← Sivananda: Biography of a Modern SageHis life, by Swami Venkatesananda

MIRACLES

Swami Sivananda regarded miracles or psychic powers as the greatest obstacles on the spiritual path, and warned the aspirant against them. Though he himself undoubtedly possessed miraculous powers of the highest order he never openly admitted them, but rather disowned them when they were brought to his notice, saying: “The Lord is performing these miracles in order to create faith in more and more people.” He did not like psychic powers and never encouraged the pursuit of them.

If somebody said, “Swamiji, you appeared in my dream and put your hand on my stomach and my cancer was cured,” his response always was, “Ah, it’s all God’s grace.” He never owned it himself. If someone said, “I saw you in a vision and my life was saved,” he would say, “Yes, God does all this.” When something had gone wrong according to our judgement — somebody perhaps had robbed the Ashram, harmed the Ashram, or done some mischief — even then he would say, “God is doing all this.”

Swamiji was not really conscious that he was doing something wonderful. When he met you, your inner personality revealed itself to him as clearly as this paper appears before your eyes. He did not have to exercise any special powers. Your heart and mind were an open book to him; the thought that you might think would just occur to him, too; and the wish that arose in your heart would easily be understood by him. “I also thought like that,” he might say; or, doing what you had mentally prayed for, he might merely remark, “I thought you would like this.” You would be amazed, not he; to him it was natural.

Clairvoyance, thought-transference, distant-healing etc. were so commonplace with him that he did not even acknowledge them. He did not trumpet his own realisation or visions of God. The philosophy he applied to himself and to all others was ‘Know him by his works’.

While Swamiji was in Swarg Ashram a neighbour of his called Swami Rajarajeswarananda was a worshipper of Devi, the Divine Mother. He was doing rigorous sadhana with worship of Devi, japa and meditation. The sadhana went on for nearly twelve years, and there was no indication of any progress or psychic powers. The time for Durga Puja came. This swami had nothing to celebrate the puja with, and he longed to worship the Devi with silk cloths, ornaments and other puja articles; but he had no money.

On the day before the commencement of Navaratri (the time of Durga Puja), someone knocked at his door. He opened it and saw a few Punjabi girls standing there. Each one had a plate on which there were silk cloths, fruits, money, ornaments, etc. “Swami Sivananda, your neighbour, asked us to give these to you for your Navaratri Puja,” they said. The swami believed their words, thinking that these ladies must be devotees of Swamiji, who had asked them to get the articles for Rajarajeswaranandaji’s worship of the Divine Mother, and so he accepted them with great joy.

“Whose plates are these?” he asked.

“The kshetra’s,” replied the young girls as they took the plates and left.

Rajarajeswarananda could not contain himself. He went straight to Swamiji’s kutir. As usual it was bolted from within. He knocked and Swamiji opened the door.

“Who are those Punjabi ladies, Swamiji?” he asked.

“Which ladies?” asked Swamiji.

“Those ladies you sent with silk cloths, ornaments, etc. for the Navaratri Puja.”

“I did not send anyone,” replied Swamiji.

Rajareswaranandaji was mystified. He ran to the kshetra office, but the girls were not there!

In later years Rajarajeswaranandaji told us this story, saying, “I had been doing intense sadhana for the darshan of the Divine Mother for so many years. Swami Sivananda, for all I know, knew no tantrik sadhana, and yet when Mother did choose to grace me with Her vision, She did so at Swami Sivananda’s instance. She gave me ornaments and silk cloths, and She gave him Self-realisation.”

Miraculous cures were effected by prayers conducted at the ashram by Swamiji. People who had faith attained the object of their desires by opening their hearts to him, by sincerely praying to him and by devotedly serving him. His was a super-mind, endowed with phenomenal psychic faculties, therefore when he thought particularly of a person in order to send them a book or a reply to their letter, or even spontaneously, the thought would at once establish a psychic contact between him and the disciple. Through this channel the most powerful and concentrated beam of his consciousness flowed, understanding the disciples’ needs and bringing about miraculous visions and messages. It was something like a ‘reflex action’ with him. It was quite natural.

Professor N.K. Srinivasta, M.A. L.L.B., relates:

In September 1948, I stayed with Swamiji and plunged into sadhana under his direction. I was practising sirshasana meditation without Swamiji’s knowledge. When my practice went up to 45 minutes, one day in my meditation I saw Swamiji in a gown which he had never put on before. After my meditation, as I was proceeding to the Bhajan Hall I met Swamiji coming up the steps of his kutir. I was dumbfounded to see him dressed in the same gown which I had seen in my meditation. He smiled and remarked that I was doing sirshasana very well.

My father fell seriously ill in 1941, while we were all staying at Gopal Kutir, Rishikesh. We despaired of his life. I rushed to Swamiji for medicine. Without even hearing my account of my father’s ailment, Sri Swamiji gave four powders. He told me to enjoy the Lord’s prasad without worrying about the illness of my father and that the powders would cure him. The third powder brought him round.

My sister Shyama, a blessed disciple of Swamiji, went to Patna and started preaching the gospel of Swamiji. A woman came to her and begged that a son might be born to her. In her ecstatic mood, Shyama gave her a mantra and blessed her in Swamiji’s name. Shyama immediately afterwards wrote to Swamiji to support her in her presumptuous act. Swamiji wrote her back saying that her blessings had already been substantiated. In due course the woman had a beautiful son.

At that time my youngest sister, Miss Mira Srivastava (now Mrs. Sinha), had a peculiar type of facial eczema. The more it was treated the worse it became. The doctors were outwitted. We brought her to Swamiji. First he tried to put us off by suggesting the names of some big doctors in Delhi, but my mother and all my sisters, who became great devotees of Swamiji afterwards, fell at his feet as their last refuge. He chanted Ram nam and gave an ointment to apply. In a few days she was radically cured. For her beauty of face and happy marriage she owes to Swamiji a debt of gratitude which neither she nor her husband nor her brothers and sisters can ever repay.

On September 13, 1952, the clothes of my wife caught fire. Her burns were of the third degree. On the 14th I received a letter from Swamiji asking me about her condition! I had not written to Swamiji since I left him in 1951. The doctors despaired of her life, because the wounds had become terribly septic. But she got a letter of invitation from Swamiji to join the Sadhana Week in December 1952. We were fully reassured that she would not die. She is alive and kicking.

Vedantins hardly believe in anything but the highest impersonal universal experience of samadhi. Yet Sri Swami Krishnanandaji, a vedantin of vast learning and practical wisdom, was once sick —rather his body was! Biliousness and fever had a firm grip on his poor constitution; and they showed no sign of relaxing their hold for days on end. No medicine, fasting or other therapeutics could be of any avail. Very near despair he resigned himself and thought the best thing was to take rest. Hardly a few minutes had elapsed when the dull head suddenly cleared up. A gush of energy filled him. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. “What, am I dreaming? Oh, am I drunk?” He looked around — Siva-Siva-Siva —everywhere; Siva on the walls, Siva on the chair, Siva himself as the water pot, Siva the door, Siva the doormat, Siva the stick, Siva the bed, Siva the cloth. Siva alone existed. Biliousness vanished; fever disappeared. A few minutes later Krishnanandaji was taking his bath!

From Professor O.P. Sharma, Delhi:

In 1942 my parents visited Rishikesh. At the first sight of Swami Sivananda my father was simply hypnotised and my mother fascinated. There was a very grand aura over Swamiji’s face, which had a command of its own. There was a very grand cheer and smile in his entire personality.

My mother was worried for the entire period of her later life. My eldest brother, Sri R.C. Kumar, was at the fighting front in Egypt and for a very long time we never heard anything about his whereabouts. We were all forced to believe that he must be dead in action in Egypt. My mother’s condition was most pitiable. The majestic personality, Swami Sivananda, simply smiled and uttered a few graceful sentences. They were this: “Never despair. Your son is all right. He will return soon.” This was all. To our great astonishment my brother returned home on 21st September 1942. Another wonderful incident also happened. It was in August 1947. All of us made up our minds to stay at Sialkot city during the days of disturbances. We had a notion that even in spite of change of governments, people might not change. During the midnight of August 8th my mother was startled by a sudden dream and she suddenly rose up. She dreamt that Swami Sivanandaji ordered: “Leave this place immediately and go to Hardwar.” We simply obeyed, though somewhat reluctantly. We only got to the Indian Border when to our great amazement we heard that the next train which followed ours was smashed by the Muslims near Wazirabad.

From Sri Umkant Pd. Shukla, Hon. Magistrate, Hajipur:

In July ‘51 when I visited the holy Ananda Kutir on our return journey from Kedar-Badri yatra, I received a letter from my house about some domestic troubles and perplexing problems. After perusing the letter I at once approached Swamiji Maharaj and asked him for his blessings so that I might get rid of the troubles. Sri Swamiji Maharaj looked at me with his usual smiling face and said nothing. But, to my great surprise, when I reached home after a week I was told by my people that the matters which were causing so much anxiety and annoyance to them had disappeared only a few days before. This was all Swamiji’s grace.

From Swami Turiyananda:

I had left my home for good and was living at Benares as a wandering sadhu. I used to spend almost all my time in the temple of Mother Annapurna. One day I had a vision in which a tall and well-built swami and three of his disciples appeared before me. The swami said, “Come to me,” and vanished. Then I went to the Sivanandashram on my way to Badrinath. When I met Swamiji I knew that this was the swami whom I had seen in the vision. When I entered the office I had another wonderful vision in which I saw Swami Sivananda filling the whole place and extending beyond. Swamiji merely gazed at me and said, “This is your Badrinath, stay here.” I had to obey.

Clairvoyance, distant healing, etc. were commonplace to Swamiji

From Swami Jyotirmayananda, Rishikesh:

I was suffering from acute appendicitis and had terrible pain. I went to the ashram to have Swamiji’s darshan. I explained my condition to him, and said that I did not want to undergo any operation but that I had faith that his blessings would cure me. He simply gazed at me for a moment. The pain vanished. Now there is no trace of appendicitis; and, even the tenderness in the region has gone.

People living physically far, far away from Swamiji felt drawn to him and got visions of him. They needed his service and Swamiji was eager to serve them, adopting the basic attitude that all bodies belong to the one Cosmic Being and all minds constitute the one Cosmic Mind. The following are some recorded instances.

From a magazine article:

During the course of an interview, when journalists asked Frau Walinski a number of searching questions, she declared that she had actually seen the great yogi, Sri Swami Sivananda, in a vivid vision on Christmas Eve in 1951. (It was that mystic experience that has revolutionised her life itself, and compelled her to dedicate her life to the divine cause.)

Notwithstanding her Western upbringing and education she is implicit in her faith and explicit in her conviction that this yogi who had thus revolutionised her life ‘is a very near incarnation of God, if not God Himself.’

Frau Walinski, who has led the normal life of a pious Catholic all her fifty years of life, is a well-educated intelligent German lady and is certain that she is intellectually too strong to be influenced psychically. She has wonderful business acumen and has had an eventful career as an executive in a publishing house. Her husband is a police official and they have two sons. The children have inherited the piety of the parents and have perhaps been greatly influenced during the past few years by their mother’s spiritual experience. Throughout the past few years this pious family had been guided practically in their day-to-day life by Swamiji in a mysterious manner. “Every morning Siva (Swami Sivananda) wakes me up,” says Mrs. Walinski. “He has solved many difficulties in our life. And I am sure that he will work through me in the future and help me serve humanity.” What is most significant is the fact that the voice, often corroborated by Swamiji’s own letters, has invariably urged her to work, work. “Work in the home as a wife and mother. Work in the office and do your duty, and serve humanity too in the manner you best can,” has been the invariable command. Frau Walinski has implicitly obeyed, working throughout the day at home and in the office, and till late into the night on her own books and translations of Swamiji’s works in German.

In August this year she had a vision in which Swamiji asked her, “Will you be a good disciple?” and she replied, “Yes.” Then the voice commanded her to proceed to India. On the 7th August she saw the vision, and on the 19th September she received Swamiji’s letter, the contents of which had been revealed to her beforehand. She was convinced beyond doubt that her visions and the messages she had been receiving from the Voice were absolutely real. During the moments of her meditation arose an inward feeling in her that mankind is one family and the whole world is knit in one Supreme Spirit, and that the spiritually awakened can speak with one another across continents with the ease with which people talk to each other from two neighbouring rooms.

When she had determined to come to India the problems were those of the passage money and the husband’s reaction. “Siva said everything would be all right,” says Mrs. Walinski, “and in a few days a good friend turned up who said he would finance the trip and my husband voluntarily came forward to do all he could to materialise my spiritual ambition.”

So she is in India at the feet of the Master. Soon after her arrival he gave her mantra diksha.

From Sri. Dhanam, South Africa:

My father-in-law was a follower of Cuddapah Satchidananda Swamiji. I used to watch him pray and practise yoga and was myself longing for a guru. One day in 1947 I was bitterly crying at night. That night I had a dream. Cuddapah Swamiji appeared before me in the dream and said: “I am not your guru; your guru will come into your life in due course.”

His form appeared before me and said, “Open the chest of drawers in your father-in-law’s room; see what is waiting for you there.” Next morning I opened that very chest of drawers that I had seen in the dream, and took out the Sivananda Diamond Jubilee Commemoration Volume. The moment I joyously took that book in my hand and opened it, the radiant face of Swami Sivananda shone from the pages of that book.

Soon after this miraculous experience, I wrote to Swami Sivananda Maharaj. Two weeks later, once again I had his vision; he appeared in his dazzling form with flowing robes. In that vision he gave me a book to study. The next morning the postman brought me the very book, sent by Swamiji.

The next day I had another vision in which Swamiji appeared. I saw myself in the ashram at Rishikesh. The flowing Ganges, the towering Himalayas, the peaceful surroundings and the blissful ashram — I saw them all in the vision. I fell at Swamiji’s feet and begged, “Not only in this birth, but in all my future births, Oh Lord, you must be my guru.” Swamiji initiated me into the mantra and assured me: “I am your guru and I am ever with you.” Since then I must say that Swamiji has always been with me, protecting me from dangers and guiding me to the goal. Every day of my life since then has been one of a round of miraculous experiences; and I shall set forth here only a few of them.

Once again I found myself in Ananda Kutir in a vision and sat underneath the same tree as I had done in the previous vision. This time Swamiji gave me a message to the people of South Africa and uttered the two significant words: “Detach-attach.” (Detach the mind from the objects, attach it to the Lord). I had never before heard these words from the lips of anyone. A week later I got a pamphlet from the Ashram, and when I opened it I found these very words — ‘Detach-attach’.

One day I was fasting. Towards the evening I felt a little weak and I had just dozed a little. In a moment Swamiji was there encircled by a blue dazzling light. It appeared as though the roof of the house had disappeared and through that opening he descended into the house. I touched his feet in humble devotion. He blessed me. In sheer joy I screamed. Hearing this, my mother ran into the room. She, too, saw the dazzling blue light though she did not see Swamiji’s form. I know that the vision was something very, very real and not my imagination.

From Dr. Sivananda Sundari:

Soon after the death of my mother, who was a constant companion to me till then, I was posted to a city hospital by the grace of God, as the Resident Medical Officer, which kept me busy all the hours except a few in the night for sleep; and thus I had no occasion to feel lonely. It was during this time that I came to know of Swami Sivananda through some of his books which were presented to me by someone for some service done. Only after one year could I get leave to go to his holy feet and have his darshan, and return with his blessings as his disciple.

After 3½ years service in this hospital, I got a transfer order. I was worried as to how I could go alone and live in a private house, as there were no quarters attached to the hospital. That evening I was sitting and gazing at Swamiji’s photo which was before me, thinking about my transfer. Suddenly I heard a familiar voice calling me as “Doctor, Doctor,” from the front verandah. I was sitting in the back side hall where I used to be day and night, receiving memos from the hospital from the back door which was nearest to the delivery room. I went to the front hall and opened the door. Here I saw Swami Sivananda with walking stick in his hand and a divine smile on his face, coming towards the door and entering the hall. I prostrated at his holy feet with great reverence and joy. When I stood up there was no one before me, so I went and looked for him in the side room. Then I closed the door and sat in my usual place and meditated on Swamiji. From that moment I became courageous about my transfer, and since then I always feel his divine presence near me.

My second visit to Sivanandashram was six years after the first, as I could not get long leave due to service exigencies. After 7 days’ travelling by train and bus I reached the ashram one fine morning and came to know that I would be able to have Swamiji’s darshan only next morning when he was to return from Roorkee after a short stay there for a change after his long illness. I was much disappointed and depressed, and so sat down in the kutir and determined not to have bath or take food before having his darshan. I closed my eyes as tears began to flow; and I wanted to hide them from my sister, who was with me. In a few minutes I saw a bright light like lightning in the kutir, and Swamiji standing before me. I stood up and prostrated at his holy feet. Before I could call my sister, he disappeared. I went out of the kutir and looked for him and asked my sister whether she had seen Swamiji going in or out of the kutir. She said no. It was a fact that he was at Roorkee at that time, returning only next morning to the ashram. Such experiences have revealed to me the mysteries of great saints which I used to think of in my childhood as wonders. Our Swamiji is the omnipresent Sri Krishna in this yuga and is found to be a moving commentary of the Bhagavad Gita. My humble prostrations at his lotus feet. May his blessings be upon us all.

From Sivananda Sarada:

From an invisible source, I heard a voice in my room. That experience began my contact with the mighty yogi of the Himalayas. And this was not all, for on the Christmas of the year 1951 Swami Sivananda granted me the strange experience of his vision. I saw him as clearly, as vividly, as palpably as I see now his picture facing my writing table. Not even a fortnight passed by after this experience, when my husband handed me a cover from the Yoga Vedanta Forest University brochure.

The cover brought me a small autographed photograph of Swami Sivananda. This picture has become my life’s companion; wherever I go it accompanies me. My contact with Swamiji strengthened itself as much in thought and spirit as through my correspondence with him. My interest in him grew and gathered strength. In thought and spirit I experienced the communion with his divine presence everywhere. For full three years I was trained invisibly from a distance of five thousand miles, until I was taken to his holy ashram in India, where I saw him in flesh and blood.

Everyone at the ashram, including myself, was very happy. I used to sit close to Swamiji and observe how deeply absorbed he was in rapturous meditative moods and yet to all appearance engaging himself in dozens of works at the same time. Nothing escaped his eyes and ears and hands, and yet he was observed to be in a deep meditation on his own inner spiritual Self. My own experiences with Swamiji have proved to me that he is a great sage, a yogi, a mystic, the prophet of the new age.

From P.B. Mathur, Gaziabad:

I was very glad to receive Swamiji’s instructions. His letter gave me a great peace of mind. I derived an ever-lasting peace from it. I felt a sudden change in myself when I read Swamiji’s books or letters, and I felt every day a new change in myself. Whenever I see his photo I get great peace of mind. Whenever I find my mind restless I repeat his teachings and they give me real peace.

From Sri A.K. Sinha, (Retired Inspector-General of Police, Bihar):

My wife got a severe attack of paralysis while serving me during my illness. Famous doctors who said that it was impossible for them to forecast before 72 hours have passed what turn the disease would take, were amazed to see her getting life in the paralysed parts long before the period of 72 hours ended. My wife felt that Swami Sivananda was making passes over the paralysed parts; and what the passes had done, the doctors later came to know.

My youngest son, while appearing on the last day of his university exams, found to his great disappointment that he could not answer a single question. He became so desperate that he stood up with the object of handing over a blank answer paper. He suddenly felt Swami Sivananda putting a hand on his head and sternly asking him to sit down, since the youngster knew all the answers. He obeyed, and did answer all questions. His success has been gazetted.

From Sri Satchidananda Prasad Sinha:

Once on a cold winter morning in February 1958, a friend of mine who lives adjacent to my quarters came to me in a perturbed state of mind and told me that his only grandson was having high temperature. The child was only 2½ months old. I at once went with him and found that the temperature was 105 degrees. The condition of the boy was precarious. I was visibly moved and sent for a doctor. I took out my mala, closed the eyes and began to chant the maha mrityunjaya mantra. I meditated upon Swami Sivananda, who is the Doctor of doctors. I prayed for his mercy and blessings.

To my utter surprise I saw Swamiji wearing a long warm coat and carrying a walking stick in one hand. He took the child on his lap, intimated to me that it would be all right in a short time, and then left the place. When I opened my eyes I knew I had sat there for half an hour. I took the temperature again, it was 103 degrees and the child was returning to normal. In the evening the child was completely all right. This is guru’s grace. Swamiji does not like to see his devotees in trouble. He is always by the side of one who totally surrenders to him.

From Sri Umkant Shukla, Hon. Magistrate, Hajipur:

In May 1950 my elder brother, Sri Lakshmikant Shukla, was confined to bed. He had a complicated kidney malady. One day his condition became very serious and alarming. He was in a coma and was quite unconscious. Despite the best treatment available here he was sinking. His case was declared hopeless and we all lost hope of his precious life. We were weeping bitterly. In the meantime I remembered His Holiness Sri Swamiji Maharaj and prayed to him to save the life of my brother. Fortunately my prayer was responded to, and within a few hours and before the arrival of Patna’s doctor, my brother (who was hovering between life and death) regained consciousness. Thus, by the blessings of Sri Swamiji Maharaj, my brother was completely cured. My brother told us, after regaining consciousness, that he dreamt that Swamiji was standing near him keeping his hand on his head, and after seeing this vivid dream he at once woke up with the feeling of elation.

From Ramaniklal Parikh, Baroda:

On the 15th September 1956, Swami Sivananda, you gave darshan to my daughter Premila at about 5.30 p.m. She offered you cooked vegetables and two sweetballs prepared from groundnuts. Your Holiness graced us and took three-fourths out of one sweet ball and one piece of the vegetable. Your Holiness then graced us by giving marks of foot-prints on one foolscap white paper. After giving the footprints, your Holiness personally wrote Om on the top of the paper and Shri at the end. Your Holiness asked Premila to come to Ananda Kutir and have your darshan. After giving a handful of water from the kamandalu, Swamiji vanished.

From Mrs Steuernagel-scheidt, Dusseldorf, Germany:

I am pleased to read your kind letter. Thanks very much. I will come to India. First of all I will learn English more fluently. I thank you for your kindness. I have patience and belief to make progress by and by. In 1948/49, I just remember, I had a vision at night. I saw you exactly physically in white clothing. You were in a big hall teaching a lot of people. And now your picture I see. This is absolutely the photo of the vision I had.

From Sri Lokanath:

My wife, my little son and myself were passengers in a bus which carried over a dozen other passengers. We were proceeding along the hill roads near Pauri. The motor-car went out of the driver’s control and gave one jerk before falling off a precipice. The bus rolled on the hillside. The doors behind got opened and all the twelve passengers seated in the rear-seats of the bus were thrown out. Nothing more was heard of them. We were caught in the front seat.

When the bus gave a severe jolt before falling off the road, my little son, Satchidananda, mysteriously uttered: “Sat-Guru-Maharaj ki jai,” and this at once brought to our minds the glorious form of Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, our guru. His protecting arms were around us. Even though along with the bus we rolled several hundred feet down the hillside and the bus itself was smashed to pieces, we three sustained only very minor injuries, from which we recovered almost the next day.

Another bus which had been following ours stopped at the scene of the accident and rescued us. We were immediately removed to a hospital.

We were the only few who escaped unhurt in the terrible accident. It was all due to Sri Swamiji’s miraculous grace.

From Sri Satchidananda Prasad, Gardanibagh, Patna:

Due to heavy flood in Andhra Pradesh, the railway lines between Palasa and Tuni were seriously damaged. The roads were also not free. I had to pass between these two stations on bus and foot. At one place I had to cross a river which was in full spate, on foot, along with my wife. With my ishta mantra on my lips while I was crossing it in a jovial mood, I felt as if I was crossing the Bhawasagara, with my guru Swami Sivananda on my head. I was just about to fall into a ditch, but Swamiji, who was just standing on the other side and looking at me, at once cried out and warned me to proceed after taking a right turn. I at once did according to his instructions, and thus saved my life, due only to his kindness. When I reached the other side, I was surprised to not find the man who had saved my life.”

From Sri Chellaramani:

In 1948, while I was on my pilgrimage to the shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath (which necessitates a trek of about 200 miles in the interior of the Himalayas) my right leg became acutely painful and swollen after I had covered only half the distance on foot. Therefore, I entered as an indoor patient in the civil hospital at Josimath for treatment. I remained there for a full week, but there was no improvement. On the contrary, the doctor suggested an operation. I became very disappointed. Then I remembered my sadguru, Swami Sivananda, and dropped him a postcard, seeking his blessings. It was to my surprise that the day he received my letter (at Ananda Kutir) improvement started and I could walk towards Badrinath very shortly, without having to undergo the operation. Thus I completed my sacred yatra by the miracle of my master.

In 1950, I attended the Great Kumbha Festival along with my wife and daughter. On the last day, when we were returning to our place of residence after the sacred bath at Hari-ki-Pauri, we were caught up in the tragedy of stampede due to uncontrollable surge of the moving pilgrims. Before our eyes we saw about thirty persons crushed to death. We all desperately remembered Swami Sivananda at the moment of acute anxiety. Immediately stout ropes descended on us from above. As if by magic we were hauled up in no time to the upper story of a building by some merciful people, and were thus able to save our lives by the grace of Swamiji.

From Mrs V.S. Ram, Lucknow:

One night, just before retiring to bed, as usual I sat on my terrace upstairs doing my japa. After a little while, though my eyes were closed, I could see some light, very bright before my eyes. I felt a bit nervous, as I thought some thief might be standing there with a torch towards my face, and I at once opened my eyes and found nothing. Again I closed my eyes to continue my japa, laughing at my own fears. Again that same bright light shone before me, but this time I was more firm and bold and never opened my eyes. Gradually that light disappeared and I could very clearly see my beloved Swami Sivananda’s sweet inspiring face full of smiles. He had nice red ‘kumkum’ as big as a coin on his forehead. I could even see (though not very distinctly) his holy feet crossed on one another. I at once bowed my head to kiss the divine feet in reverence; but I only kissed mother earth, and woke up from my very pleasant trance. Ah! how sad I was to have missed my sweet guru’s divine touch! After a little meditation I got up in a very happy mood and went to bed. I slept very well. This morning as usual I woke up exactly at 5 a.m. and came downstairs. After having a wash, etc. and keeping the water on the electric stove for making coffee, I sat down again for my morning prayers. My children woke up much later. I saw the same illumining, glorious sweet face of Swamiji again, to my great joy. It made me sing and jump with joy.

From Sri Sivananda-Vani, All India Radio:

On more than one occasion I have experienced this wonderful magic, even with my very ordinary and simple kirtan-singing, when I was all alone, singing to myself with all my mind turned towards the Supreme. What did I see? Believe me or not, I saw clearly our adorable Swami Sivanandaji sitting quietly in a chair which was already there (as though it was kept for him) and nodding his head in appreciation and softly giving beats with his hand to suit the music. I was bewildered and astonished and some inner joy was felt by me. I continued my singing with my eyes wide open, gazing at our Swamiji who visited me so kindly only for my humble music. I stopped my music; and, keeping the tampura on the ground, I bent my head to prostrate at his holy feet (which I could see clearly). But lo! when I lifted my head to see his smiling face, the chair was empty and there was no one! The doors which were bolted from inside by me were intact, as left by me. I understood the miracle at once, and I was happy beyond measure. This happened once or twice when I was in Lucknow. Swamiji was then at Rishikesh. How could he visit me! I wrote to him at once about it. Of course he did not comment upon it; but he is the Indweller, and knows everything.

By his constant eagerness to serve all and to relieve the suffering of all, Swamiji won the hearts of all mankind. He became spiritually one with the whole of mankind, constantly radiating supreme joy, peace, life and light. In his very presence, therefore, people enjoyed healing vibrations and peace-giving light emanations. His very look elevated, transformed and sublimated everything it alighted on. Godliness wafted around him; the darkness of atheism, worldliness and undivine elements vanished from the heart which the light of his grace penetrated. Meditation had imparted lustre to his countenance, power to his eyes and an irresistible magnetism to his entire personality. His aura was such that people who approached him with a hundred complaints were silenced, and enmity fled his very presence.

He demonstrated wonderful miracles through his soul-elevating divine songs. Those were the days when fashion reigned supreme and educated people were shy to repeat God’s name. And there were those, too, who were against singing the names of the Incarnations of God like Rama and Krishna, since God was ultimately nameless and formless. That was their view. Listening to Swamiji for a brief moment was all the remedy that these people needed; and they invariably sang the divine name and danced with him on the public platform, throwing their delusion, their foolish fashions and their doctrines to the winds. What can be greater than this? Swamiji became such an embodiment of supreme devotion to the lotus-feet of the Lord that anyone who came into contact with him received the waves of devotion in spite of himself.

The conduct of the Divine Life Society’s affairs is itself a great miracle. Without a budget, without a reserve fund, without a bank balance and without a regular source of income, to run a big institution on such a lavish scale is a miracle.

To recruit everyone with the least inclination and lesser qualification into his fold and to transform everyone into a saintly personality without the rigours of austerity or regimented life of sadhana, is a miracle of the highest order. To sit in his simple kutir on the banks of the Ganges in a corner of the Himalayas and to spread the light of divine knowledge to the four corners of the world, to let his life-transforming message resound in every nation of the world, is the greatest miracle.