Divine Life Society of South Africa celebrated Sri Swami Sivananda’s 137th Birth Anniversary, together with the culmination of the 41-Day recital of the Sri Hanuman Chalisa, at Sivananda International Cultural Centre (SICC), La Mercy, on Sunday, 8 September 2024.
The Society launched the 41-Day recital of the Sri Hanuman Chalisa, 11 times daily, on Tuesday, 30 July 2024. The final recital was at 6am on 8 September 2024, followed by a Havan. Approximately 750 devotees, well-wishers, donors and members of the public attended the final recital. 3 Busloads of devotees and visitors from Stanger and Pietermaritzburg also attended this session. The soulful recital was followed by Havan. The reverberant, vibrant chanting of Mantras, filled the prayer hall and the entire SICC precincts with peace, calmness and divinity, setting the scene for a spiritual day ahead.
Ganga Arati commenced at 8am in Bhagirathi. The cascading water feature, with the mellifluous sound of Mother Ganga gurgling happily down Bhagirathi, was indeed a unique sight, as hundreds took Darshan of Mother Ganga. Notably, this was the first exposure to Ganga Arati for many who visited the Ashram for the first time.
By 9am, further busloads of devotees and visitors arrived from Howick and Tongaat. There were scores of mini-buses, more than 1 200 cars, and over 2 000 persons in attendance on this day. The ambience and scene on the stadium were glorious sights to experience and behold. The march-past, a lap-of-honour for Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda, for their bountiful spiritual, ethical, moral and material gifts to us all, was resplendent with joy, beauty and spiritual splendour. Leading the march, in a beautiful float, were about 40 Spiritual Darlings (children) dressed as Deities. The march of the faithful is a testament to spiritual renewal, and to the power of Guru Bhakti, faith and devotion. When the crowd, comprising branches and sister organisations marched onto the stadium in the name of Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda, to the singing of our Marching Kirtans, the divine ambience was literally electrifying. It was evident that the devotees’ footsteps were the heart beats of the faithful, marching together in common purpose, finding strength in numbers and solace in the embrace of our Divine Master and Pujya Swamiji. The march of children, elderly, mothers with babies, senior citizens, religious and faithful, was a journey of each soul. When faithful and pious devotees march with devotion, the heavens and the Gods rejoice. Indeed, Gurudev, Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda rejoiced!
Satsang commenced at 9.45am. The programme comprised Kirtans and Bhajans, Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio message, a message from the Society, a reading of Sri Swami Sivananda’s reminisces, the release of our Service Activities’ Brochure and a Yoga Asanas’ DVD, the launch of the 2025 calendar, an address by the guest- speaker and our unique Sivananda Gymnastic Drill Displays.
Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio message focused on Gurudev’s all-encompassing, compassionate and benevolent nature. He said, “Gurudev was none other than God himself, because God Himself comes down to the level of man and serves man, and Gurudev was like that”. In his assurance to Pujya Swamiji, Gurudev said, “I am ever at thy back. I am ever ready to serve thee”. This is the assurance from God Himself. All that we have to do is to surrender unconditionally and turn to Gurudev. We have to offer our problems to the Guru and have faith in order to progress spiritually. A potent statement by Pujya Swamiji is, “Before we ask, we must deserve”. He further indicated that we will also be severely tested on the spiritual path. “If you have difficulty in your spiritual life, it’s an indication that God feels that you have possibilities for a higher life”. We should therefore welcome difficulties and transcend them. Indeed, very profound advice from Pujya Swamiji to ardent seekers and us all.
The message from the Society paid tribute to Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda, and exhorted us to re-dedicate ourselves to the Divine Mission and the high ideals that Sri Gurudev and Pujya Swamiji set, so as to grow spiritually. The following quote captures the essence of the message, “We are proud of the high standards set by the devotees in attendance at Satsangs and Yoga Camps, in their personal Sadhana and Karma Yoga, etc, and in upholding the values and ethos of harmony, loyalty, dedication and Guru Bhakti as laid down by Pujya Swamiji. We are reminded of what Sri Gurudev expected of us, when he said, ‘Avataras will come at special times of stress and strife. Perhaps the birth of an Avatara is imminent. But now we should take on the duties of an Avatara. In fact, all the saints of today are Amsa-Avatars, and we are all their helpers. We should ourselves feel that the divine spark is in us and work hard. Each of you should do what an Avatara would do. Then the divine spark in you will burst forth into a conflagration’”.
The guest speaker, Smt Tashmica Sharma, an academic at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, delivered her keynote address in her capacity as Vice-president of the Shree Sanathan Dharma Sabha of South Africa. (She is also an executive member of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha). She paid high tribute to the teachings of Sri Swami Sivananda, and the life and legacy of Pujya Swami Sahajananda. This is evident in, “The Society’s dedicated approach to both spiritual and secular education has ignited a sacred pathway out of darkness, towards the Light (Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya) through the four Ashramas of our life-times: Brahmacharya (student), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (hermit), and Sannyasa (renunciation) – where we are guided from darkness to light by the spiritual knowledge of Swamiji’s teachings disseminated by the Divine Life Society of South Africa”.
She continued, “In Kaliyuga, the decline of morality and righteousness is the darkness. This darkness in post-pandemic South Africa is associated with corruption, violence, inequality, and poverty, which threaten to envelop our nation and overwhelm the struggle for justice and righteousness, eroding the democratic freedoms for which many made the ultimate sacrifice. Giving and voluntarism (Dana) are an essential component of Hindu society, dating back to 1 500BC, cited in the Rigveda (Rigveda, X.117). The Society has continued to demonstrate the principles of generosity, hospitality, philanthropy, and charity, which are major hallmarks of Hinduism as enshrined in the Vedas”.
The Society also released its Service Activities’ Brochure as part of the Centenary Celebrations, commemorating the 50th Anniversary since Pujya Swami Sahajananda launched our poverty alleviation programme, by building classrooms, schools, creches, a hospital, early childhood learning centres, hydroponic gardens, housing and other programmes. To date, the Society has completed 684 such projects. A special Yoga Asana DVD was also released. Senior devotees, who are instrumental in our projects, Yoga Asana practices, and who worked closely with Pujya Swami Sahajananda, were given the honour of doing these releases.
The timeless beauty of our Sivananda Gymnastic Drill Displays enthralled the congregation. Conceptualised and introduced by Pujya Swami Sahajananda in 1997, the drill has become popular, and instils great Bhakti in the participants and the viewers alike. The drill is performed to the melodious and soothing Ram Bhajans, Ram Siyapati Ram and Bhajale Ram, which were selected by Pujya Swamiji. The movements were also choreographed and directed by our beloved Pujya Swamiji. The participants derive multiple benefits, namely, improved focus and concentration, discipline, physical fitness, team spirit, ability to follow a single command, ability to work harmoniously in a group, and the wonderful opportunity to make a beautiful offering of love to our Divine Master on his Birth Anniversary during our Centenary Celebrations.
Dignitaries on the day included representatives of various sister-organisations and NGOs.
The Birth Anniversary Celebrations’ programme, interspersed with the recital of the Sri Hanuman Chalisa, Havan, Ganga Arati, marching, Deity parade, melodious Kirtans and Bhajans, drill displays, talks and messages, appealed to all tastes and inclinations. All benefited and felt enriched. Indeed, as explained by Sri Swami Sivananda, the collective spiritual energy of Satsang has tremendous power, and can bring about profound healing, peace, individual and collective transformation. No doubt, this day quenched our thirsts to a great extent. The Master’s words on the Power of Prayer, found practical implementation on this day when so many attended. We are confident that all left the celebrations feeling elevated, and enriched in body, mind and spirit, for as Sri Gurudev said, “Prayer elevates the mind. It fills the mind with purity. It is associated with the praise of God. It keeps the mind in tune with God. Prayer can reach a realm where reason dares not enter. It can take you to the Spiritual Realm or Kingdom of God”.
Is there any better way to celebrate Sri Swami Sivananda’s 137th Birth Anniversary?
