Pujya Shree Swami Satyanand ji Maharaj
Pujya Shree Swami Satyanand ji Maharaj
The Venerable Divine Master, the Apostle of Ram-Naam, the Dispenser of Naam-Deeksha and the Votary of Lord Ram is the lovingly remembered by his devotees as “Swami Ji Maharaj”.
He is the founder of ‘Shree Ram Sharnam’.
He was one of those rare godmen who realized God directly while worshipping the “Formless” without any Guru in physical form.
His path (to spiritual enlightenment) was very difficult, but he made the path easy for others.
Early Life
The revered Master was born on April 7,1868 (Shukal Puranmasi of the Indian month of Chaitra of the year Vikram Samvant 1925) at 5 a.m. in a Brahmin family of Jaggu Ka Mora, a village of Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan). He was the only child of his parents. He had no memory of his mother and father─ both died when he was a toddler.
From personal diary of Swami ji MaharajHis name was Gobind for paternal grandparents, but he was called Lakshman by his maternal grandparents. He was brought up by his maternal grandparents in a village Ankara on the banks of the Jhelum river in Jammu.
The maternal grandparents also died when he was ten. Somehow he sought the company of the learned saints and seers well-versed in Sanskrit. But he was a precocious child and made a quick progress in learning.
As a Jain Monk
At the tender age of 17, the young seeker joined the company of Jain sadhus. At the age of 19, he became a Jain Yati. He undertook a deep study of the Jain scriptures.
When he was 29, he came by a book,
Adhyatmic Chikitsa which recommended “faith in God” as the pre-condition. Heundertook spiritual practices recommended in the book at night during Chaturmas (4-month stay during rainy season observed by Yatis) at Ludhiana.
These practices resulted in his firm belief in Sat-Chit-Anand (the True, the Conscious & the Blissful God). A sea change came in him. He became a firm believer in God. It was a turning point in his life.
When he decided to move on, and gave up Jainism on December 28 1891, at the age of 30, and joined Arya Samaj at their annual festival in Malerkotla.
As a Swami in Arya Samaj
The young seeker was formally initiated into Arya Samaj and became a renunciant. He became a monk of the Swami Order. Swami Satyanand Ji became a very powerful exponent of the Arya Samaj.
He was not only a firm believer in God, he wanted to realize God. His search for God became his passion. He extensively traveled for 25 years and gave powerful discourses on the Vedas.
His lectures used to reflect a deep knowledge of the Vedas, Vedanta, Upanishads, the Mahabharata and the Ramayan. During this period, he wrote two books: Onkar Upasana and Shri Dayanand Prakash. His passion for God became deeper and deeper.
How God Came to His Life
His rigours went on and on for a month with an occasional morsel from the food-bowl placed daily one time at the door of his prayer room. After about a month-long silent prayers and penances in the silence of the heavenly hills, Swami Ji Maharaj got Enlightenment on July 7, 1925, on the auspicious day of Guru Purnima or Vyas Pooja. He heard the Holy Name— “Ram”(राम) in a divine sound.
He thought that some devotee of Shree Ram had made this beautiful utterance. He closed his eyes and again heard the enchanted utterance: “Ram,Ram” (राम राम). He was further ordained: “Ram Bhaj, Ram Bhaj, Ram, Ram” (राम भज राम भज राम राम) These were no ordinary words of this mortal world. He was thrilled. He experienced fine tremors all over his being. Swami Ji Maharaj yearned for a face-to-face meeting. The divine voice asked: “In which form will you like to see me?” To this Swami Ji Maharaj replied, “In your real Form. How can I dictate my Lord?”.
After this, the divine power appeared in the shape of the Holy Word: राम. The divine word “Ram” (राम ) appeared in the full divine splendor, unmatched by the combined light of a thousand suns. It was highly dazzling. Later Swami Ji Maharaj recaptured it in the form of ‘Shree Adhishthan’, a representation of the divine form of God as it appeared to Swami Ji Maharaj.
Divine Order
Swami Ji Maharaj, a fully enlightened master, heard the divine order: “The world is in distress. It is miserably stuck in the mire of worldly attractions and attachments. Go forth and wash down its mud with the Holy Water of Ram Naam”.
Under divine inspiration Swami Ji Maharaj wrote,
Bhakti Prakash. The Arya Samaj leaders requested him to make changes in Bhakti Prakash. Swami Ji Maharaj responded saying, “It is not my writing, it is the divine word. How can I afford to alter it?”. He parted from his high position at Arya Samaj.
As a Devout Dispenser of Naam Deeksha
In 1928, Swami Ji Maharaj, with full divine powers started giving Deeksha(Initiation). He used to traverse long distances to initiate genuine seekers.
Swami Ji Maharaj started holding 4 to 5 day-and-night spiritual congregations (Sadhna Satsang) for the spiritual trainees. The first of this kind was held in Haridwar in 1934.
He always underlined the importance of Sadhguru (True Master), Simran (Repeating the Holy Word) and Sewa (Service to Humanity). He did not advocate escape from life or renunciation. Rather he advised a devoted and dedicated family life but without unnecessary attachment or over-attachment.
Swami Ji Maharaj held the first Sadhana Satsang at Haridwar in December 1936. During the period he handpicked five disciples to form Shree Ram Sewak Sangh in order to spread faith in Ram. They took an undertaking to spread the holy name ”Ram“.
This brief but solemn ceremony was held on the banks of the holy river Ganga, above Bhim Goda at a place known as Sapt Sarover. Bade Pitaji(Pujya Bhagat Hansraj Ji Maharaj) was one of these five beloved disciples while the other four were Sh. Vaishnav Dass, Sh. Ram Krishan, Swami Ramanand and Swami Raja Ram.
Shree Swami Satyanand Ji Maharaj authored ten scriptures after God Realization. All his scriptures are in Hindi language. These are.
| Amritvani, | Bhakti Prakash, | Valmikiya Ramayansar, |
| Shreemad Bhagwat Gita, | Akadashopnishad Sangrah, | Prarthana Aur Uska Prabhav, |
| Upasak Ka Aantrik Jeevan, | Bhakti Aur Bhakt Ke Lakshan, | Sthitpragya Ke Lakshan, |
| Bhajan Avam Dhavani Sangrah |
Nirvan
Throughout his life, Swami Ji Maharaj enjoyed a good health. A week before his final exit from life, his consciousness went inward. On November 13, 1960 he started a very rapid Ram Jaap at about 8.30 p.m. Few of his disciples, including Bhagat Hansraj Ji (Bade Pita Ji) were at his bed side. At 10 p.m., Swami Ji Maharaj opened his eyes, waved his blessings to all bystanders and entered Mahasamadhi at the ripe age of 92 years at 21, Bunglow Road, New Delhi.
His body was taken to Haridwar, kept in Shree Ram Sharnam there, given a final farewell according to Sanyasi rituals, placed in a decorated Hindola, taken in a large procession to Neeldhara. Swami Ji Maharaj was given a final farewell in the sacred waters of the Ganga
True to his word, when Shree Swami Satyanandji Maharaj gave up his mortal frame, he had no money in his pocket, no piece of land, no bank account and not a single almond from any offering. His books are his best memorials. “No memorial need be built”, Swami Ji Maharaj foretold his disciples.
The Spiritual Heritage
After the Mahasamadhi of Shree Swami Satyanand Ji Maharaj his spiritual disciples started holding satsangs. Over the years, millions of people have found inner bliss and embalmed their Souls with the Divine ‘Ram Naam’.
In Bade Pitaji’s words, “We are all teachers of the same school. The curriculum, to be taught is also the same. The method of teaching has also been set by Shree Swami Ji Maharaj, only the way of expression is different. But we all are dedicated in completing the work entrusted to us by Gurudev(Swami Satyanand Ji Maharaj).”
