The auspicious Guru Purnima and Sri Swami Sahajananda’s 100th Birth Anniversary were celebrated at both Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills and Sivananda International Cultural Centre (SICC) on Thursday, 10 July 2025.
The morning Sadhana programme at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills was from 6am to 8am, comprising Invocation, Akhanda Chanting, Darshan at Sahaja Kutir, Pujya Swamiji’s sacred Kutir and the Sivananda-Sahajananda Diamond Jubilee Centre. Havan and Paduka Puja ensued from 7am to 8am. Scores of devotees, well-wishers, donors and visitors braved the cold winter weather to attend this most sacred, divine and historic occasion.
At SICC, Ganga Arati commenced at 2.30pm followed by Satsang from 4pm to 6.20pm. The programme comprised Kirtans, Bhajans, a dance, Sri Gurudev’s Guru Purnima messages, Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio message, a poetry recital with musical accompaniment and the release of a Centenary Celebrations’ CD and booklet.
Sri Swami Sivananda’s Guru Purnima Message gave deep insight into this important occasion. The Master said, “The day of worship of one’s preceptor, is a day of pure joy to the sincere spiritual aspirant. Thrilled by the expectation of offering his reverent homage to the beloved Guru, aspirants await this occasion with eagerness and devotion. It is the Guru alone that breaks the binding cords of attachment and releases the aspirant from the trammels of earthly existence”.
Referring to the importance of a Guru, the Master explained, “The Grace of a Guru is very necessary. That does not mean that the disciple should sit idle. He must do rigid spiritual practices. All the work must be done by the student. The Guru and the scriptures can show you the path and remove your doubts. Direct experience or direct intuitive knowledge is left for your own experience. A hungry man will have to eat for himself. No doubt, the Guru's blessings can do everything. But how can one have his blessings? By pleasing the Guru. A Guru can be pleased with his disciple only if the latter carries out his spiritual instructions implicitly. Therefore, follow the instructions of the Guru carefully. Act up to his instructions. Only then will you deserve his blessings which can do everything.
“The best form of worship of the Guru is to follow his teachings, to shine as the very embodiment of his teachings, and to propagate his glory and his message. A true disciple is one who serves his Guru till the end of his life. If the disciple survives after the Guru gives up his mortal coil, he should lead the remaining portion of his life strictly in accordance with his Guru's instructions and live to preach them to others by practising them himself”.
The Master’s message concluded with his poem, My Disciple, “If anyone is rude and discourteous, if he cannot do prostrations to elders and saints, if he does not do Nishkamya Karma Yoga, if he does not know Asanas and Pranayama, if he has no knowledge of the Yoga of Synthesis, if he does not serve the poor and the sick, if he is not generous and charitable, if he cannot feel the unity of the Self in all beings, he cannot be my disciple”.
In a reference to this rare alignment of these two sacred events, the message from the Society reflected on Pujya Swamiji’s faith, loyalty and obedience to Sri Gurudev, as is evident in, “… it comes as no surprise that the 100th Birth Anniversary of beloved Pujya Swami Sahajananda coincides with Sri Guru Purnima this year. Devotees of Divine Life Society of South Africa were highly inspired by the Dasya Bhav and total self-surrender of Pujya Swamiji to our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, akin to the service of Sri Hanuman to Lord Rama”.
The message also focused on the importance of a Guru as emphasised in the Guru Gita, “By the devotion practised towards the Guru, one attains the state of Mukti even without knowledge. For those who tread the path of unflinching devotion to the Guru, no other Sadhana is needed than the Grace of the Guru”. The message also paid tribute to Sri Gurudev and Pujya Swami Sahajananda for their bounteous gifts to us, and to devotees for their unflinching devotion and commitment to the continuation of Sri Gurudev’s and Pujya Swamiji’s legacies. “Today we pay homage to our Divine Master for making Swamiji take birth here in South Africa 100 years ago. Because of this grace, our country has benefited from more than 700 completed infrastructure projects, with this number continuing to grow into the future. Swamiji’s golden touch is reflected in our Ashram activities and programmes that are all progressing well”.
Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio message, pregnant with deep meaning, again focused on his relationship with, and unconditional loyalty to Sri Gurudev. He said that if he had to write a book, it would be entitled, The Mysteries and Marvels of the Guru’s Grace, for the Master chose him, so that he can be an ideal “specimen” to demonstrate the Master’s marvels. The Master was in complete control of his life, even to the extent of spelling his name differently. He said that, “Whatever came, came from Gurudev”. Regarding Pujya Swamiji’s initial request for Sannyas, the Master cautioned, saying, “Sannyas is made of sterner stuff”. Pujya Swamiji said that nobody could oppose Gurudev’s will, and that his (Pujya Swamiji’s) performance in the matriculation examination was a blessing in disguise. He said, “What appeared as a great tragedy then was a great blessing”, indicative of his complete surrender to the Master. He recounted how he first found the Master’s book, Practice of Karma Yoga in a Vedic Bookshop, and was instantly attracted to the Master, whom he adopted as his Guru. His faith in the Master has been ever steadfast, unconditional and unwavering.
Two Centenary Celebrations’ releases were made on this day. Prayers and Affirmations, a publication compiled from several of the Divine Master’s writings, including Science of Yoga, Sadhana, Daily Meditations, Hindu Fasts & Festivals and Light, Power & Wisdom, amongst others. Some prayers by Pujya Swami Sahajananda extracted from Path of Divine Grace, Guidance in Daily Life and Faith & Self-surrender are also included. A CD containing messages by Sri Swami Sivananda and Sri Swami Sahajananda, as well as two plays, Home Sadhana and Back to Basics, which are the gestalt of the Master’s and Pujya Swamiji’s cardinal teachings, was also released.
A beautiful dance, Mangal Bhavan Amangal Hari, dedicated to Lord Rama, Pujya Swamiji’s Ishta Devata, added colour to the programme and appropriately brought the programme to a beautiful climax. The dancers sought to invoke the Lord’s Divine Blessings to remove all inauspiciousness from our lives. Telicia Mahabeer, Kajal Raghubir, and Yaditha Singh from the Nateshwar Dance Academy made a splendid offering.
The Pietermaritzburg Branch’s excellent musical rendition comprising a poem dedicated to Sri Gurudev, entitled Siva Divine composed by Pujya Swamiji, and a birthday song dedicated to Pujya Swamiji, were both inspirational and insightful. Some of the words of the poem are captured herewith:
Siva Divine
To serve with love his Lotus feet,
In pleasure and pain, in cold and heat,
To serve the sick, to serve the poor,
To spread God's Knowledge from door to door.
This is the teaching of Siva Divine,
O, let it enter this heart of mine.
To sing with joy, his glorious Name,
Without any fear, without any shame,
To love the Lord with all our soul,
To take him as our only goal.
This is the teaching of Siva Divine,
This is the teaching of Siva Divine,
This is the teaching of Siva Divine.
O, Let it enter this heart of mine.
To sit serene and calm and still,
And try the vicious mind to kill,
To merge in him within the heart,
Never to think him ever apart.
This is the teaching of Siva Divine…
This two-fold celebration of Guru Purnima and Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s 100th birth anniversary, is indeed a unique occasion in the annals of the history of Divine Life Society of South Africa. No doubt this is an awe-inspiring, rare and spiritually potent occasion, when the calendar aligns itself to bring together two major spiritual observances on the same day. For devotees, this convergence can be considered highly sacred and transformative, offering an unparalleled opportunity for Sadhana, spiritual growth, merit, and inner purification. The rare confluence of these two major spiritual events in our calendar on one day is not merely a calendrical coincidence, but a celestial invitation to us all to immerse ourselves in the divine. For the devotee, it represents a window of Divine Grace-a moment to pause, purify, and forge ahead on the path of spiritual evolution
This celebration created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for devotees to honour the Guru-principle while commemorating the life of a living embodiment of that high ideal-Sri Swami Sahajananda. Both occasions individually radiate spiritual potency. Their confluence creates a spiritually charged atmosphere that magnify the blessings, merit, and inner transformation for all who observe and celebrate it, and is an ideal time for introspection, prayer, and re-commitment to the Guru’s teachings. While Guru Purnima celebrates the eternal Guru-Shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition, Sri Swami Sahajananda’s Birth Centenary embodies its living continuity. The event serves as a bridge between tradition and contemporary relevance, inspiring future generations to walk the spiritual path boldly and with conviction. The confluence serves as a powerful reminder of what is possible when a life is surrendered to a higher cause. Sri Swami Sahajananda’s life exemplifies humility, Seva (service), and devotion to the Guru, making this observance not only a celebration, but a call to action. This sacred confluence is not merely a coincidence, nay, it is a divine orchestration, offering devotees an unmatched spiritual moment. It encourages deeper devotion to the Guru, renewed spiritual resolve, gratitude for divine guidance, and the celebration of a century of spiritual legacy. It is a milestone in time, etched not just in calendars, but in the hearts of those who recognise the rare blessing of walking the path under the light of a true Guru-an occasion that we will have to wait another hundred years, if at all possible, to experience.
May the blessings of Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda be upon us all.
