My Experiences with Swami Chidananda

By

Dr. Sanjay Gupta

This article is a chapter from the book Chidanandam: The Joy of Knowing Him.

How to describe an ocean of compassion, mercy, love and strength! Our beloved Swamiji Maharaj, our Sadgurudev, was all this and more. Every second of Swamiji’s life was flowing with Divine Consciousness. Every act was imbued with this feeling.

There are many episodes imprinted in my mind, and I want to share just a few.

We were doing eye surgeries in Uttarkashi. During this time Swamiji Maharaj came for his annual visit to Gangotri and stayed over in Uttarkashi. Early in the morning I heard a gentle knock on the door of the operating room. It was Swamiji Maharaj, asking if he could come in. Swamiji went straight to the end of the operating table and put his head on the feet of the poor old lady who was scheduled for the surgery. He thanked the Divine who had come in the form of this patient to give us an opportunity of serving the Divine. The patient, being blind due to total cataract in both eyes, was not aware of what was going on. Then Swamiji went to the head of the table and again put his head down and prayed for the patient!

The inauguration of the Swami Sivananda Centenary Charitable Hospital at Pattamadai took place on 25th December 1987, and Swamiji was the first patient to be seen. He was there at 7 o’clock, as the hospital door was to be opened at 8 a.m. He stood outside the hospital and insisted on making a show that he was first in the queue. If anybody came he would say, “Go behind me, because I am first.”  Then of course the hospital was opened and he came forward and went as the first person to the Registration Counter. He behaved just like any ordinary patient. He asked for the form, paid his one rupee as donation which he had kept carefully. The person at the counter filling the form asked, “What is your name?” He said, “Swami Chidananda” – “What is your father’s name?” “Swami Sivananda” replied Swamiji. “Place of residence?” “Divine Life Society, Rishikesh” – “Profession?” “Swami” and so on, he answered all the questions. After that he went to the outpatient department and sat on the bench. He refused to sit on a chair. He waited and kept on complaining like any other patient, “I am waiting for the doctor. Where is the doctor?” All the doctors were delayed, but I happened to be there and so I examined him. He sat across to me and talked just like any other patient. He said that he had suffered from backache for so many years and that he had been taking Ibrufine and other medication. After the consultation was over he wanted the OPD ticket to be kept carefully. It was the very first record and he wanted to be the very first person who showed himself in Gurudev’s Hospital. That was his bhava.

I had such a long association with Swamiji, but his real greatness I started to experience only in the last 2 or 3 years and that only by his grace. And I feel what I am experiencing is just a small part of it. He is much more than my experience!