become still. They do not function. When there is deep concentration, there is no consciousness of the body and surroundings. He who has good concentration can visualise the picture of the Lord very clearly within the twinkling of the eye.<a href="https://www.dlshq.org/discourse/the-key-stone-in-sadhana/">Read complete article</a><hr align="left" width="50%" />The following article was recently posted at Sri Swami Krishnanandaji's site:<ul><li><a href="https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/darshan-1999/13.Karma-Yoga.html">Karma Yoga</a></li></ul>Yours in the service of Gurudev,Pannirselvam <hr />BOOK SYNOPSISDhyana Yoga by Sri Swami SivanandaMeditation is the key which unlocks the treasure-trove of the highest intelligence, of wisdom, of divinity, of genius. No man who wishes to make a success of his life can afford to neglect it.The genius among scientists, the successful businessman, the best among philosophers, the Yogi and the seeker after Truth, all of them meditate. Their achievements are the fruits of their meditation.The secrets of meditation have remained the close preserve of Yogis, till the Sage of the Himalayas, Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, in his supreme compassion and all-consuming love for all mankind, came forward to elucidate the philosophical foundation, the method, the experiences, the obstacles and the successful fulfilment of meditation.His writings on this vital subject are presented by him in this inspiring book. For more information, please see: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/books/dhyana-yoga/">Dhyana Yoga</a><hr />SPECIAL CONCESSIONThe discount on publications is as follows:20% on Orders Above Rs. 300/- 30% on Orders Above Rs. 3,000/- 40% on Orders Above Rs. 25,000/-Please visit our online bookstore for further details: <a href="https://www.dlshq.org/presta/">https://www.dlshq.org/presta/</a><hr />ADAPT AND ADJUST: Sri Swami Hariomananda was habituated to repeating, “Ram, Ram, Ram”, and greeting persons with the same words.On seeing him, the Master also greeted him with the words, “Ram, Ram, Ram.”Then, turning to the other disciples, he said, “When I meet a devotee, I say, ‘Ram, Ram, Ram’. When I meet a Vedantin like Sri Tiwari, I say, ‘Om, Om, Om’.”On another occasion, when a devotee bade the Master good night at the time of departing, the Master said to him, “Do not say, ‘good night’ as the Westerners do. Say, ‘Om Namo Narayanaya.’ You are not an Englishman.”The devotee in question could not give up the habit and refused to say ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’, shaking his head.The Master then said, “You will not repeat it? All right, good night, sir!”<hr />“Admit your faults daily before your preceptor or teacher. Then alone will you find the strength to rise above any worldly weaknesses.” – Sri Swami Sivananda <hr /><a href="https://www.dlshq.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/gurudev/">Subscribe</a> to Sivananda Day-to-day mailing list.Other Sivananda related lists:<a href="https://sandesha.sivanandayoga.org/daily-quotes/">Various Selections from Sivananda's Works</a>