Philosophy and Yoga - In Poems

Born on the 8th September, 1887, in the illustrious family of Sage Appayya Dikshitar and several other renowned saints and savants, Sri Swami Sivananda had a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta. Added to this were an inborn eagerness to serve all and an innate feeling of unity with all mankind.

His passion for service drew him to the medical career; and soon he gravitated to where he thought that his service was most needed. Malaya claimed him. He had earlier been editing a Health Journal and wrote extensively on health problems. He discovered that people needed right knowledge most of all; dissemination of that knowledge he espoused as his own mission.

It was divine dispensation and the blessing of God upon mankind that the doctor of body and mind renounced his career and took to a life of renunciation to qualify himself for ministering to the soul of man. He settled down at Rishikesh in 1925, practised intense austerities and shone as a great Yogi, saint, sage and Jivanmukta.

In 1932 he started the Sivanandashram. In 1936 was born The Divine Life Society. In 1948 the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy was organised. Dissemination of spiritual knowledge and training of people in Yoga and Vedanta were their aim and object. In 1950 he undertook a lightning tour of India and Ceylon. In 1953 he convened a 'World Parliament of Religions'. He is the author of over 300 volumes and has disciples all over the world, belonging to all nationalities, religions and creeds. To read his works is to drink at the Fountain. of Wisdom Supreme. On 14th July, 1963 he entered Mahasamadhi.

In these days life has become very complex. The struggle for existence has become very keen. Man finds no time to go through big philosophical books. He finds it difficult to go through pamphlets even. Therefore I thought it better to present before the public a book on `Yoga Philosophy and Sadhana' in prose-poems.

This book contains the quintessence of all my books. All forms of Yoga are dealt with. Anyone can remember the poems very easily.

Study of religious books is a sine qua non of an aspirant. It strengthens the spiritual Samskaras and creates an interest to peep into the Beyond. It inspires the readers and goads them to do practical Sadhana to achieve the summum bonum or Moksha. Swadhyaya is Kriya Yoga. Swadhyaya is an important Anga of Niyama in Raja Yoga philosophy.

Keep this book in your pocket. Whenever you find leisure in your office, when you travel in the train, when you sit in the evening in a maidan, turn the pages, read one poem and meditate on it; you will be a changed man. You will realise divine ecstasy and spiritual joy. Here is a potent key for you to open the gates of the illimitable domain of Eternal Bliss. Do not argue. Do not doubt. You are roasted in this terrible fire of Samsara. Get out of it quickly. Do something practical. Do Sadhana. Practise. Practise. Meditate. Meditate. Realise. Realise, my beloved friends!

**Contents and Sample Pages**