Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Encyclopedia
Swami Satyananda Saraswati (24 December 1923 – 5 December 2009), was a sannyasin, yoga
teacher and guru
in both his native India
and the West. He founded the International Yoga Fellowship in 1956 and the Bihar School of Yoga
in 1963. He has authored over 80 books, including the well-known Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, recognised internationally as one of the most systematic yoga manuals today. Since its first publication by the Bihar School of yoga in 1969 it has been reprinted seventeen times and translated into many languages.
s.
As a youth he was classically educated and studied Sanskrit, the Vedas and the Upanishads. Swami Satyananda began to have spiritual experiences at the age of six, when his awareness spontaneously left the body and he saw himself lying motionless on the floor. Many saints and sadhu
s blessed him and reassured his parents that he had a very developed awareness. This experience of disembodied awareness continued, which led him to many saints of that time such as Anandamayi Ma. Swami Satyanada also met a tantric
bhairavi
, Sukhman Giri, who gave him shaktipat
and directed him to find a guru in order to stabilize his spiritual experiences.
At age eighteen, he left his home in order to seek a spiritual master. In 1943 at the age of nineteen, Swami Satyananda met his guru
Swami Sivananda
and came to live at Sivananda Ashram
in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda gave him the name Satyananda and initiated him as a Paramahamsa
sannyasin of the Dashnama sannyasa order, on the banks of the river Ganga on September 12, 1947. Swami Sivananda described him as a ‘versatile genius’ who ‘did the work of four people’. Swami Satyananda served in different departments at the ashram for over 12 years. He did physical labor, edited the ashram's Hindi journal, wrote various articles and composed poems in both Hindi
and Sanskrit
. He wrote a translation and commentary in the English language of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
by Swami Sivananda.
In 1956 after receiving the instruction from his Guru to spread yoga from door to door and shore to shore, Swami Satyananda he wandered throughout India as a mendicant parivrajaka traveling through Afghanistan
, Nepal
, Burma and Ceylon for the next 7 years, extending his knowledge of spiritual practices. He eventually found his way to Munger
, in the province of Bihar
. After establishing himself there, in 1963 he founded the International Yoga Fellowship and the Bihar School of Yoga
a year later.
He lectured and taught globally for the next twenty years, including tours in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, North America, and Colombia and authored over thirty textbooks on yoga and spiritual life. By 1983 Bihar School of Yoga was well established and recognized throughout the world as a reputed and authentic center for learning yoga and the spiritual sciences. At the peak of his accomplishment, Swami Satyananda renounced all that he created. He handed the active work of his ashram and organization to his spiritual successor Swami Niranjanananda
and in 1988 departed from Munger, never to return again.
On 23rd September 1989 he arrived at Rikhia, Deoghar, Jharkhand to live in seclusion as a Paramahamsa
Sannyasin, and perform Vedic sadhanas including panchagni, an austerity performed before five blazing fires outdoors during the hottest months of the year as described in the Satpatha Brahmanas and Kathopanishad. At Rikhia Swami Satyananda conducted a 12-year Rajasooya Yajna which began in 1995 with the first Sat Chandi Maha Yajna, invoking the Cosmic Mother through a tantric ceremony. During this event, Swami Satyananda passed on his spiritual and sannyasa sankalpa to Swami Niranjanananda. On 5 December 2009, he died at Rikhiapeeth, Jharkhand.
, known as the "Bihar Yoga" system or "Satyananda Yoga". This system addresses the qualities of head, heart and hands – intellect, emotion and action and attempts to integrate the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of yoga into each practice.
Swami Satyananda brought the yogic side of tantra to the forefront. In 1971 Tantra Yoga Panorama was published in which the concepts of tantra were outlined as applicable to the needs of today's society. Swami Satyananda codified the wisdom of yoga in ancient tantric scriptures and made it accessible to the modern aspirant. He defined the pawanmuktasana series, the shakti bandhas and the grouping of the various asanas according to position. Pranayama, prana vidya and the role of mudras and bandhas were scientifically explained by him and made generally available for the first time.
Swami Satyananda classified and expounded the techniques given in the tantras as a series of different stages and levels of pratyahara such as antar mouna, and different stages of meditation. He invented the technique of yoga nidra , now known worldwide as Satyananda Yoga Nidra, according to the tantric system of nyasa and defined and codified the different stages of the technique.
His system of tantric yoga involves the practice of:
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
teacher and guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
in both his native India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the West. He founded the International Yoga Fellowship in 1956 and the Bihar School of Yoga
Bihar School of Yoga
The Bihar School of Yoga is an internationally acclaimed school of Yoga founded by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1964 to fulfill the instruction given by his Guru, Sri Swami Sivananda of propagating the ancient wisdom of yoga from door to door and from shore to shore...
in 1963. He has authored over 80 books, including the well-known Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, recognised internationally as one of the most systematic yoga manuals today. Since its first publication by the Bihar School of yoga in 1969 it has been reprinted seventeen times and translated into many languages.
Life
Swami Satyananda Saraswati was born 1923 at Almora (Uttaranchal) in the foothills of the Himalayas, into a family of farmers and zamindarZamindar
A Zamindar or zemindar , was an aristocrat, typically hereditary, who held enormous tracts of land and ruled over and taxed the bhikaaris who lived on batavaslam. Over time, they took princely and royal titles such as Maharaja , Raja , Nawab , and Mirza , Chowdhury , among others...
s.
As a youth he was classically educated and studied Sanskrit, the Vedas and the Upanishads. Swami Satyananda began to have spiritual experiences at the age of six, when his awareness spontaneously left the body and he saw himself lying motionless on the floor. Many saints and sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
s blessed him and reassured his parents that he had a very developed awareness. This experience of disembodied awareness continued, which led him to many saints of that time such as Anandamayi Ma. Swami Satyanada also met a tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
bhairavi
Bhairavi
Bhairavi is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Devi virtually indistinguishable from Kali, except for her particular identification as the consort of the Bhairava.-Symbolism:...
, Sukhman Giri, who gave him shaktipat
Shaktipat
Shaktipat or Śaktipāta refers in Hinduism to the conferring of spiritual "energy" upon one person by another...
and directed him to find a guru in order to stabilize his spiritual experiences.
At age eighteen, he left his home in order to seek a spiritual master. In 1943 at the age of nineteen, Swami Satyananda met his guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
Swami Sivananda
Swami Sivananda
Swami Sivananda Saraswati was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism...
and came to live at Sivananda Ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda gave him the name Satyananda and initiated him as a Paramahamsa
Paramahamsa
Paramahamsa , also spelled paramahansa or paramhansa, is a Sanskrit religio-theological title of honor applied to Hindu spiritual teachers of lofty status who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. The title may be translated as "supreme swan," and is based on the swan being equally at home...
sannyasin of the Dashnama sannyasa order, on the banks of the river Ganga on September 12, 1947. Swami Sivananda described him as a ‘versatile genius’ who ‘did the work of four people’. Swami Satyananda served in different departments at the ashram for over 12 years. He did physical labor, edited the ashram's Hindi journal, wrote various articles and composed poems in both Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. He wrote a translation and commentary in the English language of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
The Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads. It is contained within the Shatapatha Brahmana, and its status as an independent Upanishad may be considered a secondary extraction of a portion of the Brahmana text. This makes it one of the oldest texts of the Upanishad corpus...
by Swami Sivananda.
In 1956 after receiving the instruction from his Guru to spread yoga from door to door and shore to shore, Swami Satyananda he wandered throughout India as a mendicant parivrajaka traveling through Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Burma and Ceylon for the next 7 years, extending his knowledge of spiritual practices. He eventually found his way to Munger
Munger
Munger town is the headquarters of Munger district, in the Indian state of Bihar. Historically, Munger is known for its manufacturing of iron articles such as firearms and swords. One of the major institutions in Munger is Bihar School of Yoga. It is one of the foremost learning center in the...
, in the province of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. After establishing himself there, in 1963 he founded the International Yoga Fellowship and the Bihar School of Yoga
Bihar School of Yoga
The Bihar School of Yoga is an internationally acclaimed school of Yoga founded by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1964 to fulfill the instruction given by his Guru, Sri Swami Sivananda of propagating the ancient wisdom of yoga from door to door and from shore to shore...
a year later.
He lectured and taught globally for the next twenty years, including tours in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, North America, and Colombia and authored over thirty textbooks on yoga and spiritual life. By 1983 Bihar School of Yoga was well established and recognized throughout the world as a reputed and authentic center for learning yoga and the spiritual sciences. At the peak of his accomplishment, Swami Satyananda renounced all that he created. He handed the active work of his ashram and organization to his spiritual successor Swami Niranjanananda
Swami Niranjanananda
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati is the successor of Paramahamsa Satyananda, founder of Satyananda Yoga, who passed on the worldwide coordination of Satyananda Yoga to Swami Niranjanananda in 1988....
and in 1988 departed from Munger, never to return again.
On 23rd September 1989 he arrived at Rikhia, Deoghar, Jharkhand to live in seclusion as a Paramahamsa
Paramahamsa
Paramahamsa , also spelled paramahansa or paramhansa, is a Sanskrit religio-theological title of honor applied to Hindu spiritual teachers of lofty status who are regarded as having attained enlightenment. The title may be translated as "supreme swan," and is based on the swan being equally at home...
Sannyasin, and perform Vedic sadhanas including panchagni, an austerity performed before five blazing fires outdoors during the hottest months of the year as described in the Satpatha Brahmanas and Kathopanishad. At Rikhia Swami Satyananda conducted a 12-year Rajasooya Yajna which began in 1995 with the first Sat Chandi Maha Yajna, invoking the Cosmic Mother through a tantric ceremony. During this event, Swami Satyananda passed on his spiritual and sannyasa sankalpa to Swami Niranjanananda. On 5 December 2009, he died at Rikhiapeeth, Jharkhand.
Teachings
Swami Satyananda's teachings emphasize an "Integral Yoga" with a strong emphasis on TantraTantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
, known as the "Bihar Yoga" system or "Satyananda Yoga". This system addresses the qualities of head, heart and hands – intellect, emotion and action and attempts to integrate the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of yoga into each practice.
Swami Satyananda brought the yogic side of tantra to the forefront. In 1971 Tantra Yoga Panorama was published in which the concepts of tantra were outlined as applicable to the needs of today's society. Swami Satyananda codified the wisdom of yoga in ancient tantric scriptures and made it accessible to the modern aspirant. He defined the pawanmuktasana series, the shakti bandhas and the grouping of the various asanas according to position. Pranayama, prana vidya and the role of mudras and bandhas were scientifically explained by him and made generally available for the first time.
Swami Satyananda classified and expounded the techniques given in the tantras as a series of different stages and levels of pratyahara such as antar mouna, and different stages of meditation. He invented the technique of yoga nidra , now known worldwide as Satyananda Yoga Nidra, according to the tantric system of nyasa and defined and codified the different stages of the technique.
His system of tantric yoga involves the practice of:
- Kundalini YogaKundalini yogaKundalini yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline for developing strength, awareness, character, and consciousness. Practitioners call Kundalini yoga the yoga of awareness because it focuses primarily on practices that expand sensory awareness and intuition in order to raise individual...
, in the tradition following Swami Sivananda's explanation. Kundalini Yoga is the yoga of the evolutionary energy of the universe. - Kriya YogaKriya YogaKriya Yoga finds mention in the ancient spiritual texts of Patanjali Yogasutras "Tapah svadhyayeshvara pranidhani kriyayogah" . It was later revived by Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri in the 19th century. Subsequently Paramhansa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi reported the same for his...
, in the form of Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvarapranidhana. Tapas is the practice of austerities. Svadhyaya is study of spiritual literature and also repetition of a personal mantra. Ishvarapranidhana is self-surrender to the Lord and doing all actions as an offering unto the Lord. - Mantra YogaMantraA mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
, the repetition of sacred sounds. - Laya YogaLaya yogaLaya yoga , also called Kundalini Yoga, is the practice whereby the Kundalini energy is raised, and which is attainable through deep meditation . Laya Yoga helps the aspirant to attain union with the supreme consciousness...
, the practice of a state of absorption on an object of meditation. - The four advanced stages of the Eight Limbs of Yoga as codified by PatanjaliPatañjaliPatañjali is the compiler of the Yoga Sūtras, an important collection of aphorisms on Yoga practice. According to tradition, the same Patañjali was also the author of the Mahābhāṣya, a commentary on Kātyāyana's vārttikas on Pāṇini's Aṣṭādhyāyī as well as an unspecified work of medicine .In...
: PratyaharaPratyaharaPratyahara or the 'withdrawal of the senses' is the fifth element among the Eight stages of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, as mentioned in his classical work, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali composed in the 2nd century BCE....
, DharanaDharanaDhāraṇā is translated as "collection or concentration of the mind ", or "the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining, retaining, keeping back , a good memory", or "firmness, steadfastness, ... , certainty"...
, DhyanaDhyana in HinduismAccording to the Hindu Yoga Sutra, written by Patanjali, dhyana is one of the eight limbs of Yoga, ....
and SamadhiSamadhiSamadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
.