The 62nd Mahasamadhi Anniversary of Sri Swami Sivananda was observed on Monday, 14 July 2025 at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills. A morning Sadhana programme was held from 6am until 6.25am, after which, devotees took Darshan at Sahaja Kutir and the Sivananda-Sahajananda Diamond Jubilee Centre.
In the afternoon, Ganga Arati commenced at 5.30pm, followed by Satsang. The Satsang programme comprised Kirtans, Bhajans, a reading and Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s audio message.
The reading, extracts from, I Live to Serve – A Promise and A Fulfilment by N. Ananthanarayanan, on the last days of the Divine Master’s life, were both prophetic of the Master’s imminent departure from the physical plane, and sad. Excerpts herewith attest to these sentiments. “The sight is getting dim. Take whatever you want (on the tape) now itself. The hearing is getting dull. Tell whatever you want to tell now itself. The tongue is getting inarticulate. Ask whatever you want to ask now itself”. As Sri Gurudev was signing some letters one day, he said, rather jokingly, “Sight is getting dim. Hereafter I can’t sign, Sir”, and glanced at the Swami who took the letters to him.
Ananthanarayanan says that the Master, after his Satsang on 21st June 1963, said to some visitors, “Oh, the Viman (flying vehicle) is going to arrive from Brahmaloka. Who are all coming?” As far as Sri Gurudev himself was concerned, the Viman was to come just twenty-three days hence.
The Master’s burning passion to continue with his work till the end is evident in the fact that he attended to correspondence, dispatch of free book packets and other work in his Kutir, even though he had a pain in the hip-joint. As much as he wished, he could not go to the night Satsang. He also did his tape-recording of the day’s quota of spiritual exhortations.
The Master’s last dictation is a stark reminder of his deep spiritual literary legacy and his high state of spiritual evolution, as is indicative when he said in his last dictated message, “Happiness comes when the individual merges in God”, a potent message that sums up his teachings contained in his more than 250 books. Prophetically, he merged in God totally, within weeks of the above utterance. Ananthanarayanan says, “Happiness comes when the individual merges in God”: that forms the concluding sentence in the book Elixir Divine which contains the aphoristic dictations of Gurudev for many weeks prior to the date of stoppage of dictation. The book has been printed in tens of thousands and has already found its way to many a distant corner of the globe”.
Pujya Swamiji’s audio message focused on Sri Gurudev’s literary charity to the world. Sri Gurudev mentioned that dissemination of spiritual knowledge was foremost in his work. He said that if he remained in his Kutir and wrote, then far more people would benefit than if he went out and visited persons. In 1956, the Master, pointing to the hospital, told Pujya Swamiji, that the hospital is half-built and that all the money is going into the printing press. The Master infused his Shakti into his writings. Even in South Africa, Pujya Swamiji said that the primary objective of the Society is dissemination of spiritual knowledge, and that other work is secondary, for, “knowledge dispels ignorance forever”. Even the Srimad Bhagavad Gita talks highly about the dissemination of spiritual knowledge. Referring to the book Light, Power and Wisdom that Pujya Swamiji had sent to the Master, the Master heaped tremendous praise, saying that the book was “exquisite, grand and precious”.
That scores of devotees, well-wishers and visitors attended the Mahasamadhi Satsang is a testament to the great Sage of the modern era, Sri Swami Sivananda, whose divine life continues to inspire and uplift countless souls across South Africa and the globe. A beacon of light in the spiritual renaissance of the 20th century, Sri Swami Sivananda’s life is a sublime expression of selfless service, divine love, and spiritual wisdom. His sublime teachings transcend barriers of caste, creed and nationality. He taught the unity of all religions, the brotherhood of humanity, and the importance of inner transformation. His foundational message — “Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise”, encapsulates the path to God-realisation in simple, practical steps.
The Divine Master’s legacy lives on in South Africa through his illustrious disciple, Sri Swami Sahajananda. The Master’s life was a scripture in action - radiating peace, purity, and divine joy. Even decades after his Mahasamadhi in 1963, his spiritual presence continues to uplift humanity.
O Divine Master, O Sri Swami Sivananda, may we walk in your footsteps, imbibe your teachings, and dedicate our lives to the higher ideals of truth, purity, and universal love. May your divine legacy continue to ever shine and inspire us all.
