Sivananda's Personality-85

04/11/2017

85.

The Master was a phenomenon. He was described as a "symbol of holiness", "a walking, talking God on earth". The Bhagavat-Bhava or the divine mood, was imprinted on his serene, benign, tranquil countenance. He radiated love and spirituality in a mysterious manner. No one who went to the sage with an open mind failed to be benefited by the soothing vibrations of the God-man’s love and wisdom. Those who benefited thus described their experiences in words of poetic beauty.

"At last I was at the holy abode of Swami Sivananda. He welcomed me with a divine smile. His simplicity was too great. His kindness was shining. I was at once put at ease and spoke to him as if I knew him all these days."

"When I had Swamiji’s Darshan for the first time, the joy I felt cannot be described in words. I felt absolutely carefree, as a child feels in the mother’s lap. The mind became absolutely calm, as the river becomes calm on reaching the sea."

"When I met him in May 1951 at Ananda Kutir, I was transported to a realm of indescribable and inscrutable bliss. I tried to analyse and express the experience of that ineffable joy, but failed, miserably failed, even to touch the fringe of that mystic and hallowed charm."

"I felt dwarfed before his majestic personality, and I muttered a few words unintelligible even to me. For a journalist who had had the good fortune of meeting varied personalities, it was indeed a novel experience. Swamiji’s personality was overpowering, and his spiritual radiance so dominating that I was completely overwhelmed. The long training that I had failed me in this hour."

"Our first gaze at his cheerful and kindly face made us forget ourselves. It was like gazing with an unseeing look at the starry silence of the sky, the deep blue ocean, or the great snowy peaks of the Himalayas, which strikes a note within your heart, evokes a mood in your mind, and makes you feel one with the universe, while time itself halts in its march onward in your reverie."

"Almost unannounced Sri Sadgurudevji came in, a stately figure, of simple bearing, of suave manners and straight looks. He slowly came towards us. Strangers for the day that we were, he enquired of our welfare. We felt like little babies—speechless. He smiled sweetly. I, a grief-stricken and broken man till then, felt enormous strength and encouragement. An indescribable joy surged over me."

Sri N. Ananthanarayanan

To be continued ...