Spiritual home: A visit to Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh

 Hari Aum.

I hope all readers had a wonderful Navaratri. I had the immense good fortune of visiting Rishikesh and participating in the spiritual activities at Sivananda Ashram recently.

I had just over a week of annual leave from work so made a short visit to North India (Delhi and Rishikesh) to see family (both biological and spiritual families). It was my daughter’s first visit to this part of India (she has been learning Hindi for the past year so I told her this is a good opportunity to practice!). 

I was particularly excited about taking her to Rishikesh, a place that I feel is like none other on the planet. (I wrote about Sivananda Ashram in October 2017 and feel all of this still applies today). 

The weather in North India is relatively cool and pleasant at this time of year. After the searing heat of summer, temperatures of 25-28 degrees in the daytime and 16-20 degrees at nighttime are very pleasant. It is not-too-hot and not yet too cold. 

After eight long years, I felt very happy to be able to visit Rishikesh and especially Sivananda Ashram. Even when physically away, this place always feels close to my heart and mind. I had been longing to go for a while but the visit was delayed due to various reasons (including the pandemic, arrival of daughter, health issues, work and so on).

One difficulty I faced was that, as a householder yogi, the expectation of one’s spouse and relatives is often that every holiday should be spent in the traditional way— visiting family or going to a favoured holiday destination for relaxation and material enjoyment. 

I had to have a mini-fight with them to be able to make this trip—even going as far as to mildly (or maybe no-so-mildly!) threaten to take sannyasa (but a modern version that would involve fulfilling my duties as a mother—as abandoning this would be completely unacceptable both spiritually and materially, and against dharma in my specific situation). 

After threatening to take up sannyasa/ monastic life (a spiritual way of life that has, on some level, been an inspiration for me for decades) if not given the freedom to visit Rishikesh, there was a backing down by my husband and others who then kindly took steps to help me arrange the visit!

I also stated that, from now on, especially as my daughter is a bit older (aged seven), I would like to visit Rishikesh and the Ashram every year ideally or at least once in two years (with or without the rest of the family in accordance with their wishes; I do not wish to compel anyone to join me but, equally, I cannot be compelled to stay away!). Never again I declared, would I be able to stay away for eight years (unless things turn out that way by the will of God)! All this was accepted by my relatives for which I am very grateful.

Being a householder devotee is no easy task. But it is a great privilege and opportunity too. One can also truly relate to and appreciate the descriptions in the Puranas of various relationships (such as Yasodha’s love for the baby Krishna, the teasing by Krishna of His wife, Rukmini and so many other divine Lilas). Although these are divine Lilas, they are portrayed through the lives of human avatars that we can relate to, that help us to form a loving relationship with God Him/Herself.

I was at Sivananda Ashram during the annual Sharad Purnima puja at the Vishwanath Mandir. The full moon on this night is said to have special healing properties. It is also a sacred night associated with Krishna’s famous Rasa Lila dance as well as the worship of Goddess Lakshmi. Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati’s son, Kartikeya, is also said to have manifested on this day.

It was a clear night in Rishikesh with a large glowing full moon visible in the sky. The temple was decorated with beautiful diyas (clay lamps) and flowers. Various devotees from all over the country and elsewhere were present. 

I too attended with my family. We heard the chanting of many sacred Vedic hymns and mantras. The main focus of the puja was Lord Shiva. The devotees were all invited to participate by forming queues on either side of the entrance to enter the shrine and offer a large spoon of cooked rice to the Shiva linga as mantras were recited. (There were separate queues for women and men in accordance with tradition; we were also seated separately in the temple).

Many different offerings were made by the Swamis conducting the puja such as milk, honey, water, rice, turmeric, Bilva leaves, fruits and flowers.

It was a simply beautiful experience. I was surprised to find tears streaming down my eyes as I gazed upon the deities in the temple, including Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and the Divine Mother.

I have come home after so long, I said. So much has happened since I was here last, eight long years ago, both in spiritual and material life. It was only by Your grace, I told Them, that I was able to continue with spiritual life despite all the trials and tribulations, despite the health issues and the pandemic, despite so many challenges within and without. Keep me on the spiritual path, no matter what, I said. 

Help me, O Guru and God to do japa daily, to be sincere, to develop true devotion, to complete the purascharanas and to attain God in this very lifetime. 

As streams of tears fell silently from my eyes while standing in the queue and watching the puja, a few drops fell on my daughter’s head (she was just ahead of me). She asked me if I was upset and gave me a big hug to try and comfort me. I smiled and said these were tears of happiness and that I was ok. She was then reassured and enjoyed the rest of the puja. 

During this visit, I also spent time attending meditation and chanting sessions at the Samadhi Shrine, where the mortal remains of Sivananda are placed with his statue and a Shiva linga. My family and I participated in the various daily spiritual activities such as Mahamantra chanting and satsangs. 

My daughter, Uma, had been sporadically chanting mantras until this time. I told her that mantra japa was a great blessing and the age of seven is when children were traditionally introduced to sacred mantras. She could do a mini-mala of a mere 27 recitations of any mantra or prayer from any spiritual tradition of her liking I suggested (Sivananda teaches us to respect all traditions; as my husband is a practicing Christian as well as a yogi, we celebrate both yogic/Hindu and Christian festivals and also visit both temples and churches). She chose a short Radha-Krishna mantra out of the selection I offered and has been chanting this daily since. She has had a fondness for these deities for some time. 

Uma is also keeping a spiritual diary to record her mantra chanting as I suggested this will help her keep track of the regularity of her practice. In addition to obtaining a mini-mala for her japa, she asked for and obtained various other ‘souvenirs’ from the trip including toys and books (spiritual and material gifts are both necessary, especially for children). 

She also received generous quantities of sweets in the form of ‘prasad’ (food that has been offered to God) given by the kind Swamis at the Ashram. Overall, she was very satisfied by the trip and said she would love to visit again!

On the whole, although this was a very short trip due to the limited one week of leave from work during the school break, it was deeply satisfying. I felt I was home again. A family member asked me if I do not regard places other than Rishikesh as home. I said the various places where I have lived and worked in life are home—from this lifetime. However, Rishikesh and the Himalayas, feels like home for many lifetimes, not only this one. The feeling one gets there cannot be experienced anywhere else (at least for me and many other yogis). 

As one travels on the road from Haridwar to Rishikesh, through the meandering hilly terrain and chaotic traffic (that is classic for India), past placid cows who roam about freely (my daughter enjoyed counting the cows but agreed with me when I said they really should be placed in a ‘goshala’/cowshed!), one enters the realm of the yogis. 

As one leaves Delhi and other more materialistic cities far behind, and enters this sacred region in the foothills of the Himalayas (called the Shivalik hills), one finds that material matters fade away from the mind and spiritual thoughts strongly predominate.

This is after all, the land of Shiva, the land of Vishnu and the land of the Divine Mother (the whole Earth belongs to God of course but some areas have a concentration of spiritual places like the Himalayas).

A key feature of this hilly region is the sacred river Ganga which flows from the Gangotri glacier further up from Rishikesh down to the plains in North India. Daily worship (Ganga arati) is conducted at the banks of the river especially in the evenings when lights and flowers are offered along with the chanting of hymns and mantras. 

People also come from far and wide to take a dip in Ganga as this is regarded as a method of spiritual healing and washing away of past sins. There are dedicated areas near the banks where the water is more shallow and it is regarded as relatively safe to briefly enter the water (which is freezing cold even in Rishikesh). I had a brief dip too and also collected a small amount of water to take back with me (this is often used in pujas and worship).

This trip was too short (four days) to be able to really get involved in the free medical work provided by the Sivananda Charitable Hospital (as I have done on previous visits). The senior Swamiji, who is the head of the hospital, told me they currently have a full team of doctors (including physicians and surgeons) which was very good to hear. 

It is a privilege to be able to support the excellent work of the hospital and Ashram and I was glad to be able to make a donation towards this prior to leaving (the Ashram never asks visitors to donate anything but rather, makes a point of giving to others whatever they can, be it spiritual teachings, food, medicine, education etc —they perform numerous types of useful work in society).

During the visit to Ashram, I had the chance to speak with some of the Swamis and obtain some spiritual advice. I also met fellow yogi friends from Europe who were there at the same time by coincidence. It was a wonderful experience and I wish it could have lasted longer.

However, as householder yogis, our karmas call us back to our usual spheres of life and we must perform our duties as a form of spiritual practice. And so, I am now physically back at my usual home but feel ever connected to Sivananda Ashram and Rishikesh, which is my true spiritual home.

The karma sannyasa tradition (created by Swami Satyananda, disciple of Sivananda) is suitable for householder sadhakas who wish to make spiritual progress while living a regular life in society. (I have written a post about this previously).

I will conclude this post by wishing all readers a very happy Diwali in advance. May the light of our spiritual practice shine daily throughout the next year. May God bless us all with true devotion and spiritual liberation in this very lifetime.

Om Namo Narayanaya 

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma

 Hari Aum.

As I mentioned in previous posts, despite my ongoing commitment to spiritual life and japa yoga, I am currently very much immersed in householder life. I presently have a long and tedious list of chores to get through during this weekend (and some in my life would say, I should be working my way through some of them instead of writing this post!). 

However, I have been watching the Mahabharata series (made in 2013-14) again in recent weeks. And I have been longing to write about Yudhishthira for a while-- and now seems like the perfect opportunity.

The word 'Yudhishthira' is synonymous with 'dharma' or righteousness. He was devoted to virtue his entire life. He was a highly intelligent king who always saw good in everyone (his enemies often took advantage of his good nature to cause him and his family harm-- as in the case of the famous game of dice described in the Mahabharata).

I personally feel a little thrill of admiration and reverence whenever I utter the name 'Yudhishthira'-- there is something just so endearing about him. He is described as being extremely kind and good; it is impossible not to like him. His relations find his intense love of dharma or righteousness exhausting at times-- as he is the eldest brother and also King, his younger brothers and wife, Draupadi, are compelled to constantly adhere to dharma, and remain calm in the face of severe provocation (from their enemies, the evil-minded Kauravas)--and they do not find this at all easy!

Yudhishthira insists being kind and forgiving in the face of evil. His brothers (the hot-headed Bhima in particular!) often want to express righteous anger and even vengeance in the face of evil-- but Yudhishthira does not allow it. He believes in giving  good in return for evil. This is the way of dharma.

One can feel frustrated at times by the manner in which he forgives people who do not appear to deserve any forgiveness,  and who repeatedly take advantage of his kindness. "Why Yudhishthira?!" one cannot help but say as one reads his story. "Why must you keep giving them the benefit of the doubt?! Why do you trust them? Why are you so good to those who treat you so horribly?! Don't do it, because they will make you suffer!". 

But Yudhishthira just cannot help it-- he is after all, the son of dharma. He is the son of Lord Yama himself, the demi-god of death whose other name is Dharma or righteousness.

(The legend of the Mahabharata says that his mother, Queen Kunti, was taught a mantra that allowed her to summon any of the demi-gods to gift her a child. When her husband, King Pandu, was cursed to never be able to have his own children, he asked his wife to use the mantra to obtain children born of the demi-gods. In accordance with her husband's wishes, Kunti used the mantra to request the devas to present the couple with children. The first demi-god invoked was Yama and so Yudhishthira, born by his grace, became the eldest son of Kunti and Pandu, and thus the oldest of the Pandava brothers).

Yudhishthira loved dharma or righteousness intensely and tried his best to live in accordance with its principles (these include the yogic ethics). He had a great love for ahimsa or non-violence and did not wish to participate in a war with his cousins, the wicked Kauravas. However, destiny compelled him to fight as it was his duty or dharma as a kshatriya or warrior to work for justice for his people. He was a vital instrument in the hands of Krishna, the avatar of Narayana, who was born to establish dharma on Earth.

He also had an intense love for truthfulness. As truth is the essence of dharma or the Divine, Yudhishthira practiced this devoutly throughout his life and never willingly spoke a single untruth.

After the infamous game of dice, Yudhishthira had regained everything he had lost due to the wisdom of his wife, Draupadi (who invoked Krishna and brought His grace upon them). 

After this, he was invited one last time by Duryodhana and Shakuni to play a very short game. There would be only a single throw of the dice. The winner would take the kingdom, and the loser would have to go to the forests outside the land in exile for twelve years. A further thirteenth year would need to be spent incognito (if they were discovered during this time, the cycle would have to be repeated, i.e. another twelve years and a further incognito year would have to be undergone).

It was part of the warrior code at the time for a king to accept a challenge, be it a war or a game of dice (refusing this was regarded to be an act of weakness or cowardice). It was clear by this time that the Kauravas were extremely wicked and dangerous. However, in accordance with the kshatriya code, Yudhishthira felt compelled to accept the invitation. 

He lost of course (as the dice were false) and he, accompanied by his four brothers and wife, were forced to go into exile. Before they left, they were told their kingdom would be returned after the period of exile was completed (the Kauravas refused of course to keep their promise, which led to the great war in accordance with the law of karma and Divine will).

A number of interesting events take place during the exile, the war and later during Yudhishthira's rule as King that demonstrate his exceptional commitment to dharma or goodness.

Some of these include the famous 'yaksha prashna' (the test posed by a being called a 'yaksha'), the incident involving Guru Drona, the great conversation with Bhishma (including the teaching of the Vishnu sahasranama) after the war, and his ascent to heaven (after his time on Earth). I want to write about some of these events in the coming weeks.

I wanted to describe the yaksha prashna here but will aim to write a separate post on this soon if possible as it is very interesting and also a bit lengthy. In the meantime, I will leave you with one famous question posed by the yaksha (who was Yudhishthira's own divine father, Lord Yama, in disguise) and the King's answer.

After asking many challenging questions related to the material and spiritual aspects of life, Lord Yama asks his son: "What is the greatest wonder?"

Yudhishthira, who had so far correctly answered all the questions posed by his divine father, replies:

"Every day, numerous living beings die and depart for the realm of Yama, the demi-god of Death. Yet, those who are still alive feel that they will live forever. What can be a greater wonder than this?"

This famous question and answer is often discussed by various spiritual Gurus in the yoga tradition. They remind us, their disciples, not to take our lives for granted. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, what even the next moment will bring. Life can change in seconds as some of us may have seen and even experienced.

The great Gurus Adi Shankara and the Buddha famously described human life to be as fragile as a drop of water trembling on the tip of a leaf or a blade of grass. At any moment, this drop can fall. Therefore, they tell us to wake up as quickly as possible from the slumber of spiritual ignorance. 

This life is as precious as it is fragile, they say. It is to be used wisely to attain that which is everlasting, a state of peace and bliss that is beyond the mind and senses. 

For this reason alone, many of us plod daily upon the spiritual path. Desiring this alone, drawing inspiration from great individuals like Yudhishthira, we adhere to the path of dharma to the best of our ability.

When Lord Dharma or Yama, pleased with his son's virtue and wisdom, asked him to request various boons or blessings, Yudhishthira (after asking for various blessings for others) said:

"O Lord, may I always be able to conquer greed, delusion and anger. May my mind always be directed towards charity and austerity."

Yudhishthira is, in many ways, a wonderful inspiration for us as spiritual seekers. Despite living an intensely busy life as King and householder, he remained deeply committed to a life of spiritual attainment and dharma. Contemplating his life and teachings grants a powerful motivation to walk the path of dharma.

Om Dharmadhyakshaya Namah. 

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.