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Om Namo Bhagavade Sivanandaya

Sivananda DLS Divine Life Society of South Africa

Established in 1949 by Sri Swami Sivananda

Report: Sri Ram Navami 2026

The most auspicious Ram Navami was celebrated at all Sivanandashrams, several Branches and Prayer Groups of the Society. At Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, Ganga Arati commenced at 5.30pm, followed by Satsang. The Satsang programme comprised melodious Kirtans and Bhajans, reading of a message by Sri Swami Sivananda, a Ramayana recital and a beautiful item by our Spiritual Darlings (children).

In his message, Sri Swami Sivananda, referring to the impeccable character of Lord Rama, said, “Deep and unfathomable like the ocean, firm and steadfast like the Himalayas, valiant like Vishnu, He was the joy of Kaushalya. Though fierce like fire on the battlefield, He was calm like the cool breeze of the Mandara Hills, patient^- like Mother Earth, bounteous like Kubera, the God of Wealth, and righteous like Dharma, the Lord of Justice Himself. In pain or grief of His people, His heart swiftly sympathised with the sufferer. In the festive scenes which held them in joy, He, like a father shared their joy. By His honour and heroism, as well as by His gentleness and love for His subjects, He endeared Himself to the heart of His people.

“Think of Lord Rama, and your entire being is pervaded by a thrill of joy and peace - the joy and peace that belongs to Rama Rajya. Forget not that Lord Rama who took the human form out of mere play and in order to place before man an ideal of human perfection, was in reality the Supreme Brahman Himself”.

Referring to the intimate relationship between a Bhakta and the Lord, the Master said, “Whatever be your attitude towards the Lord, if you think of Him and Him alone intensely, Moksha is certain. Narada states this fact very clearly in his Bhakti Sutras. Even Vaira-Bhakti, where intense hatred for the Lord is produced, leads one to His Lotus-Feet. In this kind of Bhakti, the mind is pervaded by the thought of the Lord so fully that the one who hates the Lord sees Him alone everywhere. What then to say of those who have intense loving devotion to His Feet! No doubt about it; it leads one to eternal bliss and supreme peace”.

The Master’s potent advice to ardent aspirants resonates with wisdom, when he said, “Establish the Rama Rajya in yourself; when each individual thus converts himself into a walking, talking and moving Ram Rajya, then the entire world will be converted into one huge Rama Rajya.

“The essentials of Rama Rajya have been wonderfully laid before you in the Ramayana. Truth, purity, an indomitable will to conquer evil, an unshakable faith in and adherence to Dharma, obedience, forbearance, sympathy and love - these constitute Lord Rama. With the birth of these in you, be sure that Lord Rama has enthroned Himself in your heart. Ramayana is replete with lessons which every aspirant should learn and assimilate”.

The Master’s description of the relationship between Lord Rama, Sri Hanuman and Lakshmana, attests to unconditional devotion, loyalty and service. He advised, “Hanuman and Lakshmana should be your ideals of service. Utter selflessness and total dedication to the Lord, and thenceforward carrying out His Will as an instrument in His hands - that is the secret of success through work. Body, mind and soul, are all laid at His Feet; friends, family, nay, the entire world dwindles into an airy nothing before Him. It is then that you enjoy supreme felicity. You become an Aptakama; you have obtained whatever there is to be obtained. No more are you assailed by wants and desires. Fear, cowardice and other evils which have their root in greed disappear. You can work wonders”.

In his advice to women, the Master said that every woman should get before herself the ideal of Sita, and that Pativrata Dharma is the only Dharma for a woman. He explained, “If a woman sticks to this one Pativrata Dharma, she gets Mukti easily. Her might then becomes unchallengeable. Even Gods will bow to her, and the elements will obey her commands. O fashionable woman, O immodest lady, turn away from the path which leads to ruin; follow Sita's example. You will be ever remembered, even as Sita is”.

Sri Swami Sivananda said that Lord Rama’s Rama Rajya was based on truth. Dharma was its foundation. Shastras were the guiding principles. Rishis, Yogis, Munis and Brahma Jnanis were the guiding lights. The Vedas were always respected and followed. Therefore, Rama Rajya endured and prospered. And, it is even now spoken of as the most perfect form of government. He affirmed, “Here is a lesson for all the rulers of the world. If you base your government on true religion, on Dharma and on eternal verities, the government will be an ideal one, and all your subjects will enjoy peace and prosperity; if you build it on shifting sands of materialism, then the structure will collapse, destroying the inhabitants. Learn a good lesson from the Ramayana. Abandon the path that your perverted intellect impels you to tread”.

The soulful Ramayana recital, the sincere and the beautiful children’s offering, melodious Kirtans and Bhajans created a deeply spiritual atmosphere on this sacred occasion.

Sri Swami Sivananda taught that Ram Navami is not merely the celebration of the birth of Lord Rama, but the awakening of the divine consciousness within one’s own heart. He emphasised that true observance lies in living the ideals of Lord Rama, namely truth, purity, compassion, self-discipline, and unwavering adherence to Dharma. For ardent spiritual aspirants, this sacred day is not merely a celebration, but a call to awaken the “Rama” within -the inner light of purity, discipline, compassion, and unwavering devotion to duty. It inspires seekers to conquer negative tendencies, cultivate virtue, and walk the path of selflessness and surrender to the Divine. By reflecting on Lord Rama’s life, aspirants are guided toward inner harmony, moral strength, and ultimately, union with the Supreme.

May the blessings of Lord Rama, Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swami Sahajananda be upon us all.

Ramayana Week 2026

Divine Life Magazine No. 146

CLICK HERE TO READ DIVINE LIFE MAGAZINE NO.146

Report: Day of Descent of Divine Grace

A special Satsang was held on Sunday, 1 March 2026 at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, to commemorate the sacred “Day of Descent of Divine Grace”.

In 2007, Pujya Swami Sahajananda wrote about this auspicious day:

“I myself had the Grace of our Divine Master when an unusual power of his descended in me. It happened on 1st March this year. When the power descended there was a little disturbance in the beginning, but within a few days it settled down. Now there is no change in the descent of the power. I could not believe that the Master would grant me such Divine Grace, a Grace that I do not deserve. If devotees saw my attitude some five years ago and my attitude now, they would be quite surprised that such a tremendous change could take place”.

On Sunday, 1 March 2026, Ganga Arati commenced at 9.40am followed by Satsang. The Satsang programme comprised Kirtans, Bhajans and an audio message by Pujya Swami Sahajananda.

In the audio message, Pujya Swamiji said that Sri Gurudev created, planned and shaped his life and all aspects of the Society, indicative of Pujya Swamiji’s complete and total surrender to the Divine Master. Pujya Swamiji traced his early life, when the Master destined that Pujya Swamiji should get a second-class pass in the matriculation examination, which later led him to renounce the material world and his studies to pursue a spiritual life. Referring to the Master, he said, “Intuitively I knew that Gurudev was a God-realised saint”. He also recounted his first meeting with the Divine Master in Rishikesh, his yearning for his friends back home, the level of his dispassion, the Master’s taciturn nature at that time, his keenness to learn Yoga Asanas, singing of Kirtans and Bhajans, and the Master’s cryptic instruction, “Learn to type and to make tea”, which implied, “to serve”, which Pujya Swamiji accomplished with distinction.

The reading from “Conversations with Gurudev” from Guidance in Daily Life, written by Pujya Swamiji and published in 1998, is an intimate account of a conversation between Pujya Swamiji and Sri Gurudev. The conversation appears in its entirety as follows:

“Swamiji: Gurudev, when we ask for material things you fulfil our wishes quickly, even without thinking, like Lord Siva. But when we ask for spiritual transformation, you are very hard on us, Gurudev. Again, like Lord Siva sitting with His closed eyes on the Himalayas, you seem to ignore us.

Gurudev: This is because spiritual treasures are valuable and more lasting. They are not like things that perish.

Swamiji: Gurudev, you remarked to one of our devotees who came to you from South Africa, ‘I know when to give and what to give’. Your Divine Grace works in mysterious ways, Gurudev. It is unpredictable, especially when it comes to spiritual transformation.

Gurudev: Yes, the mystery of Divine Grace can only be understood through Divine Grace.

Swamiji: Gurudev, parts of my nature resisted transformation for many years. I was in despair and always had a lurking fear that it will never be possible, because I had heard that even some great spiritual personalities did not achieve a complete transformation of their external nature. They did not achieve the integral transformation as described in your books and teachings, that is, a transformation amidst all the distracting and frustrating situations of daily life.

Gurudev: Such a radical transformation is possible only through the Guru’s Grace.

Swamiji: I can well believe it, Gurudev. No amount of vows and resolutions helped me to overcome some of my cardinal defects. When I gave up every effort and felt helpless, your Divine Grace manifested. Gurudev, I woke up one morning with the distinct feeling that I was a changed being, that some great power of yours had descended upon me and was effecting the transformation. Gurudev, when I realised what was happening, tears of gratitude began pouring for several weeks, as I felt I was not worthy to receive such Grace. I marvelled to note with what precision and perfection your power was working. The higher knowledge seemed to be descending in me.

From time to time, you were giving me a formula to repeat, together with my Mantra, so that what you were giving could be stabilised. Gurudev, the distracting external conditions did not change a bit. The attitude of those around me was the same. But the miracle I noticed was that it was I who was changing.

Gurudev, kindly permit me to add something more. Over the years I knew all along that those around me were all your own forms, and that their frustrating actions were meant to help me in my spiritual progress. However, this intellectual acceptance did not help me much, Gurudev. But when your divine power descended upon me, the positive results were at once noticeable.

Gurudev: Yes, that is how Divine Grace works. Its ways are mysterious. It will work according to its own way and not the way you want. Perfect faith and self-surrender will allow it to work unhindered.

Swamiji: Gurudev, I regret to state that as the months went by, I found that sometimes I was losing the marvellous gifts that you were so graciously bestowing upon me, even though I was so unworthy of it. At such times I would feel extremely downcast and think that death would be preferable than to lose what you were giving. Gurudev, I also found that Divine Grace or Guru's Grace is not only difficult to get, but once got, it is even more difficult to maintain.

Gurudev: Yes, such precious spiritual gifts need special care and vigilance to protect them.

Swamiji: Gurudev, thanks to your boundless love and compassion, the transformation became more stabilised after about three years. This you made possible through the formulae that you gave me to repeat from time to time. Still, Gurudev, I need your Grace and protection at every step to keep vigilant at all times.

Gurudev: Yes, my Grace shall be ever with you”.

Thus ends the profound conversation between Sri Gurudev and his ideal disciple, Pujya Swami Sahajananda.

On this most auspicious day, and on Pujya Swamiji’s 70th Sannyas Anniversary, we thank Pujya Swamiji for his supreme sacrifice and dedication. Every cell of his sacred body and every drop of his pure blood were consecrated towards moulding us and preparing us for God-realisation, either in this birth or in births to come.

We express our eternal gratitude to our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda and Pujya Swamiji.